2017-2018 Staff & Friends Season Predictions
It’s time for our season predictions. Below each staffer or friend of the Blog takes their best guess at the Bonnies non conference and conference record as well as provides a final take on what this season’s outcome will be. Here’s to hoping many of us are wrong and this club is NCAA bound!
Jon May
Non Conference Record: 9-3
Conference Record: 12-6
Season Outcome: Managing expectations will be the toughest opponent this year for the Bonnies. The trouble is, along with internal pressure to deliver a NCAA berth, the league is balanced and at least 6 teams can legitimately challenge for the league crown, IMO. Not securing a Power 5 win in the early months can be the difference between an at large and another disappointing high seed in the NIT. 21-9 plus a trip to the A10 final won’t be enough, NIT home games to follow.
Kyle Allen and Alec Walt, Schmidt Talkin Podcast
Non Conference Record: 9-3
Conference Record: 14-4
Season Outcome: NCAA’s. Even with the Bonnies loss to an inferior Niagara team, We still have the Bonnies making the NCAA’s. We think they have what it takes to upset a Maryland and/or Syracuse this season, they just need a healthy Jay Adams. Statement wins will be a key factor this season and there are plenty of chances for that Atlantic 10 play. Our prediction is the Bonnies will win the Atlantic 10 tournament do they won’t even need to worry about the committee deciding. A strong back court will be huge come win or go home games, at the Bonnies have the best in the conference.
Shane Nolan
Non Conference Record: 9-3
Conference Record: 14-4
Season Outlook: The Hunted… this season, the Bonnies are cast in a different role than in recent years. Led by one of the nation’s best back court scoring tandems, expectations are higher than ever. However, as the old saying goes, “Offense wins games but Defense wins championships.” I anticipate a sort of roller coaster campaign, with more ups than downs. 9-3 non conference with a win over Maryland but a loss to Buffalo. 14-4 in conference. Unfortunately, I see the squad coming up short in DC, and on the heels of 23 regular season wins, I don’t think it will be enough for an NCAA at-large. This club is NIT bound for the second time in three years.
Walter Stubbs
Non Conference Record:10-2
Conference Record: 12-6
Season Outlook: Despite an embarrassing and inexcusable opening night loss (Good teams do not lose on opening night at home to a team it’s supposed to beat despite not having its best player) I expect Bonas to use this loss as motivation the rest of the year. Call me an optimist. This is all based on if Jay Adams comes back healthy and has no lingering issues with the ankle. Hopefully it’s not a big if and he’s back in uniform the rest of the way.
Vinny Pezimenti
Non Conference Record: 9-3
Conference Record: 12-6
Season Outcome: A 21-8 season will likely put the Bonnies in the NIT. In most years, that would be reason to rejoice. This season, it will be a little bit of a letdown. To be transparent, I go into most seasons with pessimism. Outside of Jay Adams and Matt Mobley, it feels like there are too many question marks to elevate this team to NCAA tournament level yet. On the other hand, the likes of Courtney Stockard, Tshiefu Ngalakulondi, and Iziah Brockington may provide emphatic answers. Either way, the guys up front (Josh Ayeni and Amadi Ikpeze) must make notable strides from freshman year for these Bonnies to dance in March.
Mike Vaccaro
Non Conference Record: 9-3
Conference Record: 12-6
Season Outcome: I’ll preface this by saying that there are many homes purchased in the tri-State area based on religiously going opposite my predictions but ….The amazing thing is 21-9 would mean a third straight 20-win season for the first time ever …. and it won’t mean a thing in some minds without a deep A-10 run. Could a no. 4 seed and a 1-1 in the a10 (making a 22-10 final mark) be enough? Put it this way: here’s hoping that looks more like 24-8 or25-7. I’ve never more wanted to be wrong.
Ian Nolan
Non Conference Record: 8-4
Conference Record: 13-5
Season Outcome: Faced with the toughest non conference schedule the team has ever played under Mark Schmidt the Bonnies will win eight games before A10 play. That’s not bad, but which eight they win and lose may make all the difference. I think that like so many Schmidt teams, this year’s version gets better as the season goes along and has the ability to play in the A10 finals in D.C. The team’s defense, lack of strong interior play and rebounding are big enough questions marks to me prevent me from predicting and NCAA bid this year. I hope I am wrong, but I’m not sure that Adams & Mobley are good enough to carry an average A10 roster to a win total in the mid 20s and an at-large berth…but here’s to hoping I’m wrong.
