On Saturday, the Binghamton University men’s basketball team earned its first win over a Big East team. Tonight, the Bearcats (4-2) will put their three-game win streak on the line against a perennial NCAA tournament team, the Bucknell Bison (1-6).
College basketball fans may remember Bucknell for its 64-63 victory over Kansas in the 2005 NCAA tournament. However, all of the players on that Bison team have since graduated, and then-head coach Pat Flannery retired after last season.
Though first-year coach Dave Paulsen is 1-6 so far, the Bison have played a tough early schedule that included Maryland and Wake Forest.
“They’ve played teams very close,” said Binghamton head coach Kevin Broadus.
Senior guard Justin Castleberry leads Bucknell with 13.6 points per game and 2.8 steals. In the Bison’s double overtime victory against Old Dominion, Castleberry scored 31 points, including the game-winning layup. Sophomore point guard Darryl Shazier averages 5.6 assists per game. The guard duo likes to push the tempo and take 3-pointers.
“They’re high tempo,” Broadus said. “We expect them to run a lot. They have a lot of shooters.”
Castleberry and Shazier have combined to make an impressive .394 of their 3-pointers this season. In contrast, the Bearcats shoot just .284 from beyond the arc. But Binghamton has defended the perimeter well so far, allowing its opponents to shoot .258 on 3-pointers.
The Bearcats’ backcourt features a trio of talented junior transfers who apply full court pressure defense for most of the game. D.J. Rivera averages 20.2 points and 6.2 rebounds, Malik Alvin averages 14 points and Emanuel “Tiki” Mayben leads the team with 4.8 assists. Since Alvin’s reinstatement from an early-season suspension, the Bearcats have gone 3-0 with victories against Utah Valley, Quinnipiac and Rutgers. Alvin’s presence has increased Binghamton’s cohesiveness and patience on offense, and his defense against Utah Valley’s Ryan Toolson and Rutgers’ Mike Rosario keyed both wins.
“I think our guys are just confident and starting to play well together,” Broadus said.
Tonight’s game may well be won on the battle in the inside, where both teams have just one consistent post player. Athletic senior forward Reggie Fuller, one of Binghamton’s best defenders, averages nine points and 7.3 rebounds and leads the Bearcats in blocked shots. His Bison counterpart, junior Patrick Behan, likes to score more from the outside and is not known for his defense.
Bucknell has been out-rebounded by its opponents by over four boards per game, while Binghamton has an even margin on the glass.
The teams tip off tonight at 7 p.m. A link to live statistics and radio will be available on bubearcats.com.