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SPORTS COLUMN: Bowker's Injury A Blow to the Bonnies
NEWS: Bonaventure and community walks together during the March of Dimes
NEWS: Burmese photographer showcases images of home country
NEWS: SGA meeting recap, October 16, 2012
Rewind to March 11, 2012 and St. Bonaventure University fans and alumni immediately picture the previously unimaginable — the Bonnies jumping up and down in jubilation after earning the program’s first Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship.
The victory sent Bona into the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament for the first time since 2000, a 12-year gap made even worse by a devastating scandal, and brought added attention to the smallest university in the country to send both its men’s and women’s basketball teams to the tournament.
However, instead of capitalizing on its recent success and the added attention of having a No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, Bona coach Mark Schmidt and his staff oversaw a Fall recruiting period that came and went with no National Letter of Intents entering their hands. In fact, St. Bonaventure was the only Atlantic 10 member to not have a recruit signed during the Fall period.
Now turn to the present and Bona fans can sing a different tune as Schmidt wrapped up the Spring signing period by inking five players, three freshmen and two Junior College transfers. Xavier Smith, Chris Dees, Denzel Gregg, Andell Cumberbatch and Jalen Adams all add up to the most talented class, on paper, Schmidt and his staff have compiled in his six plus years at the helm.
Assistant head coach Steve Curran said it comes down to using all the resources available to them in order to decipher which players can help the program win.
And one of the key contacts during this recent signing period was former Bona player, Tyler Relph who runs a basketball camp in Dallas, TX. Relph played two years at St. Bonaventure, experiencing his best season in Schmidt’s first year as coach, scoring 11.9 points per game.
It was Relph who spoke to Smith, a 6-foot-7 forward with four years of eligibility, about St. Bonaventure and discussed with him the possibility of getting into contact with the coaching staff.
“He told me about his experience at St. Bonaventure and that he didn’t regret a single second of it,” Smith said. “He also talked about the basketball program and the support it received. What he said influenced me a lot on my decision.”
And the decision-making process for Smith became hectic in the latter stages as the East Plano, TX native received offers from schools in the Big 12, but an official visit to campus sealed the deal.
“When I first arrived on campus, the coaches said they would love to have me at St. Bonaventure,” Smith said. “I immediately felt comfortable and welcomed at the school.”
However, while Bona immediately makes a list of players they are interested in because of their talent ability, positional needs always take first priority. With Bona graduating four players — a point guard, small forward, power forward and shooting guard — the staff aimed to get athletic.
Not only did they look for guys who can make an immediate impact, but dug deeper to find players who fit the program and can develop into an even greater force over four years.
“You’re definitely looking at need and the fit into the program,” Curran explained. “We’re looking for a kid who is going to fit into what we are trying to do. We run a lot of specific sets so we need someone with a high basketball IQ.”
With numerous set plays and a lot of four-out offensive sets, Bona needs players who can not only play in the paint, but go off-the-bounce with an outside touch. Curran recognized that Gregg could be that type of player and kept an eye on his possible de-commitment from Fordham based on a tip.
Once Gregg decommitted, Schmidt put on his own version of the full-court press, showing Gregg how vital a piece he could be to the program. It was the coaching staff’s commitment which made it an easy choice for Gregg.
“I already had a great relationship with Coach Curran and Coach Schmidt before my visit,” Gregg said. “Going to campus was really the last step for me in the process. I loved the program, heard good things about it, and I loved the school a lot.”
It’s a refreshing change of pace for a coaching staff that has dealt with criticisms, some warranted, for the inability to seal the deal with recruits during their tenure. That’s not to mention the famed de-commitments that shook the program and hurt the product on the court.
But the tide is quickly turning. Recruits are now discussing the staff’s accomplishments in developing players, their style of play and the level of interest shown to each one of them.
How else to explain Schmidt and his staff nabbing the 6-foot-7 Gregg and Smith, who averaged 12 points, six rebounds and 6.9 points and 7.6 rebounds respectively, and received numerous other offers?
How else to explain that after losing 59 percent of their scoring output from last season, Schmidt landed JUCO guard Cumberbatch to help stretch defenses with his 38 percent 3-point shooting and 50 percent shooting overall?
