Fansided

College Basketball Bubble Watch: Vanderbilt aims to return to NCAA Tournament

By Nathaniel Reeves

LAWRENCE, KS - DECEMBER 03: Head coach Jerod Haase of the Stanford Cardinal motions from the bench during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on December 3, 2016 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
LAWRENCE, KS - DECEMBER 03: Head coach Jerod Haase of the Stanford Cardinal motions from the bench during the game against the Kansas Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on December 3, 2016 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 5
Next
March 4, 2015: St. Bonaventure head coach Mark Schmidt talks to his team during an Atlantic 10 Conference basketball game between the St. Bonaventure Bonnies and the Saint Louis University Billikens at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Mo. St. Bonaventure won 64-48. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire/Corbis via Getty Images)
March 4, 2015: St. Bonaventure head coach Mark Schmidt talks to his team during an Atlantic 10 Conference basketball game between the St. Bonaventure Bonnies and the Saint Louis University Billikens at Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis, Mo. St. Bonaventure won 64-48. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire/Corbis via Getty Images) /

St. Bonaventure Bonnies 

This looked like a potential breakout year for the Bonnies on paper, but Mark Schmidt’s team will now need to make a run through nonconference play following an ugly start to the season.

While Schmidt has improved the state of the program, the Bonnies have not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2012, including a heartbreaking snub two seasons ago. Last season’s team also showed some promise at 20-12, only to fall short with a second-round exit in the A-10 Tournament

The good news for St. Bonaventure is that four starters are back from that 20-win roster, including senior star Jaylen Adams, who stuffed the stat sheet with an average of 20.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.5 assists and 2.1 steals last year. With another efficient scorer in Matt Mobley plus the return of injured forward Courtney Stockard, the Bonnies looked like an A-10 title contender.

Unfortunately, Adams sprained his ankle just before the start of the season and was ruled out of St. Bonaventure’s opener against Niagara on Friday. Mobley went off for 29 points, but the Bonnies still fell 77-75 in a loss that will hurt their resume even if Adams was out.

There’s been no update on Adams’ potential return, although the injury wasn’t expected to be long-term. St. Bonaventure needs to avoid another bad loss in nonconference play, including in contests this week against Maryland-Eastern Shore and Jackson State.