At practice on Tuesday, Binghamton University’s men’s basketball coach Kevin Broadus unleashed a harsh verbal tirade on his players over a perceived lack of effort in suicide sprints. He looked over at his pastor, who was watching him run practice, and smiled.

“Sorry, Father,” Broadus said, “but this is my church.”

The Church of Kevin Broadus could not look more different than the Bearcats of two years ago. Headed into the 2008-09 season, Binghamton, picked fifth in the America East preseason coaches poll, has nine new players on its 16-player roster, and seven of them are transfers.

There’s junior Emanuel “Tiki” Mayben, a transfer from Hudson Valley Community College who played as a freshman at the University of Massachusetts. Junior D.J. Rivera played at 2008 NCAA tournament participant St. Joseph’s University and received a hardship waiver for immediate eligibility. Sophomore Theo Davis came from Gonzaga, where he was a highly-regarded center prospect, and will be eligible to play after the fall semester. And then there’s junior Malik Alvin, who was thought to be one of Binghamton’s best players this year after he transferred from El Paso, Texas via Chipola Junior College. Alvin is serving an indefinite suspension for an off-campus incident and may be reinstated when his legal matter is resolved.

While the Bearcats are thought to have some of the most talented players in the conference, they are also thought to be its most volatile team, given the past reputations of some of the transfers. It is not a given that they will contend for the league title, but if Binghamton’s players come together and show grit and teamwork under scrutiny, they could surprise the conference.

What Binghamton has in the way of stability is a trio of returning seniors: 6-foot-3-inch wing Dwayne Jackson, 6-foot-11-inch center Jaan Montgomery and 6-foot-6-inch forward Reggie Fuller, one of the team’s captains.

Fuller, an athletic junior college transfer from Angelina College in Texas, is thought to be the best of the returning players, but Jackson has the ability to average double figures on efficient shooting. Montgomery won’t light up the stat sheet, but he can play good defense and he plays hard.

“It’s more about being a captain and a leader this year,” Fuller said. “I’ve got to lead on the court as well as off the court. I improved my ball handling and my shooting [in the offseason]. I’ve got to be more offensive minded this year.”

Joining Fuller and Montgomery in the frontcourt are Davis and freshman Kyrie Sutton. Davis was one of the highest-rated centers in high school, and he is more athletic than most America East centers at his size. Sutton, a New York City native, might be more of a project, but he has good athleticism for his large frame. The speed and leaping ability of Fuller, Davis and Sutton should allow the Bearcats to get out and run on offense and pressure the ball for the length of the court on defense. Montgomery allows Binghamton to settle into a zone against teams with strong inside play, as they did against Vermont in the 2008 AE quarterfinal when Montgomery posted a career-best game with six points and seven rebounds.

“That’s been my biggest building point for this year,” Montgomery said. “That game was important for me because it was a lot of guys’ last games and it was the biggest game of the year. I don’t know what happened, but I played hard and I’m building from there.”

It’s important that the big men are able to get up and down the court, because Binghamton’s guards are quicker and stronger than last year.

“Every program has to suit the program for what type of players it has,” Alvin said. “This couldn’t be a slowdown team. We can’t walk the ball down the floor on this team, because we have a lot of athleticism and speed.”

Jackson will share the backcourt with Mayben, Rivera, senior Sean Watson and Alvin. Mayben, Rivera and Watson will probably start tonight against Buffalo State, and Alvin may start when he is reinstated. Mayben, who originally committed to Syracuse University as a sophomore in high school, is a pass-first, pass-second, pass-third point guard who — if you are catching the pattern — could lead the nation in assists per minute. Some of his passes will wow Binghamton fans, though he does need to reign in his turnovers.

“For me, I’m always looking to get someone else open anyway,” Mayben said. “Even when I’m open, I pass up my shot for somebody else’s shot, and I know they can knock it down. I’ve got the utmost confidence in myself, but I’d rather get somebody else going.”

Rivera is a highlight-reel dunker and defender who knows what it takes to win from his days at St. Joe’s. Watson, a senior transfer, has a knack for scoring and has only one year to make an impression.

The Bearcats also have three returning sophomore guards who contributed last year. Chretien Lukusa started most games at the end of the year and won over fans with his toughness and selflessness. Though Lukusa was recruited by former coach Al Walker, he gained the trust of Broadus, who looks for players who can “match my intensity.”

Sophomores Moussa Camara and Brandon Herbert both showed an ability to shoot the ball well. Camara has more potential because of his size, but Herbert has better shot selection. Walk-ons junior Dave Fine, freshman Matt Mullins and sophomore Chad Henry round out the roster. Of the three, Fine is the most likely to see substantial playing time. He was named a captain because of his work ethic in practice.

And then there’s Broadus himself. The second-year coach learned on the fly last season, and coached a roster of players he inherited. Now that most of Binghamton’s players are Broadus’ guys, it’s time to see what his vision for the team is all about.

“His coaching style can’t be talked about because it’s just out of the blue,” Fuller said. “You can’t predict what he’s going to do next.”

In that case, perhaps it is best that the Bearcats don’t take after their coach too closely. The last thing Binghamton needs with so much player turnover is more unpredictability.