Ball State University Athletics
Top Stories of 2015-16: Men's Basketball Turnaround
July 11, 2016 | Men's Basketball
Another athletic year is in the books for the Cardinals. Ball State student-athletes, coaches and teams accomplished several notable feats in 2015-16 and left their mark on the university.
Through much discussion, BallStateSports.com has identified the top 10 storylines of the year. We are revealing the storylines one-by-one each Monday throughout the summer. In early August, once they have all been announced, fans will be able to vote for their favorite stories of the year.
The stories are being revealed in chronological order, beginning with the fall season and running through the spring. This week, we highlight a big turnaround for the men's basketball team …
Men's Basketball Makes Huge Strides
Expectations outside the Ball State men's basketball program were not high headed into the 2015-16 season. Coming off back-to-back last-place finishes in the Mid-American Conference, the Cardinals were picked to finish there once again in the league's preseason poll.
But what transpired over the following months was one of the largest turnarounds in the country. Ball State found its rhythm in year three under head coach James Whitford. A more veteran roster and a full understanding of Whitford's system led the Cardinals to places they had not been in nearly 15 years.
By the time it was all said and done, the Cardinals racked up 21 wins, shared the MAC West Division championship and made an appearance in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament (CIT). It was the team's first postseason appearance since 2002.
Ball State's improvement from a 7-23 record the previous season to 21-14 marked the fourth-largest turnaround among the nation's 351 Division I teams.
Buoyed by a six-game winning streak early in the season, the Cardinals wrapped up non-conference play at 9-4. The team then played steady through the conference schedule, grabbing the outright West Division lead with a Feb. 16 road win at Miami.
Ball State maintained at least a share of the division lead the rest of the way and eventually tied for the championship with Central Michigan. Highlights from the conference schedule included a road win over the Chippewas and a home victory over Northern Illinois in front of more than 5,000 fans plus a national television audience on the CBS Sports Network.
The Cardinals also posted a pair of noteworthy victories over Eastern Michigan – a double-overtime road victory on a last-second 3-pointer from Francis Kiapway and a 115-79 home win. In that second meeting, the team set the school record for 3-pointers in a game (18) and tied the school record for most points against a Division I opponent.
A 19-13 regular season earned the team a spot in the CIT, where it turned into the Comeback Cardinals. Ball State overcame a 17-point deficit in the first round at Tennessee State and a 16-point hole in the second round against UT Martin. The run then came to an end with a 69-67 quarterfinal loss at eventual tournament champion Columbia.
The future now looks bright for Ball State, which will return five of its top six scorers next season and add several promising components in its drive to build upon last year's improvement.
Previous Storylines
June 6 – Soccer's Title Run
June 13 – Mike Neu Returns as Football Head Coach
June 20 – Men's Volleyball Wins 11 Straight Matches
June 27 – Nathalie Fontaine Breaks Women's Basketball Scoring Record
July 5 – Gymnastics Success at MAC Championships
