Section IV, STAC Products Lead the Way for SUNY Broome
The SUNY Broome men's basketball team is a true representation of the Southern Tier.
The Hornets are led this season by a trio of sophomores who played high school basketball in Section IV as part of the Southern Tier Athletic Conference: Maine-Endwell's Connor Green, Binghamton's Antuan Darden, and Elmira's Antonio Maria.
"It's actually really cool," said Darden. "Like I never thought I'd actually get the chance to be a part of a team with them. Like I always played them in high school, we're always going head-to-head, it's always fierce competition but it's all love at the end of the day. So being able to come here together, come to practice every day, work together as a team and create a new environment that hasn't been done before is actually really great."
Darden is a six-foot-six guard/forward who entered the weekend averaging 12.9 points per game and 8.8 rebounds per contest while shooting 63.5% from the field.
"He's very versatile," said SUNY Broome head coach Brendan Doherty. "Extremely athletic, (he) rebounds great."
Meanwhile, Green is a six-foot-seven M-E product who was averaging a double-double prior to a pair of games this weekend. Green is scoring 13.8 points per game while grabbing 11.6 rebounds per contest. He's also shown the ability to shoot from long range by nailing 28 three-pointers and connecting on 37.8% of his shots from deep.
"It's been great," said Green. "I have met a lot of great guys and we've came here and we've built a brotherhood and we're just looking to win a championship."
As for Maria, he's been an offensive force for the Hornets. The former Elmira star is averaging 16.7 points per game while providing steady leadership at the guard position.
"He keeps getting better every time he touches the floor," said Doherty. "He's got a great work ethic."
While the trio of sophomores leads the team, another STAC player is also making an impact. Freshman Amari Truax, from Horseheads, is averaging 14.6 points and 4.1 assists per game.
The local products have been instrumental in SUNY Broome turning its season around in 2025. After winning just two games prior to the new year, the Hornets ripped off six wins in the month of January and are looking to finish strong in February before hopefully making a postseason run.
"Our goal is once you get in the tournament, rankings don't matter, so that's our goal," said Green. "We're trying to get in that tournament, I think we can make some noise."