Cornell vs St. Bonaventure prediction: Cornell's three-point barrage tests a rebuilt St. Bonaventure under MacDonald
Both rosters were gutted over the summer, so the opener turns on whether Cornell's system can outlast its departed scorers against Bona's new size.
- Cornell tries to push the pace and fire threes while a reshaped Bona roster under a first-year coach leans on size and rim protection.
- Cornell's perimeter shooting against Bona's shot-blocking: Joe Grahovac and Ryan Kalambay anchor a frontcourt that should be taller than Cornell's.
- No spread or total is posted in our feed yet; last season's adjusted net ranks, 151st and 133rd, framed these as near-equals.
Two programs starting over
St. Bonaventure returns just 14.0% of last season's minutes and 9.9% of its points. Its biggest departures include Darryl Simmons II (16.4 points per game, now at Villanova) and Frank Mitchell, who averaged a double-double. Mark Schmidt's 19-season run ended after 2025-26, and Mike MacDonald takes over with a 522-312 record across 29 seasons.
Cornell kept more of its core, returning 42.8% of its minutes, but lost several key guards. Cooper Noard (18.2 points, now at Samford) and Jake Fiegen (17.1, now at Villanova) carried a usage load the returners never approached. That makes last season's team numbers a shaky guide for both sides, and the real question is who fills those shots.
Cornell's shooting identity
Under Jon Jaques, now in his third season, Cornell played one way: spread the floor and let it fly. Last season the Big Red took 52.6% of their shots from three, 5th-most in the country, and posted an effective field goal percentage (threes counted 1.5 times) of 59.9%, also 5th. Ball movement drove it, with an assist rate that ranked 2nd.
The returning shooters are a small-sample mystery. Anthony Nimani hit 52% from deep but on only 25 attempts, and Jacob Beccles, projected as an All-Ivy guard, shot 32.8%. Cornell added transfers JJ Sanchez and Luke Kennevan as shooting help, with freshman Mikehi Williams tabbed as a first-year contributor.
St. Bonaventure's last-season defense offers a hint of how this goes. It blocked 13.6% of opponent two-point tries, 19th nationally, but allowed opponents to hit 35.9% from three, 319th. Rim protection does little against a team that rarely goes to the rim.
Size and the glass
If Bona has an edge, it is length. Its roster measures 79.9 inches in minutes-weighted average height against Cornell's 76.6. Grahovac blocked 1.6 shots per game last season, and Detroit Mercy transfer Ryan Kalambay added 1.4. The A-10 preview also lists newcomer center Benjamin Bill.
Last season the Bonnies grabbed 34.8% of their own misses, 62nd nationally. Last season Cornell's defense was its weak spot, ranking 324th in efficiency, and opponents shot 37.2% from three against it, 357th. A bigger team that can extend possessions on the offensive glass has room to work.
Whose tempo wins
Cornell played at 71.7 possessions per 40 minutes last season, 24th-fastest, and scored 88.5 points per game. St. Bonaventure sat at 66.8, 223rd, with a three-point attempt rate that ranked 339th. Cornell, which is shorter on average, has to defend for longer.
Health and the home floor
Two Bona frontcourt pieces carried injury questions as of Oct. 24. Grahovac sat out the exhibition against Point Park with hamstring soreness, and Mason Blackwood had a preseason foot injury with imaging results still pending. No newer update has surfaced, so both statuses are unsettled. Junior Ari Fulton started that exhibition in Blackwood's place, and freshman Cameron Blankenberg saw extra bench minutes.
MacDonald has made restoring the Reilly Center atmosphere a priority. Cornell, picked 5th in the Ivy preseason preview, is chasing its first league title since 2009-10.
Key players
- Jacob Beccles (Cornell): Started 27 games last season and averaged 3.1 assists, the top returning playmaker in a pass-heavy offense.
- Anthony Nimani (Cornell): Shot 52% from three last season with an offensive rating of 127.9, though on limited attempts.
- Kaspar Sepp (Cornell): Labeled the X-factor after pulling 5.5 rebounds per game last season.
- Joe Grahovac (St. Bonaventure): The leading returner blocked 1.6 shots per game last season but was dealing with hamstring soreness as of Oct. 24.
- Ari Fulton (St. Bonaventure): Averaged 10.9 points and 6.2 rebounds at NJIT last season and started Bona's exhibition.
- Ryan Kalambay (St. Bonaventure): Shot 57.5% from the field at Detroit Mercy last season while adding interior shot-blocking.
Numbers that matter
| Cornell 3PA rate (last season) | 52.6% | Fifth-most in Division I, the core of Jaques's offense. |
|---|---|---|
| Bona block rate (last season) | 13.6% | Ranked 19th nationally, the strength a rebuilt frontcourt hopes to keep. |
| Bona returning minutes | 14.0% | Almost nothing carries over from last season's 17-17 team. |
| Cornell opp. 3P% (last season) | 37.2% | Ranked 357th, a weakness a bigger opponent can attack. |
Cornell vs St. Bonaventure: quick answers
When is Cornell vs St. Bonaventure?
Wednesday, November 11, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET.