Name: Theodora Panteli (F)

Panteli, a transfer from Jacksonville (Texas) College, brings a wealth of experience to Binghamton University’s lineup. The 6-foot sophomore from Athens, Greece, was a member of the Greece Under-20 team in 2006 and the Under-18 team in 2005. She’s an excellent ball handler and rebounder who could spell the seniors up front.

Stat: 4

Panteli joins seniors Juta Jahilo (Finland), Laura Sario (Finland) and Laine Kurpniece (Latvia) as the fourth Bearcat born outside of the United States. Sario and Kurpniece were both named to the preseason all-conference team and Jahilo will have a big impact on the team this season. The Bearcats are hoping Panteli’s impact will be just as big.

Name: Laura Sario (G)

Sario is the Michael Jordan of Binghamton’s women’s basketball. Despite being injured for a good chunk of the 2006-2007 campaign, Sario was named second-team all-conference at the end of the season and followed that up by being voted unanimously to this year’s all-conference first team. The senior from Espoo, Finland, is the team’s top returning scorer and an excellent lock-down defender.

Stat: 26

Sario always elevates her game when it matters. In last season’s America East quarterfinals against Boston University, Sario scored a collegiate-best 26 points to help the Bearcats rally from a 17-point deficit and secure a victory on their home floor.

Name: Darryll Peterson (G)

The second year guard from Baltimore, Md., appeared in 15 games last season, averaging 1.1 points and .8 rebounds. Expect those numbers to increase if her minutes increase. As a high school senior she averaged 19.9 points and 7.2 rebounds while playing in one of Maryland’s toughest conferences.

Stat: 6’0′

Peterson stands 6 feet tall, not impressive for an NBA guard, but very imposing for America East women’s basketball. Few guards in the conference can match Peterson’s size, so having her on the bench gives coach Rich Conover a very versatile weapon.

Name: Aerielle Belk (G)

Belk is a freshman walk-on player from Iselin, N.J. In high school she was a four-year letter winner and all-county player at Union Catholic. She saw plenty of action in the first two exhibition games and if the injuries to the point guards in front of her continue, Belk could be a major player.

Stat: 28

Belk played a combined 28 minutes in the two exhibition games. That’s probably more than anyone expected, but it might become a trend if the other guards get hurt. Should injuries hit, any early season work will be beneficial.

Name: Juta Jahilo (F)

Jahilo, a bruising rebounder from Helsinki, Finland, spent the summer playing for the Finnish National Team. She should compete for a starting spot, but coming off the bench, she instantly becomes one of the best six women in the America East. She is a dominant inside threat who reached double figures in scoring five times and rebounding twice last season.

Stat: 13

The senior forward pulled down 13 rebounds twice in her career, including once last season at home against Villanova. With plenty of talented perimeter shooters on this squad, Jahilo’s impact will be invaluable.

Name: Jackie Ward (G)

With two point guards lost to graduation, the freshman from nearby Pittsford, N.Y., should have an immediate impact. Ward is a highly creative player who can impact games in a multitude of ways, from scoring to passing to defending. She has been nursing an injury, but should be ready when the season starts.

Stat: 3

In high school Ward was a three-time New York state player of the year. She was also named All-Monroe County three times and was named the Division III player of the year twice.

Name: Erica Carter (G)

The sharp-shooting sophomore from Naperville, Ill., may very well be the key to Binghamton’s season this year. In just her second season, Carter might already be the most talented. Carter appeared in every game last season, making nine starts and averaging 9.9 points as a starter.

Stat: 28

Carter put up 28 points in Tuesday’s final exhibition game against St. Rose. Of her 28 points, 24 came from the eight 3-pointers that Carter drained. Her .357 shooting percentage from downtown is the top among starters. Before Tuesday the most Carter put up in a game was 18.

Name: Jaki Goldner (F)

As a 6-foot-2-inch freshman from Katonah, N.Y., Goldner brings an impressive resume to the Bearcats’ front court. She was a four-year starter at Somers High School, named fourth-team Class A all-state in her senior year and was named all-league all four years of high school.

A four-year starter at Somers ‘ named fourth-team Class A All-State as a senior ‘ selected All-Section three teams and all-league four times ‘ named to the All-Journal News team twice and the North County News first team as a senior ‘ averaged 21.3 points per game her senior year ‘ scored over 1,300 points during her high school career.

Stat: 1,300

Goldner, who scored five points in eight minutes of action Tuesday night, accumulated 1,300 points in her high school career. The forward’s success got her named to the All-Journal News team twice and the North County News first team as a senior.

