Fall 2023 Basketball Issue

Tuesday, November 7, 2023 | Binghamton University | bupipedream.com

The Free Word on Campus Since 1946

BASKETBALL ISSUE 23’-24’

SCHEDULES

11/1

MEN’S

Douville

WOMEN’S

6:07 p.m.

11/3

Roberts Wesleyan

6:07 p.m.

11/6

@ Northwestern

8 p.m.

11/6

Bloomsburg

6:07 p.m.

11/10

@ Pittsburg

7 p.m.

11/9

Siena

6:07 p.m.

11/12

Keystone

6:07 p.m.

11/12

@ Loyola Maryland

5 p.m.

11/15

Loyola Maryland 7 p.m.

11/18

St. Bonaventure

1 p.m.

11/18

Marist

3:30 p.m.

11/21

11/21

@Sacred Heart

11:30 a.m.

11/24

Appalachian State (PR)

2:30 p.m.

11/25

Army

2 p.m.

11/25

Furman (PR)

2:30 p.m.

11/29

@ Colgate

8:30 p.m.

11/29

Cornell

6:07 p.m.

12/2

@ Stonehill

2 p.m.

12/3

Pittsburg

6 p.m.

12/9

Le Moyne

2 p.m.

12/8

Canisius

6:07 p.m.

12/19

Niagara

6:07 p.m.

12/17

Coppin State

2 p.m.

@ Navy

6 p.m.

12/22

@ St.Bonaventure

7 p.m.

12/20

12/30

Marywood

3:30 p.m.

12/30

Chestnut Hill

1 p.m.

@ Army

1 p.m.

1/11

@ Bryant

7 p.m.

1/4

UMBC

6:07 p.m.

1/13

@ Albany

4 p.m.

1/11

Bryant

11 a.m.

1/18

Vermont

6:07 p.m.

1/18

@ Vermont

TBA

1/20

UMass Lowell

2 p.m.

1/20

@ UMass Lowell

7 p.m.

1/25

@ UNH

7 p.m.

1/25

UNH

6:07 p.m.

1/27

@ Maine

2 p.m.

1/27

Maine

2 p.m.

2/1

NJIT

6:07 p.m.

2/1

2/3

@ Vermont

2 p.m.

2/3

2/8

Albany

6:07 p.m.

2/8

@ Albany

11 a.m.

2/10

Bryant

2 p.m.

2/10

@ Bryant

2 p.m.

2/15

UMBC

6:07 p.m.

2/15

@ UMBC

6 p.m.

@ NJIT Vermont

7 p.m.

2 p.m.

2/17

@ NJIT

3:30 p.m.

2/17

NJIT

2 p.m.

2/22

@ UMass Lowell

6:30 p.m.

2/22

UMass Lowell

6:07 p.m.

2/29

Maine

6:07 p.m.

2/29

@ Maine

6 p.m.

3/2

UNH

2 p.m.

3/2

@ UNH

1 p.m.

3/5

@ UMBC

7 p.m.

2,133 .450 .323 35.0 11.6 4.6 3.2 5

Total points

Field Goal percentage 3-point percentage

Rebounds per game Assists per game

Steals per game

Blocks per game

Finish in AE standings

WOMEN’S

1,832 .392 .306 36.2 12.7 8.8 2.5 6

Total points

Field Goal percentage 3-point percentage

Rebounds per game Assists per game

Steals per game

Blocks per game

Finish in AE standings

2022-23 YEAR IN REVIEW

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Karlie McGann Sports Contributor

Guard

Symir Torrence

Fresh off of his senior year at Syracuse, Binghamton welcomes graduate student guard Symir Torrence, who is ready to step up for the Bearcats and show what he’s made of. Torrence’s collegiate basketball career began at Marquette, where he played his freshman and sophomore years — starting just three games.

He then transferred to Syracuse, his hometown school, to play his junior and senior years under hall-of-fame Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim.

“I think this is every opportunity for me to just show who I really am and … [show] what people have been missing,” Torrence said.

Last season, Torrence averaged 2.4 points per game and 11.2 minutes on the court for the Orange.

His season highlights included scoring double figures for the Orange in wins against Lehigh and Oakland, dishing out five assists in just 12 minutes at Virginia and playing 25 minutes in a victory over Colgate.

At Syracuse, Torrence served as a senior leader on a team with relatively young and inexperienced talent — as nearly half of the Orange’s roster last year consisted of freshmen. This quality is something he plans on bringing over to Binghamton as he prepares for his last season of college basketball. “[I want to show] the young guys — the freshmen, the sophomores — that you really got to cherish each and every day because it goes by fast,” Torrence said. “Just treating every day like it’s your last and not taking anything for granted. Thinking by those words every day means a lot

and I carry them on the court with me.”

Torrence also expressed his gratitude for having the opportunity to play for each respective school in his past four collegiate seasons and is using his experiences from both Marquette and Syracuse to motivate him to improve his game and leadership presence on the team.

“This is every opportunity for me to just show who I really am”

“[I’m] just taking little bits and pieces from every year and adding it to my game,” Torrence said.

“Whether it’s a scoring impact or a leadership impact, I think I’ve done a good job of carrying all the opportunities

I’ve had at Marquette and [Syracuse] and following up with that at Binghamton.”

Though being a leader for the Bearcats is certainly important to him, Torrence’s overall motivation and purpose for his game come from him wanting to be an inspiration for his family and his community. He has a large family and acknowledged that not everyone has made it as far as he has, obtaining a college degree, while also working on a graduate degree at Binghamton as well. Torrence added that after his basketball career comes to a close, he wants not only to start coaching but to start an organization in the city of Syracuse that uplifts kids in his community. “[I want to give] them my story [and give] them opportunities to be able to go outside of Syracuse and establish what they mean to themselves, to their family and to this world,” Torrence said.

For his final season, Torrence chose to play at Binghamton not only because of the opportunities it provided him in terms of playing time and establishing himself as a point guard but also because he felt that it was the best fit for him.

He has his sights set on being the best he can be, especially if it means achieving America East (AE) player of the year or AE defensive player of the year honors. However, his main objective for the Bearcats this year is not only to win but to exceed expectations for the team, particularly during the AE Tournament. “[W]hen we get to the conference tournament, we want to win that so we can make it to the big tournament,” Torrence said. “Once we get to the big tournament, we kind of want to surprise some people, so day by day, that’s the main goal.”

Jacob Knipes Assistant Sports Editor

Guard

Armon Harried For senior guard Armon Harried, the work is never-ending.

Entering his second season as Binghamton’s highest-scoring returning player, Harried emphasized how he has continued to fine-tune his game to prepare for the 2023-24 season.

“The grind has never gotta stop,” Harried said. “You gotta keep working because the season is coming around fast. You’re already back for this again, so that was just a natural grind that I was on.”

Harried transferred to BU in the fall of 2022 from Canisius. He scored an average of 11.2 points and 4.5 rebounds while playing an average of 29.8 minutes per game during his final year for the Golden Griffins. Harried expressed how the people at BU helped make his transition to the Bearcats’ program smooth and why that’s important.

“That’s the main thing that you look for in this business because, at the end of the day, it is a business,” Harried said. “And within that, you find good people that can help you and shoot straight with you and tell you exactly what you need to do to be successful and what is expected of you within the program.”

After starting the season on the bench due to injury, Harried saw his first minutes on the court for Binghamton in December and had a strong stretch of games which were described by the guard as his “Bearcat moment.” During this stretch of games, Harried posted a 12-point and 14-rebound double-double performance in a win over Oneonta on Dec. 17 alongside a stat sheet of 25 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 38 minutes against Cornell on Dec. 29.

“Being in the dog fight at Fordham was a good thing … for

me, for coming back from injury,” Harried said. “It’s a good dog fight, then going onto the Cornell game and then the Bryant game. That stretch of games probably did me well. And I was like, ‘Okay, I’m here. I’m getting my feet under me and I’m learning these things.’”

With the Bearcats earning the fifth seed going into the America East (AE) playoffs, Harried would get his first taste of AE playoffs back home in Maryland when the

“The grind has never got to stop” Bearcats visited UMBC for its AE quarter-final matchup. Harried described how he felt to have been a part of BU’s 67-65 overtime win in the AE postseason.

“I got a chance to play in my hometown, which was UMBC, so that was good,” Harried said. “My family got to come which was really nice, and I had to adapt into a role to help my team win that they needed me to do. So that was like, shut down defensively and chase these people around and that’s what I did.

So it was a lot of sacrificing, doing what’s best for the team and

for the greater good.”

