Sports

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Men’s swim
Page 7
Twitter: @BV_Sports
The Bona Venture/December 7, 2018

Osunniyi off to quick start EXTRA POINT

Goodbye,
High school coach talks about freshman bigman
BIG MAN ON CAMPUS - Freshman center Osun Osunniyi has already become a crowd favorite amoung the
Reilly Center faithful. The 6’10’’ bigman looks to continue his early success against Buffalo on Saturday, Dec. 8. in large because of you. You assigned my first story. You
shot blocking in high school.
By Mike Hogan
“Before [Osunniyi] came here,
Sports Assignment Editor
he was an unbelievable shot blocker,”
Photo courtesy of GoBonnies.com
star commit, Justin Winston.
“It’s a great feeling to watch them ways felt you believed in me (even when I’d write an article
because 99 percent of the kids that
Bona Venture
A llen Iverson was probably the
first basketball player I recog-
nized growing up. The cornrows.
The crossovers. The baggy clothes.
Iverson defined a basketball gen-
eration, and he defined a moment
in time.
In 2016, Iverson became
inducted into the pro basketball hall
JEREMY CASTRO of fame. Alongside a star-studded
hall of fame class including the likes of
Shaquille O’Neal and Yao Ming. Iverson, however, stole the
show with a raw, passionate, 30-minute induction speech.
Iverson thanked his family. His friends. His coaches. His
teammates. His fans. He thanked everybody; he knew what
they meant to him.
My time as sports editor of the Bona Venture has
nearly concluded. I wanted to take the time, just like
Iverson did, to thank everybody who made this all possible.
This will not be some narrative masterpiece or insightful
column (as if I could produce that, anyway). I just want to
thank people. Here are just a few.
I remember approaching Kiley O’Donnell at the BV
interest meeting during my freshman year welcome days,
asking if I could get involved in the newspaper during my
first semester. If only you told me where I would end up,
helped choose me as sports assignment editor. And I al-
at one in the morning.) It is only fitting our BV tenures end

F reshman center Osun Osun-

niyi has established a dominant
presence on the defensive end for the
said Espinosa. “When we got him,
he maybe blocked one shot all of first
semester, but he took several, several
come through our program are great
kids,” said Espinosa. “You root for
at the same time.
Ryan Signorino, no matter how fantastic of a writer
them and it’s a privilege to see our kids you are. Or your ability to master InDesign. Or your
St. Bonaventure University men’s bas- charges. When he got a little more have success on and off the court. I knowing just about everything going on around campus
ketball team. Osunniyi has caught the comfortable in the second semester, obviously had Lofton as well, so I have or your vast knowledge of memes and vines. I will always
attention of many Bonnies fans and he put it all together. When guys went been trying to watch some Bonnies remember you for those back-to-back papers you made
media with his forceful shot blocking to the lane, Osun was either taking games because of Kyle and Osun. It’s me complete, by myself, as assignment editor. Jokes aside,
and raw potential. a charge or blocking their shot. I’ve great to see two freshmen doing what your talent and hard work will take you to incredible places.
While Osunniyi provides the Bon- never had a player that protected the they’re doing.” Make sure to send me a Portland Timbers jersey when
nies with relentless effort and leader- rim as well as Osun did. It’s unbeliev- Espinosa also noted that St. you’re working for them.
ship on the court. He understands the able how smart he is.” Bonaventure has a strong recruiting Dom LoVallo, the commander-in-chief of the BV.
importance of setting a good example Osunniyi described how play- relationship with Putnam Science Under Dom’s leadership, the BV experienced campus-wide
for his teammates and others off of it, ing for Espinosa at Putnam Science Academy, saying that the coaches controversy and power outage; quite the CV, I’d say. Dom
too. Academy shaped him into a better show their face often in their gym. always pushed me to be and to do better while also always
“Outside of the court I just want basketball player. “You build relationships with making me feel welcomed. Thank you, Dom, for being you.
to be doing the right thing. Not getting “Going to that prep school, he coaches,” said Espinosa. “And I say Of course, these three are not the only people to help
in trouble and taking care of my work,” [Espinosa] made it a big deal. He this all of the time, St. Bonaventure me during my time as a writer and editor at the BV. I
said Osunniyi. “On the court, even needed big men who could block is probably in our gym more than would like to also thank Emily Losito, Ethan Kibbe, Kelly
though I am a freshman, I want to help shots and take charges. He put that any other Atlantic 10 school. They Haberstroh, M.K. Killen, Leah McCluskey, Natalie Forster
my teammates out in certain situations in my mindset, so after that year get what they deserve. They worked and all the other editors who made me better.
so they are better the next time.” I have been taking charges and hard for Osun, and especially for Kyle. A special thank you to anyone who has written for the
Although his high school coach, blocking shots since.” Osun was a little different because he sports section this semester. You all did the difficult work,
Tom Espinosa at Putnam Science As Osunniyi continues to impress was previously committed to La Salle often on condensed deadlines, to produce this paper every
Academy in Putnam, Connecticut, only on defense, he looks to continue to University.” week. You deserve just as much credit as any of us.
had him for a year, he described Osun- make strides on his offensive game. While Espinosa no longer coaches And, of course, a thank you to the next sports
niyi as the type of player he wanted to The freshman has 50 total points this Osunniyi, he offered a piece of advice editor, Mike Hogan. Mike worked incredibly hard
represent the team. year, averaging 12.5 per game. for the freshman center who continues this semester, often doubling up on stories in a week
“I don’t know if you’ll find a better “I just have to keep my position- to make an impact as the Bonnies’ or finishing interviews and having to sprint to a class
kid than Osun,” said Espinosa. “I had ing,” said Osunniyi. “I am going to be non-conference slate winds down. starting five minutes later.
the pleasure of having him at school playing against bigger guys as the year “Get in that gym and continue to My parents are, objectively, the best two people in
for nine months. I’ve known him for goes on. I need to stay low and use my work on your game,” said Espinosa. the world. They, beyond anybody else, make this entire
over a year now and he’s a phenome- quickness to my advantage.” “I think that’s the big thing he needs endeavor possible. They allow me to go to school and have
nal kid that comes from a great family. Known to be a basketball factory, to do. He has all of the tools. His opportunities like being part of the school paper. You two
As a leader, he leads by example on the Putnam Science Academy has pumped wingspan, his height of 6’10”, he’s got are the greatest things I could ever ask for. Thank you for
court. He does the right things. He’s out a lot of talent over the years, it. He needs to strengthen his strengths believing in me, even when I don’t do so myself.
got a real bright future.” including NBA and former Univer- and improve his weaknesses. Stay in Thank you to all the professors who have ever read,
Osunniyi, who has blocked 24 sity of Kentucky Standout, Hamidou that gym.” critiqued or helped an article of mine. Whether they came
shots on the season and ranked in the Diallo. Espinosa also coached Bonnies from the late Friday night email critiques or a highlighting
top 15 for shots blocked per game with freshman guard Kyle Lofton, and is all first-person pronouns and passive voice in one of my
2.7 in the NCAA, developed the art of currently coaching the Bonnies four- hoganm17@bonaventure.edu columns (take a guess who that was), the feedback was
always appreciated.

