Photo: St. Bonaventure Athletics
BY JONNY WALKER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Ahead of last season, the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team lost most of its players to the transfer portal. In the process, the Bonnies lost all five of their starters, a group that had once played the most minutes of any lineup in the nation.
“The only positive [last season] was that we had no turnovers [return],” Bonnies head coach Mark Schmidt joked during an interview with A-10 Insider at Tuesday’s Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Media Day. “No points, but we had no turnovers. That was the positive.”
Ahead of this season, Bonaventure retained its entire starting five, reshaping Schmidt’s relationship with the transfer portal as a tool for addressing lingering weaknesses, not facilitating complete roster overhauls. In the A-10’s Preseason Poll released Tuesday, the conference’s head coaches and select media picked the Bonnies third.
“It’s almost like the portal has helped us now,” said Schmidt.
Nine of Bonaventure’s 15 currently rostered players return from last season, including the entirety of last year’s starting lineup. Four of those five returning starters came to Bonaventure through the transfer portal ahead of last season.
Through the transfer portal this offseason, Schmidt added three upperclassmen that he expects to play valuable minutes: graduate guard Mika Adams-Woods from Cincinnati, graduate guard Charles Pride from Bryant and redshirt junior center Noel Brown from A-10 rival George Washington.
“I think in today’s game … you got to have a veteran team,” said Schmidt. “You may agree or disagree with the portal, NIL and all that stuff, but it is here to stay. And if you don’t adjust, you’re gonna die.”
Two A-10 preseason all-conference selections, both of whom Bonaventure acquired through the transfer portal two offseasons ago, headline Schmidt’s retooled roster.
Redshirt junior forward Chad Venning made the A-10 Preseason All-Conference Third Team. Venning earned Bonaventure’s starting big-man role three games into last season before averaging nearly 6 rebounds and 13 points on roughly 60% shooting the rest of the way. Team captain and fifth-year senior guard Daryl Banks III made the A-10 Preseason All-Conference First Team after leading the nation in minutes played last season while averaging 15 points and nearly 4 rebounds per game.
Banks admitted adding transfers can complicate on-court team chemistry, but he credited the team’s offseason workouts for helping to resolve any potential chemistry issues.
“Pretty much, we’ve just been learning to feed off each other,” said Banks. “So they give me insight on different ways, how they play it, how they get open. So, I learned how to get them the ball or switch in situations like that. And vice versa.”
For Schmidt, the issue of retaining team chemistry stems from uncertainty surrounding incoming players’ mindsets. He said in order for his team to be successful, its transfers must bring a “team-oriented” mentality.
“I think we have three guys who are team oriented,” said Schmidt. “But you never know. That’s the million-dollar question.”
But Schmidt also emphasized the importance of his players, whether returning or incoming, having experience with competition at the A-10 level.
“Having veteran guys, that’s how you win,” said Schmidt. “Guys that have been in the fire. Guys that understand situations. Guys that are not gonna panic.”
And with a retooled roster, Schmidt set high expectations for his team — just as he does each year. Schmidt said he expects the Bonnies to compete for the A-10 title and earn an NCAA Tournament bid, something they haven’t done since the 2020-21 season.
walkerjc20@bonaventure.edu