“Player development with this coaching staff has been really good,” Gregg said. “Look at Nicholson. He didn’t have a lot of D-I offers and they turned him into an NBA star. So I just feel that their development as a whole is great.”
And while no one is announcing there to be another NBA star among the ranks of incoming players, the coaching staff’s track record is unquestioned.
After numerous seasons of not filling positional needs, nor signing players during the regular signing period, Schmidt and his staff came up aces during Finals week. The signings of five talented and athletic players, each of which have the ability to make an immediate impact, displays hope for the near future.
“I want Bonnie fans to know that I won’t let y’all down,” Smith said.
“I want to win and become a better player by working as hard as I can,” Gregg added.
With talented and committed players in the fold, St. Bonaventure’s future no longer looks as dark and dreary as the Olean, N.Y. Winter, but bright enough to shine a light directly on the A-10 Championship banner as the staff attempts to build a team capable of duplicating the feat.
Groundbreaking for the Quick Arts Center took place in March 1992. The new arts center was built to serve the visual and performing arts, and to serve both the community and St. Bonaventure University.
The building was made possible by a $2 million commitment from Regina and Leslie C. Quick Jr., the parents of Bonaventure 1975 graduate Leslie Quick III.
It was on this day that the Quick’s commitment to the new building was announced at a gala reception attended by Bonaventure students, faculty, staff and Olean community members.
“My parents' gift is an acknowledgement of their belief that this Franciscan institution is strengthening its students educationally and as people who will go out and make the world a better place through whatever career they choose,” said Leslie Quick III, a member of the university’s board of trustees and vice chair of St. Bonaventure’s Capital Campaign. “It also is an acknowledgement of the affection, caring, and dedication I have for St. Bonaventure University; it makes me feel great."
Rev. Anthony M.Carrozzo, O.F.M., has been a Franciscan friar for 49 years; 43 of which have been spent as a priest. He has served at Holy Name Province, St. Francis Retreat Center in Rye Beach, N.H., Provincial of Holy Name Province and St. Bonaventure University.
Additionally, he served as a Bonaventure trustee from 1987 until 1996.
But it was on this day that Fr. Anthony was named dean of the school of Franciscan studies at Bonaventure, a post he held until he left Bonaventure to become a spiritual director of St. Francis of Assisi Church in New York City in 2004.
Fr. Anthony also received an honorary doctorate from Bonaventure.
While this year and last year may have tarnished the tradition of spring concerts at St. Bonaventure University, the 2010 concert was one of the most successful.
Campus Activities Board, the Student Government Association and the Damietta Center presented the concert.
It was on this day that Fr. Pamfilo da Magliano, O.S.F., marked the beginning of a new Congregation of Franciscan Sisters in the United States by giving to Mary Jane Todd the habit of the Third Order of St. Francis and the name Sister Mary Joseph.
The reception was also the first congregation in the ten-year-old Buffalo Diocese.
So exactly 100 years after the foundation of the Sisters of St. Franciscan of Allegany, the new Motherhouse was built as the new convent.
Sudbrook Continues To Lead Bonnies' Baseball In Right Direction
[Image courtesy of gobonnies.com]
By Ryan Lazo, Editor in Chief, @RMLazo13
St. Bonaventure University pitcher Billy Urban stood tall on the mound with runners on first and third with one out. His team had just taken the lead in the top half of the ninth inning, putting head coach Larry Sudbrook just two outs away from a career milestone.
Urban, the team’s starting third baseman with all of 39 appearances on the mound under his belt, struck out the first Saint Joseph’s University batter on a high fastball and recorded a fielder’s choice to close out the game, sending the Bonnies to their third win in four games and handing Sudbrook his 600th career win.
It’s a feat that is even more special when realizing Sudbrook, in his 28th season at the helm of St. Bonaventure, has done it with a shoe-string budget and a no-nonsense approach.
But while 600 wins is a mark that no other St. Bonaventure head coach has come close within earshot of, Sudbrook has not yet taken the time to appreciate what he has accomplished.
The Bonnies are currently sitting in 12th place in the Atlantic 10 Conference standings with a 13-20 overall record, surely a far cry from the circumstances surrounding the program when Sudbrook nabbed his 500th career win.
