By CHUCKIE MAGGIO
Two aspects of St. Bonaventure’s exhibition game against Alfred University on Thursday will take precedence over all others: health and family.
A non-counting game against a lower-division program, designed as a dress rehearsal to ease players into the new season, cost the Atlantic 10 one of its biggest stars when Saint Louis guard Javonte Perkins tore his ACL against Division II Rockhurst University last Tuesday. Bona got a taste of the worst-case exhibition scenario in 2017, when point guard Jaylen Adams sprained his ankle against Alfred and missed all of SBU’s November slate.
Injuries can strike any time a player hits the court, but a season-ender in a glorified scrimmage is particularly cruel. The starters’ playing time is likely to be limited as the Bonnies, who have dispatched Alfred by an average of 39 points in their four preseason meetings, look ahead to next week’s regular season opener.
Bona’s newcomers, including Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) transfers Quadry Adams and Abdoul Karim Coulibaly, will command attention at the Reilly Center as fans catch a first glimpse of the team’s renovated bench. Bonnies coach Mark Schmidt singled out Coulibaly as a player who has stood out in practice, noting that his two years at the University of Pittsburgh have prepared him to immediately contribute in the post.
“He’s played at a high level,” Schmidt acknowledged during Atlantic 10 Media Day. “He’s a physical guy, knows how to play, so if there’s one guy that in the first three weeks of practice has really stuck out to the coaching staff it’s Karim. He’s tough, physical; he can shoot the ball from the perimeter; he can play both the ‘four’ and the ‘five’ and give [Osun Osunniyi] a little bit of a rest.”
While Schmidt is planning his substitution patterns, he will also be coaching opposite his son Mike, AU’s junior point guard, for the second time. Associate head coach Steve Curran’s son Casey, a sophomore forward for the Saxons, will be playing against SBU for the first time.
Mike Schmidt, the youngest of the 15th-year coach’s three sons, led the Saxons with 14.3 points per game last season and made the All-Empire 8 Second Team. He made three field goals the last time Alfred visited Bonaventure in 2019, including a layup over the 7-foot-8 reach of Osun Osunniyi.
Casey Curran started each of Alfred’s seven games last season and averaged 7.3 points on a 45 percent clip from the floor. The 6-foot-5 forward won back-to-back Section V championships (2019-20) at Allegany-Limestone High School.
Other recognizable names on head coach Erich Kaempffe’s roster include Belfast native Adam Enders, who finished his high school career second on the Section V all-time scoring list, and Ellicottville native Elliot Bowen, a three-time First Team All-State Class D selection.
The Bonnies switched exhibition partners from Mansfield to Alfred in part to create these unique opportunities. Schmidt has told stories about hosting Alfred players to spend the night at his house and attends games whenever they don’t conflict with Bona’s schedule.
“It’s something special we can talk about for the rest of our lives,” Schmidt said in 2017, when Mike’s older brothers Nick and Derek played against their father. “When I’m old and a grandfather, sitting on the porch drinking a beer, I can sit back and talk about what we did. It’s a special thing. We want to win the game, but I also want them to play well.”
Thursday’s game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+. SBU is requiring all guests and staff at the Reilly Center to wear masks, except when eating and drinking, in accordance with New York State’s HERO Act.
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