NCAA Basketball: 10 mid-majors to watch for ahead of 2021 offseason

St. Bonaventure Bonnies

• 2020-21 record: 16-5 overall, 11-4 A-10
• Key returners: Kyle Lofton (14.4 ppg), Jaren Holmes (13.8 ppg), Jalen Adaway (12.2 ppg), Dominick Welch (11.4 ppg), Osun Osunniyi (10.7 ppg)
• Key additions: Abdoul Karim Coulibaly (Pittsburgh, 5.2 ppg), Quadry Adams (Wake Forest, 2.2 ppg), Oluwasegun Durosinmi (Harcum, 10.0 ppg)

There may not be a non-Gonzaga mid-major school that will head into 2021-22 with as much proven firepower and success as the Bonnies.  St. Bonaventure is coming off one of the greatest seasons in program history, having captured their first-ever outright Atlantic 10 regular-season title and second tournament title.

Although the Bonnies’ stellar season came to an end in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament with a loss to LSU, despite earning the program’s highest seed in the modern era of the tourney at ninth, they should be even better next season – considering they do not lose a single key contributor.

In my season preview of St. Bonaventure prior to the 2020-21 campaign, I mentioned that the Bonnies would more than likely feature the A-10’s best starting five in 2021-22 – and, although the Bonnies proved to be a year ahead of schedule, that is still certainly true heading into next year.  All five St. Bonaventure players in the starting lineup averaged double-figures – and all five, headlined by the tandem of point guard Kyle Lofton and center Osun Osunniyi – are slated to return.

St. Bonaventure’s depth took a substantial hit throughout the season, with bench players leaving the program over time – and the Bonnies’ top two role players, Alejandro Vasquez and Jalen Shaw, both departed shortly after the team’s loss to LSU.  But, barring another mass exodus, the Bonnies will supplement their bench with the addition of talented transfers.

Among those joining St. Bonaventure next season are two ACC transfers in Wake Forest’s Quadry Adams – whose Demon Deacon career trailed off after scoring 11 against Delaware State in his collegiate debut – and Pittsburgh’s Karim Coulibaly, who started 20 games for the Panthers and led the team in FG% among those who played in at least 10 games.  Rounding out the current crop is Oluwasegun Durosinmi, who nearly averaged a double-double at Harcum College and still has four years of eligibility.

With the starting lineup returning, the Bonnies should be in prime condition to repeat – and, with another year of experience under their belt, should be even better than last season.  A COVID-19 pause prevented St. Bonaventure from playing a full non-conference schedule in 2020-21, but the Bonnies’ play this past year indicates that Mark Schmidt’s squad could produce one of the program’s all-time greatest seasons – and one that could surpass the school’s season record in wins set in 2017-18 (26).