St. Bonaventure was in the midst of making the A-10 postseason Tournament six out of nine years with one conference title and a second-place finish in the mix.
“The last four or five years, we’ve been mediocre,” Sudbrook said. “That takes away a little bit of the overall enjoyment of winning the 600.”
The honesty in which Sudbrook discussed the state of the baseball program does not surprise his team’s starting third baseman since his freshman season. In fact, Urban who has compiled 220 hits in his career — good enough for a career average of .333, said it would not have happened without his coach.
“I could tell you countless stories about him being brutally honest and it may not always be what you want to hear, but it's what you need to hear,” Urban said of Sudbrook. “You always know exactly where you stand and that honesty goes a long way. He also relates to all of his players really well.”
Relating to players is something that has set Sudbrook apart and has helped him complete 12 winning seasons at St. Bonaventure, including being named the 2004 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year Award.
Baseball is a sport that is littered with failure no matter how one tries to decipher the small army of numbers available in the stats. The greatest players are considered hitters who compile a batting average of .300, meaning they actually are failing at their job 70 percent of the time.
But starting first baseman Austin Ingraham says Sudbrook understands that some situations call for a humorous environment.
“Baseball is a long season of ups and downs, and coach having the sense of humor that he does helps us all get through it with our sanity,” Ingraham said. “Guys may take it the wrong way sometimes if they're having a bad day, but you'll never be successful in this game if you can't learn to laugh at yourself. Coach definitely encourages that. And for others to laugh at you as well.”
And it’s the old-school approach to the game, always focusing on the task at hand and helping keep the mood light that has led to Sudbrook developing 30 Atlantic 10 All-Conference Selections, 10 Major League Baseball draft picks and 14 Professional Players.
He’s accomplished all this at a school where his program is not fully funded and deals with constant game cancellations due to weather even with McGraw-Jennings Field being completely turf.
“How many programs do you see going through a new coach every four years? That's a real testament to what coach is and what he's been for this program and school,” Urban said. “It's an incredible feat to be coaching for that long.”
“For him to be able to stick with this program and bring it to the top tier of A-10 baseball for as long as he has says a lot about his attitude and work ethic,” Ingraham added.
Right.
Because even with the miniscule budget and a coaching staff not even half the size of the institutions St. Bonaventure faces, Sudbrook keeps the Bonnies afloat in the A-10 using smoke and mirrors.
“Sr. Margaret always likes to talk about the David versus Goliath aspect, so there is that satisfaction when you get wins against schools that have twice the scholarships that we do, bigger coaching staffs and facilities,” Sudbrook said. “But when you’re David, you don’t take a whole lot of time to enjoy beating Goliath because he’s going to get back up.”
While Goliath does get back up, St. Bonaventure’s baseball team continues to fight back, knocking down Goliath with more and more frequency as the man at the helm continues to put his team in the best position to succeed — a total of 605 times and counting.
In 1627 Fr. Joseph de la Roche D’Aillon, a missionary, became the first Franciscan from Europe to discover oil in North America. The location was in present-day Cuba, N.Y., a short 20 miles from St. Bonaventure University.
Fr. Irenaeux also founded the first Petroleum Sunday on this day. It was held on the fourth Sunday in April, the same time that de la Roche set sail from France to the New World in 1625. The holiday helped bring together the Bonaventure community, the Seneca Indians and local businessmen.
School of Business Leaving Murphy Opens Vacant Offices
By Joe Pinter, News Editor, @JPinter93
ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. (April 18) – Carole McNall watches the new business building slowly come together.
Workers lay brick atop the façade. The green insulation steadily disappears behind it. But a journalism and mass communication professor at St. Bonaventure University has one question: What will happen to her building when the new business building is completed?
“I am curious as to what decision will be made about the vacant space in Murphy Professional Building once the business school moves out,” she said.
The school of journalism and mass communication and the school of business both share Murphy. But a building to be used solely by the business school will be finished by July.
And even though the business school, which occupies roughly two-thirds of Murphy, moves into the new Swan Business Center in three months, a decision has not been made about what to do with the vacant space in Murphy, said Pauline Hoffmann, dean of the journalism and mass communication school.
