VESTAL, N.Y. – The Binghamton men's basketball team (0-1) continues the first week of its 2026-27 season by taking on Saint Peter's (0-1) at 7 p.m., Thursday at The Victor R. Yanitelli, S.J. Recreational Life Center in Jersey City, N.J.
 
The game is part of the inaugural America East-Metro Challenge. Nine men's and women's basketball teams from each conference will compete in two games against each other, one at home and one on the road. As part of the challenge, Binghamton will also face Rider in its home opener at 4 p.m., on Sunday at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton, N.Y.
 
LAST TIME OUT ON THE COURT

• Binghamton opened its season with an 86-60 loss to Northwestern Monday at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill.
• Demetrius Lilley put up 11 points and a game-high 13 rebounds for his ninth double-double as a Bearcat. The senior, who was picked for the America East Preseason All-Conference Team, nearly averaged a double-double during his first season in the Southern Tier, finishing the 2025-26 season with 14.6 points and 9.4 rebounds per game in 11 contests before an injury sidelined him for the remainder of the year.
• Bobby Montgomery, Jr., had a strong debut for Binghamton on Monday, putting up 10 points, two steals and one block against the Wildcats. The sophomore, who transferred from UTEP, played in 16 games off the bench for the Miners in 2025-26, shooting 43 percent from the field.
• Jayden Kelsey and Jeremiah Quigley each led Binghamton with three assists on Monday. Quigley, who also was selected for the America East Preseason All-Conference Team entering this season, recorded 192 assists in 2025-26, a program record for Binghamton's Division I era.
• Jake Blackburn made two three-pointers against Northwestern. The sophomore shot 39.5 percent from beyond the arc as a freshman in 2025-26.

 
MORE ON SAINT PETER'S

• The Peacocks also opened their season on Monday, falling to Seton Hall 66-42. Bryce Eaton led all players with 16 points on 6-13 shooting, going 4-6 from beyond the arc.
• Four years removed from reaching the Elite Eight, Saint Peter's was picked to finish seventh in the 2026 Metro Conference's Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Peacocks received 90 points, including one first-place vote. Eaton was also a unanimous pick for the Preseason All-Metro First Team.
• Eaton is one of five returners for the Peacocks. Last season, he averaged 11.1 points, 3.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game for the Peacocks as a redshirt sophomore. His 4.0 assists per game ranked fifth in the Metro.
• Saint Peter's roster features a familiar face in senior guard Bryson Wilson, who played for Binghamton last season. In 28 games with the Bearcats, 22 of which he started, Wilson averaged 9.9 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. He increased his scoring average to 10.3 points per game against America East opponents. Wilson reached double figures in scoring 15 times, scoring a career-high 18 points at UMBC on Feb. 5. In his debut for Saint Peter's, Wilson grabbed two rebounds in seven minutes of play against Seton Hall.
• A couple members of Binghamton's coaching staff are connected to Saint Peter's. Assistant Coach Marlon Guild served as an assistant at Saint Peter's from 2008-15, helping the Peacocks reach the NCAA tournament in 2011. Fellow assistant coach Damani Myers began his coaching career at Saint Peter's, working on their staff as a special assistant from 2019-21, while also obtaining his bachelor's degree in business management from the school in 2020.

 
ALL-TIME SERIES VS. SAINT PETER'S

• Saint Peter's leads the all-time series against Binghamton 3-1.
• Friday's game is the first time the two programs face each other since Nov. 26, 2013, when the Peacocks defeated the Bearcats 70-57.
• Binghamton's lone win against Saint Peter's came on Nov. 18, 2012, a 62-54 victory for the Bearcats.

PICKED THIRD IN THE 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.
 
BING EAGER FOR FULL SEASON OF LILLEY
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 percent) 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
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 THE MAGIC NUMBER
For the last two seasons prior to 2026-27, 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.
 
QUIGLEY CHANNELING J.J. BAREA VIBES
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.  

Mirabito is the presenting sponsor of Bearcats Men's Basketball.