Atlantic 10 Basketball: Biggest 2022 offseason needs for each team

St. Bonaventure (4th)

Returning: W Quadry Adams (2.0 ppg)

??: G Kyle Lofton (12.8 ppg, 5.9 apg/Extra year), W Dominick Welch (12.3 ppg, 6.0 rpg/NBA Draft), C Osun Osunniyi (11.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg/NBA Draft)

Leaving: F Jalen Adaway (15.3 ppg, 5.9 rpg/Graduate), G Jaren Holmes (13.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg/Transfer), C Karim Coulibaly (3.7 ppg/Transfer)

St. Bonaventure remains a giant mystery, if two or three of their seniors choose to return then the Bonnies can reload at the other spots and once again be an A-10 contender. But if Lofton, Welch and Osunniyi leave, then it will likely be a brutal rebuild year.  The delay in decisions, along with the fact all of the returning bench players barely played last season, causes Mark Schmidt and his staff to have to recruit players who could fill a role on a good team this year, while still providing value in the future.

Needs

1. Four-Year Point Guard

Whether or not Kyle Lofton returns, it’s time for St. Bonaventure to look for the next player in a long line of star Bonnies’ guards.  If Lofton returns, then things are shaping up similarly for this hypothetical freshman, the way they did in 2018-19 when Lofton entered a veteran starting lineup as a freshman and was able to develop in year one as a role player before taking off the next season.

2. Rebounding Forward

The Bonnies have trended small in the last two seasons, although it was often not an issue, as Jalen Adaway’s vertical leap and toughness made him seem taller than his listed 6’6″ height.  His replacement will have to cover for the loss of rebounding and defending larger forwards. Finding quality power forwards has been a recruiting issue as of late for St. Bonaventure, often having to use an undersized player (Adaway) or sacrifice floor spacing (Justin Winston, Ladarien Griffin).

Perfect Addition: G Kyle Lofton

Bringing back their elite point guard would be a boon for St. Bonaventure in both possible situations for next season.  On a veteran team, Lofton would continue to be the glue for an NCAA Tournament contender and be a POY contender if healthy. On a rebuilding team, he would be ideal for leading a young group and helping to make things easier for the next group of Bona stars.

Fordham (8th)

Returning: G Darius Quisenberry (16.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg), G Kyle Rose (7.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg), G Antrell Charlton (7.5 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.5 apg), F Patrick Kelly (2.9 ppg), F Abdou Tsimbila (2.7 ppg, 3.5 rpg), F Rostyslav Novitskyi (2.2 ppg, 2.0 rpg)

??: C Chuba Ohams (14.8 ppg, 11.6 rpg/NBA Draft)

Leaving: G Josh Colon-Navarro (7.5 ppg/Graduate)

Fordham returns their three key offensive guards, Darius Quisenberry, Kyle Rose and Antrell Charlton, but will need to patch up their Top 50 defense after (potentially) losing their two most impactful players on that end, Chuba Ohams and Josh Colon-Navarro.  Regardless of what happens this spring, Fordham will enter next year with the strongest foundation the program has had in over a decade and has already landed a local three-star guard in Will Richardson.

Needs

1. Veteran Scorer

Fordham scored a combined 110 points over their two A-10 Tournament games and really struggled offensively after Antonio Daye’s early January transfer out.  The Rams certainly weren’t helped by Quissenberry’s multiple absences and didn’t exceed 61 points in the six A-10 games that they went without both Daye and Quisenberry.  Regardless of position, Fordham desperately needs a 15+ point per game scorer next year if they don’t want a bad offense to ruin a great defense again.

2. Rugged Big Man

Even if Chuba Ohams decides to come back for his 7th (!) year, his injury history (two redshirt seasons) necessitates the presence of another interior defensive anchor.  Pat Kelly and Rostyslav Novitskyi return after both had a big performance in the A-10 tournament and if those games weren’t a mirage then the duo could replace some of Ohams’ scoring but the Rams simply got bullied every time they faced a good center without him.

Perfect Addition: G Marcus Hammond, Niagara

Hammond is a local New Yorker, born in Queens, and has spent the last four years tearing up the unofficial conference of New York (MAAC), scoring 18.1 ppg this season on 37% from 3.  Hammond is capable of being the lead scorer for Fordham, allowing Quisenberry to shift back into the #2 role that he thrived in next to Daye.