Hoffmann said that the journalism and mass communication school may get the majority of the vacant space.
“I know that we are going to get probably the bulk of the building, but it’s still unclear,” said Hoffmann. “I think the administration is still talking about whether or not another department might join us.”
The decision will ultimately be made collectively, Hoffmann said, but that decision may take up to two years, since planning for the vacant space only started recently.
McNall said now would be a good time to begin the conversation about relocating departments.
Many English, classics, philosophy, theology, sociology and political science professors have crammed spaces in the 50 offices in the basement of Plassmann Hall. But the conversation about moving to another building hasn’t even come up yet, said Lauren Matz, an English professor.
Phil Winger, associate vice president for facilities, said the university still has not decided what to do with the two dozen soon-to-be-vacant offices in Murphy.
“There isn’t going to be a whole lot of change for the fall semester,” he said. “People don’t want to be moving their offices during school. Then there is the planning process which runs through the summer. It will lead to some changes over Christmas break.”
Because of these circumstances, Winger said the university decided to take its time to come to a decision about the changes.
“We’re going to get Cannon Design, our architects, to come up with a master plan,” said Winger. “Cannon Design is going to help us look at proposals for the use of that space. That’s going to happen over the summer.”
Hoffmann said she would be meeting with Michael Fischer, provost and vice president for academic affairs, and Brenda McGee, chief financial officer, about ideas for the building. Afterwards, she said they would meet with the architects and faculty to make sure everyone has a say in the process.
Hoffmann said one of her plans would be to use most of the building to expand the school’s curriculum.
“My hope is to expand the broadcast/film aspects altogether,” she said. “In the next couple years I would love if that’s its own major. But right now I’m not quite sure what that is either or how that’s going to look. That’s certainly something we would have in the plans.”
Also, a way to further incorporate current technology such as the television truck next to the Reilly Center would be part of the new curriculum, Hoffmann said.
Joe Phelan, a sophomore journalism and mass communication major, said he wants a building more accommodating to the students.
“I wish Murphy would be used only for journalism and mass communication,” he said. “It would be nice if the old business rooms could be made into a film lab or a larger broadcast lab.”
In the meantime, Hoffmann said the journalism and mass communication school plans to overhaul the journalism curriculum by the fall.
But Winger said for right now, the offices from the basement of Plassmann that may get the chance to move into Murphy might not wish to.
“The offices in Murphy are all in a common hallway and they aren’t all grouped together like how the Plassmann basement is mostly set up,” said Winger. “And I’m not sure necessarily that everyone would like the change.”
Matz said she hadn’t put much thought into possibly moving her office, but that she enjoys the current location of it.
McNall said she likes the idea of Murphy being used only by the journalism and mass communication school, but she said that may be unrealistic. The office of communications, currently located in Francis Hall, might be a good fit for the vacant space, she said.
At least her office hadn’t been leaking lately, McNall said. The ceiling occasionally leaks – another reason she would like to know what her building will or will not look like by next spring.
Sixth Man of the Year: J.R. Smith, SG New York Knicks
Stat line: 18 points per game, five rebounds per game, three assists per game
Smith averaged a career high in minutes, points and rebounds per game. He also stepped in as a replacement for Carmelo Anthony making a few game winning shots versus the Phoenix Suns and Charlotte Bobcats. He also recorded a career high eight double-doubles this season. More shots, more points, bigger impact.
Most Improved Player of the Year: James Harden, SG, Houston Rockets
Stat line: 26 points per game, six assists per game, five rebounds per game
After a disappointing NBA Finals performance as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Harden was traded to Houston before the season. He recorded 37 points, 12 assists, six rebounds and four steals in his first game as a Rocket. He finished fifth in the league in scoring and led the Rockets to their first playoff berth since the 2007-08 season. Harden is the second best shooting guard in the playoffs.
Rookie of the Year: Damian Lillard, PG, Portland Trailblazers
Stat line: 19 points per game, seven assists per game, three rebounds per game
Lillard broke Damon Stoudamire's team record in three pointers made. He is the second player in Trailblazer history to finish a season with 1500 points and 500 assists; he is the third rookie to accomplish this in NBA history and the first since Allen Iverson in the 1996-97 season.
