Published: Febrary 14, 2008

For the past four years, Michael Binns, FCRH ’08, has been a member of the Fordham University men’s basketball team. In his time with the Rams, he has fostered a family-like atmosphere between the players that extends off the court at the Rose Hill Gym.

“We all look at each other like brothers, and naturally the seniors, [are] the older and bigger brothers. Mike is no different,” fellow senior forward Sebastian Greene, FCRH ’08, said.

Brenton Butler, FCRH ’10, a sophomore guard, has experienced the impact of Binns’ senior leadership first-hand and appreciates it.

“He is always there when anybody on the team needs help in any way,” Butler said. “He is one of the most unselfish people I’ve ever met.”

Binns has had an effect on the team by serving as a role model through his work ethic.

“He does the little things for the team,” Marcus Stout, FCRH ’08, said. “He brings intensity to every game and practice and gives 100 percent every day.”

Raised in Chicago, Ill., Binns  played basketball for Julian High School, Whitney Young High School and West Aurora High School. Although he had to move around a lot during his childhood, Binns’ parents made sure he had a solid foundation in learning about basketball and life.

“The greatest lesson that I received was from my mother and father,” Binns said. “They always said that your friends, location…life may change, but the one thing that stays constant is you, who you are as a person.”

Following high school, there were several colleges Binns considered attending, but his decision to attend Fordham was ultimately a simple one.

“What sold me to come here was that Coach [Whittenberg] said that he was bringing me and four other freshmen in to change the program around,” Binns said. “This meant that I had an opportunity to do something special in a struggling program in a very good conference.”

Binns takes great pride in his role in the resurgence of the Fordham basketball program. Over the past two seasons, the 6’7”, 255-pound senior forward has been a fixture on the Rose Hill court, having played in every game over that period (his consecutive games streak only ended earlier this season when an injury forced him to the bench for three games).

“The best part of my career was actually seeing the progression of the team each year,” Binns said. “If you look at the record for each year, you can see that it has improved.”

In addition to Binns’ statistical contributions to the game, he is an integral part of the team’s chemistry, as well.

“Off the court, he’s just as valuable to our team,” Green said. “He will do all the things that your big brother used to do [for] you when you were little, and I feel like that is what brings this team close. He’s that extra ingredient that makes it a family.”

Binns has certainly left his mark on Fordham. Butler summed it up simply by saying, “I will definitely miss having him around the next
few years.”