With its location in rural Cattaraugus County and its status as one of the smallest schools in Division One basketball, Saint Bonaventure University's on-court success is an unlikely story.
Filmmaker Mike Camoin, a 1988 graduate of the university, has been working for years to tell that story in the documentary "Brown and White: The Heart of Bona's Basketball." A sneak peek of the film will take place Friday at 4 p.m. in the Dresser Auditorium of the Murphy Professional Building.
Through his research, Camoin says he "became enamored with not only what the players had accomplished on the court, but what they went on to do off the court."
Many of those players — Sam Stith, Whitey Martin, Larry Weise, and others — will appear with Camoin (some via Zoom) at the Friday event. It's free, though organizers recommend advance registration.
"I think the Franciscans saw what the game of basketball could do and how it brings people together," Camoin said.
"In fact, you know, the Franciscan motto is, 'All are welcome.'"
