The centennial season of St. Bonaventure men’s basketball has gotten off to a less-than-desirable start. Tuesday, however, the Bonnies will have a chance to pick up their first win and retain the Br. Ed Coughlin Franciscan Cup against the Siena Saints (1-1) in Albany, New York at the Times Union Center.
Series history and last meeting:
Winners of the three consecutive meetings, the Bonnies own a 31-10 all-time record against the Saints. On the road against Siena, the Bonnies own a 3-3 record all-time, and under head coach Mark Schmidt, the Bonnies own a 6-3 record. The two programs have played for the Franciscan Cup every year since 2010, and in those games, the Bonnies own a 6-3 advantage. In the nine meetings for the Br. Ed Coughlin Franciscan Cup, seven games have been decided by less than 10 points.
In last year’s 82-40 dismantling of the Saints, the Bonnies were fueled by stellar defense and shooting. The Bona defense smothered Siena, holding the Saints to just 16 first-half points and 32% shooting for the game. The Bonnies held Siena’s leading scorer, Jalen Pickett, to just four points in the game. Rounding out the defensive effort, the Bonnies forced the saints into 16 turnovers, and scored 25 points off of them.
Offensively, Courtney Stockard and Nelson Caputo, both of which graduated in May, lead the Bonnies. Kaputo scored a career-high 21 points while Stockard collected 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists. As a team, the Bonnies shot 56 percent from the field and 6-17 from three-point territory.
How the Saints look:
Coming off a 17-16 season (11-7 in MAAC), the Saints are lead by first-year head coach Carmen Maciariello. Pickett, a sophomore, returns as the Saints’ biggest scoring threat after averaging 15.8 points, 6.7 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game last season. Prior to this season, Pickett was named the Preseason MAAC Player of the year and was put on the watch list for the Lou Henson Award, which is given to the nation’s best mid-major player.
Watch out for Elijah Burns:
After sitting out last season due to NCAA transfer rules, Burns, the Notre Dame transfer, will play a big role this season. While his numbers at Notre Dame weren’t spectacular, he poses as a big threat in the paint. According to sieanasaints.com, Burns possesses a strong low-post offensive game, and can knock down mid-range jump shots.
What does SBU need to do to get a win?
Through two games, the Bonnies, 0-2, have played poorly on offense for the most part, shooting 7-46 from three (15%) and 39-116 from the field (.336%). The poor shooting and costly turnovers must end.
Friday’s loss against Vermont painted a perfect picture of the Bonnies early season issues. Turnovers came at the wrong times, and there was seemingly a lid on the rim. This Bona team showed its youth, and it will certainly be used as a learning experience as the season progresses.
To pick up a win, look for the Bonnies to get Bobby Planutis going. Coming into this season, Planutis was tabbed as a sharp-shooting forward. So far, Planutis has scored 12 points and is an eye-opening 0-7 from three. But, as Schmidt said Monday, everybody must step up. And he’s right. Nobody has been exactly lighting it up.
Bonnies could look to Amadi Ikpeze and Justin Winston on offense:
Amadi Ikpeze and Justin Winston have been pleasant early season surprises for the Bonnies. For Ikpeze, the past three seasons have been filled with ups and downs. After seeing his playing time decrease last season, Ikpeze got himself into better basketball shape by cutting down in weight and adding muscle. It’s paid off, as the senior is second on the team in scoring with 21 points (10-15), averaging 10.5 per game.
Winston, on the other hand, gave the Bonnies quality minutes against Vermont. The freshman chipped in 10 points, four rebounds and one steal.
With star center Osun Osunniyi out for at least three weeks with a knee injury, the Bonnies will need more solid play from this duo.
Prediction:
This should be an even match-up and an exciting game. It’s easy to see the Bonnies losing this one, especially after the last two performances. This one will go back and forth throughout. I don’t see this young Bona squad putting together a defensive performance like last year’s. Pickett will make noise on offense, but the Bonnies will find a way to make more shots as a team. The Bonnies get a big performance from Planutis and win a low-scoring affair, 65-60.
By Mike Hogan, Men’s Basketball Beat Writer
