Elon senior guard Josh Bonney graduated from college in May, but he’s still around after redshirting his junior year in the classroom. The Pendulum spoke to Bonney about his role on the team this season and how he plans to adapt.

Q: You’re the oldest guy on the team this year. What do you think your role is? 

A: It’s hard to say. It seems to fluctuate for me year-to-year, based on what the coaching staff wants. I really just embrace everything that comes my way and take what I can get and get in where I fit in. What I need to do, I just do it. I don’t know what my defined role is at this point in the season, but as an older guy, I know I can bring some experience to the table and just some general know-how. I’ve been through this plenty of times before. In that regard, I can be just like a mentor to the rest of the team and the younger guys.

Q: As a fifth-year senior, is it weird knowing none of the other guys were here when you first came? 

A: A little bit. I don’t really think about it like that, because I’ve gotten to know them since they’ve been here. But yeah, it is kind of weird when you step back and look at it. Like, I was here before anybody else was here, including the coaches, that’s kind of funny.

Q: Against Georgia Southern University March 3 and Davidson College March 4 in the Southern Conference tournament, then-freshman guard Austin Hamilton was hampered by injury and you played significant minutes, scoring 14 points and dishing out seven assists in those two games. Talk a little bit about that experience and how it will transition into this year.

A: First of all, hopefully it will make a transition into this year and have some meaning. It meant something to me. It showed that, if given the opportunity, this is what I can do from that standpoint. Last year, like I said, when I’m afforded the opportunity, I’ll try to just do as best I can. I didn’t really get a chance to play that much before that point, but that’s when he called on me, so I just tried to be ready. So I’m glad it worked out, at least in one game for us against Georgia Southern. Hopefully, there will be much more where that came from.

[box]Josh Bonney Player Profile Position: Guard Height: 5-10 Weight: 175 Class: Senior Hometown: Houston, Texas High School: Lamar High School[/box]

Q: You and Austin and junior guard Jack Isenbarger create a solid guard rotation. Do you think that's going to be key this year?

A: Personally, I think that would be paramount in our success this year. The guard play in college, it starts there and works its way down, in my opinion. It's always great to have good bigs, but if you don't have good guards that can give it to them, then how effective are they? I think it always starts with guards. I think we all three have our own specialities and our own capabilities that we're a little better than each other at. If we were able to figure out a way to implement all of them, we'd be very, very tough in the backcourt, as far as the Southern Conference is concerned. I'm not sure how they plan on rotating or anything like that. Hopefully there will be time for everybody to get what they're getting.

Q: Do you feel like you take on any kind of mentoring role? 

A: Maybe more so off the court than on the court. Just the college life and how to adapt to everything. On the court, there’s always times (I’m a mentor.) There’s no situation they’re going to be in that I haven’t been in, for the most part. When I see them in positions that I’ve been in in the past, I’m able to point them in the right direction, help them out as much as I can. That always works out.

Information compiled by Zachary Horner, Sports Editor