By SPENCER BATES
ST. BONAVENTURE — This year’s rendition of the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team brought 2025 to a close with its first taste of Atlantic 10 action.
Just one player that tallied significant minutes in-conference last season made their return to the Bonnies this year. That player being Xander Wedlow, who has featured in just two games this season.
So, Atlantic 10 atmospheres, intensity and what it takes to win, especially on the road, were all new experiences for Bona in its Dec. 31 matchup at VCU. And for the most part, head coach Mark Schmidt’s squad thrived.
They took it to the Rams and with just eight minutes remaining, held a lead at the home of the reigning A10 champs and preseason favorite to win it all again this year. Unfortunately, a lack of late-game execution condemned the Bonnies, who made just two field goals in the last eight minutes of the affair. The hosts scored 23 points in that time.
But while the loss stings, as it was in the palm of its hands, the second most important thing that Bona could have left VCU with was experience, and it got that in droves.
“We played well, we played aggressive, we played downhill,” Schmidt said. “We had a seven point lead, I think, with seven minutes left and we had some plays we could have made in the last five minutes that we didn’t make, but we’ll learn from that.
“I knew we weren’t gonna be scared. We have veteran guys that have been in … other tough venues. I just thought that we executed well in the first 35 minutes … but now there’s areas that we need to get better at, end of the game situations. We didn’t get the ball inside to Frank, sometimes we missed him. But at the same time, I thought going down there and having a chance to win in the last five minutes, that’s what you try to do on the road. Hopefully we can close out games better, but it’s a great learning experience. That game will make us better.”
Getting up to speed in the A10 will be of the utmost importance for the Bonnies as they are set to host a heavily experienced Richmond side for their first conference game at home this season. Fortunately, they have had a week off since their VCU clash and have used that time to familiarize themselves with the Spiders’ style of play, one that Schmidt knows well considering Richmond head coach Chris Mooney is the only A10 coach that has served longer than he has in the conference.
“Chris (Mooney) has been there for a long time so they run the same stuff,” Schmidt said. “Backdoor stuff, five-out. They got highly skilled guys. They make over nine 3s a game. They hit 13 against Fordham, made 12 against George Washington, in their defeat. They play a ton of guys, I don’t think anybody plays more than 21, 22 minutes. And they’re playing the same way defensively. They play 1-2-2 in three quarter court, back to man-to-man and they down the ball screens. We know what they’re going to do, but they got good players. They got some veteran guys, some grad students that they brought in. So, they’re older, they run good stuff and it’ll be a tough game.”
Mike Walz and Jonathan Beagle are the two most critical veterans that Bona will need to keep quiet. While the pair of Richmond returnees don’t necessarily average the big points, they are the conductors of the offense. Walz, this being his fourth year under Mooney, knows the system and knows what is expected of him if they are to succeed. He averages 7.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while shooting over 51% from the floor.
“He’s a good player,” Schmidt said of Walz. “He made four 3s against Fordham. He can shoot the ball. He has a good feel. He’s got really good size. Him and Beagle are the guys that run their offense. It’s five-out, everything goes through those two guys. … They know the offense and that’s what you need. When they’re running the complicated stuff that they do, everything’s off of reads, that five man is really, really important and both those guys have done a really good job.”
But the pieces they have added around the likes of Walz and Beagle (7.1 points, 5.3 rebounds per game) have been the big difference makers. The Spiders, 11-4, have already eclipsed their win total for the entirety of last season, having finished 10-22. Maine transfer AJ Lopez, Indiana State transfer Jaden Daughtry and Loyola Marymount transfer Will Johnston have been the engine of the Richmond offense, combining for an average of 33.9 points per game.
Specifically, Lopez — who averages a team-high 12.4 points per game on nearly 48% shooting — will be the player to watch out for in terms of having a big scoring night as he has tallied double-figure points in each of his last six games and eight of his last nine.
“He can shoot it, he can take you off the bounce, he’s got good length, he’s a good player,” Schmidt said. “He’s an older guy, and he’s really fitting well in their system.”
That being said, it will be just as imperative to shut down Daughtry and Johnston. The former has recorded double figures in all but four games this season while the latter is coming off back-to-back 20-point outings.
However, the options Mooney has when it comes to scoring the ball are not just limited to his typical starters. Richmond currently averages the seventh-most points from its bench of any team in all of Div. I men’s basketball with just three of its 14 rostered players having played less than 14 games this season.
Leading the way for the Spiders’ reserves is freshman Aiden Argabright, who plays over 20 minutes per game with an average of 10.2 points and a team-high 1.4 steals per game.
“They play a lot of guys,” Schmidt said. “One important thing is we got to know, when different guys come in, what each guy can do. What their strengths and weaknesses are.”
The Bonnies got their first taste of what A10 ball is like with a trial by fire at VCU. Taking what they learned and compounding upon it will be critical if they are to ring in the new year with a tally in the win column.
St. Bonaventure will tip-off against Richmond on Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. in the RC.
