Demary guts out 22 minutes and plus-22 rating to help UConn reach Sweet 16: “I had to be out there”

PHILADELPHIA — He scored only two points Sunday, both at the free throw line, yet wound up ending his night as the most efficient player on the floor.

For Silas Demary, Jr., it was not a question of whether he would be able to play on a sprained left ankle, or even how much he would be able to contribute. The only thing that mattered to UConn’s senior point guard was that he suited up.

“I just knew that I had to be out there with the guys,” Demary said after the Huskies defeated UCLA to advance to the Sweet 16 for a third time in four seasons. “I knew after Friday that I was gonna play, no matter what. Whatever I had to do to get on the floor, to be a part of this, I feel like I was doing anything I could.”

“I was around the clock trying to rehab, being in the pool, being with Tavarus (Ferguson, UConn’s assistant trainer). He was doing everything we could do to get back in.”

Demary worked through UConn’s pregame warmups appearing to not be hindered or have his mobility compromised after initially suffering the injury in the second half of UConn’s Big East tournament championship loss on March 14. The floor general had initially expected to be able to give it a go for the Huskies’ NCAA Tournament opener on Friday against Furman, but was ultimately held out at the last minute by head coach Dan Hurley as a precautionary measure.

On Sunday, Demary continues to receive treatment during the game, seen on the bench with a heating pad wrapped around his ankle when he was not on the floor. In 22 minutes of action off the bench, the Georgia transfer did not need to score to impact the game, instead doing most of his damage without the basketball to record a plus-22 efficiency rating, six points clear of the next-highest figure, a plus-16 posted by Braylon Mullins.

“He affects the game in so many different ways that don’t show up in the box score,” center Tarris Reed, Jr. said of Demary. “But that just shows you what type of guy he is. He’s selfless. He doesn’t care about his points, he doesn’t care about his assists. He just cares about winning.”

“I think he’s a warrior,” Mullins echoed. “An unbelievable player coming to play with that kind of injury. It could have been another week or two, and he makes an impact other than scoring, defense, rebounding, playmaking. He’s our leader. We all believe in him, and he was one of the best players on the court. That’s unbelievable to come out here and play like that.”

Demary’s infusion into this UConn lineup has altered the trajectory of its potential in multiple ways, but perhaps none more than having an experienced veteran on the court in search of nothing more than merely willing his team to victory. His defensive prowess has turned the Huskies back into the formidable unit fans are accustomed to seeing on that side of the basketball, while his heart and relentless drive is a continuation of the Hurley point guard lineage. Either way, UConn appears to have its heart and soul closer to 100 percent, which bodes well for however long the season continues on.

“I wasn’t really thinking about the injury,” Demary said. “Coach told me, ‘see how it goes in warmups,’ but I was like, ‘no matter how I go in warmups, I’m getting on the floor. It was no chance I wasn’t going to play.”

“I feel like my leadership, and then the coaches (with) just everything we do together, I feel like I just had to be out there, and I was glad I was able to get out there. I just took advantage of what I could do out there and did as much as I could to help us get the win.”

Jayden Ross continues special March with one of his better efforts to send UConn back to Sweet 16

PHILADELPHIA — Timmy Smith in Super Bowl XXII. Joe Carter in the 1993 World Series. Uwe Krupp in the 1996 Stanley Cup Final.

All three of those players may not have been regarded as the faces of their respective franchises, but each was most instrumental when it mattered most.

Smith, a fifth-round draft pick who rushed for just 602 yards in his career, set a Super Bowl record with 204 yards on the ground to help the then-Washington Redskins win their second Vince Lombardi Trophy. Carter, on a Toronto Blue Jays team boasting multiple future Hall of Famers in its dugout, hit perhaps the most memorable walkoff home run in baseball history to complete a successful title defense as the Jays repeated as World Series champions. Krupp, overshadowed by some of the greatest names to ever skate in the National Hockey League, delivered a Cup-winning goal in overtime to give the Colorado Avalanche its first-ever championship.

Jayden Ross has one national championship to his credit already at the University of Connecticut, and on a team with star power the likes of Alex Karaban, Silas Demary, Jr., Tarris Reed, Jr., Solo Ball and Braylon Mullins, easily gets lost in the shuffle through no fault of his own. It is the product of simply being a key cog of a balanced roster.

Ross’ teammates recognize the value beyond the numbers, though. Each of them has been quick and unhesitant to label the junior wing a special player in the Huskies’ arsenal. And as the season has ramped up, so too has Ross’ productivity and contributions to a team that now reaches the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for a third time in four seasons.

The 11 points Ross amassed in Sunday’s second-round win over UCLA may seem pedestrian in comparison to the career-best 27 that Karaban put up, or the all-time effort Reed displayed on Friday, with 31 points and 27 rebounds against Furman. But a closer look at Ross’ performance Sunday illustrates just how vital he is to UConn when fully engaged.

The first player off the bench for the Huskies on Sunday, Ross immediately set a tone with his unmistakable energy and two-way play, scoring nine of his points in a first half where he changed the tenor of UConn’s gameplay simply upon arrival.

“I was able to see some things they were doing,” he said of UCLA’s game plan. “Just being able to key in on that and make those adjustments when I got in the game instead of letting the game come to me and just trying to have an impact.”

“He’s the reason why we won this game,” Reed proclaimed. “That lift off the bench, and then just for him to bring the juice, bring the energy, we fed off that in the first half. The first time when we were down, he was blocking shots, getting rebounds, dunking, passing, doing everything on the court.”

Almost no one has been a bigger fan of Ross and his unique style than Karaban, who is usually the most effusive in his praise for his teammate. The senior, moments removed from one of his finest hours in a UConn jersey, immediately deflected credit from his own exploits again, highlighting what Ross was able to do for the Huskies when at his best.

