Was somewhat leaning surging VCU if I played this game at all but not with the news that Sean Bairstow is out tonight (and apparently for a while) due to injury. The Utah State transfer was averaging 10.8 points, 4.8 assists and 4.3 rebounds. The Rams were 7-2 with him in the lineup. One of those losses was home to the Bonnies on Jan. 3.

In Bona’s case, we were reminded again on Saturday how it can occasionally morph into a modern version of Bob Lanier’s 1970 Final Four team when running away from a capable St. Joe’s, 91-72. That was the seventh win in the last eight for the Bonnies at home, and marked a big-time recovery for G Daryl Banks III, the onetime St Peter’s March hero who had gone cold in recent games and recently relegated to a relief role by Mark Schmidt but erupting for a season-high 29 off the bench against the Hawks. Keep in mind that Bona has already beaten VCU, and the current five-game Rams win streak has come at the expense of the mid and lower-tiers of the A-10. Play St Bona