St. Bonaventure (7-2) faces their toughest test of the non-conference schedule, and maybe the entire season, when they take on Florida Atlantic (8-2) Saturday. The neutral site contest tips at 4 p.m. ET as part of the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic in Springfield, Massachusetts.
The Bonnies enter on a five game winning streak. Graduate guard Mika Adams-Woods received Atlantic 10 and National Player of the Week honors for his performance throughout the past week’s games. In wins over Niagara and Siena, he went 19-for-20 from the floor and made each of his nine 3-point attempts. He missed his first field goal attempt against Niagara, then didn’t miss another shot through both games.
“I know I don’t want to do too much,” He said after the win over Siena. “I just let the game come to me and pick my spots knowing when to get in the lane, take my shots, and dish it out.”
His breakout comes at a perfect time for head coach Mark Schmidt’s team. Graduate guard Charles Pride missed the past three games due to injury. His status is unclear for Saturday against FAU.
Schmidt’s offense flows through starting big man Chad Venning, who is having a nice season of his own averaging 13.9 points, four rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game. While foul trouble can be an issue, Noel Brown is a strong frontcourt option off the bench, securing depth for Bona’s down low. The Bonnies have depth in the backcourt as well through point guard Kyrell Luc, who returned to the lineup against Siena. He battled an ankle injury which caused him to miss five total games so far this year. Luc’s ability to set the pace and drive to the hoop takes pressure off Adams-Woods and Daryl Banks III, as well as Pride if available.
The offense struggled to find production for sophomore forward Assa Essamvous to start the year but he’s starting to find a rhythm. Although he’s only shooting 26.8% from three on the season, he made 3-of-5 3-point attempts against Niagara and Siena. He grabbed 12 rebounds against Siena. Sophomore Barry Evans also looks strong on the wing. He slotted into the starting lineup the past three games due to Pride’s injury. His defensive prowess jumps out, while also providing the ability to get a bucket when needed. He provided numerous hustle and momentum-shifting plays for the Bonnies throughout the win streak.
FAU’s Outlook
The Owls enter Saturday ranked No. 15 nationally in the AP poll. Their only two losses came against Bryant and No. 20 ranked…
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