“You really feel his presence out there,” Karaban said. “When he goes in there, he could make a deflection, he could get a steal, and it really just gets us going. He saves us so many times on the defensive end, but you can’t take away what he does offensively, too. He made an and-1, threes, he got fouled on a three, and just the shooter he is now is unbelievable. He’s really become such a key piece.”

As UConn’s bench has undergone a stretch of ebbs and flows throughout the season, it has sometimes become imperative that one of the second unit step up and assert himself when one of the Husky starters struggles. Ross has been all that and more this season, finally tapping into a potential that his coach believes could take him to the highest level.

“Confidence (and) strength,” Dan Hurley said when asked where Ross’ greatest improvements have come. “Those are the last frontiers for him to really unleash the impact he could have. You see it right now as a guy that’s pretty much guarding four positions, and he’s making winning plays. He’s contributing with threes and cuts, and getting out in transition offensively. He’s a guy who, eventually, is gonna be an NBA player. He’s gonna develop into that and you’ve seen it before your eyes.”

The belief factor was something Ross admitted had been plaguing him in spurts before his emergence began to take stronger root during UConn’s stretch run. Now with an almost limitless future in front of him as he chases a second national championship, he is eager to further this roll of a lifetime, so to speak, and parlay it into a greater payoff.

“I’ve known within myself that I’ve been a great player for a long time,” he said. “But the confidence piece was something that I definitely lost a bit coming into the college level. I’d say this year specifically, I’ve worked really hard on that and I think it’s starting to show on the court. So I’m just kind of happy it’s hitting during this time, and it’s only gonna get better from here.”

Karaban’s career night sends UConn back to Sweet 16 after Huskies lock down UCLA late

PHILADELPHIA — Alex Karaban was hardest on himself in the wake of his UConn team not capitalizing on its chance to win a second Big East tournament championship in three years.

The senior and all-time winningest Husky in program history took on the lion’s share of the responsibility after falling on the wrong side of a 20-point loss to St. John’s on March 14, emphasizing on multiple occasions that he could not come up empty in high-leverage situations if he and his team were to be the last men standing for a third time in his college career.

That latest self-pep talk has produced a postseason that can be best described, to borrow baseball parlance with regard to one of the game’s best hitters, as Alex being Alex.

Two nights after scoring 22 points against Furman to supplement a generational performance by Tarris Reed, Jr., it was Karaban’s turn to take center stage Sunday, leading all scorers with 27 markers as UConn kicked away from UCLA in the second half to score a 73-57 second-round NCAA Tournament victory.

“I definitely don’t want my career to end,” Karaban reiterated as the Huskies (31-5) returned to the Sweet 16 for a third time in four seasons. “I’m doing everything in my power to help lead this team to make sure that happens and get the win, doing anything possible to make sure I get the win.”

On this particular night, everything in Karaban’s power included leading the offense through an opening sequence where UConn had difficulty establishing itself against UCLA’s interior defense. The Bruins double-teamed Reed, two nights removed from amassing 31 points and 27 rebounds against Furman, on nearly all of his touches in the first half, and with Solo Ball and Braylon Mullins not being able to convert on open shots, the onus fell to Karaban to yet again ignite the engine.

He did exactly that, accounting for 11 of the Huskies’ first 15 points and turning in an effort that head coach Dan Hurley said was symbolic of his winning pedigree, as well as of the learning moment he found in the wake of deflating losses to both Marquette and St. John’s.

“What you’re going to see, what you saw or what you’ve seen in this NCAA Tournament, is a guy that’s attacking the game,” he said of Karaban. “He’s aggressively looking for all of his shots, he’s working his way to the ball, he’s driving the ball. I just think that he learned a lot from that Big East championship game (and) that game at Marquette, where he left those games not going out on his shield the way a player of his caliber should. I think that’s the difference. He’s not going down without firing all of his bullets.”

Still, even as UConn took a five-point lead into halftime, UCLA made two defiant last stands. The Bruins used an 11-4 run to retake a two-point advantage just over four minutes out of the intermission, but it was countered by a 14-0 Husky spurt in which Karaban commenced and culminated the outburst with 10 points, punctuating the rally with a pair of threes, the second from the top of the key. A 10-2 UCLA stretch brought the No. 7 seed within four points with just over seven minutes to play in regulation, but after five straight UConn points to respond, Bruins head coach Mick Cronin was assessed a technical foul. Fittingly, it was Karaban who sank the ensuing free throws, keeping the second-seeded Huskies ahead by double digits for the duration of the contest.

Not much is missing from Karaban’s resume at this point, with two national championships, the program’s wins record and a spot in the Huskies of Honor already in the bank for the Massachusetts native. But the prospect of adding to his legacy by channeling past March UConn legends the likes of Richard Hamilton, Emeka Okafor, Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier, all of whom closed their careers in Storrs by turning up the heat one last time on the greatest stage in the sport, is something that has kept his competitive fire burning, and also become an inspiration among his teammates.

“I think just having him on this team and having the experience in this tournament, I think he can just take us wherever we need to go,” Braylon Mullins said of Karaban and his presence. “We all have the confidence in him, and he’s our leader. We all look up to him, he holds the standard with this program.”

Karaban echoed that sentiment, uncharacteristically revealing one of his own desires as he authors the final pages of a career that, no matter how it ends, will be among the most prolific in college basketball history. He is, however, hoping to make room for one more testimonial before hanging up his jersey for good.

