VESTAL, N.Y. - Binghamton men's basketball opens its 2026-27 season Monday night at Big Ten member Northwestern. The Bearcats and Wildcats meet in the senior opener for the second time in the last four years at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill. Tip-off is 8 p.m. ET and the game will be shown on Big Ten Plus. 

This is Binghamton's 81st season of basketball, 26th in the America East. The Bearcats were picked to finish third (of nine) in the America East Preseason Poll. It's the highest-ever predicted finish for the program. Head coach Levell Sanders enters his sixth season and returns two starters (Jeremiah Quigley, Demetrius Lilley) and nine roster members from last season. 

The schools are tied together by ESPN PTI co-hosts, longtime journalism colleagues and proud alumni Tony Kornheiser (Bing) and Mike Wilbon (Northwestern). 

About Northwestern
•    Roster had heavy turnover from last season with departure of Big Ten leading scorer Nick Martinelli and just three players back
•    Eight incoming transfers bolster team
•    Bellarmine transfer Jack Karasinski (21.7 ppg.) looks to pick up some of scoring slack
•    Went 15-19 last season (9-7 home), including 5-15 conference mark
•    Dropped exhibition games against Illinois State (70-64) and No. 18 Iowa State (94-59)
•    NU is loading up on opponents with America East ties. In a season-opening eight-day span, the Wildcats will face Bing then former America East members Stony Brook (Nov. 6) and Boston Univ. (Nov. 9)
•    Head Coach Chris Collins is a former Duke standout and the son of NBA player, coach and broadcast legend Doug Collins

All-time series vs. Northwestern
•    Northwestern leads 2-0
•    Teams met in 2018-19 and 2023-24 — both in Evanston
•    Teams will play in season opener for second time in four years
•    In first meeting on Nov. 16, 2018, the unbeaten Wildcats won 82-54, despite Bing outscoring them in second half
•    In the season opener on Nov. 6, 2023, Bing led for more than half the game before its upset bid was denied in a 72-61 loss
•    Bing didn't relinquish its lead until there were less than 11 minutes left and remained within striking distance until NU tacked on late free throws in the final 48 seconds 
•    Bing is 0-10 all-time against the Big Ten

Picked third in preseason poll
After an injury-riddled, last-place finish last season, Binghamton now is in an envious position, according to the America East coaching group. The Bearcats received a first-place vote and were slotted third of nine in the Coaches' Preseason Poll, just one point out of second. It's the first time Binghamton has received a first-place vote and the third-place prediction is the highest in the school's 26-year America East membership. Vermont was first with 62 points, followed by defending champion UMBC (46) and Binghamton (45). Bing's previous best placement was fourth, which occurred five times, most recently in 2023-24.

"Northwestbon" vs. "Binghamtony"
The matchup in Evanston pits two friends, award-winning colleagues and proud alums against each other for the third time. Binghamton grad Tony Kornheiser '70 and Northwestern grad Michael Wilbon '80 have co-hosted ESPN's Pardon the Interruption" show since 2001. The pair previously earned the Eugene Meyer Award for their work in journalism and now will receive the prestigious 43rd Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in a ceremony in Phoenix on Feb. 16. In the 2018 meeting between the two teams at Welsh-Ryan Arena, the two served as commentators for the broadcast and also recorded PTI on-site hours before tip.  

Both coaches share Seton Hall roots
Though they never crossed paths as players, Bing coach Levell Sanders (Seton Hall '98) and NU coach Chris Collins (Duke '96) do share a common thread. Months after Sanders graduated from Seton Hall, Collins arrived to begin a two-year stint as a Pirates' assistant coach for Tommy Amaker (1998-00). Amaker previously coached Sanders in his senior season. 

Bing eager for full season of Lilley 
Senior center Demetrius Lilley showed his ability to impact a game in the first six weeks of 2025-26. He ranked third in the nation with eight double-doubles (in 10 games) and averaged 16.1 points and 10.3 boards  (13th in nation). Unfortunately for Lilley and the Bearcats, he went down with a shoulder injury six minutes into a road game at Mercyhurst on Dec. 20 and his season was over. Now healthy, Lilley looks to continue his production over a full season.  

