As Binghamton looked to replace numerous players who left after last season, the Bearcats welcomed sophomore guard Chris Walker who transferred from Arkansas Little Rock where he averaged 20.8 minutes per game, shot 36 percent from three-point range and 67.7 percent from the free throw line. Walker will look to bring his sharpshooting and defensive prowess to the Bearcats this year as they look to win their first America East (AE) title since 2009.

“I’m a really good shooter, so that is my strength,” Walker said. “I can really make plays and get my teammates open with the ball. I’m also a good defender.”

The Bearcats have lost seven of their 12 players from last season and have brought in nine new faces in order to rejuvenate the team on their quest for the [AE] title. Despite the considerable amount of new faces, the veteran leadership has made a strong effort to help the newcomers, like Walker, assimilate to life as a student-athlete at Binghamton. In addition, Walker has got accustomed to the ins and outs of the basketball program here at BU.

“Overall, the adjustment here has been smooth,” Walker said. “The veteran guys that have been here have shown the new guys the ropes and how things are done here. They’ve gotten us used to the Binghamton culture.”

After an exhibition against D’ Youville University, the Bearcats will open their season against a tough Big 10 opponent in Northwestern. Walker is no stranger to playing well against Big 10 teams as he scored nine points and grabbed eight boards against a No. 9 ranked Indiana team while he was playing for Arkansas Little Rock. In addition to this strong performance, Walker also scored in double digits five times in his freshman year at Arkansas Little Rock which resulted in him winning Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) freshman of the week twice. Walker is not shy about his goals for the upcoming season for himself and for the team as he has aspirations to win AE newcomer of the year.

“My personal goal for this year is to win newcomer of the year in the [AE],” Walker said. “Obviously I want my team to win the conference and make it to the [NCAA] tournament. I’m thinking big for us.”

The Bearcats have been eliminated from the AE playoffs the last two seasons by eventual champions Vermont. Despite this fact, Walker is adamant that the Bearcats have the tools they need to succeed and are more than ready for the challenge of a heated matchup against Vermont.

“I love those big pressure games,” Walker said. “I’m ready to see them when we play. [Binghamton is] not the same team that we were last year. We’re going to see.”

In the yearly AE preseason poll the Bearcats were picked to finish fourth out of nine. When asked whether there is value in the preseason poll or if it adds a little bit of an edge to the season, Walker admitted that he doesn’t pay too much attention to the preseason poll. He is simply focused on how the team can do well and win games this year.

“I don’t look too much into that because it’s just someone’s opinion,” Walker said. “At the end of the day, what we do and how we do, is up to us. That’s how I think about it.”

Coming off a strong freshman season at Arkansas Little Rock where he averaged 7.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, Walker is poised to have a strong season with their Bearcats and help them win the elusive [AE] title. When asked for a message for the fans this year, Walker had a positive response.

“We have a different team this year, so we’re going to win a lot,” Walker said. “We just need everyone to come support and pop out to the games.”