“It’s a motivating factor for myself,” he said of the quest to walk away victorious. “I ultimately came back here to win. Every time I’ve had a decision to come back, I came back just wanting to win and help this team out, but (I’m) also just enjoying every second I have in a UConn jersey.”

Panthers prove worthiness in final bout as High Point pushes Arkansas to limit

By Josh Noel (@Josh_DDH)

PORTLAND, Ore. — As the buzzer in the Moda Center struck midnight on High Point University’s Cinderella run, the Panthers exited the floor with their heads held high as they acknowledged their fans on hand.

High Point, the No. 12 seed in the West Region, gave fourth-seeded Arkansas all it could handle in their second-round NCAA Tournament matchup, a 94-88 Razorbacks win. 

“I’m really proud of our guys and how we competed,” said High Point head coach Flynn Clayman. “We showed out, we packed the house, we had fun, and we played with confidence. We were expected to be good, but I don’t think anybody expected us to do what we did here in winning 31 games, getting to the tournament, advancing, and pushing the SEC champs.”

Amid the six ties and 15 lead changes, the Panthers kept the entirety of the game against the Razorbacks within single digits. According to Will Warren, Saturday marked the first time in the round of 32 that a game involving a team seeded 12th or lower featured both teams scoring 85 or more points. HPU kept pace with the high-tempo Hogs on 3-point shooting as well as rebounding, finishing just one rebound shy of Arkansas’ total. 

“(Rebounding) surprised me because I just wasn’t sure where we stood against this team physically,” said Clayman. “As we got going, I was like, man, we have the athletes and physicality to hang with the SEC champs.”

Projected NBA lottery pick Darius Acuff, Jr. led Arkansas with 36 points and set a NCAA Tournament record for most points scored by a freshman through two games with 58 total. Acuff’s brilliance was equally matched by High Point’s Rob Martin, who scored a season-high 30 points. Martin dazzled the crowd at the Moda Center all evening with acrobatic spinning layups and a 3-pointer that pinballed around the rim about six times before finally dropping, completing a stretch where three of his four highest scoring efforts came in the Panthers’ final three contests.

“I put so much work in, and I feel like it showed tonight,” said Martin. “Matching up with a (projected) lottery pick and showing the world that I can compete at a high level, I’m super proud of myself for my journey. All glory to God.”

Martin was joined in the scoring column by Cam’Ron Fletcher who tallied 25 points. Martin and Fletcher both hail from the St. Louis area and frequently competed against each other at Christian Brothers and Vashon High School, respectively. This season, the St. Louis duo shared the court as teammates for the first time which provided an eye-opening experience for both.

“I never would have seen myself playing with Rob because of how often we competed growing up and in high school,” said Fletcher. “It was a good feeling to have someone that close to me that I knew before going to High Point. I’m very grateful to be able to play with him this year. It meant a lot to me.” 

Throughout the season, Fletcher struggled with injuries and personal matters that sidelined him for eight games total. No matter what he was going through, Martin was steadfast in his corner and had Fletcher’s back through it all.

“I’m super grateful to play with him and love his journey,” said Martin. “With how hard he worked, he put the work in, and it showed tonight. I’m super proud of Cam and what's next for him.” 

Another person in the Moda Center who was familiar with Fletcher’s journey was John Calipari, who recruited Fletcher to Kentucky six years ago. Saturday’s game marked the first time the two had met against each other since their paths diverged from Lexington. 

“To see him do what he did today, I was proud of him,” said Calipari. “He put his shoulder down and just did what he wanted to do. I'm happy that it’s turned out this way for him and for High Point.”

Calipari also offered high praise for High Point’s commitment to basketball success amid all the challenges of NIL and the transfer portal. 

“If you want players to be empowered, they have to know that there’s a commitment to the players,” said Calipari. “We have that in Arkansas, and they have that in High Point. They are committed, which is why you have a chance to win championships. I bragged on High Point because they have a president that is about those students. Everything they do is about those students. It proves my point: Coaches win games, but administrations win championships.”

High Point’s all-in investment on basketball has led to a combined 87-20 record for the Panthers over the past three seasons with three Big South regular season championships, two tournament championships, and their first NCAA Tournament victory.

“Choosing High Point is the best decision I’ve ever made,” said HPU guard Chase Johnston. “The Lord opened so many opportunities for me here. It’s a season I’ll never forget. I’ll take so much from it.”

This season simultaneously proved to be the best but also most challenging for Johnston, who remained on the Panthers’ roster after last offseason’s coaching change. Johnston went from a starter to a reserve during the 2025-26 season, but he closed the Panthers’ final six games shooting 58.6 percent from 3-point range.

“Looking back, this season didn’t think it was going to go the way it went in the beginning,” said Johnston. “If (Flynn) rosters you, he trusts you and he's going to trust you not just in the highs, but in the lows. I’m just so grateful that I’ve been able to finish off my career here in March Madness sitting here with these guys.” 

Clayman will look to rebuild the Panthers’ roster for next season in the coming weeks and months through the transfer portal. For now though, he’ll take a minute to appreciate the significance of what his team accomplished in this record-setting campaign.

 
“Ever since I set foot on High Point University’s campus, my life changed,” said Clayman. “With this being my first year (as head coach), I had a lot of ups and downs having to recruit a whole new team. My staff had my back, and I just couldn’t be more thankful for all these players that stuck with me. We made history.”

Mark Schmidt’s last gift to St. Bonaventure is the blessing of his 19-year tenure

By Ray Floriani (@rfloriani)

The plan was to chronicle the highlights of Mark Schmidt’s 20 years at St. Bonaventure.

It was planned for the fall. Recent events altered that plan.

For Schmidt, the successful and revered Bonaventure coach, sadly enough, there will be no 20th season after he announced his retirement in early March.