Harried finished his inaugural Bearcat campaign averaging 11.8 points, 2.0 assists and a team-leading 6.3 rebounds in 32.9 minutes per game. With the departure of senior guard Jacob Falko, this leaves Harried as the top returning Bearcat scorer.

Now a tri-captain for the squad, Harried expressed that he has been focusing on how he can make the necessary plays to help the Bearcats win games.

“For me, personally, there’s no replacing Falko,” Harried said.

“So what can [Harried] do to help us win? And the thing is that we have so many players, it’s more than just if I’m gonna score 17 points per game or some odd number of points. It’s not gonna attribute to winning. It’s more so whatever is necessary to win, so I’m gonna make the … plays that play into winning and then that [scoring] role will be filled if you’re winning.”

With Falko gone, Harried’s new partner-in-crime will be a new transfer to the team — graduate student guard Symir Torrence. Torrence brings with him a personal connection to Harried, having been a member of the same Syracuse Orange team that Harried’s father once played for.

“When I first met him, I met his father and me and his father talked about my dad’s time at Syracuse,” Harried said. “Then me and [him] had a little conversation about my father and the Syracuse system so we bonded over that. That has been one of the things that is just there and that’s a bond that’s there between two people.”

With regular season play on the horizon, Harried left one final message for everyone who will be following the Bearcats this season.

“We see their energy, and we know they’re waiting patiently for something to happen,” Harried said. “And you best believe we are gonna try our hardest to get it done. We have something in store for them every time we step on that court.”

Jared Castro Sports Contributor

Guard

Chris Walker As Binghamton looked to replace numerous players who left after last season, the Bearcats welcomed sophomore guard Chris Walker who transferred from Arkansas Little Rock where he averaged 20.8 minutes per game, shot 36 percent from three-point range and 67.7 percent from the free throw line. Walker will look to bring his sharpshooting and defensive prowess to the Bearcats this year as they look to win their first America East (AE) title since 2009.

“I’m a really good shooter, so that is my strength,” Walker said. “I can really make plays and get my teammates open with the ball. I’m also a good defender.”

The Bearcats have lost seven of their 12 players from last season and have brought in nine new faces in order to rejuvenate the team on their quest for the [AE] title. Despite the considerable amount of new faces, the veteran leadership has made a strong effort to help the newcomers, like Walker, assimilate to life as a student-athlete at Binghamton. In addition, Walker has got accustomed to the ins and outs of the basketball program here at BU. “Overall, the adjustment here has been smooth,” Walker said. “The veteran guys that have been here have shown the new guys the ropes and how things are done here. They’ve gotten us used to the Binghamton culture.”

After an exhibition against D’ Youville University, the Bearcats

will open their season against a tough Big 10 opponent in Northwestern. Walker is no stranger to playing well against Big 10 teams as he scored nine points and grabbed eight boards against a No. 9 ranked Indiana team while he was playing for Arkansas Little Rock. In addition to this strong performance, Walker also scored in double digits five times in his freshman year at Arkansas Little Rock which resulted in him winning Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) freshman of the week

“I love those big pressure games”

twice. Walker is not shy about his goals for the upcoming season for himself and for the team as he has aspirations to win AE newcomer of the year.

“My personal goal for this year is to win newcomer of the year

in the [AE],” Walker said. “Obviously I want my team to win the conference and make it to the [NCAA] tournament. I’m thinking big for us.”

The Bearcats have been eliminated from the AE playoffs the last two seasons by eventual champions Vermont. Despite this fact, Walker is adamant that the Bearcats have the tools they need to succeed and are more than ready for the challenge of a heated matchup against Vermont.

“I love those big pressure games,” Walker said.

“I’m ready to see them when we play. [Binghamton is] not the same team that we were last year. We’re going to see.”

In the yearly AE preseason poll the Bearcats were picked to finish fourth out of nine. When asked whether there is value in the preseason poll or if it adds a little bit of an edge to the season, Walker admitted that he doesn’t pay too much attention to the preseason poll. He is simply focused on how the team can do well and win games this year.

“I don’t look too much into that because it’s just someone’s opinion,” Walker said. “At the end of the day, what we do and how we do, is up to us. That’s how I think about it.”

Coming off a strong freshman season at Arkansas Little Rock where he averaged 7.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, Walker is poised to have a strong season with their Bearcats and help them win the elusive [AE] title. When asked for a message for the fans this year, Walker had a positive response.

“We have a different team this year, so we’re going to win a lot,” Walker said. “We just need everyone to come support and pop out to the games.”

Joseph Cramer Sports Contributor

Guard

Dan Petcash Going into his fifth and final year of eligibility, graduate student guard Dan Petcash is as optimistic as ever when it comes to the 2023-24 season. By virtue of being the most veteran player on the team, Petcash has a role that is uniquely his through all the experience that he has gained throughout the years at Binghamton.

“I’m the type of guy where whatever the coaching staff needs or wants me to do, I will do,” Petcash said. “[The coaching staff], they’re trying to get us to play together, play basketball the right way so that we don’t have to rely on one guy making dribble moves. [Our goal is to] play team basketball.”

Last season, Petcash was the Bearcats’ main three-point shooting threat, knocking down 40.6 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

He also shot an efficient 49.8 percent from the field and led the team with five games in which he scored 20 or more points. Last season, on Jan. 28, Petcash notched 24 points and eight rebounds against Bryant to secure a home victory for BU. In his 2022-23 campaign, Petcash saw more action than he has throughout his entire college career. He played 30 games with 25 starts and averaged 31.8 minutes a game. During this time on the court, he averaged 9.8 points and 4.2 rebounds. Ultimately, Petcash still sees places where he can improve his statistics through his play

style.

“I want to try to be a better playmaker this year,” Petcash said. “Last year [and in years past], I had to rely on other players making advantages for me, so this year I want to work on creating those advantages for myself and for my teammates.”

Petcash expressed his confidence in the Bearcats’ ability to defend the basket and expects nothing to change from their defensive performance from last season.

“We’re really looking forward to playing for all of the fans”

Last year, Binghamton held its opponents to a 43.7 percent field goal percentage, an average of 71.5 points per game and a 32.8 percent three-point field goal percentage, which placed the team in the top five of the

America East (AE) in each category.

“Our biggest thing we’ve been working on this year is to get better offensively,” Petcash said. “I know we struggled from the three-point line [last] year, so we’ve all been working in the off-season on that … the expectation from last year is that we rely on our defense to win games. That [is] something we have to change for this season” The veteran guard spends his time outside of the court sharpening his strategic tools through playing chess.

Seeing a play unfold before it happens is a talent that requires a high basketball IQ and as a fifth-year player, Petcash’s experience is unmatched and will give Binghamton an upper hand every time he steps on the court. Fundamentally, Petcash sees the mindset necessary for playing chess to be analogous to playing basketball.

“There is a lot of strategy involved in both,” Petcash said. “You have to be able to think ahead in basketball like you do in chess. Especially on an individual level, you have to see a play happening before it happens, so you know what to do. That’s the same with chess. You have to think multiple moves ahead.”

Petcash is ready for the future. He believes that this year’s team is well-rounded and ready for all the challenges ahead. Defensively, the Bearcats will retain their prowess and on the offensive end, he trusts that his teammates all worked hard to make a change from last season. He explains that all of the pieces have been assembled, and the team is ready to deliver a championship to Binghamton when March comes around.

“We’re really looking forward to playing for all of the fans and making the games fun and exciting for everyone,” Petcash said.

Thomas Hemmer Sports Contributor

Forward

Nehemiah Benson

In his first season with the Bearcats after transferring from Rider University, senior forward Nehemiah Benson is looking to accomplish big things. Benson played his high school ball at Streetsboro High School and Lutheran East High School in his home state of Ohio, competing in a state championship game during his time there. After high school, Benson went on to play three years for Rider in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC), appearing in a total of 79 games for the Broncs. However, Benson desired to play a more major role and decided to transfer to Binghamton.

“I really wanted the opportunity to show everything I could do and all the things I believe I can do,” Benson said.

Benson credited the Binghamton coaching staff with making him choose Binghamton as the place he wanted to spend his senior season, praising their approach and ability to create a strong locker room culture.

“I really felt like Binghamton was the right place for me,” Benson said. “On my visit with the coaching staff, I really loved them. They let you figure out stuff. They let you do stuff. They let you try to be the best player you can be. I really got that vibe from them and I feel like through it all they’re going to have your back.”

