The Binghamton Bearcats men's basketball team represents Binghamton University

Binghamton University

Binghamton University, also formally called State University of New York at Binghamton, , is a public research university in the State of New York. The University is one of the four university centers in the State University of New York system...

 and is located in Vestal, NY. The team currently competes in the America East Conference

America East Conference

The America East Conference is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located mainly in the northeastern United States. The conference was known as the ECAC North from 1979 to 1988 and the North Atlantic Conference from the fall semester of 1988 to the end of the spring...

 and plays its home games at the Binghamton University Events Center

Binghamton University Events Center

Binghamton University Events Center is the premier Division I Athletics and multipurpose facility at Binghamton University. The arena opened in 2004 and is adjacent to the Bearcat Sports Complex. It is home to the Binghamton Bearcats Division I Intercollegiate Athletic Program and can seat 5,322...

. Since becoming an NCAA Division I basketball program in 2001, the team has played in one NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament; the 2009 edition

2009 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

The first and second round games were played at the following sites:First and Second Rounds: Thursday and Saturday, March 19 and 21, 2009-Qualifying teams:-Brackets:Results to date * – Denotes overtime periodAll times in U.S. EDT....

. Just months after the tournament, the school appointed former professional basketball player Mark Macon

Mark Macon

-External links:* @ basketballreference.com*...

 to coach the team on an interim basis.

Program History

Since the school's founding in 1946 until 1998 the Bearcats, originally known as the Colonials, participated in the NCAA as a Division III basketball program. From 1998 to 2001 the school was able to elevate its status as a Division II program and since has competed in the America East Conference at the Division I level. Prior to this, no school had elevated divisions faster than Binghamton.

Division I

Since moving to Division I in 2001 the Binghamton basketball team has seen rewarding successes and great disappointments. Perhaps the program's biggest non-conference win was against ACC member, University of Miami in the winter of 2006. The Bearcats also have had wins against both Rutgers University

Rutgers University

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey , is the largest institution for higher education in New Jersey, United States. It was originally chartered as Queen's College in 1766. It is the eighth-oldest college in the United States and one of the nine Colonial colleges founded before the American...

 and Tulane.

Following an unsuccessful 2007 season head coach Al Walker

Al Walker

-References:...

, the only coach Binghamton had held in their Division I history, was forced to step down. Kevin Broadus

Kevin Broadus

-External links:...

, an assistant coach for Georgetown University

Georgetown University

Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...

 was signed to fill Walker's position for the 2008 season. In his second season as head coach, Broadus took the Bearcats to their first regular season conference title in school history. Binghamton subsequently defeated UMBC 61-51 in the America East Tournament Championship

2009 America East Men's Basketball Tournament

The 2009 America East Men's Basketball Tournament was held from March 6–8 through at SEFCU Arena place on the University at Albany campus. The final was held on March 14 at the Events Center, the home court of the Binghamton Bearcats, who were the highest remaining seed.The Bearcats earned their...

 Game to make their debut in the 2009 NCAA Tournament as a 15th seed. Binghamton would lose to second-seeded Duke in the first round that year.

Following the March Madness

NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship

The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...

 loss a series of incidents began to make both local and regional headlines regarding academic and ethical violations by both players and coaches of the team. By the start of the 2009-10 campaign six players had been kicked off the team from problems stemming back to the 2008-09 season and head coach Kevin Broadus was suspended. Despite these handicaps, the 09-10 team led by interim head coach Mark Macon managed to finish 5th in conference play with a .500 record and recorded a 13-18 overall record. Towards the end of the basketball season the SUNY system produced an audit outlining the failures of the previous administration in running the basketball team. Due to these failures Binghamton withdrew itself from the 2010 America East Men's Basketball Tournament

2010 America East Men's Basketball Tournament

-Trivia:*Binghamton was initially slated as the #5 seed in the tournament. However, due to a series of scandals surrounding the program, the Bearcats announced they would sit out the tournament. According to The New York Times, the conference's other members pressured Binghamton to sit out....

.

Records

Binghamton's all-time record is 616-819 since 1946, heading into the 2010-2011. As a Division I team the school's record stands at 128-137 (also prior to the 2010-11 season). As a Division II team the Bearcats went 41-40.