INDIANAPOLIS- The Bonnies of St. Bonaventure face off against the LSU Tigers, Saturday at 1:45 p.m. in Assembly Hall. The ninth-seeded Bonnies are coming off an impressive A-10 run beating Duquesne, St. Louis, and VCU to win the championship. The eighth- seeded Tigers are coming off a run in which they were the runner-up to Alabama in the SEC tournament.
This is Bonnies eighth appearance in the NCAA tournament and their highest seed to date in school history. This is the third time the Bonnies have reached the dance under Head Coach Mark Schmidt.
LSU is a very talented team that has two players that could be chosen in this year’s NBA draft in Cameron Thomas and Trendon Watford. They are a high-octane offense with great size and sharp shooters. They average 82 points per game which is eighth in the nation.
Obviously, St. Bonaventure is known for their defense. Osun Osunniyi was the defensive player of the year in the A-10 and the Bonnies are fifth in points allowed in the nation. Guards Kyle Lofton and Dom Welch have become excellent on-ball defenders this season taking players out of their rhythm. If they can slow down Cam Thomas from the outside, and Osun can protect the paint against the 6’10 Watford, the Bonnies will advance.
That is easier said than done. Watford has tremendous ball-handling skills for a big man, and can stretch the floor from three shooting 30%. He also loves to catch the ball in the mid post and go to work. One of his favorite moves is a right-hand dribble into a spin move to get an easy bucket. So, who will guard Watford who is averaging almost 17 points per game? You guessed it. OSUNNNNN! If he can stay out of foul trouble, the Bonnies must keep Osunniyi on him. He has a 7’8 wingspan which can help chase down Watford if he gets beat off the dribble. Jalen Adaway may be too small to stick with him, but he will also get some looks. The Bonnies have only been outscored in the paint four times this season.
LSU’s Cam Thomas has scored 20 points in 11 out of the last 12 meetings. He is lethal from three and loves to shoot from deep, but can also attack off the dribble and find his teammates.
The Bonnies on offense, must keep the pace of the game slow. This is the biggest factor in the game. If the Bonnies are sloppy with the ball, and LSU can attack our five guys in transition, it will be tough to keep up. We can’t play their game… they have more scorers than we do. We must be sound defensively, run our sets offensively, and get the ball into the captain’s hands. Lofton must be big for our team again like he was against VCU.
Jalen Adaway has scored in double digits 13 times this season and 6 games in a row. He must stay confident.
Another key to the game is Jaren Holmes. Holmes has been terrific for the Bonnies this season but has struggled with his consistency. He led the A-10 in three-point percentage at 44% and scored a career high 36 points vs. St. Joes. We need Holmes and Welch to shoot well from outside if this game gets into high digits.
If the Bonnies win, they will take on Michigan on Monday in Lucas Oil Stadium in the round of 32.
Lets Go Bonas!!!
Tom Doyle Blog 