Ball State opponents in NCAA Tournament

3/17/10 9:50 PM

Four of Ball State University's opponents will be competing in this year's NCAA Tournament. Coincidentally, each opponent represents each region of the tourney. Here's a look at those four opponents and how the Cardinals fared against them this season: Ohio No. 14 seed in the Midwest region - Ball State split the season series with Ohio, but the Bobcats got the last laugh. They ended the Cardinals’ season March 7, knocking them out of the Mid-American Conference Tournament. Ohio is led by shooting guard Armon Bassett, who was named the MAC Tournament MVP last week. Temple No. 5 seed in the East region Temple took Ball State to the cleaners Nov. 24 picking up a 66-46 win in Philadelphia. The Owls are led by shooting guard Juan Fernandez, who scored 13 points against the...

Postseason MAC Awards, Part 1

3/8/10 3:39 PM

The Mid-American Conference released its first round of postseason awards Monday morning, and none of them (at least for me) were a shocker. The Player of the Year and Coach of the Year are probably the two most important awards, and I believe they went to their rightful owners. Player of the Year: David Kool, senior guard, Western Michigan There is no question in my mind that David Kool is deserving of this title. Kool led the MAC in scoring at 21 points per game, and in MAC-only games, increased that total to 21.9 points per game. Kool is also one of the most accurate free-throw shooters in MAC history. He led the conference this year at 89.8 percent from the charity stripe, ranking No. 11 nationally. Some might argue that Kent State guard Chris Singletary was more deserving of this... 1 comment

Reporter's notebook: Central Michigan game reaction

2/18/10 12:58 PM

Ball State officially controls its own destiny – again – after last night’s 69-63 home win over Central Michigan. You can read Teddy’s game story here. You might ask why I say “again” when referring to the Cardinals controlling their own destiny. Well, Ball State was in a similar situation last season with a lead in the Mid-American Conference West Division late in the season with just three games to go, but managed to almost squander that chance by losing all three games and finished in a three-way-tie for the co-MAC West championship. Ball State was fortunate, however, last season. After all the tiebreakers were considered, the Cardinals still ended up earning the No. 2 seed and the first-round bye in the MAC Tournament. I don’t think Ball...

Scouting: Northern Illinois

2/13/10 12:33 AM

Ball State University Cardinals (12-11, 6-5 MAC) at Northern Illinois University Huskies (8-15, 4-7 MAC) Saturday, Feb. 13, 2010 – Convocation Center (DeKalb, Ill.) – 4 p.m. (EST) Where to watch/listen: Radio: FM 104.1 WLBC Twitter: Live, in-game updates — twitter.com/dn_sports Synopsis: What the heck teams are going to show up both for Ball State and Northern Illinois Saturday at the Convocation Center? Northern Illinois came out on fire in MAC play, winning its first four games. What’s it done since? Lost seven in a row, including going 0-6 against the MAC East in cross-divisional play. Ball State could barely draw iron on offense in its first two MAC games before winning six of its next eight. Then, the Cardinals returned to its struggling offense...

Scouting: Kent State

2/9/10 3:22 PM

Ball State University Cardinals (12-10, 6-4 MAC) at Kent State University Golden Flashes (17-7, 8-2 MAC) Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2010 — Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center (Kent, Ohio) — 7 p.m. Where to watch/listen: Television: Ball State Sports Network (PBS locally) Radio: FM 104.1 WLBC Twitter: Live, in-game updates — twitter.com/dn_sports Synopsis: Ball State has surprised some critics by getting through five of its six games against Mid-American Conference East opponents with a 4-1 record. The Cardinals won the first four before falling to Akron — the reigning MAC Tournament champions — in overtime on Saturday. But Ball State ends cross-divisional play Thursday as it travels to Kent State, the East’s best team so far this season. The...