It wasn’t quite a coach calling out a player — more like an attempt to reach out.

For the first time this season, Binghamton University men’s basketball head coach Kevin Broadus acknowledged on Saturday a problem with senior shooting guard Richie Forbes. After preaching about teamwork and no player being bigger than the team, a reporter asked the coach about Forbes’ erratic playing time.

“Richie … Richie’s gotta trust in his teammates,” Broadus said. “Richie’s gotta trust in me, because I trust in him.”

Forbes scored 12 points in 19 minutes during Saturday’s loss to Hartford, but he did not appear on the court until there were five minutes remaining in the first half.

“This is the last go-around for Richie,” Broadus said. “He’s gotta approach every game like it’s his last. Print this how you want, we’ve had our ups and downs all year, but it’s come to a time where Richie has to step up and be a man.”

“He has to say this program is about the program, and not Richie Forbes,” the coach added.

Broadus went on to praise Forbes’ ability, but then questioned whether he was ready to be a leader of this Bearcat team.

“Whether or not he wants to believe it, he’s a role model for these guys,” Broadus said. “Richie’s gonna be fine, but this program is not solely about Richie.”

Forbes is third on the team, averaging 11.9 points per game, but his scoring average has dropped to 7.1 in conference games. After starting every non-conference game, Forbes has started on the bench for half the conference games he’s played in. In AE games, his minutes have also dropped, from 28.3 to 22.9.

“[Forbes], Mike [Gordon], Laz [Trifunovic] and Gio [Olomo] — those senior guys have to be the focal point,” Broadus said. “I’ll take credit for the losses and I’m manly enough to take it. I want them to win every day, but I’m just the co-pilot.”