By CHUCKIE MAGGIO
St. Bonaventure’s star sophomores are officially all-conference players.
Bona point guard Kyle Lofton and center Osun Osunniyi were named to the Atlantic 10 First and Third team, respectively, the league announced on Tuesday. Osunniyi also earned All-Defensive Team honors for the second straight season. Guard Jaren English, also a sophomore, placed on the All-Academic Team.
Lofton’s First Team selection marks the fifth consecutive year at least one Bonnie landed on the First Team, a streak that started when Jaylen Adams landed on the team as a sophomore in 2016. At least one Bonaventure player has been honored on one of the three all-league teams six years in a row.
Lofton led the league with 186 assists in the regular season, currently the third most in a single season in SBU history. He also ranked first in the country in minutes, first in the conference in scoring with 14.1 points per game and 11th in steals per game with 1.4.
Osunniyi made Third Team despite missing seven games due to injury. The 6-foot-10 big man ranked fifth in the league in rebounding, fourth in blocks and second in field goal percentage, the only player in the top five in each category in the A-10. He also averaged 10.8 points per game and has scored double-digit points in 10 of his last 11 games. Osunniyi is the first Bonnie to make back-to-back All-Defensive teams since Marques Green made three straight from 2002-04.
English’s 3.66 GPA earned him a spot on the All-Academic Team. The Sports Media major is Bonaventure’s first All-Academic honoree since Maurice Young in 2003-04.
Dayton forward Obi Toppin was named the A-10 Player of the Year, the first Flyer to win the award. Dayton coach Anthony Grant was named Coach of the Year after guiding UD to an 18-0 A-10 campaign. The full release can be found here.
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