Fans of the 13 other A-10 schools thought they would have a break from St. Bonaventure point guards when Jaylen Adams graduated. But once again, Mark Schmidt snagged an under-recruited guard, who would end up starting, scoring at nearly a 15 ppg pace, and leading his team to the A-10 title game. Lofton was effective on both sides of the ball though, as Mark Schmidt once called the freshman his best defensive player. He was incredibly effective slashing to the hoop, had a knack for finishing through contact, and was able to get to and make shots from the free throw line (83.8%). He shot 33% from behind the arc, and had games, like the Bonnies second matchup against George Mason, where he was lights out, going 7-8 from deep. Lofton showed incredible maturity for a young player and played some of his best basketball in the A-10 Tournament, where he scored 20 and 23 points in the first two contests. His 490 total points dwarf the freshman season totals of recent greats Jaylen Adams (221) and Andrew Nicholson (376).
What he’ll do
Lofton should only improve in his sophomore campaign. While his scoring total might not jump up due to the influx of shooters the Bonnies will welcome this fall, I do expect Lofton’s three-point percentage to improve significantly. Jaylen Adams saw his three-point percentage jump from 32.4% in his freshman season, to almost 44% in his sophomore season. While it would be difficult to see a 12 percentage point jump, I expect to see Lofton shooting in the high 30’s next season, as the Bonnies will have more shooters that can help space the floor, and can get him better looks. The A-10 Tournament run was only the beginning for this young and talented Bonnies squad. If Lofton continues to improve and leads the team from his point guard role, he should keep his sights set on the big dance.