Benson believes his time in the MAAC will give him a significant advantage against America East (AE) competition.

“It’s a very tough-nosed type of conference,” Benson said.

“Throughout my years at Rider, I feel like I learned how to deal with the adversity you will face throughout a season and how to

be able to push through anything. I learned how to be a great teammate, to let them know that in tough moments everything is okay and we can still accomplish our goals.”

Benson was a significant piece for Rider, especially in his sophomore season in 2021-22, where he played over 439 total minutes, grabbed 81 rebounds and shot 45.3 percent from the field. Throughout his entire three-year term for the Broncs,

“I want to be the best version of myself”

Benson played over 800 minutes, accrued 147 rebounds and shot 42.6 percent from the field.

With the season right around the corner, Benson has high expectations for both himself and the team. He feels that

keeping true to himself and staying level will be the key to his success this year.

“I want to be the best version of myself,” Benson said. “I want to be a person that the team can look to at any moment that will bring the positivity they need. As a whole, I feel like our team offensively and defensively has a lot of pieces and putting it all together is the main thing we really have to do. As a team, I really want us to finish number one in the [AE]. I want to be able to bring a championship to Binghamton and have us be able to go dancing.

His personal goals include winning AE newcomer of the year and feels that he has the ability to do so with his skillset on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.

“Personally, I really want to try and win newcomer of the year in the [AE],” Benson said. “I really feel like I can do that by keeping true to myself and being the biggest impact on my team and in the [AE] — scoring consistently, being a great defender and getting on the offensive glass and the glass as a whole.”

Benson expressed how the fans will be a key contributor to the team’s success this season as well. Winning a conference championship and going to March Madness isn’t easy, but Benson believes that with the fans’ help, he and the team can make that a reality.

“I really want the fans to bring the most energy to our games,” Benson said. “We’re going to feed off their energy, and I know they’re going to feed off of ours. We don’t plan to disappoint.”

America East menʼs team previews 1. Vermont

Head Coach: John Becker Season Record: 28-6 Conference Record: 17-1

Offensive: 72.7 PPG 5.7 RPG 13.68 APG

Defensive: 66.9 PPG 5.88 SPG 2.88 BPG

2. UMass Lowell Head Coach: Pat Duquette Season Record: 28-6 Conference Record: 17-1

3. Bryant

Head Coach: Jared Grasso Season Record: 28-6 Conference Record: 17-1

Offensive: 78.0 PPG 12.1 RPG 14.29 APG

Offensive: 79.4 PPG 6.3 RPG 13.43 APG

Defensive: 66.0 PPG 6.97 SPG 4.82 BPG

Defensive: 73.1 PPG 6.67 SPG 3.53 BPG

Once again, the reigning champions fall in the top spot in this year’s America East (AE) conference preseason rankings. Vermont tallied 62 points, including six first-place votes. The Catamounts enter the season as back-to-back champions. Returning to the Catamounts’ roster are two of their top four scorers from last year, including graduate student guard Aaron Deloney, a two-time AE sixth man of the year who averaged 11.6 points and 2.3 rebounds per game last season.

Also returning is graduate student forward Matt Veretto who started 26 out of 34 games for Vermont last season and averaged 8.9 points per game. The Catamounts bid farewell to their top two scorers from last season — fifth-year guard Dylan Penn, who earned AE second-team all-conference and fifth-year guard Finn Sullivan, who was named to the AE first-team all-conference. Last season Sullivan was named

the Kevin Roberson AE player of the year. He is the seventh-straight Catamount to be given this award. He ranked fourth in scoring in conference play and averaged 15.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Another loss for Vermont is fifith year guard Robin Duncan, who led the league in assists tallying a total of 149 throughout the season. A notable returner is sophomore guard TJ Hurley, who was named to the all-rookie team, after averaging 5.1 points per game. The Catamounts were the best in the conference when it came to knocking down three-pointers, averaging 8.6 per game. Last season Vermont captured its 10th championship win, the highest total in conference history. In addition, last year’s title marks the Catamounts’ second straight AE championship and its fourth in the last five years.

It’s no surprise to find UMass Lowell second on this list, after making it to the championship game against Vermont last season and finishing the season with a historic 26-game win total. The River Hawks tallied 55 points, including three firstplace votes. Returning to the roster are three of their starters including graduate student forward Abdoul Karim Coulibaly who averaged 7.6 rebounds per game, the most on his team and was also named to the AE second-team all-conference. Senior forward Max Brooks who started in all 34 games he played, averaged 8.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game and was named to the all-defensive team returns as well. The biggest loss for the River Hawks is graduate student guard Everette Hammond, who was named to the first team all-conference and averaged

13.6 points per game, the highest on his team, 4.8 rebounds, the third best on his team and finished ninth in the conference with 462 points. As a team, the River Hawks averaged 78.0 points per game and 38.6 combined team rebounds per game.

They also only gave up 66.0 points per game to their opponents, which was the lowest total in the conference. They hit 48.4 percent of their shots, which was the best in the conference.

In addition, the AE conference coach of the year was awarded to UMass Lowell head coach Pat Duquette. UMass set records for wins with 26 league wins and 11 conference wins. The River Hawks enter the season hoping to earn the coveted AE championship title that they just came up short of winning.

For its second official season in the AE Conference, the Bulldogs earned the third spot on this list with 51 points. Last season they won 17 of their games and averaged the most points per game with 79.4 in the conference. They also had the highest combined team rebounds with 39.3 per game in the conference and were the best in team defensive rebounds with 28.7 per game. Returning this season is graduate student guard Sherif Gross-Bullock who led the conference in points, averaging 17.1 points per game. Gross-Bullock was also named AE newcomer of the year after his exceptional first season in the conference

and was named to the AE first-team all-conference as well. Also returning is senior guard Earl Timberlake who was eighth in the conference in points with 13.8 points per game and was named to the AE second-team all-conference team along with graduate student guard Charles Pride, who will not be returning this season after transferring to St. Bonaventure. Timberlake posted nine double-doubles and ranked third in rebounding in the conference. Bryant enters its third season in the AE looking and will very much be in contention for an AE title.

4. Binghamton

Jacob Knipes Assistant Sports Editor

Coming off its second consecutive America East (AE) semi-finals appearance during the 2022-23 season, the Binghamton men’s basketball team looks to pick up where they left off as the season tips off in November. With a regular season record of 13-18, going 8-8 in AE play, the Bearcats entered the AE playoffs as the fifth seed where they beat UMBC in overtime to advance to the semi-finals before falling to the eventual AE champions in Vermont. Entering year three at the helm is Binghamton head coach Levell Sanders.

“I think everybody’s just excited,” Sanders said.

“We feel that we have a good team. We feel that we got some really good players and some really good people.

So we’re just excited to be able to actually go out there and put a product out there that I think people will be excited to come and watch and support.”

Binghamton revamped its roster through the transfer portal and was picked to finish fourth in the preseason coaches poll for the second year in a row.

Binghamton’s roster features just five returning players. This group includes the guard duo of senior guard Armon Harried and graduate student guard Dan Petcash, who led the returning Bearcats in scoring with a combined 591 points last year. Sanders emphasized, however, that in the Bearcat’s system this year there isn’t a true number one option — rather, Sanders’ main focus is on team basketball and playmaking.

“If you have one guy scoring all the points, it is usually easy to stop one guy,” Sanders said. “But if you have a bunch of guys that can go out on any given night and get you points, then that’s a team that is gonna be hard to stop. And then for us, it’s just a matter of trying to get out and play the right way … if you play the right way the ball is gonna find you.”

One of the main areas that the Bearcats will look to improve upon this coming season is three-point shooting. Binghamton trailed the AE in both team three-point FG percentage, at .323, and total three-

Head Coach: Levell Sanders Season Record: 28-6 Conference Record: 17-1

pointers made with 172. Turnovers are another area Sanders emphasized for the squad over the offseason, as the Bearcats were the only team in the AE with a turnover margin below negative two at -2.26.

“We wanted to improve on our ability to make shots,” Sanders said. “So we’ve been taking a lot of shots this past summer and now into the fall. We need to be a better offensive team than we were. We were [329th] in made three-pointers per game last year in division one basketball, so we got to be better with that.”

Projected to be one of the main contributors to the Bearcats offense is a new face to the team — graduate student guard Symir Torrence. Torrence comes to BU after two years at Marquette and Syracuse, respectively, and brings with him an FG percentage of .453 in 11.2 minutes a game for the Orange last year. Torrence is part of a trio of new transfers to BU this season that also includes sophomore guard Chris Walker out of Arkansas-Little Rock as well as junior guard Tymu

Offensive: 68.8 PPG -2.7 RPG 11.65 APG

Defensive: 71.5 PPG 4.65 SPG 3.16 BPG

Chenery from Quinnipiac. Walker is also projected to be an immediate impact contributor, having shot .360 from the three-point line coming off the bench for the Trojans.

“We needed to add depth,” Sanders said. “We finished the season last year playing seven guys. We have some guys injured, and we had some guys going through some things personally. So for our last game against Vermont, we had two point guards on the bench who were injured, and not able to play. So I think from a depth standpoint, that was one thing that we needed to improve and get better with. I think we did that.”

This year’s Bearcats squad also features one of the largest first-year recruiting classes in recent memory for BU with four freshman players coming in.

READ THE FULL PREVIEW AT BUPIPEDREAM.COM

5. Maine

Head Coach: Chris Markwood Season Record: 28-6 Conference Record: 17-1

6. UMBC

Head Coach: Jim Ferry Season Record: 28-6

Conference Record: 17-1

Offensive: 68.5 PPG -1.2 RPG 13.83 APG

Offensive: 74.3 PPG 1.6 RPG 14.25 APG

Defensive: 69.7 PPG 9.47 SPG 2.07 BPG

After being ranked last in 2022-2023 preseason polls, Maine has climbed up this list to fifth with a total of 36 points. In his first season, Maine head coach Chris Markwood was able to achieve a seventh-place finish win for the Black Bears, after they finished in last the season prior. They ended with a total of 2,054 points throughout 30 games.

Returning to the Black Bears is junior guard Kellen Tynes, who as a sophomore was named AE defensive player of the year. Tynes led the nation with 98 steals averaging 3.3 per game and he was named to the AE all-defensive team and the AE third-team all-conference. Another player named to the AE third-team all-conference was fifth-year Gedi

Juozapaitis who finished third in the conference in points, averaging 15.4 per game. Juzozapaitis will not be on the Black Bears roster this season after leading his team in points last season. Sophomore guard Jaden Clayton was named to the AE all-rookie team and started all 30 games he played in the regular season and averaged 6.9 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game. The Black Bears led the league in steals with 284, averaging 9.47 per game. Markwood enters his second season as head coach and is continuing to build this team and take them to new heights.

Defensive: 72.8 PPG 5.63 SPG 2.53 BPG

Despite finishing the 2022-2023 season in fourth place, UMBC was ranked sixth in the preseason poll with a total of 25 points. The Retrievers won 18 out of 32 games and averaged 74.3 points per game, the third-best in the conference. One of the biggest losses for UMBC is graduate student guard Colton Lawrence, who was the Retriever’s leading scorer, averaging 12.2 points per game and was the only UMBC player named to an AE all-conference team. Returning to the Retrievers is sophomore guard Dion Brown who was named to the AE all-rookie team last season. As a freshman, Brown played in 22 out of 32 regular

season games and averaged 7.7 points per game and 4.0 rebounds per game. Joining the Retrievers is junior guard Marlon Short, who led his team in scoring and averaged 15.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game during his sophomore year. The Retrievers led the conference when it came to making their free throws, hitting 75 percent of their shots. They earned 74.3 points per game, the third-best in the conference. If UMBC keeps up with this offense-heavy style of play and continues to score, they can hopefully reclaim a top-two finish like they had in the 2021-2022 season.

The Great Danes ended their 2022-2023 season in last place but racked up 23 points to earn the seventh-place spot in the preseason poll. Returning to the roster is sophomore forward Jonathan Beagle, who earned a spot on the AE all-rookie team and was awarded AE rookie of the year. Beagle averaged 12.4 points per game which was the second best on his team as a freshman. Beagle also started in 29 games out of the 31 he played and he is one of six players in the conference to shoot over 50 percent from the floor. Also returning is redshirt sophomore Justin Neely, who played only two games last season due to injury but averaged 8.0 points per game, in the ones he appeared in —

this was the fourth-best on his team. Not returning this season is senior forward Gerald Drumgoole Jr., who led the Great Danes in points, averaging 15.7 per game and was second in rebounds per game. Drumgoole was also second in the conference for points totaling 488 throughout the season and led the league in threepoint field goals, averaging 2.5 per game. As a team, the Great Danes only gave up 33.5 rebounds per game, which was the third lowest in the conference. UAlbany has a lot of young talent on its roster and is looking to make several improvements from last year.

Although UNH finished third last season, they tallied 18 points in the preseason poll, earning the eighth spot. A notable return to the roster is senior forward Clarence Daniels. Daniels led the team with 15.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. He also led the conference in rebounds per game and was ranked seventh nationally. Daniels was named to the first team all-conference. Two transfers are junior guard Ahmad Robinson and graduate student guard Naim Miller will also join the Wildcats. Robinson led his former team in scoring, assists and steals. Miller also led his former team in scoring, as well as minutes played. Also joining the team is freshman forward Davide Poser, coming off of a stint of professional ball in Italy. Although the

Wildcats have added new additions who they hope can take this team to new levels, a notable loss for UNH is senior guard Nick Johnson.

Johnson was second on the team in points per game and third team in rebounds per game. He was also named to the AE third-team allconference and the all-defensive team. UNH’s defense was the best in the conference in preventing three-point shots and held off the other teams from even attempting three-point shots. The Wildcats this upcoming season can build off of their third-place finish last season with their returning and new players and continue their defenseheavy style of play.

To round out this list is NJIT, with 10 points in the preseason poll. The Highlanders had the least number of wins in the conference, winning seven of their 30 games and ending their season in eighth place. Despite this, the Highlanders were still third-best in the conference in three-point shots they attempted, knocking down 34.9 percent of their attempts. As the Highlanders look to improve from last season, they have 11 newcomers joining the roster. Graduate student guard Elijah Buchanan and graduate student forward Daniel Schreier come from Manhattan College joined with the NJIT’s new assistant coach, RaShawn Stores. Among the newcomers are nine freshmen who are joined

by five returning players. Returning to NJIT is graduate student guard Adam Hess, who was third among his teammates in points averaging 10.7 per game. Two major losses this season are senior forward Miles Coleman who led the team in points per game and graduate student forward Kevin Oswae who led the team in total points and rebounds throughout the season. Oswae was also second-best when it came to defensive rebounds, averaging 9.0 per game. This put the Highlanders fourth in the conference for defensive rebounds. NJIT has a lot of new talent on their roster this year and is hoping that they are the missing pieces that can take this team to a higher finish in the AE this season.

7. UAlbany Head Coach: Dwayne Killings Offensive: 67.3 PPG Season Record: 28-6 -7.9 RPG Conference Record: 17-1 11.71 APG

Defensive: 75.2 PPG 5.74 SPG 1.65 BPG

8. New Hampshire Head Coach: Nathan Davis Season Record: 28-6 Conference Record: 17-1

Offensive: 66.4PPG -0.6 RPG 11.67 APG

Defensive: 67.0 PPG 5.37 SPG 2.53 BPG

9. NJIT Head Coach: Grant Billmeier Season Record: 28-6 Conference Record: 17-1

Offensive: Defensive: 66.9 PPG 72.7 PPG -5.8 RPG 5.33 SPG 11.20 APG 2.83 BPG

Emily Maldonado Sports Intern

Guard

Denai Bowman After four years of hard work and perseverance on the court, graduate student guard Denai Bowman is gearing up for her fifth and final season at Binghamton. During her last year as a college athlete, Bowman says she aspires to savor every moment with her team in her final year.

“This is my last year of eligibility to play a college sport,” Bowman said. “[I look forward to] just making memories with my teammates and my coaches, and just playing and giving all I got.”

Bowman, a 5-foot-9-inch guard hailing from Clinton, Maryland, used to view basketball in a non-competitive manner. However, her mindset about the sport changed once she reached middle school.

“Originally in middle school, my best friend had just asked me to try out [for the team], so that’s how I started really getting involved,” Bowman said. “Before that, I would always play for fun but never seriously.”

During her freshman year at Binghamton, she appeared in 31 games, starting in five of them.

Then, in her sophomore year, the departure of several upperclassmen from the team set Bowman up to take up a more prominent role on the court for the Bearcats.

“I feel like my sophomore year was a time to really step up because we lost a lot of seniors that year and valuable players,” Bowman said. “Once they left, I knew I needed to step up, so that’s what I eventually did and here we are.”

She went on to appear and start in all 16 games that season. She also led the Bearcats in scoring a team-best eight times. One of the paramount highlights of her college career was the Bearcats’ matchup against UMass, where Bowman scored 27 points.

“That game I felt something different like something just went off in me and I couldn’t control it,” Bowman said. “It went off, so I went off, and it was just a great experience. My teammates

“I look forward to what we have to bring” cheered me on through the process and my family was able to watch it in person.

It was just the highlight of my college experience.”

Bowman’s success on the court continued in her junior year when she started in all 29 games and secured firstteam all-conference honors for the second year in a row.

Then last season, she was chosen once more for the AE alldefensive team, earning a three-peat selection. Her tenacious attitude toward the progression of her craft stems from her admiration for basketball.

“I think I love the process of just getting better and knowing from where I started to now, where I am and just enjoying that process and trying to get better each and every year,” Bowman said.

Additionally, last season, Bowman ranked fifth in the conference in scoring with an average of 13 points per game and ranked eighth in field goal percentage, shooting 46.3 percent from the field, in the AE conference. Bowman has been focusing on sharpening her offensive and defensive skills in preparation for the start of the new year.

“I think I bring a lot of skill defensively, knowing when to read gaps and just using my knowledge on the defensive end to help my team,” Bowman said. “Of course offensively just scoring the ball and having the knowledge that I do of the game to share with my teammates.”

Bowman is eager to see what her new team dynamic is capable of achieving this season.

“I think our group is kind of different,” Bowman said. “We have a lot of different players who can do a lot of different things, so I’m excited to see what they can do on the court compared to last year.”

After wrapping up her time as a Bearcat, Bowman aspires to eventually take her talents abroad after the end of her career at Binghamton. Ultimately, in anticipation of the new season, Bowman believes that her team will accomplish great things this year.

“I plan to play overseas as long as my body will let me,” Bowman said. “I look forward to what we have to bring because it will be very exciting, so I hope to see you guys there.”

Suhiliah Lall Sports Intern

Guard

Jadyn Weltz After redshirting her freshman year due to injury, redshirt sophomore guard Jadyn Weltz had a breakout campaign in 202223 and is ready to take the next step in being a significant piece for the Bearcats this season. Weltz believes that she is ready to lead and contribute for the Bearcats on both the offensive and defensive ends of the court.

“I’m always trying to make that extra effort to get the ball or do something well for our team,” Weltz said. “I started to value playing more and … getting time away from the sport teaches you how much you actually truly love it.

Weltz, a 5-foot-7-inch guard from Ontario, Canada, appeared in all 30 games during last season, starting in 21 of them. She led the team in scoring four times and reached double figures 11 times last year. On Feb. 25, 2023, Weltz scored a career-high 23 points against Maine.

In that game, she also filled up the rest of the stat sheet, grabbing 12 rebounds, dishing out four assists and tallying three steals.

Last year, she was named to the America East (AE) all-rookie team, all-defensive team and earned comeback player of the year honors while also receiving AE rookie of the week honors four times. Weltz also led the AE with 2.5 steals per game, ranked second in the conference with 4.1 assists per game and was sixth in the conference with a 1.3 assists/turnover ratio.

“I think it was a great accomplishment for me,” Weltz said.

“But I think the main priority is just kind of doing my role for the team, not necessarily for the accolades or anything like that, but

just, you know, providing enough for my team so that we can be successful.”

Before attending Binghamton, Weltz was a two-time Provincial Ontario Federal of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA) gold medalist and MVP. She also served as a threeyear captain of Team Ontario Provincial, has been named to the BioSteel Future Games All-Canadian Team

“I’m always trying to make that extra effort”

and was an active participant in the Canadian Women’s National Team Assessment Program.

Weltz grew up around the game, and acknowledged how she is lucky and grateful to have had proper role models around as

her love for basketball grew.

“My dad played at the college level and my sister’s currently playing at the college level as well in Canada,” Weltz said.

“They’ve both been huge role models to me, all since I’ve grown up. Playing against my sister when I was growing up, always being competitive and they kind of got me to love the game and it’s why I am playing today.”

When she’s not on the court, Weltz is studying business administration at Binghamton. During the 2021-22 school year, she was a member of both the fall and spring AD Honor Roll and the America East Commissioner’s Honor Roll. When she’s not putting the scholar in scholar-athlete, Weltz enjoys spending her free time in the kitchen and exploring all the wonderful nature spots Binghamton has to offer.

“I’m a really big cooker and baker,” Weltz said. “Some would call me the team chef. I’m always bringing in like desserts or something like that for after practices, so definitely a fun hobby.

And I love nature, and there’s a lot of hiking spots around here.”

After her redshirt experience, Weltz is determined to make the most of her remaining time on the court.

“I had two herniated discs in my back,” Weltz said. “I’m gonna enjoy every day, enjoy every practice and not take anything for granted, just because I know what it feels like to be out and not be able to do the thing I love. Being injured takes a toll on your physical health, but also your mental health.”

Weltz is excited to show Bearcat fans what she can do on the court this year and do what it takes to help Binghamton in its pursuit of an AE championship.

“I want to stay healthy so that I can provide for my team all season long,” Weltz said. “In addition to that, just being a leader for my team. I’ve been here for three years, despite only playing for one. I’ve seen the game, I’ve played the game and now I’m hoping that I can help my team as much as I can.”

Seth Schlank Sports Contributor

Guard

Ella Wanzer When she’s not splashing threes on the court, redshirt sophomore Ella Wanzer’s forte is painting up and down the canvas. Last season, Wanzer started in 29 of the Bearcats’ 30-game slate and was the Bearcats’ second-leading scorer. However, the start of Wanzer’s collegiate career did not begin this way. Wanzer’s campaign as a true freshman at Binghamton was cut short after only eight games due to an injury early on in the season.

“Being injured was hard,” Wanzer said. “I never really experienced an injury until I got to college … I think it really motivated me. I learned a lot while watching.”

Throughout the 2022-23 campaign, Wanzer was able to do more than just bounce back.

She was named to the America East (AE) allrookie team, awarded the AE rookie of the week distinction three times and ranked second on the team in scoring, averaging 11 points in 25.4 minutes per game. In six games throughout the season, Wanzer led the team in scoring. She reached double figures in scoring 13 times — including a team-best four games with at least 20 points.

“It feels awesome [being named to the AE all-rookie team],” Wanzer said. “I was really happy to come back and have the season that I did. I felt like I was pretty proud of myself for bouncing back after being injured.”

All of this could not have been accomplished without the support of her teammates who helped her in practice and during her recovery from her injury — notably, redshirt sophomore Jadyn Weltz, Wanzer’s roommate and teammate.

Both Weltz and Wanzer relied on each other throughout their freshman year, and they were able to encourage each other off the court before getting the chance to work off of each other’s energy in the 2022-23

“I promise that we’ll give them a good show”

season. Wanzer credited their shared experience as helping to push each other through adversity. “[Weltz and I] were both leaning on each other to get

through [injuries] our freshman year,” Wanzer said. ”[All of my teammates] push me in practice. Having to play against such great defenders every day … really pushes you to get open in games.”

Wanzer shot a team-leading .398 from the three-point line last season, knocking down 70 three-pointers in total on the season, which she attributes to her natural ability to knock down shots from the arc.

“It’s something I’ve been pretty good at since I was really young and a pretty big reason why I’m here where I am today,” Wanzer said. “And it’s from getting a lot of shots up in high school, and now working with my coaches.”

The Bearcat continues to think basketball even when not on the court, as Wanzer finds her graphic design major to be very comparable to her life on the court with her teammates.

“One of the big things about art is critique,” Wanzer said.

“You spend 20-30 hours on a painting … Your classmates will still find something to critique, and being able to be strong in your work despite all of that negative feedback is very similar to having a bad game and hearing people doubt you.

Regardless of how others view your performance, the main point is you being you. Handling criticism in the arts has helped me handle criticism in basketball.”

The foremost message that Wanzer wants to relay to all Bearcats fans for this upcoming season is straightforward yet crucial.

“Support women’s basketball,” Wanzer said. “Women’s basketball is exciting, and I hope that people give us a chance and support us throughout the season. I promise that we’re going to give [the fans] a good show throughout the season.”

Luca Carresse Sports Contributor

Forward

Genevieve Coleman Entering her third year with the Binghamton women’s basketball team, junior forward Genevieve Coleman is ready to continue being an impact player for the Bearcats.

Coming off a season in which she started in all 30 games and led the Bearcats in scoring in six of those games, Coleman looks to continue that consistency this season.

