By CHUCKIE MAGGIO
The St. Bonaventure Bonnies suddenly resemble the Saint Louis team that crushed their hopes of making the NCAA Tournament in 2019.
That Billikens program entered the 2018-19 season rife with expectation, favored to win the Atlantic 10 title after adding high-major transfers Javon Bess and Tramaine Isabell and top 100 recruit Carte’Are Gordon. A 6-1 start that included two wins over Big East teams advanced SLU’s status as the league frontrunner.
It didn’t take long for the wheels to fall off. The Billikens lost the next game to Southern Illinois (a Missouri Valley Conference squad, no less) and alternated wins and losses until Christmas, including a lopsided defeat to Florida State (an ACC team, no less) at a neutral site. Gordon left after the first semester, playing just 13 contests for his hometown school.
Head coach Travis Ford’s group did not make the top four of the A-10 standings, finishing the regular season 10-8 and beginning the A-10 Tournament as the No. 6 seed that Thursday night in Brooklyn. The Bonnies, you’ll remember, bounced SLU from a double-bye in the bracket in the regular season finale at SBU’s Reilly Center. The Billikens were left to sweat out a three-point win at Barclays Center to even make it to the Friday quarterfinal round.
SLU knew it had the talent, however, to make the rare four-game run and win the A-10 championship without the benefit of the bye. Despite trailing or being tied in each league tournament game, the Billikens ousted Richmond, Dayton, Davidson and Bonaventure to earn the automatic bid to March Madness.
The original three members of Bona’s senior class remember that game well, having led by as much as 15 points. Osun Osunniyi and Dominick Welch were asked once again about that defeat on Monday, after the scheduled portion of their history with Saint Louis was complete.
“For me and Dom, of course we have that in the back of our heads,” Osunniyi remarked.
Osunniyi, Welch and Kyle Lofton now have the opportunity to reverse that scenario on another team, whether it’s a young nucleus like they were (Dayton) or a more experienced outfit. While Bona is trending at an opportune time as March approaches and has a more probable shot at the double-bye than Saint Louis did while finishing that 2019 regular season 5-8, the basic similarities between their heavily-anticipated seasons are there.
“Just us staying together,” Osunniyi said while describing SBU’s two-game sweep of one of their fiercest rivals. “Not listening to the outside noise, just knowing that we’re able to do the things we need to do to win games. The seniors, making sure us five are staying together and make sure the young guys are still locked in and helping us get better in practice every single day.
“It’s just us staying together, just being a team. Not letting anybody get their heads down at any point in time in the season.”
It just might be enough for St. Bonaventure to make a run to the big dance after all.
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