Bonnies hockey clinches division Thank you to coaches Steve Brdarski, Michael Bates,
Bob MacFarlane, Larry Sudbrook, B.J. Salerno, Jesse
Fleming and Mike Threehouse. Each of you allowed me
the time, and the patience, to let me develop the stories and
By John Pullano Kaempf sees a lot the myself as a writer. Also, thank you to ex-BVer himself, Scott
Staff Writer team’s success this season Eddy, for setting up our interviews and the all-too-often
as a result of a strong mistakes from yours truly.

A s weather cools
down outside,
the action for the St.
Bonaventure men’s club
hockey team heats up.
The St. Bonaventure
men’s club hockey team
clinched its regular sea-
son division title and the
number one seed for the
upcoming playoffs with
an 8-3 victory against
Brockport University. Ju-
nior Jake Kaempf led the
team to victory with three
goals. Senior Andrew
Hayn and freshman Locke
Wischmann tacked on two are in a good position to
goals each in the decisive
victory.
freshman class, improved
attitude and the work
ethic of the upperclass-
And last, but by far the least, thank you, the readers.
Anyone one who has ever spent the time to read a story of
mine. You made me, a — still — undeclared sophomore
men. way out of his depth, feel like he mattered every Friday
“Everyone is contrib- morning. Seeing someone read the BV while sitting in the
uting from top to bottom, Hickey or walk across campus remains an indescribably
and the freshmen class thrill for me. And it is you, the readers, who make all of this
is much improved,” said worth it.
Kaempf. “We feed off the Unlike my esteemed colleague, Mr. Signorino, I am
positive attitude we all not moving to another editor position. I am not quite sure
create, keeping it light what my next move will be. But, just like so many times on
and funny.” late Wednesday nights and early Thursday morning, I’ll
The team reaches the Photo courtesy of St.Bonaventure hockey’s Twitter account figure it out.
halfway point of their reg- Whatever I end up doing and wherever I end up going,
ular season against Mer- COPPIN’ THE DUB - The St. Bonaventure I can look back at my time at the BV as some of the best I’ve
cyhurst on Friday, Dec. hockey team poses after a win on Oct. 21. The ever had. I’ll look back someday and realize what I was a
7. The team believes they Bonnies caught fire this season thanks to a part of, and then, I’m sure, I will know what it all meant to
strong freshman class. me.
make a run in the postsea- Jeremy Castro was the Sports Editor of The Bona Ven-
son, having clinched their See Hockey, Page 7 ture. His email is castroja17@bonaventure.edu

The Bottom Line

Face of the Week Game of the Week Quote of the Week
Nelson
Men’s “Outside of the court I just want
Kaputo basketball to be doing the right thing. Not
getting in trouble and taking care
Men’s Saturday, Dec. 8 of my work. On the court, even
though I am a freshman, I want to
basketball help my teammates out in certain
4 p.m. situations so they are better the
Had 21 points, 3 next time.”
rebounds and 2 steals home vs. Buffalo
in 25 minutes against - Freshman center Osun Osunniyi about
Siena his role as a basketball player on and off the