“Personally, [I’m] just doing my role, doing everything I can to get us to that W, to try and be dominant in every way that I can,” Coleman said.

Adding to her on-court consistency was her ranking third on the team last year, averaging 10.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game and finishing top-10 in the America East (AE) in field goal percentage at .457. In the AE tournament, Coleman put up a 16 points and six rebounds performance in the Bearcats’ quarter-final loss to Maine.

“I definitely want to increase all my percentages pretty much … and make more shots in general and be more confident with the ball,” Coleman said.

As a freshman, Coleman appeared in all 29 games for BU, including five starts. She finished the year with a selection to the AE all-rookie team, along with three selections as AE rookie of the week during the season.

Coleman’s passion for the game started at an early age, drawing inspiration from her father, Michael, who played college basketball at the University of Rochester. Coleman credits her father with bringing about her competitive nature and playing a foundational role in her development as a player.

“I definitely get my competitiveness from my father,” Coleman

said. “If you ask anyone on the team, I would definitely be picked as the most competitive, and that comes from him. Basketballwise, we were on the court since I was four or five, and he was constantly coaching me. Every holiday, any day, we were on the court. It definitely increased my skill, and I give a lot of credit to him for me being here at Binghamton.”

Before her time at BU, Coleman was a two-

“We’re really excited to win games”

time New York State Sportswriters Association (NYSSWA) All-State Selection at Owego Free Academy in Owego, New York. She won back-to-back Tioga County Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2019 and 2020 and finished her senior

season averaging 20.2 points, 13 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game.

Coleman, who reached double figures in scoring in over half her starts last season for the Bearcats, finds playing close to home to be an outstanding — but motivating — experience.

“It’s been amazing,” Coleman said. “The support I feel is amazing. Every game I know there’s people here to watch me play. It adds a little pressure, but I like pressure. It’s a good environment. It’s just fun all the time.”

Coleman adds two years of experience to head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord’s squad, including bringing playoff experience in the AE tournament. She remains focused on not only continuing to improve her own game but also doing everything she can to contribute to the team’s success.

“I think we’re really excited to win games, get further than we did last year and have really good team chemistry on the court and off,” Coleman said.

Along with her drive to help the team succeed by playing her best, Coleman is also highly motivated to succeed in the classroom. Majoring in biomedical engineering, Coleman was named to the AE commissioner’s honor roll, and the fall and spring semester AD honor roll at BU, during her freshman season. To Coleman, the balance of being a full-time basketball player and student has been challenging at times, but she has found her support system to be outstanding.

“It’s definitely challenging,” Coleman said. “But I feel the support I have with my coaches and teammates. They let me leave practice early, proctor my exams on the road [and] always give me time to do my homework. They’re constantly supporting me. It’s been awesome. It’s hard, but it’s what I want to do — basketball and academic-wise. I’m getting to do both at the same time, which I’m so grateful for.”

Kyle Beame Sports Contributor

Guard/Forward

Camyrn Fauria In a freshman season that only saw two starts, sophomore guard/forward Camryn Fauria had a few impressive performances, including a 12-point performance in her college debut against Bloomsburg. Despite her limited minutes on the court last year, Fauria finished tied for third on the team in total blocks, with seven on the year.

Fauria returns to the Bearcats for her sophomore season, where she looks to take on a much larger role on and off the court.

“Overall, [I can improve on] everything,” Fauria said. “Being a huge communicator and scoring-wise, I think I can up the stats in scoring and rebounding.”

Fauria’s hometown is Foxborough, Massachusetts, where she comes from a family of athletes. Her father, Christian Fauria, was a tight end for the New England Patriots and a two-time Super Bowl champion. Her brother is a football player at the University of Colorado, her little sister recently committed to play lacrosse at Old Dominion University and her cousin played professional football. Fauria credits her family’s extensive athletic background for her love of basketball.

“Athletics are in my blood,” Fauria said. “I felt that basketball was the sport that I was drawn to the most ever since I was a little kid.”

Before she arrived at Binghamton, Fauria attended Bishop

Feehan High School in Attleboro, Massachusetts. As a senior, she averaged 18 points, seven rebounds and shot 49 percent from the field. She also led her team to a 21-3 record and a Catholic Central League (CCL) Cup in her senior year.

Fauria says that the difference in competition from high school to college was stark. Although she played AAU basketball against higher-level

“I really want to focus on having a positive mindset”

competition than she did in high school, Fauria still found the adjustment to playing basketball at the Division 1 (D1) level to be somewhat challenging. “[The college competition] was definitely different.” Fauria said. “The girls are stronger, faster, and I just needed to work on my strength and catch up to them and understand that I grow

with the team and stuff like that.”

This year, Fauria is focused on improving her skills and her mindset. She has particularly emphasized on improving her scoring and rebounding from last season. Fauria, who averaged 2.8 points and 1.5 rebounds per game during her freshman campaign, is focused on leveraging her expanded role to contribute more to the team in those categories, as well as being a leader.

“I think [my role] will be a bigger scoring threat than last year and being a good leader on and off the court,” Fauria said. “[Especially during practice,] talking to my teammates why something didn’t work out or why something did work out.”

Even though Fauria is focused on individual success and what she contributes to the team, she also emphasizes the mental aspect of the game. She mentions her confidence and attitude as two important ways where she can improve this coming season.

“I definitely think I was lacking a lot of confidence last year,” Fauria said. “That’s something I’ve worked on this summer especially [during] summer session and preseason.”

Alongside fortifying her mental game on the court, Fauria mentioned improving her attitude toward the game off the court.

“I think it is easy to get wrapped up in [the mindset of] ‘how many points did I score this game,’” Fauria said. “I really want to focus on having a positive mindset and just having a consistent game through it all.”

When asked about her favorite players, Fauria named a few.

She first mentioned Kobe Bryant, then she mentioned Kyrie Irving, Scottie Pippen and Michael Jordan. Although she has a few favorite players, Fauria said that she does not model her game off of one specific player.

“I don’t [base my game off anybody],” Fauria said. “But there are some videos or games [of players] that I see where I say I need to add that in my bag [of skills].”

America East womenʼs team previews 1. Vermont Head Coach: Alisa Kresge Season Record: 25-7 Conference Record: 14-2

Offensive: 61.3 PPG 7.2 RPG 13.97 APG

Defensive: 54.1 PPG 5.94 SPG 3.53 BPG

2. Maine Head Coach: Amy Vachon Season Record: 16-14 Conference Record: 11-5

3. UAlbany

Head Coach: Colleen Mullen Season Record: 22-11 Conference Record: 14-2

Offensive: 59.7 PPG -0.5 RPG 13.10 APG

Offensive: 58.1 PPG 3.1 RPG 11.50 APG

Defensive: 60.3 PPG 5.93 SPG 2.77 BPG

Defensive: 55.0 PPG 6.03 SPG 2.85 BPG

The Catamounts enter the 2023-24 campaign as preseason title favorites for the first time in fourteen years. This will be the first time that Vermont has been selected first in the America East (AE) preseason poll in six seasons under Vermont head coach Alisa Kresge. The Catamounts ranked No. 3 in last year’s AE preseason poll and ended up with a 25-7 record, earning a share of the AE regular season title. Vermont dominated the AE playoffs, winning their 17th straight game in the championship game against Albany. Senior forward Anna Olson received the preseason all-conference honor for the third consecutive year.

Last season saw Olson lead AE in field goal percentage, averaging 11.4 points, 1.5 assists and 0.9 blocks while leading the team

with 6.5 rebounds per game and was rightfully named to the 2023-24 AE first-team all-conference. Graduate student guard Emma Utterback earned her second consecutive preseason all-conference honor this season after being named to the AE all-conference first team a season ago, having ranked fifth in the conference in scoring at 14 points per game last season, in which she led AE play with 4.2 assists per game while shooting 40.9 percent. She was named the 2022-23 AE championship most outstanding player as well for her performance in the AE tournament. Vermont will be the team to beat in the AE this year as the Catamounts have all the pieces to make a deep run in the AE tournament once again.

The Black Bears will be bringing back all five starters and their eight top scorers from their 2022-23 campaign, including junior forward Adrianna Smith, the reigning AE player of the year and graduate student guard Anne Simon, who were both selected to the preseason AE all-conference team. The Black Bears finished with a 16-14 overall record, and 11-5 in conference play, ultimately coming up short against Albany in the AE semifinals. Smith led the conference in both scoring, averaging 17.9 points per game and rebounding, grabbing 9.5 rebounds a game while adding 16 double-doubles on the season. Simon, a 2021 and 2022 AE

first-team selection, also returns a year after averaging 13.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in 14 games last season. Graduate student guard Anna Kahelin, who was injured in the Black Bears season opener will also make a return for her graduate season. Maine opens its season on Monday, Nov. 6 with a trip to Quinnipiac before meeting La Salle on Thursday, Nov. 9.