Lone AE lineup with two all-conference guys
With the bulk of America East teams suffering heavy losses to graduation and transfer, Binghamton is suddenly positioned as the team with the most credentialed lineup in the conference. Senior center Demetrius Lilley (preseason all-conference last year and this year) and senior point guard Jeremiah Quigley (3rd team all-conference, preseason all-conference) make the Bearcats the only team with two America East all-conference players on the floor. Reigning champion UMBC lost three all-conference players and runnerup Vermont lost two. Tournament semifinalists UMass Lowell (lost three) and NJIT (two) also lost all of their all-conference selections.     
   
Looking for better luck with injuries
The Bearcats were dealt an unprecedented series of injuries last season. Of the 13 scholarship players, nine (69%) were out with injuries for multiple games and six suffered season-ending injuries. Due to injury or illness, Bing players combined to miss 174 games — second-most in the entire country (Boston U. with 204). Five of the six with season-ending injuries are back: Evan Ashe, Jayden Lemond, Sayerr Senghore, Jayden Kelsey and Demetrius Lilley.  

JQ is one of two
Senior point guard Jeremiah Quigley is in rare company this season. He (and Vermont's Gus Yalden) are the lone America East holdover all-conference players from last season. A whopping 13 of 15 players on the all-conference teams (1st, 2nd, 3rd) have departed, either by graduation or transfer, leaving just Quigley (3rd team) and Yalden (1st) back to star for their teams.   

70 is still magic number
For the last two seasons, scoring 70 points and keeping opponents under 70 has been the key to Binghamton's success. When the Bearcats reach 70 points on offense (in regulation), they are 15-10 since 2024. When Bing falls short of 70, it is 6-31. When the Bearcats hold opponents under 70, they are 18-10. When opponents reach 70, Bing is 4-30. 

Ashe has risen      
Junior shooting guard Evan Ashe is expected to start in the season opener, capping a long road back from injuries. It's been 654 days since his last start (Jan. 25, 2025 vs. UAlbany), when he played 31 minutes and contributed six points and lockdown defense. Ashe then came off the bench for the final 12 games of the 2024-25 season and missed the entire 2025-26 campaign with injury. 

Quigley channeling JJ Barea vibes      
Senior point guard Jeremiah Quigley was Binghamton's do-it-all player last season, holding together a bandaid lineup with his scoring and playmaking. Quigley's season reminded America East fans of JJ Barea, a similarly-sized point guard from Northeastern back in the early 2000s. Barea was an assist and scoring force in college before embarking on a 14-year NBA career. In 2025-26, Quigley became the first America East player in 21 years (and sixth in league history) to average more than 14 points and 6 assists in a season (Barea did it in 2004-05). Despite his smaller stature, Quigley compiled six double-doubles, including two with 10+ rebounds. His six "doubles" were most of any player in the country under 6-feet tall.   

Roster spans nine states, three countries      
Head coach Levell Sanders' 2026-27 roster covers nine U.S. states plus two foreign countries. Binghamton student-athletes' home states cover the East Coast from Massachusetts to Florida and then out to California and the Pacific Northwest. The roster features as many players from Washington State (2) as New York (2). Overseas, Binghamton welcomes first-year Bearcats Joul Karram (Israel) and Konstantin Popovic (Serbia).    

Frequent flyer mileage for Godfrey      
Senior forward Dylan Godfrey has alternated between West Coast and East Coast during his four collegiate years — specifically a shuttle between California and New York. A Newport Beach, Calif. native, Godfrey began his collegiate career just 41 miles up the road at East Los Angeles College in 2023-24. He then transferred across the country to Canisius College (Buffalo area) for 2024-25. Last season, he returned to the Golden State to attend UC Riverside. And now Godfrey is back east at Binghamton. Total mileage covered between schools in his four stops — 7,700 miles. 

Robinson trades America East allegiance      
Senior guard KiJan Robinson is a first-year Bearcat but has great familiarity with the America East, having transferred from New Hampshire, where played the 2025-26 season. Robinson, who spent his first two seasons at Hofstra, played 16 games against America East members, averaging 10.7 points. He also led the entire America East in free throw percentage (90% in AE play, 47-of-52). In two games against Binghamton, he averaged 11.0 points. Robinson's 11 overtime points sparked the Wildcats to an 88-82 triple overtime win over the Bearcats in Durham on Jan. 22. He finished with 18 points in 45 minutes of action. One month later in Binghamton, Robinson added four points in 26 minutes.