St. Bonaventure Basketball

Former ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski has provided more insight into why he chose to leave his gig for the general manager role of the men's basketball program at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure, where he graduated from in 1991.

Wojnarowski reportedly walked away from "around $20 million" to pursue this new opportunity, per The Athletic's Andrew Marchand. He explained to Derek Heid of 7 News WKBW why he left money on the table.

Per a press release, Wojnarowski's general manager role has various tenets, "including name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities and as a liaison with collectives; transfer portal management; recruit, family and alumni player relationships; professional player programs; and program fundraising."

Things have been going well thus far, per Wojnarowski.

"Since our announcement last week, I've been absolutely blown away with the incoming opportunities coming our way from national sponsors and entities who want to be in the NIL business with St. Bonaventure basketball," he said, per Adam Zagoria of NJ Advance Media. "Game-changing opportunities to help us recruit and retain our student-athletes."

Wojnarowski is helping a St. Bonaventure team that is looking to build off a 20-win season. Under head coach Mark Schmidt, the Bonnies have enjoyed 11 winning campaigns since 2011, including NCAA tournament appearances in 2012, 2018 and 2021.

St. Bonaventure jovially jumped the gun on Saturday—and it ended up costing the team dearly.

With 3.2 seconds left and the Bonnies trailing the Rams 65-63 in the second half, St. Bonaventure guard Matt Mobley caught the pass from Jaylen Adams and sank it for three. 

Some fans and members of the team thought the successful shot was a buzzer-beater and swarmed the floor in celebration. 

However, they were sadly mistaken. The clock still had 0.4 seconds remaining, so the team received a technical foul. VCU guard JeQuan Lewis made the ensuing free throw, sending the game into overtime.

The Rams ultimately reclaimed the lead, winning 83-77. 

Maybe the Bonnies will pump the brakes on the celebration next time around.

The Bonnies were merely an afterthought when the Atlantic 10 tournament started. Now, they've secured the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

St. Bonaventure beat Xavier 67-56 to secure the Atlantic 10's automatic bid to the Dance. Andrew Nicholson scored 26 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, headlining a great day for the Bonnies.

With the Bonnies' victory, the bubble is expected to shrink because Bonaventure added another team to the Dance. Xavier is expected to steal an at-large bid, so teams like Drexel, Seton Hall and Washington have more to stress about in the hours leading up to the Selection Show.

Bonaventure made 22 of 25 free throws, while Xavier made just 14 of 19. The Bonnies out-rebounded the Musketeers 37 to 25, and second-chance points were huge for Bonaventure.

Once the Bonnies started knocking down shots and forcing turnovers early, they were able to build a big lead. The Bonnies drew fouls and kept possessions going with 12 offensive rebounds, and although Xavier came back in the second half, the Bonnies were able to get enough buckets down low to hold off the pesky Musketeers.

Now, for the first time since 2000, Bonaventure is in the Dance. They could do damage, as their three-point shooting was superb and their defense was great in the A-10 title game.

Bubble teams St. Joseph's and UMass were eliminated by the Bonnies, then Xavier was defeated. Bonaventure has won seven of their last eight games, and when they get hot they're dangerous.

Nicholson, the Conference Player of the Year, dominated the paint, scoring and rebounding at will. He also blocked eight shots, a season-high.

Demetrius Conger is a great shooter and rebounder. His 22 points and 10 rebounds helped Bonaventure beat UMass in the semis, and he can present a great threat in the Dance.

There's no doubt that the Bonnies have talent. If they use their talent wisely, they can go far in the Dance and become the VCU of 2012.

With Nicholson, Conger and a great supporting cast full of rebounders, scorers and defensive standouts, there's no reason to think the Bonnies can't go far. They know how to control a game, draw fouls and beat good teams.

So watch out, college basketball. 

St. Bonaventure snapped visiting Duquesne’s 12 game winning streak with a thrilling 64-62 win in front of a packed house at the Reilly Center, but did they do more than just beat the league leaders?

In a game that Bona refused to lose and Duquesne refused to win, Michael Davenport hit his first three point basket just 25 seconds into the game and he drilled his last with just 1.6 seconds remaining. Yet in between, this game might have revealed that the Atlantic 10 shouldn’t be expected to be as productive in the NCAA tournament next month.