Maine will then host UMass on Nov. 12 for their home opener at Memorial Gymnasium in Orono, Maine. The Black Bears will be a formidable opponent once again in the AE and will look to put all of its pieces together in search of an AE title.

The Great Danes were picked third in the preseason AE poll, with returning stat leader — senior guard Kayla Cooper —being named to the preseason AE all-conference team. The Great Danes finished the season as the coregular season champions, tied with Vermont for first place in the conference. The Great Danes won 20 of their 30 regular season matches, 12 of them being wins against AE opponents. Cooper, a Fredrick, Maryland native, amassed an

impressive 15.2 points per game and racked up an average of 8.3 rebounds per game. While doing so, she ranked second in the AE conference in points and the top five for rebounds.

The Great Danes will look to build off their 2022-23 success and look to top their second-place finish in last year’s season.

Albany is set to begin the 2023-24 slate on Monday, Nov. 6 at Merrimack. The Great Danes will likely be a strong contender in the AE once again and will be a team to watch this year.

4. Binghamton Johnny Yang Sports Editor With the 2023-24 season quickly approaching, the Binghamton women’s basketball team will look to make a splash in the America East (AE) conference with a roster that features many familiar faces, along with several newcomers. Still, as a relatively young team, the Bearcats will look to utilize the experience they gained during their 2022-23 campaign and bounce back from their early first-round exit to Maine in the AE quarter-finals last year.

“Having such a young group grow over the season and then for this year my expectations, first and foremost, for us to have success this year, it’ll require a commitment to the process daily,” said Binghamton head coach Bethann Shapiro Ord. “Working hard, going together, competing between the lines and

improving every day.”

Shapiro Ord will be at the helm for BU for the sixth consecutive season. Despite finishing in sixth place in the AE last year with a 13-17 record overall and a 6-10 record in AE play, Binghamton was picked to finish fourth in this year’s AE preseason coach’s poll.

Last year consisted of several ups and downs for the Bearcats, with stretches of both success and adversity.

After starting conference play relatively strong, BU went on to drop its final six games of the season.

“With the [AE], it could be anybody’s championship,” Shapiro Ord said. “If our girls continue to work the way they have been, getting closer and the chemistry keeps building, the sky’s the limit with this team.”

Head Coach: Bethann Shapiro Offensive: 61.1 PPG Ord 0.0 RPG Season Record: 28-6 12.70 APG Conference Record: 17-1 Shapiro Ord also expressed her excitement about graduate student guard Denai Bowman, who decided to return to Binghamton for her fifth and final season as a Bearcat. Bowman was the leading scorer for BU last season, averaging 13 points per game while also surpassing 1,000 career points, making her the 19th Bearcat in program history ever to do so. She was also named to the AE second-team allconference. Additionally, Bowman ranked second in the conference in steals, averaging two steals a game, as she has also earned AE all-defensive team nods for the past three seasons.

“In today’s landscape of women’s basketball with the transfer portal with people doing all kinds of things and changing schools, it’s really huge [to have

Defensive: 61.1 PPG 8.77 SPG 2.50 BPG

Bowman back],” Shapiro Ord said. “For [Bowman] to give us her fifth year … we’re really excited because I feel like she has some unfinished business with us and this team, and I think that she keeps adding layers to her game. She set high goals for her and the team, and I’m excited to see her reach all those.”

Other players to keep an eye on include redshirt sophomore guard Jadyn Weltz, who had a breakout campaign in 2022-23, averaging 7.6 points per game while also leading BU with 4.1 assists per game. She also led the entire AE with 2.5 steals a game.

READ THE FULL PREVIEW AT BUPIPEDREAM.COM

5. NJIT Head Coach: Mike Lane Season Record: 13-16 Conference Record: 8-8

Offensive: 60.5 PPG -3.3 RPG 10.86 APG

The Highlanders finished below .500 for the second time in their three years as a member of the AE Conference. For a team that finished at .500 in conference play, sophomore guard Alejandra Zuniga was a bright spot on the floor. Zuniga averaged 12.3 points per game with a .420 field goal percentage and 37 steals. As a result, Zuniga was named AE Rookie of the Year and she will look to build on her strong freshman campaign with the Highlanders. Two-time AE third-team all-conference graduate student guard Kenna Squier will also return to NJIT for her fifth year. Squier has been a prominent player on the court for NJIT

for several years now, having started all 105 in her Highlanders career, averaging 11 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game, while shooting 49.8 percent from the field. The Highlanders will look to carry off of their successes in the past three seasons as a member of the AE when they begin their 2023-24 campaign on Nov. 6 in West Point, New York against Army before returning to Newark for their first home game against Merrimack. Despite being picked to finish fifth in AE, NJIT has been trending in the right direction so don’t be surprised if they climb its way up this list by the end of the year.

Defensive: 66.1 PPG 7.31 SPG 2.93 BPG

The Retrievers were knocked out of the AE tournament in the AE semifinals at the hands of the eventual champions in Vermont. Last year, UMBC shot 47.2 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc. Ultimately, UMBC finished under .500 for the 16th consecutive season. The Retrievers, who advanced to their first AE semifinal game since 2015, collected the highest win total since the 2016-17 season when the team won 15 games. Despite having arguably the best offense in the AE, the Retrievers were unable to reciprocate

their abilities on the defensive end as they surrendered an average of 66.1 points per game to opponents last season which was the worst in the AE. Junior guard Laycee Drake will be making a return as the team’s highest returning scorer as she averaged 7.9 points per game last year. UMBC also welcomed six newcomers who are poised to contribute to the UMBC’s lackluster defense. The Retrievers will look to exceed their projected sixth-place finish this upcoming season.

Defensive: 63.6 PPG 8.13 SPG 3.33 BPG

The Bulldogs struggled mightily in their first year in the AE conference, cobbling a measly three conference wins — including one against UNH at home, one against UMass Lowell and a sneaky win against NJIT at home. A bright spot in the Bulldogs’ debut season was senior forward/center Mariona Planes Fortuny, who earned AE second-team all-conference and all-defensive team honors. Fortuny hails from Bellpuig, Spain and recorded twenty-three 10-plus scoring efforts and 10 20-plus scoring games. She has also tallied 455 points this

season, which ranks seventh all-time. Fortuny leads the team in field goal percentage, shooting 46.9 percent from the floor and points per game, averaging 15.6 points per game, field goals made per game with 5.7, free throw-attempts with 4.9 and free throws made with 118. Fortuny and her teammates look forward to a clean slate but with little direction for the future, Bryant’s struggles are bound to continue as the team continues to rebuild for the future.

The Wildcats finished last in the AE last year as its offense struggled for the majority of the year. UNH averaged just 53.6 points per game, the lowest total in the AE last season. The Wildcats will return four of five starters from last year’s team including sophomore guard Avery O’Connor, who was the second-leading scorer for the team, averaging 12.0 points per game while also grabbing an average of 6.1 boards per game.

The Wildcats finished their 2022-23 campaign with a 55-49 loss to UMass Lowell in the final game of the regular season as they failed to make the AE postseason. A notable loss for UNH

is senior guard Brooke Kane, who started and played in all 28 Wildcat games last year, leading the team in blocks with 24 and averaging 11.8 points per game. UNH added four newcomers to the team for the upcoming season including freshman guard Maggie Cavanaugh, freshman forward Sharmela Reid and junior guard Clara Gomez who will look to make an impact in the upcoming season. With a subpar offense, UNH is bound to struggle this season and will likely finish in the bottom half of the AE once again

The River Hawks finished seventh in the AE last season, their first season under .500 since 2021-22 and their first with less than 10 wins since 2018-19, when the team mustered just seven victories. Last season, they averaged 53.3 points per game as a team, 32.6 rebounds per game and averaged nearly two fewer steals per game than their opponents. UMass Lowell added eight newcomers to the 2023-24 squad, five freshmen and three transfer students, to boost the depth that was absent on the River Hawks’ bench last year. The freshmen include forward Rayne Durant, and guards Abbey Lindsey, Maddie Rice, Gabby Ross and Cire Worley. Sophomore guard Sophie Baydanov, redshirt junior guard Sydney Watkins and junior forward Alex Gitchenko join UMass Lowell for its upcoming title quest. At Moorhead

State last season, Baydanov made 27 appearances with two starts. She averaged 3.3 points and 1.3 rebounds for a total of 90 points, 36 rebounds, 10 steals and seven assists. In two seasons at Miami University, Watkins made 44 appearances and five starts, averaging 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 points per game. In 29 games in 2022-23, she tallied 83 rebounds, 68 points and 33 steals, shooting 37 percent from the field. Gitchenko, who previously played for Georgia State, made 39 appearances and 20 starts. She averaged 3.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in her two years at GSU. Despite making an effort to revamp its roster, the River Hawks will most likely not be in contention for an AE title, earning the last place spot in this year’s poll.

