It has been a rough few years for Binghamton. Since the start of BU head coach Tommy Dempsey’s tenure four years ago, the Bearcats have served as the America East’s (AE) karmic duds.

Dempsey landed at Binghamton in 2012 after a largely successful seven-year stint as the head coach of Rider. He took over what was, at the time, a disastrous program in desperate need of a rebuild. The comedy of errors that has characterized the team in recent memory stems not from Dempsey’s failures, but from a series of events that left the program incapacitated and unable to compete at the top of the conference.

Halfway through the 2014-15 season, star guard and two-time All-AE pick Jordan Reed decided to transfer. That same year, then-freshman forward Dusan Perovic, who had become a cog in the Bearcats’ lineup, went down for the second half of the season with a torn ACL. And last season, junior guard Yosef Yacob missed the season due to a torn labrum. Unsurprisingly, BU has failed to win more than a middling eight games in each of the last six seasons.

“At Rider, we had a rebuild just because that team was so young,” Dempsey said. “But it wasn’t the same kind of thing where the entire roster needed to be overhauled. I think this rebuild is one that has certainly taken more time, but we’ve been patient with a philosophy of bringing in kids who work hard.”

Two years ago, Binghamton was the youngest team in the country. It was the seventh-youngest last season, when not even one senior was on the roster. But after dealing with the growing pains that are often associated with player development on young teams, many on the roster have now grown into leaders.

Senior guard Marlon Beck returns to play as the team’s shooting guard and leading perimeter threat, while typically reserved junior forward Willie Rodriguez will attempt to become a more vocal leader on the court. Those two are set to march onto the floor as starters, heading the most rounded and veteran squad that Binghamton has seen during Dempsey’s tenure.

“I think it was so much about building a roster those first couple of years … and now you have to let the roster grow,” Dempsey said. “Now that everybody’s back and has the extra year under their belt, we finally have some experience. I think that makes a big difference in college basketball.”

According to Dempsey, the Bearcats’ starting lineup won’t be set until the start of AE play in January. He wants the players to compete for the spots. This year, BU’s depth will give the coaching staff more flexibility in setting the rotation. A glut of new, talented guards is set to give Binghamton an opportunity to embrace small ball — a philosophy that was not an option last year. Favoring small ball would sacrifice size and some defense for speed, agility and much-needed offensive production.

Redshirt sophomore J.C. Show is set to take over starting point guard duties for the Bearcats. Show transferred from Bucknell prior to last season but was forced to sit out a season due to NCAA transfer rules. He will be joined by sophomore Everson Davis in one probable iteration of the starting lineup. Davis is set to see time as small forward after Binghamton’s injury problems forced him to play much of last season as a point guard.

Despite his inexperience, freshman guard Fard Muhammad is also challenging for a spot in the lineup. Dempsey has been impressed with the highly touted recruit’s shooting, an area in which Binghamton struggled mightily in 2015-16.

“One of our areas where we’ve been a little weak over the past couple of years is our guard play,” Dempsey said. “Not necessarily that we haven’t had some good guards, but we really just haven’t had a lot of depth there. There’s a lot more competition now and everybody’s fighting for their jobs.”

Alongside Muhammad, the Bearcats acquired two other new players. Both freshman wingman Tyler Stewart and junior forward Caleb Stewart will redshirt this season.

“I think we’ve stayed true to our philosophy, focusing on player development,” Dempsey said. “We threw the kids into the deep end when they first got here because we didn’t have a choice and now we’re trying to grow with those kids.”

The Bearcats’ frontcourt is set to be anchored by Rodriguez and sophomore forward Thomas Bruce. Rodriguez’s 15.1 points and 6.7 rebounds per game led BU last season, while Bruce’s defensive presence kept Binghamton in close contests down the stretch.

Rodriguez figures to be the Bearcats’ most important player. His selection to the AE Preseason All-Conference team is indicative of the heightened reputation of the Binghamton in the AE, since players on successful teams are more likely to be chosen. BU was picked fourth in the conference’s preseason poll, which marked its highest ranking in eight years.

In 2015-16, the Bearcats were third in the conference in scoring defense, allowing just 68.9 points per game. Their defensive prowess, however, could not overshadow their glaring offensive deficiencies; BU finished last in the conference in scoring at 60.9 points per game.

In recent seasons, Binghamton has been regarded as a dark horse with the potential to prove itself. So far, it has failed to do so. But for Dempsey and his Bearcats, there now exists a real sense that the chaotic cloud hovering overhead has finally faded. BU may be ready to turn the corner at last.

“I’m confident that we’re going to be better,” Dempsey said. “I think the challenge is how much; I think we’re moving the needle in the right direction. If we shoot the ball better and we score the ball better, I think the team has great potential. And if we see that going into the second half of the year, we can compete for an America East Championship. That’s the goal.”