By Kyle Soppe
I interviewed the Director of Basketball Operations, Matt Pappano, to get an inside look at St. Bonaventure’s 2011 basketball season. Later that day, I attended a coaching clinic led by the ringmaster of the Bonnies, Head Coach Mark Schmidt. Here’s what Pappano had to say.
Q: What is your outlook for the 2011-2012 hoops season?
A: “We’ve got a chance to move up the A-10 pecking order” Pappano stated with a confident grin.
The non-conference schedule is a demanding one, featuring ACC and Big East opponents, but this will give the Bonnies multiple opportunities to prove themselves. The team looks to play its best basketball come the end of the year, as a 15 point loss in the first round of the CBI at Central Florida left a sour taste in their mouths.
“A trip to the NIT or even NCAA tournament is something to shoot for.” The latter being something that Bonaventure hasn’t experienced in 11 seasons.
Q: No pressure, but what are some projections/expectations for this year’s Bonnies? The Bonnies finished 7th in the 14 team Atlantic 10 Conference last year, a solid season as this group of teams is gaining respect in the college circle as well as on the NBA level. They split their 16 conference games and finished with a respectable 16-15 record overall.
A: “We want to move into that top echelon of teams. That would mean finishing in the top 4 and securing a first round bye to Atlantic City.”
The A-10 was represented by 3 teams in the NCAA tournament last year, and Pappano expects the same 3 squads to be looked at as the favorite this year.
“Temple and Xavier have been up there, and they should be again.”
When asked specifically about the Richmond Spiders, who won 2 games in March Madness to pace the A-10, Pappano wasn’t overly concerned about the talent that they graduated. He assured me that Coach Mooney would have his Spiders competing and building on last year’s success. However, with the loss of do-it-all Justin Harper (NBA) and spunky Kevin Anderson (graduation), the possibility to leap-frog Richmond is there.
Q: OK, let’s talk specifics. What can we expect from this year’s roster? What will be your strengths? Weaknesses? Who should we keep an eye on?
A: “Well, we return 4 out of 5 starters this year, and you can’t ask for much more. Coach Schmidt started every game with the same 5, so the 4 returners will have to adjust to a new face running the offense, as PG Ogo Adegboye graduated in the spring. Adegboye was second on the team in scoring (11.5 ppg), lead the team in minutes (39.0 mpg) and accounted for roughly 1 out of every 3 assists.”
The stats are impressive, but Pappano thinks they lose more when it comes to holding teammates accountable.
“… his leadership is going to be hard to replace, there is no assumed leader on this year’s roster”.
As far as glaring weaknesses go, that was about the only thing that seemed to worry Pappano or Schmidt. Of the returners, F Andrew Nicholson garners most of the attention. Leading the 2010-2011 Bonnies in scoring (20.8 ppg), field goal percentage (57.1%), and rebounding (7.3 rpg), the 6 foot 9 inch Nicholson has heard his name mentioned by NBA General Managers. But, in the words of Coach Mark Schmidt, “He was always coming back. He’s a smart kid who loves the college scene. When I approached him and his family about his status as a potential late first round pick, they assured me that he would be a Bonnie come Fall.”
The long term goal is to have the seniors’ draft status raise to a lottery pick, but for now it’s about getting wins for the school he adores. Joining forces with Nicholson on the front line will be Da’Quan Cook (6.7 ppg and 4.2 rpg) and 6’11” newcomer Youssou Ndoye.
When I questioned Pappano on the abilities of the new big (very big) man, he didn’t hesistate: “He battles, he really does. And if we get him in there with Nicolson, that’s an intimidating front line”.
Marquise Simmons, a 6’8” redshirt junior, adds yet another big body. Simmons has now fully recovered from last year’s injury and looks to live up to the potential many feel he has yet to approach. The word depth was repeated time and time again. The A-10 schedule is brutal, with defensively minded teams aplenty, and the ability to wear opponents down is a must. Matthew Wright (4.7 ppg in 16.2 mpg) and Michael Davenport (11.1 ppg and 4.9 rpg) will handle the ball and look to minimize the hole left by the departure of Adegboye. Everybody knows about Nicolson, and Pappano is okay with that. While he is confident that Nicholson can lead this team, he’s excited to watch the junior, Demetrius Conger (10.0 ppg and 5.5 rpg).
Work ethic is the calling card of Conger, and this may be his breakthrough year. Constant offseason work with basketball guru Clay Pittinaro has led to new levels of confidence for the swingman from Brooklyn. Pappano nearly blushed when describing the hard work of Conger, saying that “if I hear a ball bouncing, I assume Conger isn’t far behind”. The team will depend on him more and more, and if he can step into the leadership role that has been left vacant, Conger could be as important to this team as anybody.
Q: Last question for you. I’m a big time March Madness fan, who are you’re A-10 sleepers in 2011-2012?
A: It is said that talent wins games, but its experience that prevails come postseason. Pappano followed this blueprint when he mentioned St. Louis and St. Joe’s as teams to watch out for. Billiken guard Kwamain Mitchell returns after a second team all conference 2010-2011 campaign. The sharp shooter averaged 15.9 ppg and has scored more points after 2 seasons than all but 1 player in the school’s history. Mitchell isn’t alone; as he will be joined by the same, for players that accompanied him in last year’s starting rotation. St. Joes, on the other hand, is still looking for their go-to man. However, many of their freshmen saw extended minutes last season, and they only figure to continue to improve. These 2 teams have taken their lumps in recent seasons, and seem poised to handout more than their share in the upcoming season.
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