Defensive: 63.8 PPG 5.93 SPG 3.48 BPG

6. UMBC Head Coach: Johnetta Hayes Season Record: 14-15 Conference Record: 10-6

Offensive: 63.5 PPG -2.6 RPG 10.83 APG

7. Bryant Head Coach: Lynne-Anne Kokoski Season Record: 9-21 Conference Record: 3-13

Offensive: 61.6 PPG -2.0 RPG 11.20 APG

8. New Hampshire Head Coach: Kelsey Hogan Season Record: 7-21 Conference Record: 2-14

Offensive: 53.6 PPG -9.2 RPG 8.96 APG

Defensive: 62.8 PPG 6.50 SPG 2.54 BPG

9. UMass Lowell Head Coach: Denise King Season Record: 5-22 Conference Record: 4-12

Offensive: 53.3 PPG -11.1 RPG 9.52 APG

Defensive: 64.4 PPG 6.93 SPG 3.52 BPG

PIPE DREAM ALLKellen Tynes

Aaron Deloney

Clarence Daniels

Sherif Gross-Bullock

Earl Timberlake

Last year, junior guard Kellen Tynes led the nation with an astonishing 98 steals for an average of 3.3 steals per game.

As a sophomore, he averaged 14.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.8 rebounds per game. This secured him a on the AE third-team all-conference selection. Tynes was also the first Black Bear in Maine’s history to be named the AE defensive player of the year.

His tenacious attitude on the court drove him to rank first on the team in field goals with 171 made. In addition, he also had the most free throws made out of anyone on Maine’s squad with 76.

Utilizing his speed and offensive elusiveness, other AE teams will have a difficult time keeping up with Tynes’ nimble abilities.

In the Catamounts’ opening matchup last season, graduate student guard Aaron Deloney garnered a career-high 32 points on 11-for-14 shooting. Also, Deloney finished with team highs in scoring for Vermont in its matchups against UAlbany and Ball State. Deloney was also the first player in the conference’s history to win back-to-back AE six man of the year awards. Last year, Deloney scored double figures in 22 of 34 games played, a staggering improvement to his junior season where he scored double figures in nine games. He averaged 11.6 points with a percentage of 40.3 percent from three with 64 three-point field goals made. With these impressive offensive skills and unwavering spirit to improve his game, Deloney has what it takes to lead Vermont to their tenth AE conference championship and has earned the right to be on this list.

As the second player returning from the 2022-2023 first-team allconference team, senior forward Clarence Daniels dominated on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor for the Wildcats. He ranked first in the AE conference and seventh nationally in rebounding, averaging 10.7 rebounds per game. He also ranked fourth in the AE conference in scoring, averaging 15.3 points per game. Daniels also led the Wildcats in four categories with 459 points, 320 rebounds, 165 field goals and 38 steals.

During a game against Boston College last year, Daniels scored a career-high 34 points. As a true number-one scoring option for UNH, Daniels is sure to be a formidable force for the Wildcats in the upcoming season.

Graduate student guard Sherif Gross-Bullock was one of two players on this list to be picked to secure a place on the 2022-23 firstteam all-conference team as well.

After transferring to the Bulldogs from La Salle University last January, Bullock showed that he was a force to be reckoned with. During his debut season, he started in all 29 games and led the AE conference in scoring, averaging 17.1 points per game. In addition, Bullock also averaged 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists per game while also knocking down 65 three-point field goals. He scored 39 points against UMBC, marking Bryant’s third-highest scoring performance in their D1 program history. It’s no surprise that he took home 2022-23 AE newcomer of the year honors. After suffering an injury in the AE quarterfinal game against UNH, Gross-Bullock will be back for the Bulldogs to play a crucial role in Bryant’s success in the AE conference.

Senior guard Earl Timberlake ended his 2022-2023 season with 8.4 rebounds per game, the thirdhighest rebound percentage in the [AE] conference. His proficiency when it comes to grabbing rebounds coupled with averaging 13.8 points per game would lead to an accumulation of nine doubledoubles throughout his first season with Bryant. Upon joining the Bulldogs after a year of play at Memphis, Timberlake made his presence known after gaining his first double-double of 19 points and 12 rebounds against Dartmouth.

Timberlake’s tenacity on the court led him to be named to the AE secondteam all-conference. If Timberlake can continue his streak of rebounds and high-scoring averages, then he will be instrumental in the Bulldog’s success this season

— Maine, Jr., G

— Vermont, Gr., G

— UNH, Sr., F

— Bryant, Gr., G

— Bryant, Sr., G

CONFERENCE PICKS UAlbany — Sr., Guard

Kayla Cooper

Vermont – Sr., Forward

Anna Olson

Maine — Gr., Guard

Anne Simon

Adrianna Smith

Emma Utterback

Senior guard Kayla Cooper has been a powerful force on the court and exhibits some of the best skills the Great Danes have to offer.

Last year, she ranked third in the conference in scoring, averaging 15.2 points per game and was fourth in rebounding, grabbing an average of 8.3 boards per game. During her junior year, Cooper was named to the AE first-team all-conference.

Be on the lookout for Cooper as the Great Danes fight to redeem themselves this year — following their loss to Vermont in the AE championship game last year.

Now entering her senior season at Vermont, expectations are high for senior forward Anna Olson.

Last year, Olson was the secondleading scorer on the Catamounts, averaging 11.4 points. She averaged 6.5 rebounds per game, good enough for seventh in the conference and first on Vermont’s squad. Olson also led the AE in shooting percentage, shooting 51.1 percent from the floor.

In her sophomore season, she made the AE second-team all-conference, and the year prior was named the AE Rookie of the Year. Then after a strong junior season, Olson made the AE all-conference first team.

Knowing this may be her last dance as a Catamount, Olson is ready to leave her mark and bring home another AE title for the Catamounts.

The Maine star from Sandweiler, Luxembourg, graduate student guard Anne Simon is back on the court now as a graduate student and her level of intensity and determination is higher than ever.

Last season, she posted double-digit scoring in eight of her 14 games and ranked second on her team in scoring, with an average of 13.6. The guard was also third in rebounding, averaging 4.1 boards a game, and shot at an 82.8 percent clip from the free throw line and 41.9 percent from the floor. She’s a four-time AE all-conference selection. During her junior season, Simon earned America East Player & Defensive Player of the Year, AE First Team and AE All-Defensive Team. With her strong offensive and defensive ability, Simon is expected to be a driving force in bringing a title back to Maine.

The youngest of this year’s Preseason All-Conference picks, junior Adrianna Smith has already managed to take the AE by storm.

In the 2022-23 season alone, Smith was named AE player of the year and chosen to be on AE first-team allconference. Last year, She averaged 23.5 points and 10.8 rebounds in 16 conference games and tallied a career-high 34 points against NJIT. Smith also led the AE a scoring with an average of 17.9 points per game while also grabbing 9.5 rebounds a game. In such a short amount of time, Smith has, made herself a vital asset to the Black Bears and will be a key contributor during Maine’s 2023-24 campaign. It’s not much of a surprise that Smith is on this list.

After being named “Most Outstanding Player” for her performance in the AE tournament last year, graduate student guard Emma Utterback decided to return for her final year at Vermont. Last season she averaged 14 points, 4.2 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. She has started in every game since her sophomore season and was titled co-captain her senior year. Utterback converted on 40.9 percent of her shots from the field and 61.1 percent from the free throw line. In her 2022-2023 season, Utterback also reached her 1,000th career point at Holy Cross, scored in double figures 23 times and netted at least 20 points on six occasions.

Utterback is a two-time AE firstteam all-conference selection. Her outstanding skills, versatility and athleticism on the court will help Utterback as she tries to recreate last season’s success and bring home another championship for the Catamounts.

Maine — Jr., Forward

Vermont — Gr., Guard