2015-2016 Staff Predictions

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Cody: This looks like a typical type of Schmidt season to me.  8-3 in the out-of-conference and 9-9 in the A10, landing them somewhere in the middle of the conference.  Hopefully this team can make some strides in big games and beat the Orange in the Carrier Dome.  There may be a few tough-to-swallow losses here (cough, cough thorn-in-the-side Siena).  In the conference, the big measuring stick are the games against St. Joe’s.  If Bonas can sweep SJU, the Bonnies should definitely land ahead of the Hawks. I could see an overwhelmingly disappointing loss in the final game of the year on the long trip to St. Louis.  The Billikens will be playing super-spoiler more than likely at that point, and Bonas could drop all momentum heading into Brooklyn.  Fans once again should see 17-12 as a positive season in the Southern Tier.

Mike: A fairly weak non-conference schedule will hopefully turn into a successful season for the Bonnies.  Confidence usually runs pretty high when the Bonnies approach double digit wins outside of the A-10.  The grind of conference play brings hopes down to Earth but this year’s edition won’t be too bad.  If the team can limit the bad losses, especially in non-conference play, they will be alright.  The team MUST win the games against inferior opponents once conference play starts and steal a few of the middle of the road games.  A sweep of Duquesne and St. Joe’s could help balance the inevitable bad loss or losses (to Fordham or St. Louis perhaps). 8-3 out of conference and 9-9 in the A-10 - right smack in the middle and potentially could do some damage come tourney time.  Any NIT berth could be a possibility. 

Vinny: Only a couple months ago I was thinking the Bonnies could win 20 regular season games and position themselves for an NIT berth. Then Jordan Tyson went down. Courtney Stockard soon followed. Two players whom were supposed to be (somewhat) significant pieces in Mark Schmidt’s rotation will miss all or most of the season. Those injuries leave the Bonnies thin (and short) in the frontcourt. This will almost certainly cost them a win … or three. A season fraught with so much promise has thus evolved into one set on a clear path toward — once again — mere respectability in the Atlantic 10. I have the Bonnies at 8-3 out of conference, 8-10 in the A-10, and 16-13 overall.

Jon: The old saying that the definition of insanity is doing something over and over again and expecting a different result can apply again to this year’s edition of Bonaventure Basketball. On paper, the out of conference schedule looks like 8 wins but we all know this staff team could lose focus in late December (I’m looking at the Siena game). As for the A-10 portion, expect Schmidt to pull off a coaching gem early in January, having the fan base riled up for a top 4-6 finish and then leave us shaking our heads come early February with mind boggling substitutions and player rotations leading to a three game swoon.  The reality is, as long as Schmidt is in charge we can always expect a competitive team who can execute in stretches and lack discipline on the defensive end on the road. The lack of a true 5 in the post will cause this team more problems than fans want to believe. Look for a 7-4 rcord before A-10 play and an 8-10 during. 15-14 overall is about what the fan base can expect without a true post presence to run the offense through.

Bradley: As they did last year I believe the Bonnie’s get to the 18 win mark and hopefully eclipse that total though the A10 tournament. This year more so than others the health of the players will determine the course of the season especially with a short bench. If you could guarantee Wright, Posley, and Adams start every game I may give us a shot at 20, but being realistic (even though I’m ever optimistic) I say we go 9-2 out of conference (with a win at the Carrier Dome) and 9-9 in league play. Come the A10 tournament if we are healthy, unlike last year, we could really make some noise. While Posley may be the player everyone is looking to, this season will depend on the play of Adams and Wright.

Ian: Fans will say a lot of things about Mark Schmidt but one thing they cannot say is his program lacks consistency. Schmidt’s teams have a pretty high floor and low ceiling each season; this roster is no different though injuries to Tyson and Stockard absolutely hurt. The Bonnies’ starting five is good enough to hang with a vast majority of teams in the league but the lack of depth will certainly set the club back. I wonder about SBU’s ability to rebound the ball, how Wright will be play without a center beside him and how the team will run offensively given the lack of size and for now, a lack of shooters. When all is said and done I expect this team to win between 15-16 games. Should Tyson and Stockard come back say before A10 play, you could bump that figure up a game or so. 

 

Staff	Non-Conference	Conference	Overall
Ian	8-3	8-10	16-13
Vinny	8-3	8-10	16-13
Shane	7-4	9-9	16-13
Mike	8-3	9-9	17-12
Jon	7-4	8-10	15-14
Bradley	9-2	9-9	18-11
Michaela	6-5	12-6	19-10
Cody	8-3	9-9	17-12

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