For Bonaventure faithful, this isn’t March Madness, it’s March Sadness. The present time is appropriate to review what Mark Schmidt has accomplished in his nearly two decades in Olean.

The academic fraud scandal of 2003 left St. Bonaventure reeling. In the aftermath, a new coach was needed, one who could mend fences and change the public perception of St. Bonaventure, which at the time, was less than acceptable. The new coach would naturally be expected to improve the product on the court.

Enter Anthony Solomon, the respected Notre Dame assistant. In his three years, the personable Solomon did a great job with the former, not so much, as hard as he may have tried, with the latter. In four years, Solomon had a 24-88 record. His final season, in 2006-07, ended with a 7-22 finish. 

Solomon was out and a new coach was needed. Bonaventure talked with, among others, Will Brown of Albany. Talks turned into a job offer. In the end, Brown refused, later saying on a radio show that the job would constitute “career suicide.”

Mark Schmidt, the head coach of Robert Morris, who spent seven years on the Xavier staff of the late Skip Prosser, was contacted. Schmidt wasn’t sure about the job, so he reached out to his former mentor. Prosser simply reminded Schmidt of a game a few years earlier in 2002, when the Bonnies upset Xavier, one that was packed with Bona fans raising the decibel level. In simple terms, this was a place with devoted and passionate fans.

Schmidt signed on. Naysayers said that in three years, he would be selling insurance.

“This is not a graveyard,” Schmidt said when he came on board. “There is a proud tradition and history which just needs to be awakened.”

Tom Green was not one of those. The legendary FDU coach went up against Schmidt a number of times when their respective schools were in the Northeast Conference. Green was certain Schmidt would get things turned around. Green jokingly said Schmidt’s leaving Robert Morris would allow more room in Green’s file cabinet, where he kept scouting reports and plays of all the other conference members. Even in his Robert Morris days, Schmidt was known for that massive playbook.The ink was barely dry on the signed contract when Schmidt was making his presence known.

Schmidt was working his team out. Several players, accustomed to the habits of the old regime, went through the motions. Schmidt stopped practice, took the ball, and kicked it into the stands. The coach added a few choice words with the following message: 

Things are different now. Complacency is not an option.

Off the floor, Schmidt quickly endeared himself and reached out to the student body and Olean-Allegany community. It was finals week, and students were pulling all-nighters and stopping in the dining hall for breakfast. Who was making breakfast sandwiches? Schmidt and university president Sister Margaret Carney, OSF.

After 19 seasons, the record was a gaudy 340-255, good enough for a .571 winning percentage. Beyond the numbers, Schmidt’s time at St. Bonaventure has been a remarkable story, or succession of stories.

The initial season brought an 8-22 record, 2-14 in Atlantic 10 play. Following an early-season win over Albany and coach Will Brown, Schmidt went into the locker room and high-fived everyone, managers included, while giving his opinion of “career suicide.”

Schmidt was altering the culture. Beside that intangible, you need players to win. His assistant coaches suggested a trip to Canada to look at this prospect he was aware of. The coaches got in the car and made the roughly three-hour drive. Getting in the gym, Schmidt wondered how this very thin big man could help.

A few minutes after watching Andrew Nicholson play, the Bona coach was sold. Nicholson epitomized the type of player Schmidt endeared himself to and had success with, an under-the-radar type just itching to show the experts and powers that be that they made a big mistake. Schmidt loved those who played with that chip on their shoulder.

The first year brought an 8-22 mark. Year two improved to 15-15. By year four, postseason play was realized as the Bonnies were selected to play in the CBI. The following year, 2011-12, was the breakthrough.

The Bonnies headed to the conference tournament in Atlantic City with a 17-11 record, 10-6 in the A-

10. This was Nicholson’s senior year and there was a decidedly upbeat feeling. In the quarterfinal, Saint Joseph’s was dispatched. The semis saw the Bonnies hold on after UMass made a late comeback. That set up the final against Xavier, Schmidt’s former school, coached by good friend Chris Mack.

The Bonnies started fast. They had a 17-point lead early in the second half. Xavier, to no surprise, made its run, cutting the deficit to two possessions. The Bonnies answered and went on to a 67-56 victory. Nicholson was named Most Outstanding Player by virtue of his 26-point, 14-rebound, eight-block performance. It was the Bonnies’ first A-10 tournament title, and a postgame celebration that lasted roughly 45 minutes.

Bona faithful cheered. Alums fought back tears of joy. Sister Margaret Carney was on the court in the middle of the party. The celebration was not limited to Boardwalk Hall, as several Bona students enjoyed the moment with an impromptu dip in the chilly Atlantic Ocean.

In the NCAA Tournament, Bona dropped a tough 66-63 loss to ACC champion Florida State. Seminoles head coach Leonard Hamilton had the utmost praise for the preparation and gameplan put together by Schmidt and his staff. That 20-12 season and its finish had Bonaventure back in the public consciousness.

In 2016 the Bonnies were co-champions of the A-10, and were 30th in RPI. But on Selection Sunday, they were off the board, a decision that drew outrage from many in the game, including Saint Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli. Bona finished 22-9, following a first-round NIT loss against Wagner.

In 2018, the Bonnies were on the board on Selection Sunday. Their opponent was UCLA, in the First Four in Dayton. That matchup brought a wealth of pregame stories, one of which was written here.

In 1970c Larry Weise’s Bonnies were led by All-American Bob Lanier. A dominant presence inside, Lanier could move out and hit from 15 feet before it became fashionable.

