If anyone doubted that this year was going to be different for Richie Forbes, they needed only to look at last year’s press conference introducing new Binghamton University men’s basketball coach Kevin Broadus.

As a local television broadcaster interviewed Forbes about the change, his new head coach came up behind him and took off Forbes’s baseball hat. The message was clear: Broadus was in charge, and Richie was going to listen.

Six months later, it looks like that message has been received.

No one doubts that Richie Forbes is the most talented offensive player at Binghamton, if not in the entire America East. He led New York City in scoring the year that Sebastian Telfair graduated for a reason. But in the same token, no one will doubt that last year Forbes lacked discipline, especially at the defensive end.

Everyone remembers when Forbes was benched for showing up 10 minutes late to practice; everyone remembers when Al Walker threw him under the bus and exclaimed at a press conference that Forbes was terrible at defense.

Starting with that moment at the press conference, you could see that Forbes’ role was going to be different. Just look at what Broadus said about him before the season started.

‘I’m looking at Richie Forbes to be very integral,’ Broadus said earlier this year. ‘I look forward to him being an impact player right away.’

That’s a far cry from what Walker was saying about Forbes at press conferences.

But Broadus’ comments shouldn’t be surprising to anyone who knows how hard Forbes has been working this offseason.

‘Last year I couldn’t play defense sometimes because I was tired and got up in my stance,’ Forbes said. ‘With conditioning this year, [Broadus] got us in shape to play 30 to 40 minutes and I can stay in my stance as long as possible.’

And there is no question that Forbes’ turnaround is because of Broadus. Walker didn’t trust him, and Forbes knew that.

‘I didn’t feel comfortable, period, last year,’ Forbes said. ‘It was the worst year ever playing basketball. Worst record ‘ I’ve never had a losing record.’

And the losing last season has put things into perspective for Forbes.

‘I don’t care if I start or come off the bench this season as long as we’re winning,’ he said.

You weren’t going to hear that from Forbes last season, and it took a year of losing to make that turnaround from him.

This year, he’s hustling, he’s playing defense, he wants the team to win. His teammates are actually seeing him as a leader and not just a guy who can explode for 25 points one night and put up zero the next. This year his teammates expect his game to be versatile.

‘You never know what to expect out of him, he’s really good,’ senior point guard Mike Gordon said. ‘Everyone knows he can score, people think he lacks D, but they’ll be surprised. He’ll be real good this year, he has so much more energy.’

Perhaps the most telling signal came when Broadus named the leaders of this team and didn’t issue an absolute like Walker did before last season when he said, ‘This is Mike [Gordon’s] team, period.’ Broadus listed ‘Magic Mike,’ as you knew he would, but went with someone else.

‘You need leaders. In the locker room, on the floor, in the study hall, and I think Mike Gordon and Richie Forbes have really stepped up so far,’ Broadus said.

‘Our team chemistry is amazing compared to last season,’ Forbes said. ‘Attitudes have changed. We’re all there for one another.’

Sounds like a guy who’s learned from the past.

Plain and simple, if the Bearcats want to succeed, they need Richie Forbes to be giving 100 percent every game, playing hard on both sides of the ball and living up to his potential, whether he’s a starter or a sixth man.

The change of coaches seems like it worked: everyone’s in better shape (heck, Jaan Montgomery dropped over 40 pounds). But Forbes is the one who needed a coaching change, and Forbes is the one whom it seems like it affected most.

‘Early mornings in the summer we were all swimming cardio,’ Gordon said. ‘Richie can’t swim but he was out there every day with us.’

To be out there with the team even though he couldn’t take part in the workout shows that Forbes is committed to this team and is committed to winning.

Need further proof? Look at last night’s game. The Bearcats scored the first basket of the night. Who scored? Freshman Moussa Camara.

Who had the assist?

Hint: It wasn’t Sebastian Telfair.