Women’s basketball preview: Bearcats are talented and experienced

For the first three years under head coach Linda Cimino, the Binghamton women’s basketball program featured a young team gaining experience on the court and improving in the America East standings. The potential was evident, as four players earned America East All-Rookie honors – the highest total of any conference team during that stretch.

Heading into the 2017-18 campaign, however, the setting is quite different. Binghamton is now a talented, veteran team, anchored by a pair of returning all-conference players in senior guard Imani Watkins and senior center Alyssa James. They are two of the Bearcats’ four returning starters from last year.

Binghamton’s arrival as a top team in the America East was firmly acknowledged in the America East preseason voting. The Bearcats were the only team with two all-conference selections (Watkins and James) and received its highest ranking (third out of nine teams) since 2010.

“I think we are in a good place right now,” Cimino said. “We had a strong summer and preseason. The energy level and competitiveness in the gym has been outstanding. We have proven veteran players in our program and have some really good pieces in place this year.”

In addition to experience, depth will be a major strength for Binghamton this season. The Bearcats enter the year at least two deep at all five positions.

“We have more than one player who can play each position,” Cimino said. “The kids are battling for spots in the lineup, which is keeping practices very competitive.”

GUARDS

Watkins has emerged not just as one of the top players in the America East but as one of the top scorers in Binghamton program history. She is a two-time all-conference selection having earned first-team honors last year and second-team accolades in 2016. Heading into her final season, she ranks fifth all time in program history with 1,468 career points.

Watkins, who is just the third Binghamton player to be named preseason all-conference twice during her career, ranked second in the America East and No. 37 in the nation last year with 18.8 points per game. She was also ranked in the top 10 in the conference in every other major statistical category – finishing first with 2.7 three-point field goals per game, third in steals (2.2 spg.), sixth in blocks (1.0 bpg.) and eighth in both rebounds (5.6 rpg.) and assists (3.0 apg.).

“I think Imani is the best guard in the conference,” Cimino said. “She is a multi-dimensional player. She’s worked hard to develop into a more consistent shooter from the outside. Last year, she was the best three-point shooter in the conference. Imani’s game has grown. She’s matured as a player, as a person and a leader. She can score in a variety of ways and is a leader on defense as well.”

After missing the 2015-16 season with an ACL injury, current redshirt junior guard Jasmine Sina returned to the court last year and started in all 30 games. She ranked second in the conference with 2.4 three-point field goals per game, seventh in three-point field goal percentage (.345) and eighth in assists (3.0 apg.).

“Jasmine is one of the best shooters in the league and this year, we will move her to the wing at times to get more open shots,” Cimino said. “She has good leadership skills and can run the offense in the half court. She provides us with deep range which can open up the post players.”

After a promising rookie year, sophomore guard Kai Moon is in position to go from a top freshman in the conference to one of its top players. She started all 30 games, ranked fifth among all rookies in scoring (8.4 ppg.), and was fifth in the America East with a .792 free throw percentage and No. 13 in steals (1.5 spg.).

“Kai might be the most improved player in the conference,” Cimino said. “She’s come back this year an entirely different player. Both her defense and her energy are unbelievable. She’s shooting the ball extremely well and is very good in transition. She may fly under the radar early this year but by conference play, everyone is going to know what she is capable of doing.”

Fellow sophomore guard Carly Boland is a versatile wing player who also showed potential during her first year. She led the America East with a .460 three-point shooting percentage and was No. 15 with 0.6 blocks per game. At 6-0, she has the size to be a force against smaller guards.

“Carly is a versatile player who is going to play the wing and the stretch four for us,” Cimino said. “We are going to use her in a variety of ways. She’s got great size and can post up smaller guards. She hit some big shots for us last year and we are looking for her to step up more this year.”

Moving from the post to the wing position is sophomore Karlee Krchnavi. In her freshman year, she started 13 games at the four position. Her defensive prowess and improved shooting are the key reasons for her switch to the wing.

“Karlee has improved her three-point shot tremendously,” Cimino said. “She is shooting the ball very well from outside. She’s so athletic defensively and since she can shoot the ball now from outside, it makes her pretty valuable at the wing. Her energy level is contagious to the rest of the team.”

Binghamton’s other returning guard is sophomore Bailey Williams, who emerged as a top free throw shooter during the 2016-17 season.

This year’s newcomer at the guard position is freshman Lizzy Spindler. Hailing from Taylor, Pa., she finished her prolific career at Riverside High School with more than 1,500 points. She was named All-Region twice and was the Lackawanna League Division III Player of the Year as a senior.

“Lizzy is going to make an impact for us because she is a strong, physical guard who can shoot the ball well,” Cimino said.

POST PLAYERS

While Watkins is the top returning guard, James is unquestionably Binghamton’s top returning post player. She is the two-time America East Defensive Player of the Year and has twice been named all-conference (third team in 2016 and second team in 2017). She already holds the America East records for blocks in a game (11) and season (92) and ranks sixth all time with 160 career rejections.