The Bonnies appeared to be on a collision course with John Wooden’s Bruins. UCLA was in the post-Alcindor and pre-Walton era, and would have a difficult time handling Lanier. It was not to be, as the Bona big man went down with a college career-ending knee injury late in the East Regional final against Villanova. Bonaventure battled Jacksonville, with 7-foot-2 Artis Gilmore, gamely, but came up short. UCLA defeated Jacksonville for the title. Even to this day, the proverbial what-if scenario is debated among Bona alums and in Olean watering holes.

In the game at Dayton, the Bonnies fell behind by seven. Bona backcourt star Jaylen Adams was struggling. In the second half, Schmidt turned things around by employing a 1-3-1 zone that threw Steve Alford’s Bruins completely off. The Bonnies emerged 65-58 winners, with Adams putting the game away from the charity stripe.

In postgame interviews, Schmidt mentioned Bob Lanier and that 1970 team.

“They didn’t get their chance against UCLA,” he said. “So this win is dedicated to Big Bob and that team.”

A prime example of Schmidt’s appreciation for Bona history added with a touch of class.

The 2019 season was memorable on two counts. Schmidt surpassed Larry Weise as the all-time winningest coach at St. Bonaventure. In 12 years, Weise had a record of 202-90, which included a Final Four appearance in 1970. Schmidt broke the record with a 79-56 victory over George Mason in mid-February. Weise knew the record would be broken. The former coach was pleased it was by someone of Schmidt’s reputation and caliber.

In March, with four freshmen in the starting lineup, the Bonnies advanced to the championship game of the A-10 tournament. They faced a Saint Louis team they defeated eight days earlier. The Bonnies built a 15-point lead early that was still nine at the intermission. In the final 20 minutes, the Bonnies went cold, managing just 19 points. Still, they had one last shot. A corner three attempt rimmed out and the Billikens emerged a 55-53 winner. The team dejectedly walked off the court with sadness. Members of the cheer team were unsuccessful in trying to fight back tears. The season ended at 18-16, but the core of freshmen led by Kyle Lofton, Dominick Welch and Osun Osunniyi developed admirably.

COVID ended the 2020 season prematurely at 19-12 before a single postseason game could be contested in the A-10. A year later, those tears shed in Barclays Center were wiped away and replaced by smiles. The Bonnies earned their second A-10 postseason title, taking down VCU, 74-65, at UD Arena. The season ended at 16-5 following a loss to LSU in the NCAA Tournament.

That freshman core of 2019 were seniors entering 2021-22. The group, under Schmidt’s guidance, delivered a memorable year. Following a one-point loss to Saint Louis in the A-10 quarterfinals, the Bonnies accepted an NIT bid. They emerged quintessential road warriors.

Schmidt’s group scored road wins over Colorado, Oklahoma and Virginia. They were headed to Madison Square Garden. Bus loads of students made the 350-mile trip from campus to New York m City. Alums came out in numbers. MSG was transformed into “Reilly Square Garden.”

The NIT semifinal opponent was Xavier. The Bonnies dug a hole and were down 19 with five minutes to go in the first half. They rallied and got the deficit to three possessions in the second half. Despite the backing of their energized fan base they couldn’t pull it off and dropped an 84-77 decision to the eventual NIT champions.

The last four seasons have seen the Bonnies hit the 20-win mark twice and finish .500 twice as well. There have been changes Schmidt, and many other coaches, have had to deal with. The transfer portal and NIL have drastically changed the game. Those talented freshmen from 2019 staying four years is now a thing of the past. Rosters are overhauled yearly.

For a coach like Schmidt, who is proven in player development, the challenge has been difficult. Hardly anyone stays around long enough to develop these days. The previously mentioned telephone directory (for those who can remember) playbook is hardly utilized. Learning his system takes longer than one season.

Schmidt estimates about 25 percent of his plays and sets are utilized. In addition, the 2024 offseason saw longtime assistant Steve Curran move to George Mason in a similar capacity. Curran was an outstanding judge of talent with an outstanding reputation in the New England area. He was also an accomplished practice and bench coach. His departure certainly hurt.

Despite these changes, Schmidt stayed true to the type of player he wanted, one who valued the classroom and the gym over social life. He was also very good with the media, not just cooperative, but generally engaging. At one A-10 media day a while back, at the Bonaventure table, colleagues Jason Schott, Jaden Daly and yours truly were having a discussion over soccer prior to formal interviews. Hearing this, Schmidt joined in, asking questions about the carding system and an explanation of the offsides rule. Classic Mark Schmidt.

Schmidt and his wife Anita have been involved with students, alums and reaching out to the local community in general.

“In addition to his great successes as a coach, Mark Schmidt does a tremendous amount of fundraising for Coaches vs. Cancer,” retiring A-10 commissioner Bernadette McGlade told The Bona Venture. “As far as the A-10, Bonaventure is a fabulous member and Mark has done everything anyone could have ever asked.”

Schmidt caught on and was immersed in the Bonaventure family from the beginning. He even likened it to a cult, but in a very positive way. Very down to earth, he was more comfortable breaking bread with alums over pizza and beer rather than in a fancy restaurant. If he heard a fan or alum was battling an illness or difficult time, Schmidt would be on the phone offering them encouragement. He went far beyond the job description of head basketball coach. Not surprisingly, a good representation of alums made the trip to Pittsburgh to watch Schmidt lead the Bonnies in his last A-10 tournament.

This past season ended at 17-17. An 11-2 preconference start gave hope to a run in the A-10. A list of close losses proved detrimental. In the A-10 tournament, the team, realizing this was Schmidt’s last go-round, rallied. The Bonnies defeated La Salle in the first round. The postgame belt, usually given to the player exemplifying toughness, was awarded to Schmidt by his players. The next day, a come-from-behind win over George Mason extended the season. That made the Bonnies the first 13th seed to reach the quarterfinals.

