Earlier this week, the Binghamton men’s basketball team announced that junior guard Yosef Yacob will miss the entire 2015-16 season due to a shoulder injury that will require surgery. The junior was expected to be a key contributor off of BU head coach Tommy Dempsey’s bench this season, serving as the back-up point guard.
Yacob had a breakout freshman season in 2013-14. He started 22 games for the Bearcats, averaging 11.5 points — second-best for BU — 2.6 assists and 32.4 minutes per game. He was named to the America East All-Rookie team following that season.
His numbers regressed last season, as his minutes, points and assists all decreased. The guard started just 15 games as a sophomore. He averaged 5.8 points and 1.2 assists per game while shooting just 33.8 percent from the field in 22.8 minutes per contest.
The guard’s absence will leave a hole in the Bearcats’ backcourt. Currently, Binghamton has just one healthy point guard for the 2015-16 squad — junior guard Marlon Beck — with no other true ball handler on the roster. Freshman combo guard Everson Davis is now expected to see significant time off the bench as the lead guard while sophomore guard Romello Walker, who saw some limited action at the point last year, may see his ball-handling duties increase.
Yacob will redshirt this season and have two years of eligibility remaining when he returns.