Here’s a riddle for you: this team is set to host games against Big East powerhouses Villanova and Syracuse along with multiple NCAA teams, and will also host the conference tournament of the 11th-ranked conference in the country.

Can’t figure it out? How about a hint: they play in the tri-city area and their mascot is Baxter the Bearcat.

If you guessed the Binghamton women’s basketball team, give yourself a pat on the back, and if not, don’t worry — few people realize just how prominent the team is about to become.

Replacing the Seniors

It is the nature of college basketball to deal with the loss of players; senior classes come and go and are replaced just as quickly. But the women’s basketball team has an even more daunting task than usual this year — trying to do without arguably the most impressive senior class to ever leave Vestal; Jen Haubrich, Jen Blues and Rachel Laws, a trio that accounted for over 3,000 points during their time in green and white, have all graduated and left the Bearcats looking for players to fill the gaps.

“I don’t know if any one player or players is going to replace them,” said head coach Rich Conover. “But I think last year one of our strengths was our depth and hopefully that will show again this year.”

On the strength of the three now departed seniors, the Bearcats finally advanced past the first round of the America East tournament last season before losing to the Hartford Hawks in the semifinals. With the AE tournament set to be held at the Events Center this March, this team will look to go even farther in 2006. Jen, Jen and Rachel left some gaping holes in the lineup, but the Bearcats believe they have the necessary pieces to fill those holes.

“They’re obviously very big shoes to fill,” said senior point guard Shea Kenny. “But we have people willing to step up into those roles, and that is so important.”

Backcourt Leading The Way

To fill the leadership void left by the class of 2006, the Bearcats will look to their senior guard duo of Kenny and Rebecka Lindgren.

Kenny seems to be the undisputed leader of the team. She is the floor general who always seems to find the open player, and with the plethora of post options, look for Kenny, who led the team in assists last year, to dish out even more assists this year and also to increase her scoring output.

“I think you’ll see Shea step it up even more offensively and not just distribute the ball,” Conover said.

Lindgren, who expects to see more playing time than ever this year, is an excellent combination guard who can give Kenny a rest at the point while also providing a key scoring punch.

Backing up the point guard position will be freshman Muffy Sadler, a combo guard who showed a knack for making tough passes in the first exhibition game.

Freshman Erica Carter looks like she might have an immediate impact on the shooting guard spot. Carter was a four-year player at Illinois’ Naperville Central High School, where she played with current Tennessee Volunteer and former slam dunk champion Candace Parker. Carter is a dangerous outside shooter who brings another element to the Bearcat offensive attack.

The backcourt also features several prominent wing scoring options, the most electrifying being junior Laura Sario.

Filling in for Rachel Laws while she was injured last season, Sario shined with the additional playing time and looks to once again be one of the most exciting players in the conference. Sario has shown a knack for raising her play during big games, evidenced by her 15 points and seven rebounds in a January game where the Bearcats almost upset top-ranked Hartford.

Joining Sario at the wing guard spot will be freshman Darryll Peterson, who expects to see considerable minutes, as well as redshirt freshman Lauren Regan.

Big Things Planned Up Front

The Bearcats have the advantage that they are one of the biggest teams in the league, making them extremely difficult to defend. With eight players listed at 6 feet or taller, BU could tower over the rest of the conference, and no one towers more than 6-foot-2 junior center Laine Kurpniece.

Named to the preseason all-conference team, Kurpniece took the conference by storm last season, leading the team with 12.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Kurpniece is almost unstoppable when she gets in the paint, and is a clutch free throw shooter as well, causing defenses and opposing coaches fits as they try to prepare to stop her.

“I don’t think we’ll have any troubles with replacing what we lost,” Kurpniece said.

Joining Kurpniece up front are sophomore forward Laura Franceski, junior forward Brianna Thompson, junior center Juta Jahilo and sophomore center Erin Owens.

Thompson spent most of last season injured, but has shown how dominant and versatile she can be when given playing time. She started the first exhibition game at the wing spot and responded by leading the team in scoring.

Jahilo was one of the top bench players on the team last season and made six starts. She is one of the best rebounders on the team and will once again be a vital part of the team.

Franceski was a blocking machine during her freshman season and should once again be a force down low for BU’s post defense.

“I think our post game is going to look much different this season,” Jahilo said. “We have much bigger post players. It’s going to look a lot more powerful.”

An Impressive Schedule

The Bearcats will bring some of the biggest names ever to the Events Center this season. The home opener is against a Sacred Heart team that made the NCAA tournament last year, and the Liberty Flames, another NCAA tournament team, will come to town for another big test.

The Events Center will also play host to two local rivals from the Big East, Villanova and Syracuse. But the rigorous non-conference slate is all just an appetizer to what the America East has to offer this year.

“Hopefully we can sneak out a couple of big wins at home and get ourselves some national recognition,” Conover said. “Playing teams of national caliber can only be a good test for us for a very tough America East conference schedule.”

People don’t usually think of the America East as being on par with the Big East or the Big Ten, but this year could change that perception. The America East was ranked 11th in conference RPI last season, ahead of such prominent conferences as the Missouri Valley conference and Conference USA. League champion Hartford advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament and is currently receiving votes in the Top 25 polls.

In addition to the Hawks, Binghamton faces tough opposition from Stony Brook and Boston University this year, making the America East one of the most competitive conferences in the country. This makes the America East tournament, to be held this year at the Events Center, a must-see event.

The team hopes to use the home court to overthrow the top teams and propel themselves into the NCAA tournament.

“Personally, I really want to beat Hartford,” Jahilo said.

“Hosting the tournament is huge,” added Thompson. “It’s such a big advantage. We do not take home court lightly.”