Schmidt’s final game ended in a hard/fought quarterfinal setback at the hands of Dayton in the A-10 tournament.

“Coach Schmidt, in my opinion, is one of the best coaches in the country,” Dayton coach Anthony Grant said. “It’s been an honor to compete against his teams for the past nine years. What he’s been able to do at St. Bonaventure speaks for itself.”

Schmidt has had other schools reach out to him over the years. He listened, but stayed at Bonaventure. In recent years, it was assumed by many that Bonaventure would be his retirement job. It turned out to be, just a little earlier than expected.

At age 63, he still had several years ahead of him on the sidelines.

“Retirement,” or “relieved of duties?”

Since his announcement, that has been the subject of the local press and on social media. Rumor had it that the relationship between Schmidt and general manager Adrian Wojnarowski, who signed on just before the 2024-25 season, had strained. Rumors are swirling. Nothing has been confirmed.

A March 17 release on gobonnies.com by athletic director Bob Beretta praised Schmidt’s time in Olean, and insisted, “to attain our mission of building on the supreme legacy Mark Schmidt has built across two incredible decades as our head coach, we must identify the right leader.”

That, in itself, will be a daunting task for Beretta and the administration.

In the spring of 2007, I ran into Schmidt while covering a high school showcase at The College of New Jersey. I knew him from his Robert Morris days, but he was thrilled to hear I was a Bonaventure graduate. We discussed the program’s status quo, and when we were done, he said, “don’t worry, we are going to make you alumni proud again.”

He was true to his word, for what he accomplished both on and off the court. As one fellow alum noted, and many wholeheartedly agree, Bona’s was blessed to have him for 19 years.

Second comeback not to be as VCU falls to Illinois

By Jacob Conley (@gwujake)

GREENVILLE, S.C. — This time, there was no magical comeback in the cards for VCU.

Less than 48 hours after staging a dramatic 19-point rally versus North Carolina, the Rams faced a similar situation Saturday, but fell to Illinois,76-55.

“The end is always hard, and you struggle to come up with what to say,” Rams coach Phil Martelli, Jr. said. “I told these guys in the locker room the two words that kept kind of bouncing around in my mind were pride and gratitude. All these guys took a chance. I got the job 51 weeks ago today and was selling everybody a vision, all of them, a vision of what could be. They all took that chance. They came along for the ride, and they brought us along for the ride. So my pride in them, my gratitude for them is through the roof.”

VCU caught a tough break in the opening seconds as Nyk Lewis went down with an injury. Jake Davis hit a three as Illinois led 9-2 at the first media timeout. Terrence Hill’s hot shooting carried over from the UNC game with a three, but Illinois used its size to build as much as a 12-point lead in the first half.

Brandon Jennings answered with a three for VCU and Tyrell Ward threw down a dunk that cut  the deficit to 20-13. After an Illini three, Hill scored on a fast-break layup. Ward followed with a tip-in as the deficit shrank to 23-17. A dunk by Evans continued the comeback and by the time Hill split the defense for a layup and Ward scored on a putback, the game was tied at 23.

Hill stayed hot with a three later in the contest to tie the game at 26. His fallaway jumper moments later gave VCU its first lead of the game. Andrej Stojakovic answered with a three-point play, and by the time he banked one off the glass, Illinois led 35-28 after a 7-0 run to end the half.

The run continued coming out of the locker room. Keaton Wagler and David Mirkovic each hit threes as the score stood at 43-30. Jadrian Tracey ended the run with a pullup jumper, but Illinois continued to pull away on a dunk by Zvonimir Ivisic and a three for Kylan Boswell.  After a technical foul on VCU, Illinois led, 50-32.

Hill answered with a quick 5-0 run including a deep three. Wagler restored order with a steal and layup, and by the time Stojakovic dunked, Illinois was in firm control, leading 59-37. Tracey drilled a three to give the Rams a glimmer of hope, but this time, a comeback was not in the cards as they fell 76-55.

A HILL TOO STEEP: Hill put on another show for the crowd in Greenville with 17 points, but it was not enough to keep the Rams’ season from ending. Hill says that this season and basketball in general have taught him many lessons.

“I’ve always felt like I’ve always been a competitor, but when you get in those moments when you get tested, like the UNC game, we were down 19, you kind of just challenge yourself,” he said. “You think about all those moments you went through growing up about being down, any situation in life, and just finding that kind of joy and second gear, even when you’re down or things are not going your way. I think I kind of found that by myself, and I feel like I just proved myself right.”

THE RUN: Just like the UNC game, VCU made a run to get back in the contest in the first half. Martelli, Jr. broke down the run and why the Rams could not sustain it this time.

“The ball went in a couple times,” he said. “We were missing shots that we’ve made most of the year. We were able to get some stops. That was where our brief transition opportunities came. We needed that. We needed more of that. I thought in the first half, we guarded well enough to hold them to whatever it was, 35 points. The percentages from two weren’t where we would want them to be, but for the most part, we guarded them well enough. We turned them over a few times, so it was really that. We were able to get some stops, get out in transition, and the ball went in a couple times, like I said. Unfortunately, there were too many open shots. We turned some down in the second half. We had some uncharacteristic turnovers.”

“I said to the staff as we got the stats after the game, I can’t believe we only had 10 turnovers. It felt like we had 15 or 20 of them, just from kind of like game slippage, whatever it was. But no, that was the run, and again, I expected it from these guys all the time. They’re always going to fight back.”

CHASING GREATNESS: Even with the loss, Martelli is confident the Rams are building something special, and the results this year are only the beginning.

