With the Atlantic 10 Conference announcing that the men’s and women’s tournaments would swap dates, this is officially the final week of regular-season play. One of the surprises of the A10 conference season has been St Bonaventure basketball. After beginning the year with 10-1 odds to win the conference, St Bonaventure’s betting odds to win the A10 Tournament are currently +375.
St. Bonaventure Basketball Season Recap
Nonconference Play
There wasn’t much of a nonconference season for St Bonaventure basketball this year thanks to stringent virus protocols in New York State. Even the Bonnies’ annual rivalry game against Buffalo was canceled. St. Bonaventure won both of its non-league games, although defeating Akron and Hofstra didn’t necessarily do much to bolster their NCAA Tournament resume ahead of conference play.
A10 Conference Play
Where St. Bonaventure basketball made its hay this season was in Atlantic 10 Conference games. The Bonnies’ A10 basketball opener ended as a loss to Rhode Island. That outcome is now a distant memory as the A10 Tournament approaches. St. Bonaventure would rattle off seven consecutive wins following that loss, including a three-point triumph over the preseason A10 favorite Richmond Spiders. After dropping two of their next three games to fellow contenders in Saint Louis and VCU, the Bonnies rebounded with back-to-back wins over Davidson in their last two games.
With their originally scheduled season finale against the Dayton Flyers having been canceled, St Bonaventure basketball will wrap up the regular season with games against George Washington and Dayton. The Bonnies have already secured a double-bye into the quarterfinals of the A10 Tournament regardless of those outcomes.
St. Bonaventure Basketball A10 Tournament Outlook
With a spot in the quarterfinals already locked up, St. Bonaventure basketball has as good a shot as any other team to win the A10 Tournament. Despite their lengthy preseason odds of 10-1, the Bonnies are no longer being overlooked. They have proven over the Atlantic 10 Conference season that they can go toe-to-toe with any team in the league.
For St Bonaventure basketball, their success in the A10 Tournament could very well hinge on the matchups they draw. The Bonnies backcourt duo of Kyle Lofton and Jaren Holmes is as good as any in the conference. That’s saying something given the tremendous guard play that can be found on a whole host of other teams like Saint Louis, Dayton and Rhode Island. Lofton struggled shooting the ball in the Bonnies’ most recent win over Davidson. Tasked with stepping up on the offensive end in the game, junior guards Dominick Welch and Jalen Adaway delivered. Another reason why it’s impossible to count St. Bonaventure out in the A10 Tournament is their suffocating defense. The Bonnies have held Atlantic 10 opponents under 60 points on six different occasions this season.
St Bonaventure Basketball is an A10 Tournament Contender
They may not draw the same national hype and attention as teams like VCU or Saint Louis, but St. Bonaventure basketball is not a team to be taken lightly. It’s somewhat crazy to see the Bonnies still having longer betting odds to win the A10 Tournament at +375 compared to +245 for Saint Louis. With a double-bye in hand, the Bonnies have an inside track to winning the league championship. Most bracketologists believe St. Bonaventure to already have done enough to secure an NCAA Tournament birth. The Bonnies can take away any remaining doubt by winning the Atlantic 10’s automatic bid.
