On Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET on ESPNU, the third-seeded St. Bonaventure Bonnies (22-11) will host the sixth-seeded Kent State Golden Flashes (22-11) in the first round of the NIT. The Bonnies are making their first NIT appearance since 2022, where they beat Colorado, Oklahoma, and Virginia en route to their Final Four loss to Xavier. Kent State last appeared in the NIT in 2011, losing to Colorado in the quarterfinals.
The impact player for the Bonnies is going to be forward Chance Moore. This season, Moore averaged 12.9 points while leading the team in rebounding with 6.5 per game. For most of the season, Moore was leading the team in scoring. However, after a toe injury in the middle of the season, his scoring became less consistent. If Moore can lead St. Bonaventure in scoring against Kent State, expect it to be rough going for the Golden Flashes.
For Kent State, the impact player is guard Jalen Sullinger. Sullinger is leading in points with 15.4. He is shooting 37.3% from 3 as well, which could end up burning the Bonnies’ average perimeter defense. The Bonnies should also watch out for forward Delrecco Gillespie, who averaged 7.7 rebounds per game. His rebounding, combined with Sullinger’s shooting, can prove costly against the Bonnies.
Both teams enter this game with identical records, setting the stage for a thrilling matchup. The winner will go on to face the winner of the CSUN vs. Stanford game later this week.
