Inheriting a program that went 2-29 through the 2011-12 season, Tommy Dempsey needed something to sell in his first year at the helm of the Binghamton men’s basketball team. The obvious option was to call it a rebuilding period. But any new coach could sell that point. The other option was in something actually marketable.
“When you inherit a program where there initially wasn’t a lot to sell, you have to find something to sell,” Dempsey said. “And we sold Jordan.”
Then-freshman guard Jordan Reed, who was just named to the America East preseason All-Conference team in October for the second consecutive year, has remained the program’s staple. After a rocky January in which Binghamton’s star was barred from all team activities for a week, the now-junior stormed back, recording his first two 30 plus-point performances of his career.
Although complemented by a more robust roster with the addition of sophomores Marlon Beck II, Yosef Yacob, Nick Madray and Magnus Richards, Reed still anchored last season’s team. The 6-foot-4 guard led the conference in rebounds per game for the second straight year (8.9) and ranked third in points per game (15.4). That was despite all the targets rival teams painted on his back.
“When the other team does a scouting report, it’s ‘What are we going to do with Reed?’” Dempsey said. “They put the best defender on him, they have another guy ready to double him on his catches, and they just make his life scoring the ball very difficult.”
“So what he ends up having to do a lot of the time is get it on the backboard, rebound it, put it back in, draw fouls, and he finds a way to get production,” the head coach continued. “At the end of the day he finds a way to get his numbers because he’s such a relentless rebounder.”
Reed’s rebounding numbers constituted over a quarter of his team’s total 32.3 boards per game. That category merited the team’s highest national ranking last year, falling in 295th offensively and 307th defensively. While his versatility allowed him to produce in adversity, it will take a different role this season. Last year, the media raved about Reed’s no longer being alone. They claimed that Beck and Yacob would set him up for better shots and that Madray would stretch the floor, giving Reed more space to drive into the lane.
Those speculations proved true: Reed’s points and rebounds per game may have dipped marginally, but he went from shooting 39.1 percent from the field his debut year to 41.4 last season.
But the tune is different now. It’s not ‘get Reed better opportunities,’ it’s ‘Reed will no longer have to do it all.’
“I think now that we have rebuilt to a point and rebuilt the roster, now it’s just about being one of the guys,” Dempsey said.
“His numbers may or may not be what they were,” he added. “They might not need to be what they were — he might not have to get 30 points and 12 rebounds for us to have a chance to win. I’m sure he’s still going to be capable of doing that on given nights, but I think he’ll need to settle into playing his role, being a great defender, being the best rebounder in the league, being the guy who can take the ball to the basket and make plays for his team.”
While Reed may not have to do it all, while the team’s potential for success might not rely on whether or not Reed is having a productive night, he’s still leading the team by example. And he still dominates the floor — just not in all areas.
“As far as athleticism and all that, I feel like I’m still at the head,” Reed said. “But I’ve got tremendous shooters in Nick Madray — obviously he can shoot better than me. I’ve got a terrific shooter in Dusan [Perovic] as well as Willie [Rodriguez]. And they bring that to the table. But as far as defense and toughness, I think I got that. But that’s why I need them. Because I can’t do everything. And what’s not my specialty might be their specialty and they might be the missing part of the recipe to a successful season.”