Heading into the 2025-26 season, senior guard Wes Peterson Jr. looks to be one of the key pieces on Binghamton’s men’s basketball roster. Heading into his final year of eligibility, Peterson hopes to be a big contributor on both sides of the ball for his teammates and to enjoy his last season.

“Personally, I would say the overall experience of being on the team, because it’s my last year of college, so just enjoying those moments I get to have with my teammates, day in and day out,” Peterson said when asked about what he looks forward to the most for the upcoming season. “Just the overall process of the season is what I’m most looking forward to personally, and as a team, how far we can go and how great we can be.”

Last season, Peterson played in 29 of Binghamton’s 32 games, starting in 20 of them. He averaged 6.9 points per game across the season, but his offense opened up in the second half of the season once conference play began. Peterson had nine games in double-digit scoring during Binghamton’s America East slate, after achieving the figure just twice through nonconference play.

Starting on Binghamton’s Jan. 25 matchup at Bryant, he embarked on a nine-game stretch where he reached double digits eight times, including a season high of 18 points against Vermont. Peterson expects to reprise a similar role on the offensive side of the court this year, as he continues to build on his 2024-25 campaign.

“I would definitely say, just keeping up, just being aggressive,” Peterson said. “That was one of my biggest things that helped me to do that last year, so just staying aggressive and having the mentality of just being in the game the whole game.”

Peterson shot 51.5 percent from the field last season and 39 percent from beyond the arc as well as 71.6 percent from the line. Heading into this year, he hopes to improve those numbers and expects to be a bigger contributor to the team’s offense in a season where they are lacking in shooters.

“Definitely working on shooting,” Peterson said. “I know a lot of teams didn’t really play or try to guard me on the three-point line as much, so I’m definitely working on that so I can be a consistent shooter for our team this year.”

With nine new faces on Binghamton’s roster this year, there has been much turnover among the squad. Despite the changes, the team is meshing well heading into the season.

“I think we have great team chemistry overall,” Peterson said. “We all get along with each other. I think the majority of it is just playing with each other against other people, and learning from each other on the court.”

As for inspiration, Peterson cited both Los Angeles Lakers all-time great Kobe Bryant and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder as players he has enjoyed following and who have inspired his own game.

“I would definitely say I’m a Kobe guy,” Peterson said. “I grew up liking Kobe. I wore 24 a lot when I was younger, mostly because of Kobe, so that’s somebody I pretty much modeled my game after growing up. I would say now, a lot of [Gilgeous-Alexander]. I know he won MVP, but me and my dad have been on his journey since high school, where that’s when we first saw him. So just following him through his college career and the NBA and where he is now, so that’s definitely another player I look up to a lot.”

For his pregame ritual, Peterson always makes sure to get some work in before the game, something that he expects to reflect in his play this season as he becomes a bigger part of the team’s offense and shooting.

“Definitely just going and getting shots up, at least like an hour before the game,” Peterson said. “Trying to get shots up around the same time and do the same routine and just making like 10-3’s from five spots, that’s pretty much what I do.”