Saint Michael's Standout Matt Bonds appears in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd"

Saint Michael's Standout Matt Bonds appears in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd"

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COLCHESTER, Vt. - Saint Michael's men's basketball senior Matt Bonds appears in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd" feature in the March 27 issue of the magazine. Bonds is believed to be the first Purple Knight to appear in "Faces" in at least 15 years.

"Faces in the Crowd" spotlights six amateur athletes and has been a staple of the weekly magazine since first appearing in 1956. Bonds was featured thanks to becoming the second active NCAA men's basketball player to reach 1,000 career rebounds on Jan. 24.

The NCAA Division II leader in offensive rebounding (4.3) as a junior, Bonds' milestone board came amid a 66-63 comeback victory at New Haven during which he posted 20 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and four blocks.

Bonds ultimately finished fifth in NE10 history with 1,102 career rebounds. Bonds appears in an issue of Sports Illustrated that is employing three different covers for its annual MLB preview issue.

Following his senior season, Bonds was named to the NABC Division II All-East District second team, the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association East Region All-Region second team, and to the NE10 All-Conference First Team.

The 6-foot-5 forward was also one of 16 student-athletes chosen for the State Farm Insurance Dark Horse Dunker competition, advancing to the quarterfinals before losing by less than two percentage points to his last head-to-head opponent. 

Bonds led the NE10 in rebounding (12.4), offensive rebounding (4.7), double-doubles (19) and field goals made per game (8.5) while tying for third in scoring (21.7) and free throws (4.7). Among all Division II players, Bonds is tied for second in rebounding, third in offensive rebounding, tied for third in double-doubles, and tied for 27th in scoring. 

Bonds finished his career 13th at school history in scoring (1,523), second in rebounds (1,102), sixth in rebounding average (10.3), and 10th in field goals made (596). His 46 double-doubles are the most by a Purple Knight since complete rebound totals became available in 1981-82, and Bonds' 408 offensive boards are the most since that category began being tracked in 1992-93.

Sports Illustrated, which was established in 1954, has more than three million subscribers and is read by more than 23 million people each week. Visit SI.com for more information.

Information for this release provided by the athletic communications staff at Saint Michael's. 

ABOUT THE NE10
The NE10 is an association of 15 diverse institutions serving student-athletes across 24 NCAA Division II sports. Together we build brilliant futures by embracing the journey of every student-athlete. 

Each year, 4,500 student-athletes compete in conference championships, making the NE10 the largest DII conference in the country in terms of sport sponsorship. Leading the way in the classroom, on the field and within the community, the NE10 is proud of its comprehensive program and the experience it provides student-athletes.