Adrian Wojnarowski, a renowned NBA insider and 1991 St. Bonaventure graduate, retired from ESPN to join the men’s basketball program at his alma mater as general manager. In a surprising move announced in September, Wojnarowski, known for his “Woj Bombs” on breaking basketball news, aims to bring his expertise to the Bonnies alongside head coach Mark Schmidt, marking a new era for the team as they strive to compete with college basketball’s elite.
“If Woj put his name in the portal, it would be Kansas, Carolina and Duke… this is a grand slam,” said Schmidt.
Rather than Grand Slam Grill being a popular spot for chicken wings less than a mile from St. Bonaventure’s campus, bringing in former ESPN insider was truly a home run for the Bonnies.
“St. Bonaventure is committed to standing shoulder-to-shoulder with the best programs in the nation,” said Wojnarowski.
This commitment is something that St. Bonaventure has always made clear to their student-athletes. While being a school with roughly 2,000 undergraduate students, the Bonnies always tend to make noise by competing with some of the biggest schools in the nation.
The small Franciscan university has eight March Madness tournament bids and 17 NIT bids. The program managed four Quad 1 or Quad 2 victories last season, showing the Bonnies can compete with some of the top teams in the country.
Wojnarowski and Schmidt, who are now working together on the same staff, are driven and hungry to compete on a high level this year and for years to come.
“I’m committed to upholding coach Schmidt’s championship standards, cultures and values,” said Wojnarowski.
Likewise, the players expect to have a big season. The team expects to win the Atlantic 10. It’s possible the Bonnies could compete in the quality mid-major conference due to the talent they brought in this past offseason.
Similarly, with a very guard-heavy roster, the Bonnies will look to play high-paced, high-energy basketball this season.
Many don’t know what to expect from this much-revamped roster, as they only have five returning players, none of which started a game last season. Graduate center Noel Brown, who is the only one from the five players who played serious minutes last season, is returning as the team’s captain and will give the team big minutes this season.
Last season, the Bonnies declined a NIT invite. It was a controversial decision that prevented the team from gaining valuable tournament experience. The Bonnies have moved on from that decision. Now, they believe they have the pieces necessary to take a step forward as a program and return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2020-21.