Defensive Player of the Year: Joakim Noah, C, Chicago Bulls
Stat line: 12 points per game, 11 rebounds per game, two blocks per game, one steal a game
In Derrick Rose's absence he has become the ultimate difference maker for the Bulls. His presence in the post has been enough to help rank the Bulls third in points allowed per game this season and eighth in rebounds per game. He is the ultimate hustle player and deserves to be recognized for leading the Rose-less Bulls to the fifth seed in the playoffs.
Most Valuable Player of the Year: LeBron James, SF, Miami Heat
Stat line: 27 points per game, eight rebounds per game, seven assists per game
The only thing James had not done since joining the Heat during the regular season was to make a game winning shot. This season he made two. He shot 57 percent from the field and 41 percent from the three-point line, which both are career-highs. Six straight games with 30 points while shooting 60 percent from the field, a 27 game-winning streak and in 76 games failed to score at least 20 points just four times. Miami also has home court throughout the postseason.
Coach of the Year: Erik Spoelstra, Miami Heat
Stat line: 66-16
The Heat are ranked fifth in scoring, fifth in points allowed and seventh in assists in the NBA. Miami has set a team record for wins, clinched home court throughout the postseason and have the second longest winning streak in NBA history. Miami is 8-0 without Chris Bosh in the line-up, 10-2 without Dwyane Wade in the line-up and 5-1 without LeBron James in the line-up.
All-NBA First Team:
Russell Westbrook, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard
All-NBA Second Team:
Chris Paul, Tony Parker, Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, Brook Lopez
All-NBA Third Team:
Stephen Curry, James Harden, Andre Iguodala, David Lee, Chris Bosh
All-Defensive First Team:
Chris Paul, Paul George, LeBron James, Serge Ibaka, Tim Duncan
All-Defensive Second Team:
Mike Conley Jr., Dwayne Wade, Andre Iguodala, Larry Sanders, Dwight Howard
All-Rookie First Team:
Damian Lillard, Bradley Beal, Dion Waiters, Anthony Davis, Andre Drummond
All-Rookie Second Team:
Pablo Prigioni, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller, Jonas Valanciunas
World War II set off many changes in the United States. Most notably, women and African-Americans were able to take over jobs once held by men, and colleges began to admit them because of low enrollment.
It was on this day that six women received degrees, becoming the first co-eds to ever participate in commencement at Bonaventure.
Though the move to enroll women was deemed only temporary at first, the school decided to continue it. It dramatically changed the makeup of Bonaventure.
O.F.M. is very commonly seen at St. Bonaventure University; most notably after the names of friars. However, not many people know the meaning behind those three letters.
O.F.M. literally stands for “Ordo Fratrum Minorum,” which in English means “Order of Friars Minor.” This is the most common group of Franciscans who try to live their lives in the manner that St. Francis of Assisi did.
It was on this day that Bonaventure decided to incorporate the Order of Friars Minor into the school.
The name Bishop Timon may sound familiar for Western New Yorkers, especially those in Buffalo. But one of Timon’s greatest achievements often goes unnoticed.
He helped church leaders organize the Catholic diocese in Texas until he was appointed bishop of the new Diocese of Buffalo in 1847. He grew the diocese slowly but realized he needed more priests. This started the chain of events that led to the creation of St. Bonaventure University.
His friend, Nicholas Devereux, a Utica, N.Y. businessman, helped him achieve this by donating land in Allegany, N.Y. to be used for the establishment of a Franciscan university.
The National Federation for Just Communities (NFJC) of Western New York honored three organizations and 38 individuals for their service to others in the Buffalo area during its Community Leaders Awards at the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center on this day.
Opened in 2006, the Damietta Center celebrates the diversity of the university’s students and faculty and provides cultural, intellectual and spiritual enrichment.
Since then, Sr. Margaret has been honored by many organizations, and has been named one of the most influential people in Western New York.
For a liberal arts school, St. Bonaventure University has historically had a rather small theater department. At one time the only theater on campus had been the Garret Theater located in Devereux Hall.
Bonaventure then slowly began to build up its theater department. And after over ten years, a bachelor of arts in theater was added to the curriculum on this day.