“I asked these guys to chase greatness, and they did,” he said. “(Getting) 28 wins is great. A regular season championship is great. A conference tournament championship is great. An NCAA Tournament win is great. That’s what they got. They got greatness. They created just incredible memories for each other, and every time they walk in that Siegel Center, they’re going to see those banners hanging up there, and that means something. The bond and the memories, and all those things they created for themselves, for the fans, for the community, all those things will always be there and no matter what, those can never be taken away from them.”

“I’m just proud of the way they took all that on and were able to get exactly what they deserved and get greatness. We want to be right back here next year and go even further.”

UP NEXT: Illinois (26-8) advances for the Sweet 16, and will play No. 2 seed Houston on Friday in the South Regional semifinals, while VCU finishes its campaign with a record of 28-8.

Boozer’s big second half leads Duke to Sweet 16

By Jacob Conley (@gwujake)

GREENVILLE, S.C. — After struggling with Siena in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament, Duke exhibited more of its usual form Saturday, routing TCU, 81-58.

“We knew how this would be a hard-fought game,” head coach Jon Scheyer said as the Blue Devils advanced to their third straight Sweet 16. “I just keep coming back to the character of these guys. For Pat (Ngongba) to come back to this game was not easy by any means. He was fighting like crazy. He even came up to us before the first game, and just in the best interest of him, and ultimately our team also. We always want him back out here, but we tried to get him ready for this game. That was pushing to begin with. But the fact that he’s fighting to come back.”

The teams were evenly matched early, as they split the first 14 points at the first media timeout. Patrick Ngongba II came off the bench to gave Duke a brief lead with a jumper, but TCU took a three point lead, 15-12, on a three by Brock Harding.

The game continued to go back and forth, but Duke entered the bonus midway through the first half, and by the time Isaiah Evans hit a pair of free throws and converted a transition layup, Duke led, 23-20. After a TCU bucket, Evans stayed hot with a four-point play, giving the Blue Devils their largest lead at 27-22.

After a timeout, Ngongba connected on a beautiful reverse layup and by the time Evans turned the same trick, Duke led, 31-23. After a TCU timeout, Xavier Edmonds stopped the bleeding with a floater, but Maliq Brown answered with a dunk as the Blue Devils led, 33-25, with 3:59 left in the first half.

However, Cam Boozer picked up two quick fouls and Edmonds scored in the post for the Horned Frogs. He scored two straight buckets in the paint as TCU made their way back to within two, at 36-34. Brown hit a pair of foul shots as two TCU players had three fouls, and Duke led at the half, 38-34.

TCU started the second half on a 6-0 run thanks to four points from Micah Robinson, giving the Horned Frogs a 40-38 lead. After Cam Boozer tied things with a dunk, Evans scored and drew a fourth foul on Edmonds. The Boozer twins converted back-to-back three-point plays, and Nik Khamenia hit one from beyond the arc as Duke had its largest lead with 11:48 left, at 53-44.

Harding hit a three for the Horned Frogs, but the foul trouble continued to mount as two players had four fouls. Dame Sarr hit a three and TCU coach Jamie Dixon was assessed a technical foul. By the time Sarr hit another free throw, Duke led, 64-50.

The Blue Devils continued to pull away as Cam Boozer notched a pair of buckets in the paint. With Duke leading, 68-50, Edmonds fouled out and Cam Boozer scored again. By the time Brown thew down a dunk, Duke led, 74-52, entering the final media stoppage and the Blue Devils advanced with the 81-58 victory.

A STRONG SECOND HALF: Cam Boozer only had two points at halftime, but finished the game with a double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds.

“They did a great job swarming the point, protecting the rim,” Boozer said. “So I just didn’t have a lot of looks really. Second half, we figured out some things that got me going downhill, got some high-lows. Sometimes it’s just the flow of the game. You try to get the best shot available. Sometimes it’s not you. Sometimes it’s the other guys, sometimes it’s layups at the rim. I should have found ways to be more aggressive and found a way to get shots up, but at the end of the day, if we’re getting the shots available, it doesn't matter who it is.”

THE DEVIL’S IN THE DETAILS: It seemed as if Duke was back to its old self in this game. Many players said it was due to Ngongba’s presence on the floor, and Scheyer adds that Duke found its identity.

“I thought the second half, it was there after the first minute-and-a-half, two minutes,” he said. “Even after the first half, you’re not going to blow people out. It felt like a big-time tournament game. You have a four-point lead, you wish you could have gotten it to nine or ten the way the last few minutes went. But you have the lead, and I thought when we got back to just guarding the way we can, valuing the ball on the offensive end, that’s where we got separation, and that’s been the identity all year.”

HOW SWEET IT IS: Legendary Duke broadcaster Bob Harris used to have a catchphrase, “how sweet it is.” The victory means that the Blue Devil program will participate in its 35th Sweet 16 next week.

“I thought there were incredible lessons there for me, for our staff, for our program, but most importantly, for our players over the last two games,” Scheyer said. “I thought the urgency we had tonight was there from the get-go. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be perfect. I’m just really proud of them for coming off three games in a row last week, Thursday finding a way to win. Second half again, just finding a way. And now we have to get refreshed the next two days, find out who we’re playing, and keep this thing rolling.”

UP NEXT: Duke (34-2) will travel to Washington, D.C. for the Sweet 16, where it will return to action Friday against the winner of a second-round showdown between Kansas and St. John’s. TCU’s season ends at 23-12.

Two sons of coaches bring family intensity into NCAA Tournament showdown with spot in Sweet 16 at stake

By Jake Copestick (@JakeCopestick)

PHILADELPHIA — Dan Hurley and Mick Cronin are cut from a similar cloth.

