Welcome to A10 Talk’s Top 25 Player Countdown. Each day, we publish a new article counting down the 25 best players in the Atlantic 10 this past season. Today, we feature #7 Marcus Posley.
So how did St. Bonaventure manage to shock the A-10 and win the league, a feat that almost no one expected the Bonnies to accomplish by the end of the 2015-16 season? The answer to that question lies in a number of different components, but maybe the most important of those was the senior leader Marcus Posley. Though the Bonnies would get snubbed by the selection committee and end up having to play Wagner in the NIT, there is no denying that Posley had a special season in Olean. St. Bonaventure came out of nowhere and gave the A-10 a thrill, and Marcus was the center of it all.
Best Performance:
This one’s easy. Bonnie fans know the answer before reading this section. Marcus Posley had an NBA superstar type night when he dropped 47 points on a very talented Saint Joseph’s team. Posley’s incredible performance came at a crucial time for the Bonnies; they were starting to put themselves back in the NCAA Tournament picture, and this win was a big one as it completed St. Bonaventure’s season sweep of the Hawks. Posley was on fire all game long as he went 9-12 from two, 6-7 from three, and 11-12 from the free throw line. That, my friends, is a night for this Bona stud to remember for the rest of his life.
Outside of that, there are a couple of great nights that stand out for the senior. St. Bonaventure’s close loss to Davidson in the A-10 Tournament was nearly a win thanks to Posley. He scored 32 points, dished out 5 assists, and even grabbed 5 boards. I’d also point to Marcus’ 22 point and 6 assist night against UMass as a key performance. The Bonnies sneaked away with a win in a game that they could not lose. Finally, Posley’s 35 point game against Canisius can’t be ignored because he proved himself to be a scoring machine in the early going.
Key Stats:
Marcus Posley led the Bonnies in scoring at 19.6 points per contest and ranked second on the team in assists at 3.6 per game. According to Kenpom, Posley ranked 20th in the nation in percentage of minutes played (92.3%) and 5th in the conference in percentage of possessions used (26.5%). Posley proved to be a critical scorer, passer, and all-around player throughout his tenure in Olean. Posley pulled down 3.4 rebounds per game and shot 36.0% from three point range. He was also great on defense having averaged 1.3 steals per contest.
Team Effort:
Along with Jaylen Adams, Marcus Posley was part of the best backcourt in the A-10 last season. The two were dominant in all areas of the game and came through big when the Bonnies needed them. Marcus Posley had so many great performances in the latter half of the season, and he really did all that he could to put this St. Bonaventure team in a position to make the NCAA Tournament. Obviously it’s tough to go out as a senior after getting snubbed out of the Big Dance, but the 2015-16 season in Olean was one to remember, and Bonnie fans will be singing Marcus Posley’s praises for many years to come.
Previously: #8 Isaiah Miles
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1 Comment
I hope Marcus can at least get a spot in the D League for now. Due to his size, he would have to play point guard to have any chance at making the NBA. He played well at that position last year when Adams missed the final 10 games. That is why I would give him a puncher’s chance of making the League someday.
If not, he will make a very good living playing basketball in Europe.
Marcus is a well spoken, classy kid, too. Best of luck to him in the future.