“As a team sport, I feel like the ultimate goal is to win a championship … and then try to win more games than we did last year,” Chenery said. “I think we all want to get to the 20-win mark.”
Chenery transferred to Binghamton for the 2023-24 season after three years at Quinnipiac. During his first season at BU, Chenery proved himself as one of the Bearcats’ go-to options on offense. In 25 starts, he averaged 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. With the start of the season looming on the horizon, Chenery is looking forward to embracing his newfound role as a leader and veteran presence on the team.
“This is kind of my first time, since high school, being designated the leader,” Chenery said. “I definitely try to be there for the guys and give them little tips about certain things that I see.”
Although LeBron James is the greatest player of all time in his book, Chenery says he models his game after Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics and Mikal Bridges of the New York Knicks.
“I feel like there’s a couple players,” Chenery said. “I like Jaylen Brown a lot, just being kind of a two way player [that] can do everything. I like Mikal Bridges, how he defends. I would say, a lot of Jaylen Brown, just trying to do everything [and] affecting the game in many ways.”
Chenery said a major part of the evolution in his game and the journey into his second season at Binghamton has been thanks to the coaching staff. He has high praise for head coach Levell Sanders especially, who he credits with being extremely genuine and honest with him throughout his time as a Bearcat.
“I think [Sanders] is probably the most honest coach in the nation,” Chenery said. “You don’t really find coaching staffs that are truthful and honest and genuine as these guys that we have at Binghamton. I definitely want to show my appreciation for them and staying and they’ve been doing the same as me, and just keep holding me accountable and pushing me. I think it’s definitely helped my growth for my game.”
Notably, Chenery mentioned that one aspect of his game that fans should be able to look forward to is enhanced perimeter shooting this season. He looks to improve his 29.7 percent shooting percentage from beyond the arc, which will be crucial for the Bearcats’ offense.
“I think we’ve, at least for the preseason, we’re shooting the ball really well as a team,” Chenery said. “We have a lot of good shooters. I think that’s going to be something that the fans can expect and see that’s different from last year. We’re going to be able to make shots a lot, at a higher rate.”
Looking ahead into the season, Chenery says he is excited for the opportunity to rise to the challenge of the America East conference schedule, particularly against teams that the Bearcats fell short of beating last season.
“I think all the conference games are definitely gonna be the ones that I’m really excited for,” Chenery said. “Especially the teams that we weren’t able to beat last year.”
Reflecting on what Binghamton has meant to him in just his second year in Vestal, Chenery sums it up in one word — community.
“One of the real things that I really appreciate about Binghamton [is that] it’s a real community feel,” Chenery said. “They really care about sports here. You can tell, especially with our attendance. They show up when we have home games.”