Binghamton U. Basketball Teams Strong Preseason Evaluations

Roger Neel, WNBF alum and play-by-play announcer for Binghamton Bearcats men's basketball, has noted that optimism is running high for the men's and women's teams for the 2027-27 season.

The America East Conference released its preseason picks, and both Bearcat teams earned high praise.

Binghamton University Women's Basketball

For the first time in program history, Binghamton's women's basketball team was picked number one in the conference. The Bearcats are coming off a 20-win season, and Coach Mary Grimes told Neel the team's focus is simply getting better.

Bella Pucci and Kendall Bennett were named first-team all-conference selections. Bennett, who was a second-team all-conference pick last season, noted that she and her teammates are working hard in practice.

Binghamton University Men's Basketball

America East coaches are taking notice of what could be a major turnaround in the 2026-27 season for the men's team. In the conference preseason poll, Binghamton was picked to finish third, which is the highest ever preseason conference ranking in Binghamton's 26 Division One seasons.

For the first time, Binghamton has two student-athletes named to the Preseason All-Conference Team. Big man Demetrius Lilley returns after a shoulder injury sidelined him last year after just 11 games. At the time of his injury, Lilley was averaging 14.6 points per game and 9.4 rebounds.

Point guard Jeremy Quigley, a second-team America East pick last season, returns as well. Quigley averaged 14.5 points per game and was among the leaders in the nation, averaging 6.4 assists per contest.

Associate Head Coach Brian Johnson says those two players deciding to return says a lot about the Bearcats' team chemistry. The men's team is hoping to dramatically improve on last season when injuries depleted the roster at times, leaving only six players able to play.

Tipoff Is A Month Away

Both teams open on the road on November 2nd (2026), with the women taking to the court at Monmouth and the men visiting Northwestern. Tune in for the men's games this season on WNBF Radio at 1290 AM, 92.1 FM, online at WNBF.com, and on the WNBF App.

The women's game can be heard on Kiss 104.1, online at kissbinghamton.com, and on the Kiss mobile app.

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Filed Under: Binghamton sports