Duquesne came into Bonaventure in the midst of their most successful campaign in more than a decade.  The Dukes hadn’t lost on the road since Dec. 4.  They were averaging almost 82 points a game.  Their backcourt tandem of T. J. McConnell and Mike Talley are three point masters and boasted an assist to turnover ratio of better than two to one.  McConnell is a five time A10 Rookie of the Week and was touted by one Pittsburgh scribe before the game as a can’t miss NBA prospect.

But when the dust had settled, Duquesne’s win streak was over and they were no longer undefeated in the conference.  It took the Dukes less than five minutes to erase a four point half-time deficit.  They had a bunch of second half chances to put Bona away but couldn’t make the clutch plays when they would have counted.  It would be convenient but assign the Duquesne defeat to the Bonnies’ defensive effort but anyone who has seen Bona play this year knows that defense is not their strong suit.  They still seem bewildered by the simple pick-and-roll that Duquesne used frequently but the Dukes’ long-range game deserted them.  They barely topped 25% shooting for three pointers (7 for 26 attempts).  They were only marginally better overall, hitting just 35.8% of their shots.

B. J. Monteiro was a standout for the Dukes hitting for 17 points while Damien Saunders chipped in with 16.  Bill Clarke tallied 15.  But Duquesne starts a small lineup and unless they regain a shooting touch that carries through the A-10 tournament, their season won’t go beyond the middle of March.

Bona continues to improve and if Coach Mark Schmidt finds a true point guard who understands that getting the ball to 20-point-a-game scorer Andrew Nicholson is his primary function, Bona will get even better.  After Davenport opened the game with a trio of three pointers, Nicholson took over in the first half, using his exceptionally long arms to go over, under, and around Duquesne defenders.  After the UMass zone defense gave Bona fits the previous week. One might have thought Duquesne coach Ron Everhart might have sought similar success, but he went straight man-to-man and didn’t have answer for Nicholson, who hit six of seven shots in the first 20 minutes.

Bonaventure itself provided an answer, getting the ball to Nicholson for only five second-half shots that produced only three points from the lanky Canadian and those all came at the foul line.  Bonaventure guards need to be thinking Nicholson first, shots second, and Coach Schmidt needs to be designing some schemes to make it a little easier for Nicholson to get the ball.  That’s not the case now as Nicholson earns every point and every rebound against repeated double and triple teams. 

Senior Ogo Adegboye struggled again, turning the ball over eight times.  The final time could have been a dagger in the heart of Bona chances.  Adegboye inexplicably threw an inbound pass to no one with just nine seconds left and Bona trailing by one but T. J. McConnell turned it right back over with an ill-advised pass.  That set up Davenport’s final three pointer and the biggest win for the Bonnies in the Schmidt era.

On the bright side for Bonaventure, freshman Matthew Wright continues to impress as he gains more confidence that comes with more playing time.  After finishing the non conference portion of the season 1 for 21 in three point attempts, Wright notched 15 points in 23 minutes for the Bonnies.  In conference play, Wright has improved to a 57.1% shooting percentage and is hitting 50% of his threes in the last four A-10 games.  You have to wonder how much longer he can get limited playing time with Adegboye struggling.

He labors in relative obscurity in the Atlantic 10 in the foothills of the Alleghany Mountains in southwest New York State.  He only gets in to the bright lights of major markets like Philly or New York City or Washington DC as a visitor.  He doesn't look much like a basketball player, with feet that look too large for his slump-shouldered body. 

But when the ball is thrown up for that first tip to start the game, it won't be long before most of the eyes in the house are focused on St. Bonaventure's Andrew Nicholson.

A preseason All-Atlantic 10 first team selection, the 6'9" junior is one of the nation's leading scorers, racking up 18 straight double doubles and being one of the best Division I players you've never heard of.

Nicholson hails from a Toronto Ontario suburb and wasn't widely recruited; that fact has salvaged whatever hint of notoriety still assigned to the once nationally known Bona basketball program. 

In an epic four overtime battle with Ohio University, Nicholson played every minute of the game and dropped 44 points, including five in the fourth OT, on the bewildered Bobcats.  He did it on 14 for 19 shooting from the field and 18 for 25 from the foul line.  But that kind of production has a price. 

