After a strong inaugural campaign that saw sophomore forward Annie Ramil being named to the American East all-rookie team, she hopes to continue to be a catalyst for the Binghamton women’s basketball team in their 2019-20 campaign.
“You can’t let it get to your head, because you want to be all-rookie of the whole conference, but it was really nice to get all of that recognition,” Ramil said. “I’m hoping to be that type of player again this year.”
Ramil came to BU after a standout career at nearby Binghamton High School, where she averaged 19.6 points and 14.6 rebounds per game as a senior. She comes from a family of basketball players, including her teammate and sister, junior forward Olivia Ramil.
Now, with a year of experience under her belt, Ramil is looking to distance herself from other players in the league. She is looking to become a more complete player, with several areas to improve on this season.
“I’ve been working on a pull-up, I’ve been working on my 3-[pointers],” Ramil said. “I wasn’t really a shooter last year, so I’m trying to become more of a triple threat rather than attack or be on the post.”
Ramil played in 30 games last season coming off the bench, averaging 17.4 minutes per game. A big part of Ramil’s success last season was her rebounding, averaging 4.2 rebounds per game. By doing the “small things,” as Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord instructed, Ramil felt that she became a better player as the season went on.
“Coach Ord expected me to do the little things, and I think as I got comfortable and as the team helped me out, I think I did a lot better throughout the season, growing and becoming a big helper to the team,” Ramil said. “I think with [the senior class] this year, they’re definitely helping me become more of a key player and helping me become a leader this year.”
In addition to continually developing herself as a player, Ramil is looking to improve as a leader on the team this season. As a veteran player with six new freshmen on the team, she hopes to help develop this year’s young Bearcats roster.
“[I want] to be more of a leader in a positive matter,” Ramil said. “Talking to [teammates] in different ways, understanding how everybody talks to each other, or how everybody understands everything.”
One teammate she is particularly familiar with is her sister, Olivia Ramil. Despite playing different positions on the court, the two have a strong familiarity and bond on the court.
“Mentally, on the court, we know what each other are going to do since we’ve been playing with each other for so long,” Ramil said. “I play more of the four and Olivia the five, and we love to have that high-low game, but Olivia’s been teaching me a lot of the moves at the five, and I think I am going to be playing the five a bit more than last year.”