St. Bonaventure begins their A10 conference schedule on New Year's Eve with an opportunity to start fresh and make some noise in a wide open league.
The new-look roster will get their chance to build upon an up and down non-conference slate where they saw some success, as well as areas to improve as the season progresses.
Let's look at the Bonnies' full A10 schedule to see where the team could capture victories (including, hopefully, their first true road win of the season).
At this point, game predictions are a bit arbitrary, as expectations generally evolve throughout the slog of the A10 season. However, this outline for St. Bonaventure's 18-game conference slate could help predict a reasonable outcome in the team's battle for 2023 A10 relevancy.
(Synopses include W/L predictions from both Blake and SBUnfurled, with blurbs provided by Blake)
Vs. UMass (Dec. 31, ESPN+)
Blake: Win
SBUnfurled: Winn
Bona's has had time to reflect on the non-conference schedule heading into their first A10 test. Having their first conference game in the RC will be a huge help for the Bonnies. I think they find a way to win at home on New Year's Eve, snapping their four game losing streak and starting the A10 schedule off strong.
Vs. George Mason (Jan. 4, ESPN+)
Blake: Win
SBUnfurled: Winn
The Bonnies will have another tough test following their A10 opener. George Mason has had a decent season to this point, but I think home court will give Bona the edge here. Bonnies get their second A10 win in two tries in the RC.
At St. Louis (Jan. 7, ESPN+)
Blake: Loss
SBUnfurled: Loss
The first road test in the conference will be tough. Yuri Collins and the Billikens are looking to make a statement in the A10 as one of the conference's top teams. SLU has had an up and down season to this point, including an impressive win against Memphis, while also suffering a bad loss to Southern Illinois at home. The Billikens also fell to Iona on the road, the same Gaels team that handled the Bonnies at the Barclays Center.
I'm expecting SLU to bounce back and be a force in the A10. The early test on the road will be too much for the Bonnies to overcome.
At Rhode Island (Jan. 11, ESPN+)
Blake: Win
SBUnfurled: Winn
Bona's has yet to win a true road game this year. The only victory that the team has seen away from the Reilly Center has been at UBS Arena in a neutral site contest against Notre Dame.
Looking at SBU's A10 schedule, road victories are going to be hard to come by. I think the Bonnies will get the monkey off their back in Rhode Island. The Rams have had a lackluster season so far and aren't great in their home arena. Right now, I see this game as close to even. I'll give Bona the edge as finding a win on the road will be a goal for Mark Schmidt's team.
Vs. Richmond (Jan. 14, USA Network)
Blake: Loss
SBUnfurled: Loss
I don't see this as the year Bonas runs the table at home in the A10. Although I doubt that any opponent wants to come play in the RC, I'm encouraged by the Spiders. Richmond's Tyler Burton may very well be the best player in the conference.
Being at home, I think that this one will be close, but Burton and the other talent on Richmond help the Spiders pull this one out in the end.
Vs. Duquesne (Jan. 18, ESPN+)
Blake: Win
SBUnfurled: Winn
I can't buy Duquesne's 10-win start just yet. In non-conference play, the Dukes played 11 of 13 games on their home floor. They won nine of those games, while dropping both games played away from home, one against the Wildcats at Rupp Arena in Kentucky as well as a neutral site contest against Colgate.
Even though the Dukes are close to the top of the A10 record wise, I'll need to see them play some conference games before forming a full opinion. For now, I give the Bonnies the edge at home, after playing a more difficult non-conference schedule.
At Loyola Chicago (Jan. 21, ESPN+)
Blake: Loss
SBUnfurled: Loss
The conference's newcomer immediately brings the A10 another tough environment to play in. Matched with a program that has seen recent success, the Ramblers can be a yearly contender in the conference soon.
I'm not sure if LUC's roster will allow them to contend this year, but the Ramblers are still a solid team that can shake things up in the A10 right away. Loyola over Bona in Chicago, during the first meeting between the two schools since the 1950's.
Vs. Fordham (Jan. 25, ESPN+)
Blake: Win
SBUnfurled: Winn
Like Duquesne, I can't buy Fordham just yet, either. Fordham is sitting atop the A10 heading into conference play thanks to their 12-1 record. The Rams have played 11 of their 13 games on their own floor, with an impressive 11-0 record at home. Their only loss this season is to a good Arkansas team in Fayetteville, so the Rams don't have anything close to a 'bad loss' on their resume yet.
Heading into the A10, I wouldn't be surprised if it was a different story for Fordham. Outside of Arkansas, they haven't had many true tests. In their last non-conference game, Fordham survived a close one in overtime against VMI.
This is a good team, don't get me wrong. But, I currently see them somewhere in the middle of the A10 and not as a regular season title contender. Bonnies beat the Rams in the RC.
At VCU (Jan. 28, CBSSN)
Blake: Loss
SBUnfurled: Loss
VCU has played a tough schedule this season. In the Siegel Center, on the road, and in neutral stadiums. Their only loss at home this season was against Jacksonville, a strange blip for a solid VCU team.
