A-10 Roundup Season 2, Volume 2: The Bonnies, and Everyone Else

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Week 2 in the Mighty Atlantic 10 Conference did not disappoint! Here are the biggest headlines from the most exciting conference in basketball, my Team of the Week, and Weekly Rankings.

Bonnies Dominate the Charleston Classic

After taking down Marquette 70-54 in the Charleston Classic Final, St. Bonaventure has proven that they're a step above the rest of the Atlantic 10. Defensively, the Bonnies may be one of the best teams in the nation, scoring 28 points off of 17 forced turnovers against the Golden Eagles. Osun Osunniyi was the centerpiece of this defense, racking up four blocks and a steal in the final. Through five games so far, Osunniyi has averaged 3.8 blocks per game. Offensive ran through Jaren Holmes in this tournament, who averaged 17.3 points per game in the Classic, while Kyle Lofton was named player of the tournament. Aside from the dominance on the court, Bonnies fans packed the TD Arena, and could be heard outcheering every opponent of the tournament. Something special is brewing in Olean, and for any fans who haven't been paying attention to the Bonnies, now is the time.

George Mason Takes Down Maryland

I don't know about you, but I think it's time to take Kim English's Mason squad seriously. The Terps have had some close calls against unranked teams so far this season, but it was the Patriots that finally got them to crack. Everything was clicking on Mason's offense, as their cohesion propelled them to several major runs that the Terps just couldn't compete with. D'Shawn Schwartz was no doubt the biggest asset for Mason against UMD, dropping 24 points while shooting 40% from the field. Kim English will look to continue Mason's hot streak, which suffered a momentary lapse Friday against JMU, tonight against Washington in the 2021 Crossover Classic.

Team of the Week

Forwards:

Osun Osunniyi (BONA): Osunniyi was the biggest presence for the Bonnies at the Charleston Classic, and could make a case for one of the best defensive players in the country at this point.

Luka Brajkovic (DAV): Brajkovic put on some solid scoring performances in a loss to New Mexico (19 pts) and a win over Penn (14 Pts) this week.

Guards:

Noah Fernandes (UMASS): Fernandes had himself quite the night against UNC Greensboro, with 25 points in an overtime win.

Jaren Holmes (BONA): Holmes was a scoring machine for the Bonnies at the Charleston Classic, while also racking up 2 steals and 2 blocks over three games.

D'Shawn Schwartz (GMU): Schwartz was no doubt the main presence in the Patriots' win over Maryland, dropping 24 points.

Rankings

This Week's Rankings:

1. Bonnies (14 Pts.)

2. Mason (13 Pts.)

3. Rhody (12 Pts.)

4. SLU (11 Pts.)

5. Davidson (10 Pts.)

6. UMass (9 Pts.)

7. Richmond (8 Pts.)

8. Fordham (7 Pts.)

9. La Salle (6 Pts.)

10. St. Joe's (5 Pts.)

11. VCU (4 Pts.)

12. Duquesne (3 Pts.)

13. Dayton (2 Pts.)

14. George Washington (1 Pt.)

Season Rankings:

1. Bonnies (28 Pts.)

2. SLU (24 Pts.)

3. Rhody (24 Pts.)

4. Mason (24 Pts.)

5. Richmond (18 Pts.)

6. Davidson (17 Pts.)

7. St. Joe's (14 Pts.)

8. UMass (13 Pts.)

9. Fordham (12 Pts.)

10. Dayton (10 Pts.)

11. VCU (10 Pts.)

12. La Salle (7 Pts.)

13. Duquesne (6 Pts.)

14. George Washington (3 Pts.)

See you next week!