BY: RILEY PENDLETON; STAFF WRITER
Photo: @hoopglitch on Instagram
With the Bonnies losing nine players on the roster to the transfer portal, they needed to make some noise of their own. Adrian Wojnarowski and the Bonnies staff were able to do just that, bringing in Minnesota Gopher big man Frank Mitchell and Juco product Joe Grahovac from the transfer portal.
Mitchell, the Canada native, who played hockey for most of his life before switching to basketball at the age of 18, started playing at Toronto’s Humber College. He would help lead the Hawks to the 2022 CCAA National Championship, averaging 14.5 points along with 18.0 rebounds a game.
From there he would make the move to the United States, transferring to Canisius University. After sitting out the entire 2022-23 season due to NCAA transfer rules, Mitchell got his chance to shine in the states. Averaging 12.1 points, 11.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists earned Mitchell an All-MAAC Second Team Honor nod, being the only player in the MAAC to average a double-double.
Mitchell’s performance at Canisius earned him an offer to transfer to Minnesota in the Big Ten Conference. The 6 ‘8 junior averaged 4.9 points on a 66.6% field goal percentage while hauling in 4.7 rebounds. Putting up double-doubles against Rutgers, Wisconsin and USC, Mitchell was a key part of the Gophers front court rotation this season.
The team envisions a dynamic front court duo along of Mitchell and former Juco product, Joe Grahovac.
Grahovac is a 23-year-old 6 ’10 forward with guard-like abilities. His ability to handle and shoot the ball at his height make him a difficult cover for other athletes his size.
As a kid, Grahovac played basketball for fun and that was it. He grew up playing in the YMCA every day for hours on end, but didn’t have much interest in playing organized basketball.
It wasn’t until 2021 when Grahovac was given an invitation to play in the Drew League, a pro-am league in Los Angeles, that he was able to start gaining some attention.
In the fall of 2023, Grahovac would enroll at Vanguard University, a Christian NAIA school in Costa Mesa. After a few weeks, Grahovac realized this wasn’t the right fit for him. He left to spend the rest of the winter training, thinking that playing in college may not be the right route.
This was until Fullerton College, a Juco program, got a hold of him. Here, Grahovac would average 15.9 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists, all while shooting 62% from the field, stated Grahovac’s Fullerton College Athletics Bio.. His performance would be enough to win him the CCCAA SoCal Player of the Year, while also putting him on the radar on lots of Division I programs.
Grahovac chose St. Bonaventure over some other high major programs, giving the notion that Bona’s GM Adrian Wojnarowski was diligent in pursuit of the Juco product.
Grahovac’s journey to this stage has been anything but easy. His determination and resilience have propelled him into what should be one of the best front-courts in the Atlantic 10 conference. Wojnarowski’s presence as the Bonnies’ general manager is already in full effect. Bringing in Mitchell and Grahovac provides a combination of skill and size to the Bonnies roster that is sure to be shown off come A-10 play next season. If Woj is able to continue making waves in the transfer portal, Bonaventure basketball will have a very positive outlook going into the upcoming season.