On Sunday night in South Philadelphia, the two will face off against one another, a trip to Washington D.C. and the chance to play in the East Regional semifinals on the line. Ahead of their matchup, both Cronin and Hurley reflected on their similar upbringings, and the paths that they traveled to get to where they are.

The journey to get to Sunday started at a young age for the two mainstays in today’s coaching ranks. They’re both the sons of high school coaches, who spent their high school years playing for their fathers. 

Cronin was coached by his father, Harold “Hep” Cronin, at La Salle High School in Cincinnati. Hep won over 400 games as a high school coach, then spent 30 years as a scout in the Atlanta Braves organization, when he closed the book on his coaching career. Hurley’s father, Bob Hurley, Sr., coached Dan and his brother Bobby at the now-defunct St. Anthony High School in Jersey City, where he was as decorated a high school coach as there ever was. The elder Hurley won over 1,000 games at the high school level, winning five national championships and 26 state titles during his tenure. 

That’s a lot of wins that both Cronin and Hurley got to bear witness to, and a lot of knowledge that they absorbed in their younger years. The two coaches, now at the helm of two of the most storied programs in college basketball, grew up ingrained in the competition business, so much so that they thought their everyday lives were commonplace. 

It wasn’t until Cronin got into coaching, and Hurley began his college career at Seton Hall under P.J. Carlesimo, that the two realized they were wrong. What was normal to them wasn’t that way for everybody. Spending all those hours in the gym with their fathers, things seemed to come naturally to them. They absorbed things that they didn’t realize were so important until their later years. 

“I think it’s a huge advantage growing up the way we did in the gym, which you don’t realize until you go into coaching,” Cronin recalled. “Everybody has gotta learn things that you learn through osmosis. It’s not just your dad, it’s his friends that are coaches. Everything revolves around that.”

“Everybody’s dad is not Hep Cronin or Bob Hurley, Sr. You’re a kid, you think everybody knows what to do in late game situations, or how to run a practice. You realize everybody doesn’t. Everybody doesn’t have those dads.”

In Hurley’s first practice in South Orange, while the coaching staff was laying the foundation for Carlesimo’s Pirates, Hurley realized he was essentially an extension of the coaching staff. It’s like he came to college already with the answers to his first final exam. 

“When I got to practice at Seton Hall my first year and we were installing things, we were doing defensive breakdown drills, we were doing offensive installation,” Hurley remembered. “I was completing the sentences of my college coaches. When you’re so well-coached as a high school player and the son of a hall of famer, I was finishing the sentences of my college coaches in my first college practice.”

The advanced basketball knowledge that Cronin and Hurley possess was a given when spending that much time around their fathers in the gym. The other part that came with all that time observing was the intensity and emotion that the pair exude, which is perhaps what they can be known more for in the public eye, as their old-school way of doing things can draw criticism. 

Cronin and Hurley are brash, demanding, and straightforward. They’ll get on the officials and won’t be shy about it. They push their players to their limits. They’re fiery competitors, and often animated as they lead their teams into battle. What may look like being over the top is not a facade. That’s how they grew up. That’s how they saw their fathers coach. That’s all they’ve come to know.

The intensity that they carry themselves with is a part of them. Always has been. It’s 100 percent authentic. Regardless of what anyone has to say about it, their style works, and the results speak for themselves. 

Cronin has over 500 wins at the Division I level, and made a Final Four in the 2020-2021 season. Hurley won back-to-back national championships in 2023 and 2024, and owns a .725 winning percentage in his eighth season as the head coach of the Huskies. 

The profession that Cronin and Hurley chose to enter and make a career out of is one that comes with a lot of expectations. If you have lofty goals, then the emotions are a part of it. Cronin dismisses any criticism of how he and Hurley operate. He finds it foolish.

“You think Coach Hurley is not supposed to be intense, but you want to win?” said Cronin. “We’re not coaching little league, buddy. Everybody doesn’t get an at-bat, paying us a lot of money to win games.”

“If you don’t like me, you’d hate my dad,” joked Hurley. “I bet Mick would say the same thing. We’re coaches’ kids.”

There is a bit of a downside to the emotional aspect, though. The heat of competition is all-consuming. You can get lost in it. When the fire that they have gives them tunnel vision, it’s necessary to recenter and recalibrate. Cronin recalls an encounter with his father in high school that helped him put things in perspective, always falling back on remembering what is important, no matter how hard it may be. 

“My first year, we lost in the city title game and I was distraught,” Cronin said. “My dad said, ‘I got bad news for you. It’s not going to be the last big game you lose.’ Did the kids learn? Did the kids get better? Did you enjoy it?”

“That is a fight,” Cronin stammered. “It’s a fight for all of us because you’re so competitive, that you have to step back.”

For Hurley, it can be tough to not be affected by what the scoreboard reads when the clock hits zero. When the game and his guys mean everything to him, and you’re New Jersey through and through, that emotion will come out one way or another. 

“It’s so personal for coaches like me and Mick, which is where you see at times, emotional reactions to things that happen on the court because it truly feels like, personally, it’s your world, your team,” he explained. “The outcome of the game manifests itself sometimes in how we behave. For me, growing up in North Jersey, Jersey City, I coach the way my dad would be coaching, whether you like that or not.”

If you don’t like it, then good luck finding someone with the credentials of Cronin and Hurley to replace these regulars in the Big Dance. Cronin knows another line of work would be just as foreign to him, as the NCAA Tournament would be without he and Hurley, who have a combined 24 appearances in March Madness that span across five different programs. 

“If Dan and I would have went into something else, we would have no idea what the hell we were doing,” said Cronin. “It’s tough because in the moment, the competitive spirit that you see out of Dan and myself is why we are where we are.”