If you’ve seen a Binghamton women’s basketball game in the last two years, there’s a good chance you’ve also seen Imani Watkins blazing past the opposition’s defense or pickpocketing an opponent.
It’s not just because she’s a lefty, which tends to stick out like a sore thumb on the basketball court. It’s not just because she was the point guard in an offense that primarily ran the ball through her and center Alyssa James. There’s a good chance you recognize Watkins because she played 37.5 minutes per game last year — easily first in the America East (AE) Conference.
“I like being on the floor, I’m not going to lie to you, but I think it benefits us as a team for a couple of us to get a break every now and again,” Watkins said.
The 2015-16 season was a season of transition for the Bearcats, and a successful one at that. While Watkins and James showed flashes of brilliance that had not been around for the past few years of Bearcats’ basketball, head coach Linda Cimino’s plan for the team was clearly in its beginning stages. When Binghamton lost star point guard Jasmine Sina just before the season started, the Bearcats were chosen to finish last in the AE Conference.
While the loss of Sina was apparent on the court, most notably in the 3-point shooting department, Watkins made the step forward necessary for the Bearcats to raise from the cellar of the conference standings. She ran the offense like a true point guard, even though the transition from shooting guard to point guard isn’t always smooth. On some possessions, Watkins took a shot when Cimino would have preferred the ball be passed around. Overall though, Watkins was key to BU’s offensive effort, draining an average of 16 points per game. Following the regular season, she was named to the AE All-Conference Second team.
Despite her successes in her first two years, Watkins is only looking forward. The Bearcats are a team on the rise, and with that comes hungry underclassmen eager to start their careers just like Watkins did. This increased level of depth is important to the development of the entire team. A recent end-of-practice scrimmage showed that while the Bearcats will be led by upperclassmen, the youngsters are not going to back down.
“I think it benefits the upperclassmen,” Watkins said of the increased competition. “We’re gonna continue to do what we’ve been doing but be we added depth. We’ve added more pieces, and that makes me able to be more effective in different areas.”
From her early days in High Point, North Carolina to the final buzzer of Binghamton’s loss to Albany in last year’s conference tournament, Watkins has always played with a chip on her shoulder. She helped the team go from four wins in 2014-15 to 14 in 2015-16. While the narrative of the preseason is centered around Sina’s return, Bearcats fans should not forget about the talented guard who will line up next to her. If Binghamton makes its planned run to the top of the conference, Watkins will be one of the main reasons why.