CCT's 'Five Questions' Series: Dave Moore, Asst. Coach - St. Bonaventure
Ian Nolan recently caught up with St. Bonaventure assistant coach Dave Moore to discuss Andrew Nicholson, the point guard situation at SBU and other topics related to basketball in Olean. Here's what Mark Schmidt's right-hand man had to say:
College Chalktalk: Describe your current incoming class for us. Give a brief rundown on each player, including skill sets and expected contributions.
Dave Moore: Currently we have two players signed in the class of 2010. Sam de Haas is a 6-foot-4 200lb. freshman from the Netherlands. Sam is a combo wing that can play the 2 and 3 positions. He is a very good three-point shooter with a quick release and deep range. We are excited about Sam and expect him to contribute right away on the perimeter.
Matthew Wright is a 6-3 185lb. freshman 2/1 combo guard from Toronto, Canada that can really shoot the ball. He is a good ballhandler with a good feel for the game and will be able to play some point guard as well as shooting guard. Matthew is currently in summer school at Bonas and has really impressed us with his work ethic. We expect him to make an immediate impact as well.
CCT: With Chris Matthews and Jon Hall graduating, your team will be giving up some on the wings in terms of scoring and experience. How confident are you that Michael Davenport and Ogo will be able to fill that void and what has each improved on most this offseason?
DM: Anytime you lose two very good seniors like Chris and Jon, other guys have to step up. That is the nature of college basketball. Mike and Ogo have had tremendous offseasons and we are excited about both of them. Mike has added 20lbs of muscle since his freshman year and has been one of our hardest workers. Ogo is an extremely mature player going into his senior season and we expect him to have a terrific senior year and be much more comfortable in his second year in our system. Don't forget about Demitrius Conger too, our 6-6 210lb. sophomore. Demitrius is a gym rat and showed at the end of last season that he can be a bigtime player in the A-10.
CCT: After finishing in the top half of the league last year and winning a game in the conference tournament, what is the next program goal?
DM: We feel great about the group we have coming in this season. For the first time since we've been here, we have guys going into their third year in our system. Chris and Jon were both transfers that played two seasons at Bonas. Now we have juniors like Mike, Andrew, and DaQuan that have been in our system since they were freshmen. Our goals are to continue to improve everyday, work hard, play together, and the wins will come. We never go into a season saying we should win "this" many games. We take one game at a time and prepare to win every night out.
CCT: Andrew Nicholson enters his junior year and, after his second
team all league honors, is clearly a marked man. Where does Andrew
improve this year and how much more difficult will his job be this
year given that Chris is gone and floor spacing might be
tighter? How do you expect he will adjust?
DM: Andrew was a "marked man" all last season as well. He has improved his passing and court awareness and will continue to develop all aspects of his game. He has worked very hard in the weight room and is another guy that has put on 20-25lbs of muscle since his freshman year. When teams decide to double team Andrew, that puts pressure on their defense. We work versus the double team everyday in practice and have guys on the perimeter that can shoot it and drive it.
CCT: A lot transpired this offseason in terms of roster changes, including the loss of point guard Malcolm Eleby. How will Ogo's role change now that Malcolm is gone and do you anticipate that Ogo will be ready to run the offense as a starter come November?
DM: Over the last 11 games of the season, Ogo had 35 assists and 10 T.O.'s in 22 minutes per game and knocked down a lot of big shots for us. We are thrilled with Ogo's development throughout last season and even more excited about how he has gone about his business in the offseason. Ogo is a senior, a leader, and the hardest worker on the team. We expect Ogo to have a great senior year for the Bonnies.
***Bonus Question*** Since yourself, coach Massey, and coach Schmidt arrived on campus you have improved not only the win loss record but the talent pool. What has been the secret to building the Bonnies and what is more difficult: making the leap from the seven win team you inherited to now, or improving from a 16 win to a 20 win team?
DM: When Coach got the job, the goal all along has been to bring St. Bonaventure Basketball back. That means being a top team in the A-10 and going to postseason play. That is what we continue to work towards everyday. Its no secret that players win games. Our job is to instill a daily work ethic in our players and help them achieve to the maximum of their abilities. The Atlantic 10 is filled with great players and great coaches. It's a battle every night in our league and the team that plays the hardest, smartest, and best together will win. We work everyday to be that team. Our mindset is to come to work everyday with a passion to improve and the wins will come.
Special to thanks to St. Bonaventure Sports Information for photos used in connection with this piece.
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