By R.L. Bynum
St. Bonaventure (5–0) vs. No. 16 North Carolina (5–0)
When: 6 p.m. Tuesday
Where: Suncoast Credit Union Arena, Fort Myers, Fla.; its the home court of Florida SouthWestern State College, a junior college.
What: Fort Myers Tip-Off (Beach Division); No. 11 Michigan State (5–0) faces East Carolina (2–3) at 1 p.m. (FS2) in the other Tuesday game.
TV: FS1: Jeff Levering play-by-play, LaPhonso Elllis analyst
Radio: Tar Heel Sports Network (affiliates list; streams on the Varsity Network app);
Jones Angell play-by-play, Tyler Hansbrough analyst
Line: UNC -12
Over/under: 153½
Event details: In its eighth year, it’s not a tournament but a schedule of two games for each participant. The event features two men’s divisions: Beach (UNC, Michigan State, East Carolina and St. Bonaventure) and Palms (Bucknell, Bowling Green, VMI and Buffalo). The Beach Division plays Tuesday and Thursday, and the Palms Division plays Monday and Wednesday. There are also two women’s divisions playing Friday and Saturday: Island (Butler, Dayton, Kansas and Georgia) and Shell (Abilene Christian, Northwestern, Missouri and Bradley).
Beach Division Thursday matchups: St. Bonaventure vs. East Carolina, noon (FS1); No. 16 UNC vs. No. 11 Michigan State, 4:30 (Fox), with Adam Amin on play-by-play and Jim Jackson the analyst
Coaches: Mark Schmidt (329–238 in 19 seasons at St. Bonaventure; 411–328 in 25 seasons overall) and Hubert Davis (105–45 in five seasons, all at UNC)
UNC projected starters: Kyan Evans, Luka Bogavac, Jarin Stevenson, Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar (none played for Carolina last season)
Series: UNC leads 1–0 (see details of the game below)
St. Bonaventure results
Oct. 29: 101–40 exhibition win vs. Alfred (Division III)
Nov. 3: 69–63 win vs. Bradley in Rock Hill, S.C.
Nov. 8: 89–70 win vs. Canisius
Nov. 12: 75–66 win vs. Siena
Nov. 15: 84–80 win over Youngstown State
Nov. 20: 75–61 win over Robert Morris
Projected St. Bonaventure starters
No. 8 | G | Darryl “Buddy” Simmons II (top photo) | 5–11, 165 | junior | Gardner-Webb transfer
— 18.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists per game; 40.6 3P% (13 of 32)
— Averaging 18.6 points per game while shooting 47.8% from the floor and 40.6% from 3-point range.
— Second in the Atlantic 10 in scoring and top-10 in both field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage.
No. 00 | F | Frank Mitchell | 6–8, 270 | senior | Minnesota transfer
— 16.0 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.2 assists per game
— Leads the Atlantic 10 with three double-doubles
— Collected 19 points and a season-high 16 rebounds in Thursday’s win over Robert Morris, becoming the first Bonnies player to have at least 19 points and 16 rebounds in a game since Osun Ossuniyi (21 points, 17 rebounds) against Duquesne on Jan. 21, 2022.
No. 24 | G | Cayden Charles | 6–3, 195 | senior | North Georgia (Division II) transfer
— 14.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 steals per game; 36.4 3P% (4 of 11)
— Had 12 points and 10 rebounds in a victory over Robert Morris and has scored in double figures in all five games
No. 32 | F | Joe Grahovac | 6–10, 215 | sophomore | Fullerton College transfer
— 8.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.4 blocks per game; 53.8 3P% (7 of 13)
— Has a 7–1 wingspan
No. 7 | G | Dasonte Bowen | 6–2, 180 | redshirt junior | Iowa transfer
— 5.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists per game
— Named to the Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference Second Team
Notes
— St. Bonaventure is 12–8 in its last 20 games against power conference schools, including wins over Notre Dame (2022), Virginia (2022), Marquette (2021) and Providence (last season).
— St. Bonaventure was picked eighth out of 14 in the Atlantic 10 preseason poll.
— The Bonnies have outscored opponents 200–148 on inside points, averaging 40 per game.
— St. Bonaventure’s general manager is Adrian Wojnarowski, the former ESPN columnist and reporter.
— The Bonnies have 11 newcomers, including all five starters and three reserve transfers. There are four Europeans on the roster — Ilia Ermakov (Kirsk, Russia), John Ikpotokin (Dublin, Ireland), Achille Lonati (Pavia, Italy) and Andrew Osasuyi (Magenta, Italy) — and two Canadians: Frank Mitchell (Toronto) and Brayden Jackson (Milton, Ontario).
— St. Bonaventure has 29 blocks, the most in the first five games since the 2021-22 season, led by Joe Grahovac (12), Frank Mitchell (6) and freshman Andrew Osasuyi (6).
— UNC freshman Caleb Wilson is averaging 20.6 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.8 blocks while shooting 67.3% from the floor. His five-game totals of 103 points, 50
rebounds, 13 assists, 10 steals and nine blocks haven’t been matched by any Tar Heel in the last 50 years.
— Redshirt junior Arizona transfer center Henri Veesaar leads the team with 10 blocks,
and is second in scoring (14.8), rebounding (7.8) and field goal shooting (64.3%).
Fabulous five for Wilson
Here is how Caleb Wilson’s statistics through his first five games stack up against the greatest players in program history in their first five games:
Most points
Lennie Rosenbluth 151
Larry Miller 118
Rashad McCants (freshman) 106
Cole Anthony (freshman) 104
Robert McAdoo 103
Wilson (freshman) 103
Most rebounds
Rosenbluth 82
Billy Cunningham 77
Rusty Clark 62
Miller 54
Bobby Lewis 51
Wilson (freshman) 50
Joe Quigg 50
Best field-goal percentage
Bobby Jones 73.5%
Wilson (freshman) 67.3%
Most blocks
Sam Perkins (freshman) 10
Henri Veesaar 10
Sean May (freshman) 10
Rasheed Wallace (freshman) 10
Wilson (freshman) 9
UNC season statistics
St. Bonaventure season statistics
Statistical comparison
| Category | UNC | St. Bonaventure |
| Points per game | 88.0 | 78.4 |
| Scoring defense | 63.2 | 68.0 |
| Scoring margin | +24.8 | +10.4 |
| FG% | 47.6% | 48.5% |
| 3P FG % | 32.6% | 37.5% |
| 3P per game | 9.0 | 6.6 |
| FT% | 71.0% | 74.7% |
| FG% defense | 32.7% | 43.2% |
| 3FG% defense | 30.5% | 32.7% |
| Opponent 3P/game | 8.0 | 7.0 |
| Rebounds per game | 47.0 | 38.2 |
| Off. rebounds/game | 13.4 | 14.6 |
| Rebounding margin | +13.4 | +9.6 |
| Assists per game | 18.0 | 16.0 |
| Turnovers per game | 11.4 | 12.4 |
| Assist-to-TO ratio | 1.6 | 1.3 |
| TOs forced per game | 11.4 | 12.4 |
KenPom comparison
| Category | UNC | St. Bonaventure |
| Overall ranking | 28 | 117 |
| Offensive efficiency | 117.9 (36) | 110.8 (107) |
| Defensive efficiency | 97.5 (22) | 106.0 (141) |
| Effective FG% | 54.9 (89) | 54.0 (108) |
| Turnover % | 15.5 (96) | 18.6 (222) |
| Offensive rebound % | 37.9 (46) | 44.0 (6) |
| FTA/FGA | 47.2 (42) | 28.7 (308) |
| Strength of schedule | 325 | 319 |
Series: UNC 1, St. Bonaventure 0
Carolina won the only meeting, 91-72, in a Sweet 16 game in the 1968 NCAA tournament in a game at Raleigh’s Reynolds Coliseum. It was the No. 4 Tar Heels’ first game on their way to the championship game, where they lost 78–55 to UCLA. Hall of Famer Bob Lanier scored 23 points for the Bonnies. Larry Miller, the ACC Player of the Year and a consensus All-American that season, had 27 for the Tar Heels and Charlie Scott 21.
