Sophomore guard Sam Sessoms will be transferring from the Binghamton men’s basketball program, a decision he announced on Wednesday afternoon in a statement posted to his personal Twitter and Instagram accounts. Sessoms did not indicate where he will be transferring to, but said in an interview with Pipe Dream that he hopes to move to a program in a higher conference than the America East (AE).
“I am sorry to inform you all that I will be transferring to a different school,” Sessoms wrote in the statement. “These past two years here have been everything I could [have] imagined coming out of high school. I’ve made great relationships with people and I will miss you all.”
Sessoms said he made the decision to transfer after the 2019-20 men’s basketball season concluded. He said his teammates and coaches were informed of his decision on Monday, two days before he released his statement.
“It was after the season when me and my family sat down,” Sessoms said. “After the winter break we had, me and my family sat down and we decided it was best for me [to transfer].”
Sessoms’ decision comes on the heels of the Bearcats not qualifying for the AE tournament for the second time in three years. The team finished last in the conference, only winning four of its conference games and 10 games overall.
Men’s basketball head coach Tommy Dempsey and Director of Athletics Patrick Elliott declined to comment on Sessoms’ announcement.
In his social media statement, Sessoms thanked his teammates and his coaches for his two years at Binghamton, and wrote that he felt he needed to make the decision that would best benefit his basketball career.
“This decision came down to me wanting to push myself to become the best basketball player I can be,” Sessoms wrote. “I will miss everyone and am thankful for the two years.”
In his interview with Pipe Dream, Sessoms said the decision to transfer was a hard one, but one that will help him improve his basketball capabilities.
“It was a tough decision,” Sessoms said. “I’ve got a great relationship with the coaches and my teammates here, but the decision ultimately came down to me wanting to become the best basketball player I can be, and I felt like I was capable of playing at a higher level by being pushed in a different place.”
Sessoms was considered the centerpiece of a young, up-and-coming Binghamton program led by Dempsey. The Philadelphia native was recruited by Dempsey to Binghamton from The Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. He set a school record in scoring during his four-year high school career. He also was named Team MVP three times and was selected to the first team all-state as a senior.
Upon arriving at BU, Sessoms immediately made an impact on the team. He was named AE Rookie of the Year during his freshman season, ranking third in the conference with 17.8 points per game last year. This year, Sessoms led the America East in scoring with 19.4 points per game, and he was named to the AE Second Team All-Conference. Early in the season against Boston University, Sessoms broke the BU school record in points per game, scoring 40.
Though Sessoms does not yet know where he wants to transfer to, he indicated that he wants to leave the mid-majors and play at a higher level of competition.
“I’m trying to go to a higher basketball conference,” Sessoms said. “I want to be playing against really talented dudes, going against some of the best players in the country on a daily basis … It will make me have to be better.”
The athletics department has yet to publicly announce the transfer. Despite this, Sessoms said he wanted the Binghamton community to hear about the transfer from himself.
“I like Binghamton, so I wanted to at least tell the fans and the community my piece,” Sessoms said.