The last few weeks of practice has seen media members start to be allowed in and since they started sharing their reports there has been one player who has really stood out as someone who could have a much bigger role than first expected.
Trey Bonham.
When the 6’0” point guard came to Florida from VMI in the transfer portal it was presumed that he would be a backup for his first season in Gainesville. It certainly seemed like the coaching staff felt that way as they relentlessly pursued other point guards, ultimately landing St. Bonaventure’s Kyle Lofton who has been the presumed starter.
Given Lofton’s 4 years of experience at the Atlantic 10 level over Bonham’s 2 years of experience at the Southern Conference level that might have been a fair assumption but from how Bonham has been playing in practice the starting point guard role might not be exclusively Lofton’s job. Or, we might even see Lofton and Bonham both starting games, something that could see one of Florida’s many wings squeezed out the equation.
So, what is it that makes Bonham such a valuable asset that is commanding minutes so far in practice?
Let’s talk about modern basketball for a second. What simple action has taken over the game? You don’t have to think too hard, it’s obvious–the pick and roll. Nearly every team in the country uses it for over 25% of their offense, and Todd Golden’s San Francisco teams used it on 32% of their total possessions. When you think about it, that is a truly gigantic number and knowing that approximately one third of Florida’s offense could come from the pick and roll, well, you probably need your best pick and roll players on the floor.
Enter Trey Bonham.
Bonham ran a ton of pick and roll last year at VMI–237 pick and rolls to be exact–and he was absolutely lethal at them.
When Bonham ran a pick and roll the Keydets posted an astonishing 1.2 points per possession, making Bonham with the ball getting a screen one of the most efficient plays in all of college basketball last season.
Here’s a stat for you.
Among guards that ran over 100 pick and roll possessions last season, Bonham was first in the country in efficiency with 1.2 points per possession. First.
Yes, Bonham played in the SoCon (which I’ll point out was the 12th best conference in college basketball according to KenPom) but looking at his pure efficiency you could make a reasonable argument that he was the best pick and roll guard in the country last season.
Kyle Lofton, who Bonham will be competing with for minutes largely, was in the 52nd percentile nationally in pick and roll efficiency at 0.85 points per possession.
If the Gators are a pick and roll reliant team, like most teams in the country are, then Bonham’s pure excellence in this area could be the difference in who Golden has on the floor.
Bonham’s effectiveness in the pick and roll starts with his first step. Quickness is one of Bonham’s top skills and when using ball screens he uses that first step as a weapon, changing the angle of the screen depending on if he thinks he can get to the hoop and score or get a defender on his hip where he can draw help and find an open shooter.
Many small guards struggle to finish at the rim but that isn’t the case for Bonham who shot 58% at the rim while drawing fouls at a rate well above the national average. His compact frame is powerful allowing him to bounce off contact and he’s got the craft to avoid shot blockers and use deft finishes off the backboard. Defenses know he’s quick enough to get to the rim at any point and more than capable of finishing so it means help defenders are always going to collapse, and when that happens Bonham is going to intelligently and unselfishly find open shooters.
That is where Bonham truly was at his best in pick and roll as when he drew help and found an open shooter the Keydets were at an otherworldly 1.5 points per possession. The wide open catch and shoot three is one of the most dangerous shots in basketball and Bonham’s pick and rolls were like an assembly line churning out these wide open shots whenever VMI wanted them. Overall, Bonham generated 10 points per game out of pick and rolls and the Gators could bank on something similar if they gave him a steady diet of these opportunities.
Bonham’s ability to create space was also seen in isolation settings where he was in the 83rd percentile when it came to isolation possessions including when he passed out. These situations were similar to pick and rolls, where Bonham was constantly able to get in the paint and force defensive rotations. This will have huge value late in shot clocks when someone has to create a shot one on one, and in these situations Bonham could be the best on the team.
Florida has brought in a lot of great pieces and are returning some studs as well but if you look at a weakness the team has had in recent seasons and a weakness with the players that have been brought in, it’s the ability to create a shot one on one in space. Florida has athletes, they have shooting, and they have players who will excel in a system, but when it comes to one on one situations where Florida needs a shot creator, they don’t have a lot of those guys.
Except for, of course, Trey Bonham.
Colin Castleton is locked in to start, and Alex Fudge is a presumed starter as well. A lot of people expect Kowacie Reeves to start, with Myreon Jones, Niels Lane, and Will Richard also considered in the mix for the wing spots.
None of those guys are above average creators off the dribble, and against some defenses that means that these players could get stuck in a way the Gators offense got stuck the last couple of seasons. Who is the point guard best suited to provide some electricity and create the initial advantage by getting by his man and forcing a rotation? Trey Bonham.
This isn’t at all to take away from Kyle Lofton. Lofton has great size, is an excellent passer, and is loaded with experience. Perhaps most importantly, he’s a stout point of attack defender. But given Florida’s talent makeup, there is likely going to be times the Gators need a scorer as the primary ball handler and that isn’t something Lofton excels at.
It is important to remember that Golden is a defensive minded coach, and that is an area Bonham will need to improve in, especially to catch up to Lofton who is an excellent defender. Bonham hasn’t yet been able to turn his quickness and strength into functional defensive production, but he shows max effort on that end and has been said to be very open to coaching and improvement in that area. As he gets more experience and learns how to channel his quickness into proper angles and improves his instincts with rotations he could grow exponentially on that end.
How much Golden will value offense versus defense at the point guard position might end up dictating a lot of the minutes right away. Lofton will almost certainly have the day one edge, but in a team loaded with athleticism, length, and defensive prowess, there is almost certainly going to be a time where the Gators need long stretches of an elite pick and roll ball handler who can create shots for himself and his teammates.
Trey Bonham has already been an excellent story this offseason and his skill and tenacity could make him an even bigger story once the season begins.