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What does Ogo have to do with it?

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Ogo Adegboye’s program record of 39 minutes per game may be challenged this season.

Ogo Adegboye’s nearly unbreakable record might not be so safe.

Adegboye, if you recall, led the country in minutes played per game during the 2010-11 season. The senior point guard logged 39 a contest, setting a St. Bonaventure record.

That mark may be challenged this season. The Bonnies may need Dion Wright every minute of every game.

Much like in 2010-11, depth is a big concern for the Bonnies. The team has three – three! – true frontcourt players on the roster, and one (Jordan Tyson) will likely be out at least until Atlantic 10 play.

(Tyson, by the way, has virtually no real college game experience).

The last of the triumvirate is Woods, who stands 6-9, but is only a freshman.

It’s uncertain what the Bonnies will get from Tyson or Woods. Both players are young and inexperienced. Don’t expect a lot.

Hopefully Wright has been in the weight room plenty in the off-season, because his 6-7, 220-pound frame will have to hold up the Bona frontcourt.

The Bonnies will play small and fast with Wright and fellow 6-7 Denzel Gregg manning the forward-center positions. It doesn’t help that junior college swingman Courtney Stockard will also miss significant time to injury.

That leaves the Bonnies with nine healthy scholarship players – three of them freshman  – and – besides Woods – none taller than 6-7.

The Bonnies also started the 2010-11 season with nine healthy scholarship players. That team used a 6- or 7-man rotation. Four players averaged more than 31 minutes per game. Adegboye and Andrew Nicholson didn’t have capable back-ups. Brett Roseboro, Sam DeHaas and Jake Houseknecht weren’t A-10 caliber players, and Matt Wright, then a freshman, wasn’t ready to play as much as he did.

With Nicholson as the centerpiece, the Bonnies should have been better that year. They went 16-15 instead and faltered down the stretch, losing five of their last seven games.

They lacked depth. They lacked a supporting cast for their star. They tired late in the season.

The Bonnies don’t have a Nicholson this year, but they do have the capable threesome of Wright, Marcus Posley and Jay Adams.

Is that enough to make up for their depth problem? Will they be able to defend and rebound well enough against bigger and bulkier opponents?

Or will they peter out to just another .500 season?

How many minutes Dion Wright plays likely will provide the answer.

-Vinny Pezzimenti

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A member of the class of 2008, Nolan spent four years as a student assistant with the program. He has written professionally for such outlets as espn.com/insider, Athlon Sports Magazines, Cox Sports Online and Blue Ribbon Previews. Ian was named one of the “140 Personalities to Follow in College Basketball” on twitter by The Sporting News.

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Guest
This teams lack of depth has been well documented throughout the off-season. However, I do not feel that there has been enough discussion on just how much this will affect the game of Dion. He will have to play significant minutes at the 5 position (something he has not done in his first three years). This will create match-up issues as he will be giving up several inches to nearly all the Atlantic-10 centers. While Dion will be able to stretch bigger, less active forwards on the offensive end, it will be on the defensive end will problems may arise.… Read more »
Guest

Not sure about that Matt Wright statement. Was he ever a freshman at Bonas? He started his career and played at West Virginia before transferring in.

Guest

Scratch that. My bad. I got Matt Wright mixed up with Tyler Relph.