Nicholson was visibly fatigued in the third overtime and uncharacteristically missed four free throws in a row.  He also accounted for 12 rebounds, five assists and a steal.  His performance overshadowed a remarkable game turned in by Ohio's D. J. Cooper who tallied 43 points on the afternoon.

But the lanky Canadian is no stranger to fatigue.  He's a marked man in every defense he plays against and routinely fights through double and triple teams, just to get his hands on the ball.  When he does, Nicholson uses some extraordinarily long arms to reach around, under, and over defenders.  He has a deft touch reminiscent of the shooting of Bona legend and NBA great Bob Lanier. 

In a often seen sequence of Bona's possessions, Nicholson will use that big wing span to score from in close and when the double teams start to impeded his inside game, Andrew will drop step and hit soft buckets from anywhere inside the foul line.  Nicholson is a good rebounder but could use a few more pounds on his slight 235 pound frame. 

In another overtime clash with the Hokies of Virginia Tech, Nicholson played 41 of the game's 45 minutes, his time reduced by cramps.  Still, he hit nine of 19 from the floor and three of four from the charity stripe for his 21 point total.  His string of double doubles was broken when he gathered "only" eight boards.

Opponents have caught on to what fans outside of Olean, NY have yet to grasp—Nicholson is a bonafide star in the major college basketball galaxy.  He has the full repertoire of big man moves around the hoop and has good range with his 15-foot jumper.  He's a tiger on the boards but could use some help. 

He's averaging well over 30 minutes of playing time a game, something that might wear him down as the long season heads toward March.  His supporting cast is improving but as yet inconsistent and that allows defenses to concentrate way too much on Nicholson but he takes it in stride.  St. Bonaventure might not be making too much noise on the national mid-major level, but Andrew Nicholson gives them a chance to win every time he steps on the court.

Some teams like the three ball, others play tough defense, but it seems the St. Bonaventure Bonnies have found something else to their liking: Overtime.

Thus far on the season, the Bonnies have played eight overtime periods, which adds up to another full game played.

However, their efforts have not come in vain. 

In a four-OT thriller against the Ohio Bobcats, a game that was featured among SportsCenter's Top 10 plays, the Bonnies managed to come out on top by a margin of 112-107.

Ohio, for those who do not remember, made the second round of last year's NCAA Tournament.

A few games after the Ohio thriller, the Bonnies found themselves playing Virginia Tech, a team picked to finish second in the ACC preseason polls. The Bonnies seemed to be outclassed in the early going, falling behind 21-6.

However, in typical Bonnies fashion, they clawed their way back into the game while eventually forcing an overtime period. 

Unfortunately for the Bonnies, this effort was squandered when their star center, Andrew Nicholson (he of the 21.4 ppg), suffered cramps during the OT period. The Bonnies found themselves outgunned without Nicholson on the court and fell to the Hokies, 76-68. 

The sixth, seventh and eighth overtime periods came Saturday afternoon in the Bonnies' Atlantic-10 Conference opener against the Charlotte 49ers. During the OT periods, the Bonnies displayed their never-say-die attitude, while hustling for every loose ball.

They are very much the blue collar team, earning everything that comes their way and it was that work ethic that propelled them to the 92-88 victory over the 49ers.

It was a game that should not have gone into overtime, as the Bonnies had a commanding 12-point lead at the half only to see Charlotte go on a 12-0 run to start the second.

However, the resilience of the Bonnies ruled the day, something the Bona faithful have seen much of this season. Against St. John's earlier this year, the Bonnies trailed by as many as 13 before Nicholson hit the game winning jumper with just over five seconds remaining.

The Bonnies have been battle tested many times this season, all of which has prepared them greatly for their next Atlantic-10 matchup against the Temple Owls.

Last season saw the Owls ranked nationally much of the year, including their visit to the Reilly Center, which turned into a blowout. However, the Bonnies earned themselves another chance to topple the Owls in Atlantic City and gave them a scare before falling again.

This time, there is a different feel in the air. The Bonnies are improved in every area, Temples Juan Fernandez is questionable for Wednesday's game, the gap has closed, the Bonnies smell blood.

The Owls are undefeated at home, barely surviving a scare by the St. Louis Bilkins who are playing with a short roster. The Owls were too much for the Bilkins at the end, winning by five, but it will take a better effort for the Owls to defeat the Bonnies.

