After opening full-team workouts on Friday, members of the Binghamton men’s basketball team addressed the media for the first time this season on Wednesday, having already completed four practices. The key difference between this year’s squad and the previous three under head coach Tommy Dempsey is that all 15 players on the current roster have been recruited by Dempsey and his staff. For the first time since 2010, no players from the Mark Macon era remain on the team.
“I inherited some great kids and I’ve enjoyed coaching them,” Dempsey said. “Every guy that is in this program right now I brought here, and I brought them here because I thought they can help us rebuild the program. We have a lot of guys that came here on a mission to help us rebuild the program, so I do feel like there’s that sense of everybody being in it together.”
Binghamton returns five starters from last year’s team along with three others who played significant minutes in 2014–15. While BU struggled at certain points last year, the team found its stride near the end of the season. Binghamton won two of its last three America East games — including an upset victory over Vermont — and suffered a narrow defeat in the AE quarterfinals to heavily favored Stony Brook. The Bearcats are hoping to pick up right where they left off.
“We did come together and we did improve,” Dempsey said. “Now [this year is] a continuation to take where we were last year … [and] become more consistent and make progress from a win-loss standpoint.”
This year, for the first time in the Dempsey era, the Bearcats return a significant portion of their roster from the previous season and will not have to rely on freshmen to carry the team. This additional depth and experience on the roster has positively affected the first four practices of the season.
“It makes it easier, it really does,” Dempsey explained. “We’re really trying to foster an environment where the players are taking more ownership of practice. As your program advances, then you can get the leadership from within.”
While the roster is filled with experienced players, the newcomers might still find time on the court. Notably, freshman guard Everson Davis has impressed the BU coaching staff with his playing.
“I don’t know exactly what [Davis’] role is going to be, but I know he’s going to have one,” Dempsey said. “He’s shown a lot of really good things in the first four practices and he’s shown us as a staff that he’s a guy who is going to demand minutes.”
BU’s newfound depth, however, has been tested quickly. Throughout the first few days of practice, two Bearcats have already suffered injuries. Sophomore guard Justin McFadden sustained a concussion in workouts, but the injury is not expected to keep him out more than two weeks.
“I took a charge yesterday [Tuesday] in practice,” McFadden said. “That’s one of the things I do a lot. I guess [every] one out of 200 [charges] I get the fall wrong and my head hit the floor.”
While McFadden’s concussion is just a temporary setback, junior guard Yosef Yacob may have suffered a more serious injury. Prior to meeting the media, Dempsey revealed that Yacob had hurt his shoulder and is scheduled to undergo an MRI this week to determine the extent of his injury. His season could be in doubt, according to his coach.