(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the fifth in a six-part series centering on the coming St. Bonaventure men’s basketball season from the five writers from the Times Herald and Bradford Era who will be contributing to the Bona coverage this year. Today: A look at the potential depth chart for the 2022-23 campaign. Tomorrow: Athletic Director Joe Manhertz discusses navigating the transfer portal and NIL legislation).

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — A year ago, this story almost didn’t have to be written.

Yes, the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team had welcomed some interesting reinforcements, but the writing was clear: All five starters from an NCAA Tournament team were back and going to play the majority of the minutes. The only real question was whether Bona, a year after basically going without one, would receive at least a little more production from its bench.

And we know how that turned out.

This year, however, after perhaps the most eventful offseason in program history — aside from maybe the addition of Daryl Banks III due to his breakout performance in the Big Dance — everything, and everyone, has become a question mark.

Those starting spots that are typically locked up by the 3-4 incoming seniors? Those have presumably been up for grabs. The perceived depth that Bona seemed to have over the last few seasons that never materialized? Well, now it almost HAS to exist, merely given no one on the roster has proven he can play 38 minutes a night at this level.

So where does that leave the Bonnies heading into the 2022-23 season?

FIRST, A couple of asides:

— Redshirt freshman guard Brett Rumpel, seen at the Fan Jam event with a hard cast and crutches, suffered a broken foot during a mid-October practice and is expected to miss 4-6 weeks, the team confirmed at last week’s media day session. Coach Mark Schmidt said he hoped to have Rumpel back “sometime in the next month,” but his absence will affect the rotation at least initially.

— Despite having 12 almost-equally intriguing players, Schmidt said again last Wednesday that he’s “looking to find 8-9 guys who can play,” so expect the typical three primary reserves to be identified, with a fourth likely in play depending on foul trouble/growth throughout the year.

— Schmidt touched on two big positives that have come from the first four weeks of practice: 1. An increased spirit given the youthful excitement and competition level, and 2. This could well be the most athletic team he’s had in 16 years at Bona.

“They’re enthusiastic, there’s a lot of energy at practice,” he said last week. “Guys are willing to learn and listen. I think we got some athleticism, we got some length. But it’s slow, we’re still trying to learn the terminology …

“The kids are trying, they’re learning it. Some learn faster than others, and the guys that are learning are a little bit further ahead. But we need to get 8-9 guys on the same page, and that’s going to take some time.”

— Considering that athleticism — Bona has eight players between 6-6 and 6-10 — and the sheer volume of guys who appear capable of playing multiple positions, this is a year where attempting to construct a depth chart could prove to be a futile exercise. Hartford transfer Moses Flowers is a ‘2’ by nature, but could he play some small forward in a lineup with Kyrell Luc and Banks III? Are four-star freshman Yann Farell and Putnam product Barry Evans capable of playing both the ‘3’ and ‘4’? Redshirt freshman Anouar Mellouk is a natural ‘4’, but could he potentially see some time at center, allowing Fairleigh Dickinson transfer Anquan Hill and Evans those minutes at the ‘4’?

Much of that remains to be seen … and could well evolve throughout the course of the year. However, here’s one writer’s guess at how that lineup might look, at least in the early going.

FIRST, FROM the way Schmidt has talked about them — as most might have predicted — Luc and Banks III figure to be the two studs from the outset. If anyone is going to play the kind of minutes that last year’s starters did, it could well be Luc, especially given the injury to Rumpel and the fact he’s coming in with experience at a crucial position as the reigning Patriot League Rookie of the Year.

Luc has drawn praise from the coaching staff for his savvy, athleticism and commitment on the defensive end. Banks III, quite simply, considering his two years as an all-league player in the MAAC and the 27 points he scored against Kentucky in last year’s tournament, figures to be the go-to guy this year.

Next, two guys who could make a big impact sooner than later: Evans and Mellouk. Evans looks to be a player. The 6-foot-8 forward reportedly impressed in both the intrasquad scrimmage and last week’s secret scrimmage with Kent State and, by many accounts, is the one true freshman who could be a starter from the get-go. Mellouk, meanwhile, the 6-foot-9 forward who came in rough around the edges but with head-turning raw athleticism, has reportedly been the biggest surprise through the first month. The Netherlands native has shown flashes offensively and, to the delight of the coaching staff, a difference-making demeanor defensively. The guess here is that the 6-foot-9 Hill, as last year’s Northeast Conference ROY, gets the initial nod at power forward, but that Mellouk will certainly have a say, and that he should see meaningful minutes at both the ‘4’ and ‘5’ in his debut campaign.

AT CENTER, Bona will go from its mainstay in Osun Osunniyi, who often played between 30-35 minutes a night, to more of a by-committee approach, Schmidt said. The starting spot appears to be a battle between Morgan State transfer Chad Venning and Pitt transfer Max Amadasun, both 6-foot-10 and strongly built, with the former potentially having the inside edge. But they could be part of a rotation, one that even includes freshman Melian Martinez, in which each plays 15-20 minutes a night.

“We got some physical guys,” Schmidt said. “Just like all the other guys, they’re still trying to learn the system and where to be. But yeah, we won’t have one guy that will be playing 35 minutes a game, it will be by committee. I think Max and Chad and Melian are coming along … we all have to get better, but it’s gonna be a rotation and hopefully we can get some minutes out of them and good production out of all three of them.”

From here, the prediction is that whichever of the two transfer centers doesn’t start will be among the three key guys off the bench, alongside Mellouk, Farell and Flowers, the America East all-conference selection who averaged 15 points and six rebounds a year ago. Flowers is reportedly still making his way in Schmidt’s system, but could be viewed as the scoring punch off the bench this team has lacked in recent years.

Sophomore Justin Ndjock-Tadjore, as the one returning player who dressed last year, figures to also be in the mix at the ‘3’ and ‘4’. The TH will take a closer look at each of groups in a position-by-position preview next week, but here’s a rough outline of what that depth chart might look like now:

Point guard: Kyrell Luc, Brett Rumpel*

Shooting guard: Daryl Banks III, Moses Flowers

Small forward: Barry Evans, Yann Farell, Justin Ndjock-Tadjore

Power forward: Anquan Hill, Anouar Mellouk

Center: Chad Venning, Max Amadasun, Melian Martinez

* injured