It's the second A-10 game of the season, but it is so much more. A win at Temple can propel the Bonnies towards the top of the conference with their confidence soaring. 

The Bonnies are invading Temple, with a chance to send a statement to the rest of the league. We're back.

December 23, 2010 will go down in the books as a loss for a young and scrappy St. Bonaventure Bonnies basketball team, but it can also be the start of a turning point for a program on a rapid rise.

St. Bonaventure was predicted to finish 13th out of 14 teams in the Atlantic-10 Conference by the so-called 'experts.' They stated the Bonnies have only one senior and their only known commodity is the preseason first team Atlantic-10 selection, Andrew Nicholson.

However, what these experts did not realize is the unknown players can sometimes make dramatic improvements, as is the case with many of Bonnies players. A team that had only question marks entering the season is now drawing comparisons by Bona faithful to the 'Iron Man Five' of the 1980s. 

Michael Davenport has continued to improve upon his production every season during his career. This season, Davenport has shown new found confidence in his jump shot making him even more dangerous off the dribble. 

Da'Quan Cook was a bench player for Head Coach Mark Schmidt during his first two seasons donning the brown and white, but this year he has been the starter since day one. He has shown improvements in every area in his game and is able to get the big offensive boards when the team needs them.

Demetrius Conger, a 6-foot-6 Brooklyn native, has averaged a resounding eight boards per game as a small forward. He has shown a great touch from the perimeter while having a career game against Cornell earlier this season.

This of course leads us to the last two members of the starting five. One is the senior from London, England and the other is a junior Mississauga, Ontario native. Obviously these two men are Ogo Adegboye and Andrew Nicholson.

Adegboye continued his clutch play against Virginia Tech earlier this evening when he forced overtime by hitting a three pointer with only 15 seconds remaining. Not to be outdone, Nicholson has hit two game-winners this season, against University at Buffalo and St. Johns.

This all leads me to my point. St. Bonaventure, a team that no one expected much of this season has begun to turn heads with their play. ESPN's Andy Katz had them as one of the team's he's most impressed with thus far on the season. He also commended Andrew Nicholson saying, "If you haven't heard the name Andrew Nicholson, it's time you learn it."

St. Bonaventure was also featured in ESPN's top-10 play segment for their four overtime victory over the Ohio Bobcats. Yes, the Ohio Bobcats who busted brackets last year to make the second round of the NCAA tournament.

The Bonnies, as alluded to earlier also went on the road to Cornell and beat a team that was in the Sweet-16 last season. Admittedly it was a team with only two remaining starters from the year prior, but winning on the road is definitely an accomplishment.

After a thrilling last second win against Buffalo at home, the Bonnies traveled to St. Johns to play a Big East opponent they had not defeated since 1960. After falling behind 13-2 to start the game, the Bonnies remained close even without contributions from their star center, who was limited to only two points in the first half.

However, in the second half, Nicholson became a man possessed. He scored 17 points including the eventual game winner with only 5.2 seconds remaining. With that shot, the Bonnies had scored one of the biggest early season upsets. Defeating a St. Johns team loaded with nine seniors in their house is something to be proud of.

Then came tonight. Playing Virginia Tech in a neutral court in Rochester, the Bonnies fell behind 21-5 to begin play. The team predicted to finish second in the ACC seemed to be too much for the Bonnies, but yet again they clawed their way back. They forced overtime on a late three by Adegboye and if not for an injury to Nicholson who would have known what could of happened. 

As it is, the Bonnies fell by the score 76-68. Let it serve warning to the teams of the Atlantic-10. The Bonnies are for real and they are never out of a game. They have a determination not seen out of a Bonaventure team in years and have a talented young core. 

Once the Atlantic-10 season begins eyes should start to turn towards the Bonnies. They are one dangerous team and they could legitimately make a run to earn an at-large bid.

For the Bonnies; Let the games begin.

In a story of deja vu—

Andrew Nicholson hit a jumper with only 5.1 seconds remaining to give St. Bonaventure the upset win over the St. Johns Red Storm by the score 67-66.

St. Bonaventure entered the game without winning a game against St. Johns since 1960 and lost last years game by one point. This year the Bonnies turned the table, leaving Steve Lavin and his team stunned with the outcome.