The new degree offers a balance of theater text, production history, performance technique and technical theatrical application in 15 courses.
“Practical studies in acting, voice and movement, period styles, directing and technical theater and design provide students with a true ‘hands-on’ understanding of how theater is created and presented,” said Dr. Ed. Simone, chair of the department of visual and performing arts and director of the theater program.
“The establishment of the bachelor’s degree in theater is the realization of a dream of offering a degree to complement our century-long theater production history and the strong presence of the arts in our liberal arts curriculum,” said Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., S.T.D., university president.
ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. (April 8) – After a nearly three-year process, Rob DeFazio announced on Monday that the St. Bonaventure University Spring Weekend Tournament has been changed from softball to kickball.
DeFazio, director of the Center for Activities, Recreation and Leadership (CARL), said many factors went into the decision, but none more important than student safety.
“We have had some pretty bad injuries (during the tournament) before, and we are just trying to provide a safe and fun environment for everyone,” said DeFazio. “We think kickball will provide that.”
Registration forms will be made available Tuesday and registration will be on Wednesday, April 17 at 8 p.m. in Murphy Professional Building, said DeFazio. In addition to the sport change, the tournament will only take place on Friday, April 26 and Saturday, April 27.
Thursday games have been tough to get in the last few years because of the inconsistent spring weather, said DeFazio. Since kickball games generally run shorter than softball, the limit of teams will be moved up to 80.
Also, the games will be six innings long instead of five. All other previous rules still apply to teams:
*Each roster can have no more than 20 players
*Each roster must have at least four members of the opposite sex
*Each player must play the field for at least two innings.
DeFazio said besides player safety, the university looked for ways to make the tournament more inclusive and fairer for everyone.
In previous years, he said, teams would consist of students who had many years of baseball or softball experience and that those teams would use expensive bats and gloves, giving themselves an unfair advantage.
Those issues should be addressed with the switch to kickball, he said. DeFazio said he spoke with many students, faculty, coaches and athletic trainers about playing kickball instead of softball and he said the feedback was that softball would be a better choice.
Even last year’s tournament champions agreed that kickball would be a better choice. The team said they would play basically anything. The university will continue to evaluate the tournament to see if it can be improved in the future.
DeFazio said a snap decision will not be made. One of the positives of playing kickball is that bad weather (except thunder and lightning) will not stop the games – unlike softball.
Besides the tournament, Spring Weekend will stay mostly the same as last year, with the exception of more inflatables and even a zip line. Lastly, DeFazio said anyone who has a suggestion for the future can contact the student-run Campus Activities Board (CAB).
After guiding the St. Bonaventure University Bonnies women’s basketball team to the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth and being named the ESPN and Atlantic 10 coach of year, Jim Crowley received a long-term contract extension from athletic director Steve Watson on this day.
Crowley had previously signed an extension in June 2011 through the 2016-17 season.
A Binghamton-area native, Crowley helped the Bonnies to the Sweet 16 with a 31-4 record; even though Bonaventure had been predicted to finish sixth in the conference.
“I’m honored the university has made this commitment to our program, staff and to me,” Crowley said. “We are all very excited about the future of our program, and this certainly adds to our enthusiasm. The campus and local communities are very special places and I’m thankful that I will be able to continue coaching here.”
The Bonnies also won the A-10 regular-season title with a perfect 14-0 mark. It became the second-smallest school to reach the Sweet Sixteen (Cheyney State, 1980s), and among active Division I members it is the smallest ever to reach that round. Over the last four years, Crowley has led SBU to a 98-37 record, including four postseason trips.
Crowley and his staff had a tough rebuilding year in 2012-13 after losing four seniors. But it appears the foundation has been laid for future success.
The Canticle Farm in Allegany, N.Y. was started on this day by community members and Franciscan Sisters.
The mission of the non-profit organization is to protect and honor the sacredness of God’s creation. It is committed to connect all peoples, to practice Earth-friendly habits and to realize a Creation-centered spirituality. The ministry is still sponsored by the Sisters and is supported by the community.
The farm is able to provide naturally grown produce and sell at a reasonable price. It is very popular in the Olean area.
