Who? The Bonnies of St. Bonaventure.
What? The team name is derived from St. Bonaventure- but the university is Franciscan, and searching their site reveals the Bona Wolf, named for a creature that St. Francis tamed.
Where? Allegany, New York, juuuuuuuust north of the state border with Pennsylvania.
When? March 18th, in Tallahassee, Florida.
How? They were an at-large selection.
Partner: Florida Gulf Coast, of the Atlantic Sun Conference.
Surprise? Unsurprised St. John's fan is exceedingly unsurprised. Being thrown against another "upstart" mid-major is kind of a downer, though.RPI: 16
SOS: 94
Record: 29-3 (14-0 A-10)
Good wins: At St. John's, at West Virginia
Bad losses: Villanova at Monmouth's tournament (it's sorta like little sister challenging big sister).
Who's running this show? Jim Crowley, since 2000; how many guys can say they became head coach of their team when they finished playing?
Extra, Extra! The Olean Times Herald.
St. Bonaventure runs a very methodical offense, finding ways to get the ball to their two primary scorers, seniors Jessica Jenkins and Megan Van Tatenhove. Jenkins is a dangerous outside shooter, hitting 39.8% of her three-pointers, while Van Tatenhove gets to the basket and hits the boards. They're also a suffocating defensive team, not afraid to body up on opponents. Having seen them play at St. John's, I think they think they have something to prove after that A-10 final.