The game did not start well for the Bonnies as they quickly fell behind by the score 11-2. However, the Bonnies were able to keep it close because of junior shooting guard, Michael Davenport. 

The Johnnies came out with the game-plan of double and triple-teaming Nicholson every time he touched the ball. They felt if they could limit his offensive output then the game would be in hand.

However, they failed to recognize the potential of Davenport.

Davenport went on a tear to end the first half, hitting a barrage of threes along the way including one at the buzzer to keep the Bonnies within two at the half.

Davenport finished the game with a team-high 22 points with 13 of those coming in the first half when Nicholson had all of two points.

Da'Quan Cook also helped ease the burden of Nicholson not being able to find a rhythm on offense by adding in eight points of his own, which helped open shots on the outside for Ogo Adegboye.

Adegboye once again was able to provide a spark from the outside even with the Johnnies keying on him after his seven trey outburst this past weekend.

Adegboye finished with 10 points including 3-5 from behind the arc.

Even with this hot shooting, the Bonnies needed their star to get out of the doldrums he was marred in during the first half.

That all changed in the second half as Nicholson became a man possessed. After Bonaventure fell behind yet again by eight points, Nicholson almost single-handedly stormed them back by scoring nine consecutive points.

With Bonaventure down by one point with only 20 seconds left, the Bonnies quickly raced the ball up the court. They slowed things down and had Nicholson run to the top of the key and passed it to him. He took a step back and fired.

Just like on Saturday night against University of Buffalo it was the game winner.

The Bonnies are quickly becoming battle-tested and are increasingly able to weather the storm, which are essential traits to have in the ultra-competitive Atlantic-10.

Bonnies fans are thrilled with this upset and the late-game dramatics, but some will have heart attacks by the end of the season.

Next up on the slate for the Bonnies is Big Four rival Niagra.

They have struggled mightily thus far on the season and Bonaventure should be able to take care of business at home for their fans. 

Moving to 5-2 on the young season with signature wins at Cornell and St. Johns shows this Bonnies team deserves some more recognition.

If they continue playing this way, the accolades are sure to follow.

Andrew Nicholson hit a midrange jumper with six seconds remaining and recorded the game-saving rebound on the other end of the court to give St. Bonaventure the victory over the Buffalo Bulls in the Reilly Center on Saturday night.

The Bonnies at one point held a lead of 19 points, which slowly evaporated over the course of a five-minute span. It was a scene the Bona faithful have seen before. A spirited start to the game gives way to a second-half collapse.

It has become a trademark of Bonnies teams over the past two seasons, but tonight’s result may have shown this is a different Bonaventure team. Where teams of the past would have melted, this team came together at a time where the ceiling was caving in and came out victorious.

There is a quote that states, “A win is a win,” and it certainly rings true for a Bonaventure program climbing to respectability—they will take wins any way they can obtain them. If it happens to leave their fans struggling with heart palpitations on the sidelines then so be it. 

However, the negatives from this game must be discussed. The game should never have come down to a last-second shot, no matter how exciting those finishes tend to be. A great team never takes its foot off of the petal; when they have the advantage they exploit it.

This Bonaventure team has yet to take this next step and obtain the killer instinct it needs to make some noise in the Atlantic-10 Conference. However, a win such as this may be just what the team needs to string together a winning streak. 

There were also some positives to take out of this game as well. Most analysts have said the Bonnies offense is Andrew Nicholson and no one else. Tonight, however, we saw even without big contributions from their star player, the Bonnies can still light up the scoreboard. 

Da’Quan Cook provided the inside presence that was missing as the Bulls defensive mindset seemed to focus on taking away Nicholson. From the outside, Ogo Adegboye provided a spark.

He totaled 24 points on the night including hitting a career-high seven treys. Michael Davenport and Demetrius Conger even got into the action by hitting four threes between the two of them.

With an away game against the 5-1 St. John’s Red Storm coming up on Tuesday, the Bonnies will need to continue the hot shooting. New head coach Steve Lavin has the Red Storm playing inspired basketball, but if the Bonnies shoot well from the outside they will open up the inside for Nicholson.

The Bonnies have a chance to get into the national consciousness with a victory Tuesday against a tough opponent. In football there is a saying, “On any given Sunday.”

The Bonnies will hope it translates onto the hardwood as they try to top the Red Storm on Tuesday.