Name: Bobbi Van Fleet (F)

Van Fleet, a freshman from Plainfield, N.J., did a little of everything in high school. As a sophomore she was named the Greater Middlesex Conference Rookie of the Year. In her junior year she went on to set the J.P. Stevens High School block record and in 2006 she started for the New Jersey state champion Amateur Athletic Union team, the New Jersey Flames.

Stat: 5

As in tools. Just like baseball, basketball has its own five tool players; Van Fleet is one of them. She scores, she rebounds, she passes, she blocks and she steals. In her junior season of high school she averaged 11 points, eight rebounds, two assists, five blocks and three steals. Definitely the kind of player you want on your fantasy team.

Name: Muffy Sadler (G)

This season the back court belongs to Sadler, a 5-foot-8-inch sophomore from Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Two point guards have graduated, leaving Sadler the starting job as long as she stays healthy. Her shooting touch and passing ability are serious weapons for BU; she scored 11 points against Syracuse last December and dished out eight assists against Colgate two weeks earlier.

Stat: 9

That’s the number of games Sadler missed at the end of the year with an ACL injury. She also left the first exhibition game with an injury and subsequently sat out yesterday’s exhibition final. She’s expected to be healthy and she will need to be as both of her back-ups are freshmen, and the team should not be turning to Erica Carter to run the point.

Name: Brianna Thompson (F)

Last season the versatile 6-foot-1-inch senior from Chehalis, Wash., finally shook the injuries that had plagued her throughout her collegiate career and emerged as a dominant force in the America East. Thompson was the only Bearcat to start in all 31 games, and wound up ranking fourth in points per game with nine and second in rebounding with 5.5. Though she doesn’t like to admit it, she has an outstanding outside game to compliment her inside game.

Stat: 4

Thompson, along with Kurpniece, Laura Sario and Juta Jahilo, make up a core of four seniors that will go down as one of the best in Binghamton history. All four make impacts all over the floor and all four stand over 6 feet, causing matchup problems all over. As underclassmen they’ve won a pair of America East tournament games; the time is now to win some more.

Name: Laine Kurpniece (C)

The 6-foot-2-inch center from Latvia is the most dominating inside force in the America East. A two-time all-conference player, Kurpniece was the second Bearcat player to be placed on the preseason all-conference team this season. Despite missing significant time last season, Kurpniece’s play in the second half of the year assured her third-team all-conference status. She is a constant threat who the defense must watch at all times.

Stat: 10

Kurpniece has recorded 10 double-doubles over the course of her career, far more than any other Bearcat. She has an uncanny ability to follow her shots and get second and third chance points. Because of her inside game, teams are forced to foul her, and unlike traditional centers, she is lights out from the free throw line.

Name: Laura Franceski (F)

‘The Franchise,’ a 6-foot-2-inch forward from Moscow, Penn., is one of the most electrifying defensive players in the America East. An absolute force in the defensive paint, in just two seasons Franceski has already amassed an incredible 11 games with three or more blocks and three games with five or more blocks. One of the first Bearcats off the bench, she could be brought into the starting lineup if injuries hit.

Stat: 7

Franceski slammed home seven blocks in a game against defending conference champion Hartford last season. The human eraser ended up leading the America East in blocks per game with 1.84.

Name: Erin Owens (C)

The talented sophomore from Coopersburg, Penn., has been a victim of circumstance since her arrival at BU; she has always had talented upperclassmen in front of her. This year’s situation will be no different; however, playing time for Owens should increase. She has soft hands and is a very efficient shooter, giving Conover yet another solid option in the low post.

Stat: 16

Owens averaged 16 points per 40 minutes during the two exhibition games. She scored four points in seven minutes yesterday, and in the first game pulled down three rebounds in nine minutes. The stat is just a projection, but it’s an indicator of the impact Owens can have with more playing time.

Name: Rich Conover (coach)

Conover, the 2004 America East Coach of the Year, begins his fifth full season at the helm of Binghamton’s women’s basketball team. He dealt with injuries all year last season, but still steered the Bearcats to a very respectable fourth place finish and a first round victory at the America East tournament. This is one of the best teams he has ever had on paper, and it will be up to Conover to help the team make the leap from good to great.

Stat: 3

The women’s basketball team was picked third in the AE preseason coaches poll Monday, ahead of defending conference champion UMBC. The ranking is the highest preseason ranking BU has achieved in basketball. The pick is a testament to Conover’s respect around the league and his ability to build a winner.