As a junior, James ranked first in the America East and No. 28 in the nation with 2.34 blocks per game. She was also third in the conference in rebounding (7.0 rpg.), eighth in steals (1.8 spg.) and No. 16 in scoring (11.0 ppg.). James reached double figures in scoring 16 times, including three games with at least 20 points.

“Alyssa is the anchor of our defense,” Cimino said. “She lets our guards get out and expand more defensively because they know she is protecting the rim. Offensively, she has come a long way. She is a lot more comfortable finishing around the rim and making the 15-foot shot consistently.”

After earning America East All-Rookie honors at the wing position in 2015-16, current junior Rebecca Carmody moved to the four position last year. She appeared in 29 games last season and ranked No. 11 in the conference with 5.6 rebounds per game.

“Rebecca gives us an unbelievable edge in transition,” Cimino said. “She can get out and run the court well. She can also rebound and score in transition.”

Two other third-year players who are at the post positions are redshirt sophomore forward Corrinne Godshall and junior forward Kennedi Thompson. Godshall returns to the court after taking a medical redshirt last year.

Rounding out the returning post players is sophomore forward Payton Husson. She will be out, however, with a season-ending injury.

Arriving from Midland, Mich., is freshman Kaylee Wasco. She was named all-state as a senior at H.H. Dow High School. In addition, she was a three-time All-Saginaw League selection and earned Academic All-State honors.

“Kaylee is a 6-3 post player who gives us range,” Cimino said. “She has great fundamental post moves and is a really great defender. She can also step out and hit the trail three. Playing her and Alyssa at the same time will give us an opportunity to stretch the court. She has great fundamentals and is a high IQ post player.”

During the offseason, Binghamton also landed a pair of transfer players from Georgetown University, both of whom will sit out this season in accordance with NCAA rules. Junior center Jodi-Marie Ramil and sophomore forward Olivia Ramil both graduated from nearby Binghamton High School.

NON CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

After finishing with the third-best strength of schedule in the America East last year, Binghamton has assembled another impressive non-conference schedule.

A trip to the Great Alaska Shootout Nov. 21-23 is the featured event of the non-conference slate. In addition, there are three games against teams that took part in either the NCAA Tournament or WNIT as well as four contests versus squads from the Ivy League — one of the top women’s basketball conferences in the nation.

Now in its 40th year, the Great Alaska Shootout has been held each Thanksgiving Week in Anchorage and has become one of college basketball’s signature men’s and women’s in-season tournaments. The Bearcats open play against Tulsa on Nov. 21 in the first round and square off against either Maryland-Eastern Shore (UMES) or Alaska-Anchorage two days later.

Binghamton begins the 2017-18 season at Army on Nov. 10 against a Black Knight squad that went 22-9 a year ago. After hosting Cortland on Nov. 13, the Bearcats welcome defending Ivy League champion Penn to the Events Center two days later. Last year, Binghamton won 61-48 on the Quakers’ home floor in one of its biggest wins of the season.

Penn is one of four Ivy League teams Binghamton faces this year. Last season, the Ivy League had the eighth-best RPI in the nation out of 32 conferences. The Bearcats also host Yale (Dec. 2) and Dartmouth (Dec. 31) and go on the road to face Cornell (Dec. 18).

Two other non-conference opponents that advanced to national post-season play last year are Bucknell and Rider. The Bison won the Patriot League and host Binghamton on Nov. 29. The Broncs, meanwhile, took part in the WNIT and host the Bearcats on Dec. 21.

Other road games include a Dec. 7 trip to Bryant, to meet a Bulldog team that advanced to the Northeast Conference title game last year, as well as a Nov. 18 game at Southern Utah.

Binghamton’s final home non-conference opponent is NJIT, which comes to town Dec. 10.

AMERICA EAST CONFERNECE SCHEDULE

America East Conference play opens up on Jan. 6 at Maine, which has advanced to the conference finals the past two years. Four days later, the Bearcats host defending regular-season champion and preseason favorite New Hampshire.

Binghamton heads to defending conference champion Albany on Jan. 15 and hosts the Great Danes on Feb. 22. Albany was picked second in the America East Preseason Poll.

The rest of the conference home schedule includes games against Hartford (Jan. 13), Stony Brook (Jan. 18), UMBC (Jan. 24), Maine (Feb. 3), Vermont (Feb. 14) and UMass Lowell (Feb. 17).

On the road, Binghamton’s conference slate also features games at UMass Lowell (Jan. 21), New Hampshire (Jan. 27), Vermont (Jan. 31), Stony Brook (Feb. 5), UMBC (Feb. 8) and the regular-season finale at Hartford on Feb. 25.

For the second year in a row, the America East Tournament will be held at the Cross Insurance Center in Portland, Maine. The quarterfinal and semifinal rounds are set for March 3 and 4, respectively.

The conference championship game will be hosted by the highest remaining seed at 4:30 p.m. March 9, and be aired live on ESPNU.

With UMass Lowell now eligible for the America East Tournament, the eighth and ninth seeds will meet in a play-in game on Feb. 28. It will be hosted by the No. 8 seed with the winner advancing to meet the top seed in the quarterfinal round.