Bonnies land transfer guard from Italy, Achille Lonati
By CONNOR JACKSON
Special to the Era
If it wasn’t for famed general manager Adrian Wojnarowski, the St. Bonaventure men’s basketball team could be in trouble after losing so many players in the transfer portal.
Every starter during most of the 2024-25 season has exited the program.
But they get a chance to assemble a team that they feel can compete at a higher level. Italian guard Achille Lonati could be a piece that can help lift the Bonnies up next winter.
Lonati is a 6’5, 18-year old shooting guard. After St. Bonaventure lost All-Atlantic 10 guard Melvin Council Jr., this is a big move to add depth in the back court.
Lonati has already achieved some good things in his young career. He was a member of the Italian U16 and U17 national team, winning silver medals at the European U16 Championship and the World U17 Championship.
Playing in Italy, he grew up with the Olympia Milan junior team. He then joined the senior Olympia Milan team in 2024-25 where he played with former NBA players like Nikola Miritic and Armoni Brooks.
Lonati gained notoriety after performing well at the Adidas Next Generation Tournament in Europe.
He tends to be at his best as a spot up shooter and can be impactful in transition. Being so young, he still has a lot more of his game to grow into.
Lonati didn’t just commit to the Bonnies because he failed to find a stronger program. Higher profile teams like Xavier and Texas Tech were in the mix, along with A-10 champion VCU.
It speaks to the desire to play at a school that is led by a name like Woj, who is well respected around the basketball world.
It is hard to get someone from Italy to want to come play in snowy western New York, in the winter, while he can easily play elsewhere at a big time program.
Lonati joins a squad that has intriguing transfer big men Joe Gerhovac and Frank Mitchell. Starting point guard Desonte Bowen returns as well, after missing most of the year due to injury.
Time will tell if these moves will play off for the Bonnies, but more work needs to be done to fill out a roster that was once again depleted by the modern day world of college basketball.