Playing at the Siegel Center will be difficult for the Bonnies, I don't see them getting a true road win here.
At Richmond (Feb. 1, ESPN+
Blake: Win
SBUnfurled: Loss
I'm calling my shot here. I have a feeling that Bona splits their season series with the Spiders. After seeing them in the RC some weeks prior, Bonas can find one in Richmond. The team will gameplan for Burton, and if they can find a way to minimize his output, an A10 road win can follow.
Vs. Dayton (Feb. 4, TBD ESPN Network)
Blake: Loss
SBUnfurled: Loss
The Flyers are the best team in the A10 based on the NCAA's current NET rankings. They played a difficult non-conference schedule, leading to an 8-5 record.
Dayton's DaRon Holmes II should be first team all-conference. All signs point to Holmes having a monster season in the A10. This is the only meeting between the Flyers and Bonnies during the regular season. I think Dayton's talent will give the Flyers the edge when they come to St. Bonaventure.
Vs. La Salle (Feb. 8, ESPN+)
Blake: Win
SBUnfurled: Winn
Although La Salle hasn't had a terrible season to date, their roster doesn't seem to put them in a great spot for A10 competition. The Explorers still won't be a walk in the park for Bona, but I believe that their defense will be able to stop La Salle.
If the Bonnies are able to find some offensive efficiency, they should be able to beat the Explorers at home.
At Duquesne (Feb. 11, USA Network)
Blake: Win
SBUnfurled: Winn
If Bonas does already have a win against the Dukes at this point of the season, they'll have their template to finding another win in a tougher environment. As mentioned, I'm not buying Duquesne yet, I think that they are a beatable team for the Bonnies.
The team will need to play with hunger on the road. If they do, they can find a handful of A10 wins away from the RC.
At Fordham (Feb. 15, ESPN+)
Blake: Loss
SBUnfurled: Winn
Currently, I have a bit more confidence in Fordham compared to Duquesne heading into conference play. Both teams will be tough matchups, but Bonas can play with them both. I'm giving Fordham a slight edge at home here.
Vs. George Washington (Feb. 19, USA Network)
Blake: Win
SBUnfurled: Winn
GW is one of the conference teams that SBU should beat on paper. Of course, easier said than done.
The Colonials didn't play a terribly difficult non-conference schedule and struggled in games away from their home floor. This is the only time these two teams will meet in the regular season, and I'd guess that the Reilly Center will tip this in favor of the Bonnies.
At Davidson (Feb. 22, NBC Digital)
Blake: Loss
SBUnfurled: Loss
I love Davidson's Foster Loyer. He's the leading scorer for the Wildcats, and I truly think that he could be something special if he had more size. Loyer's father, John, is a current scout for the LA Clippers and briefly served as an interim head coach for the Detroit Pistons. I'm expecting the younger Loyer to follow in his father's footsteps and have a long coaching career once his playing days are over.
Loyer understands the game, rarely makes mistakes, and is one of the more fundamentally sound players that I've watched. On top of Loyer, Davidson has a solid team, and their resume includes a Power 5 win over South Carolina on the season. I'm giving the Wildcats the nod against the Bonnies on their home court.
Vs. St. Joseph's (Feb. 26, USA Network)
Blake: Win
SBUnfurled: Winn
SJU hasn't looked great this season when going up against decent competition. The Hawks are entering A10 play at .500. They will most likely be near Bonas in the conference standings, so this game could end up having A10 tournament seeding implications.
This would be senior night at the Reilly Center, if the Bonnies had any seniors on the roster this season. Both Daryl Banks III and Moses Flowers have an optional year of eligibility next season due to COVID, so it technically could be their last game at the RC, but both are expected to come back for another season. Either way, I think that Bona gets up for their final home game of the season, in a winnable contest against SJU.
At UMass (Mar. 4, USA Network)
Blake: Loss
SBUnfurled: Winn
Bonas will both open and close their conference schedule against Frank Martin's Minutemen. This time, in Amherst, Massachusetts.
I'm expecting the Bonnies to start their A10 season strong, and I can see UMass closing their own strong, returning the favor to Bona. The Minutemen were able to string together some good non-conference wins, including a win in the Myrtle Beach Invitational.
I struggle to see the Bonnies being able to pull this one off in the Mullins Center on senior day.
Blake's St. Bonaventure projected Atlantic 10 record: 10-8
Blake's St. Bonaventure projected overall record: 16-15
SBUnfurled's St. Bonaventure projected Atlantic 10 record: 11-7
SBUnfurled's St. Bonaventure projected overall record: 17-14
If Bonas can get to 10 wins in conference play, that would likely net a seed somewhere in the six to eight range in the A10 tournament.
With Loyola joining the conference, the tournament's first round will contain three games between the bottom six teams. This will mean that teams seeded nine or above will receive a bye to the second round, with the top four teams receiving double byes to the quarterfinal round.
Anything can happen for the Bonnies once they return to Barclays for the A10 tournament.
Featured image courtesy of gobonnies.com