VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men's basketball opens the curtain on its 2025-26 season with a short drive up I-81 and a tough test against ACC member Syracuse Monday night. The teams tangle for the sixth time at 7 p.m. in the JMA Wireless Dome. 

This is Binghamton's 80th season of basketball, 25th in Division I and the America East. The Bearcats were picked to finish fifth in the America East Preseason Poll. Under fifth-year head coach Levell Sanders, Binghamton has won 15 regular-season games each of the last two years — most in 15 years (since 2008-09 NCAA team won 23). The team has met or increased its overall win total four straight years (12-13-15-15). Bearcats return one starter (Wes Peterson, Jr.) and five lettermen from 2024-25 and welcomes nine newcomers (7 transfers, 2 freshmen). Of the seven transfers, three have NCAA Division I experience. 

Former La Salle center Demetrius Lilley was selected to the America East Preseason All-Conference Team — just the second Bearcat to make the preseason team in the last six years.

The SU game begins a three-games-in-six-days flurry to open the season. Binghamton will host RIT Wednesday and then welcome Niagara to the Events Center Saturday. 

ABOUT SYRACUSE 

• Orange return one starter and three lettermen from a 14-19 team that went 7-13 in ACC
• Guard J.J. Starling (17.8 ppg.) was All-ACC honorable mention
• Program welcomes six transfers and five freshmen
• Key transfer is former Georgia Tech G Naithan George, who led ACC in assists (6.5/game) last year 
• Freshman class, featuring Kiyan Anthony (Carmello's son) was ranked 10th in nation (247sports.com)
• Orange lineup features five players 6-foot-9 and above and an average height of 6-foot-5+
• Picked ninth of 18 in the ACC Preseason Poll
• Defeated Buffalo and Division II Pace in preseason scrimmages

ALL-TIME SERIES VS. SYRACUSE

• Syracuse has won all five meetings by an average margin of 32+ pts
• The teams met four straight years in Binghamton's first four years as a Division I member (2001-04)
• After a nine-year gap, the teams met again in 2013
• Then No. 4 SU posted a 93-65 win on Dec. 7, 2013
• The closest game in the series was a 75-54 SU win in 2003
• SU has been ranked in four of the five meetings and the one unranked SU team (2002-03) went on to capture the NCAA title
• In 2002, then freshman Carmello Anthony tallied game-highs of 24 points and 11 rebounds in 30 minutes to pace SU to a 94-58 win
• This is the first time the teams will meet in the season opener