| Team | League | Overall | NET* |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 6 Duke | 3–0 | 14–1 | 4 |
| Clemson | 3–0 | 13–3 | 32 |
| Miami | 2–0 | 13–2 | 33 |
| No. 23 Virginia | 2–1 | 13–2 | 19 |
| Stanford | 2–1 | 13–3 | 70 |
| N.C. State | 2–1 | 11–5 | 36 |
| No. 17 North Carolina | 1–1 | 13–2 | 22 |
| No. 24 SMU | 1–1 | 12–3 | 27 |
| Notre Dame | 1–1 | 10–5 | 60 |
| Syracuse | 1–1 | 10–5 | 78 |
| California | 1–2 | 13–3 | 65 |
| Virginia Tech | 1–2 | 12–3 | 59 |
| No. 20 Louisville | 1–2 | 11–4 | 15 |
| Georgia Tech | 1–2 | 10–6 | 147 |
| Wake Forest | 1–2 | 10–6 | 68 |
| Boston College | 0–2 | 7–8 | 197 |
| Florida State | 0–2 | 7–8 | 115 |
| Pittsburgh | 0–2 | 7–8 | 108 |
* — Through Thursday games
Wednesday’s results
Stanford 69, Virginia Tech 68
Miami 81, Wake Forest 77
No. 23 Virginia 84, California 60
Clemson 74, No. 24 SMU 70
Saturday’s games
Boston College at No. 20 Louisville, noon, The CW
Georgia Tech at Miami, noon, ESPN2
N.C. State at Florida State, noon, ACC Network
No. 24 SMU at No. 6 Duke, 2 p.m., ESPN
Syracuse at Pittsburgh, 2 p.m., ACC Network
Stanford at No. 23 Virginia, The CW
California at Virginia Tech, 4 p.m., ACC Network
Wake Forest at No. 17 North Carolina, 6 p.m, ACC Network
Clemson at Notre Dame, 6 p.m., ESPN2
Tuesday’s games
No. 23 Virginia at No. 20 Louisville, 7 p.m., ESPN2
Miami at Notre Dame, 7 p.m., ESPNU
Boston College at Clemson, 7 p.m, ACC Network
Florida State at Syracuse, 9 p.m, ACC Network
Wednesday’s games
Pittsburgh at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m., ACC Network
No. 17 North Carolina at Stanford, 9 p.m., ACC Network
Virginia Tech at No. 24 SMU, 9 p.m., ESPN2 or ESPNU
No. 6 Duke at California, 11 p.m., ACC Network
| Date | Month/day | Time | Opponent/event (current ranks) | TV/ record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October | ||||
| 24 | Friday | L, 78–76 | vs. No. 9 BYU in SLC | Exhib. |
| 29 | Wednesday | W, 95–53 | vs. Winston-Salem St. | Exhib. |
| November | ||||
| 3 | Monday | W, 94–54 | vs. Central Arkansas | 1–0 |
| 7 | Friday | W, 87–74 | vs. No. 22 Kansas | 2–0 |
| 11 | Tuesday | W, 89–74 | vs. Radford | 3–0 |
| 14 | Friday | W, 97–53 | vs. N.C. Central | 4–0 |
| 18 | Tuesday | W, 73–61 | vs. Navy | 5–0 |
| Fort Myers Tip-Off | ||||
| 25 | Tuesday | W, 85–70 | vs. St. Bonaventure | 6–0 |
| 27 | Thursday | L, 74–58 | vs. No. 12 Michigan State | 6–1 |
| December | ACC/SEC Men’s Challenge | |||
| 2 | Tuesday | W, 67–64 | at Kentucky | 7–1 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 7 | Sunday | W, 81–61 | vs. Georgetown | 8–1 |
| 13 | Saturday | W, 80–62 | vs. USC Upstate | 9–1 |
| 16 | Tuesday | W, 77–58 | vs. ETSU | 10–1 |
| CBS Sports Classic in Atlanta | ||||
| 20 | Saturday | W, 71–70 | vs. Ohio State | 11–1 |
| ————————— | ||||
| 22 | Monday | W, 99–51 | vs. East Carolina | 12–1 |
| 30 | Tuesday | W, 79–66 | vs. Florida State | 13–1, 1–0 ACC |
| January | ||||
| 3 | Saturday | L, 97–83 | at No. 24 SMU | 13–2, 1–1 |
| 10 | Saturday | 6 p.m. | vs. Wake Forest | ACCN |
| 14 | Wednesday | 9 p.m. | at Stanford | ACCN |
| 17 | Saturday | 4 p.m. | at California | ACCN |
| 21 | Wednesday | 7 p.m. | vs. Notre Dame | ESPN2 |
| 24 | Saturday | 2 p.m. | at No. 23 Virginia | ESPN |
| 31 | Saturday | 2 p.m. | at Georgia Tech | ACCN |
| February | ||||
| 2 | Monday | 7 p.m. | vs. Syracuse | ESPN |
| 7 | Saturday | 6:30 | vs. No. 6 Duke | ESPN |
| 10 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | at Miami | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 14 | Saturday | 2 p.m. | vs. Pittsburgh | ESPN |
| 17 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | at N.C. State | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 21 | Saturday | 1 p.m. | at Syracuse | ABC |
| 23 | Monday | 7 p.m. | vs. No. 20 Louisville | ESPN |
| 28 | Saturday | 6:30 or 8:30 | vs. Virginia Tech | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| March | ||||
| 3 | Tuesday | 7 p.m. | vs. Clemson | ESPN or ESPN2 |
| 7 | Saturday | 6:30 | at No. 6 Duke | ESPN |
| 10–14 | Tues.-Sat. | ACC tournament | Spectrum Center, Charlotte |
Top photo via gobonnies.com; Wilson photo courtesy of UNC Athletics
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