Ball State University Athletics
Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services
A Closer Look at the Non-Conference Slate for Men’s Hoops
September 19, 2017 | Men's Basketball
The Ball State men's basketball team will challenge itself during the non-conference season with games against six opponents that reached the NCAA tournament during the past two seasons and two Final Four squads from that stretch.
Here is a game-by-game breakdown of the Cardinals' non-conference slate for the upcoming season …
Fri., Nov. 10 at Dayton (Dayton, Ohio)
Dayton won the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season championship a year ago, finishing 24-8 overall and 15-3 in the league. The Flyers reached the NCAA tournament for the fourth consecutive season and ended the year at No. 36 in the RPI. Ball State's visit to UD Arena will mark the Flyers' first game under head coach Anthony Grant, following the departure of Archie Miller to Indiana. The Nov. 10 matchup will mark the first meeting between the teams since 2010 and only the third since 1958.
Wed., Nov. 15 at Oklahoma (Norman, Okla.)
Oklahoma reached the Final Four two seasons ago before falling to eventual national champion Villanova. After losing three starters from that team, including Naismith Player of the Year Buddy Hield, the Sooners featured one of the youngest rosters in the country a year ago. OU ranked 334th in Ken Pomeroy's experience metric during an 11-20 (5-13 Big 12) campaign. But seventh-year head coach Lon Kruger returns 77 percent of his team's scoring and welcomes a top-25 recruiting class.
Fri., Nov. 17 vs. Stony Brook (Muncie, Ind.)
This is the Cardinals' home opener. Stony Brook has played in six consecutive postseasons, including the 2016 NCAA tournament. The Seawolves went 18-14 last year, earning a berth in the CBI after finishing second in the America East Conference behind Vermont with a 12-4 league record. Stony Brook enters its second season under head coach Jeff Boals. The Seawolves have a Mid-American Conference connection on staff with former Ohio standout and Kent State head coach Geno Ford as an assistant.
Sun., Nov. 19 at Oregon (Eugene, Ore.)
Oregon reached the Final Four last season before falling by a single point to eventual national champion North Carolina. The Ducks went 33-6 (their second straight season with 30 wins), shared the Pac-12 regular season championship at 16-2 in the league and finished the year at No. 7 in the RPI. Oregon is entering its eighth season under head coach Dana Altman, who has earned Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors three times in the past five seasons.
Wed., Nov. 22 at Bucknell (Lewisburg, Pa.)
Bucknell capped a 26-9 season a year ago with a trip to the NCAA tournament. The Bison went 15-3 in the Patriot League, winning the conference's regular season and tournament championships. Bucknell returns its top nine scorers from a team that finished No. 66 in the RPI last season. The Bison enter their third year under head coach Nathan Davis, who has led the program to Patriot League regular season titles in each of his first two years.
Sat., Nov. 25 at Indiana State (Terre Haute, Ind.)
Indiana State is entering its eighth season under head coach Greg Lansing. The Sycamores went 11-20 last year, including a 5-13 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference. This year's meeting will be the 132nd in the all-time series. Ball State has played Indiana State more often than any opponent in program history. The game is the first of eight in a row inside the state of Indiana to close the Cardinals' non-conference schedule.
Tues., Nov. 28 vs. Oakland City (Muncie, Ind.)
This contest, just the second home game of the year for Ball State, begins a stretch in which the Cardinals will play six of their final seven non-league games inside Worthen Arena. The Mighty Oaks went 20-8 last season under long-time head coach Mike Sandifar, who has consistently led the program to the postseason at the NCCAA level.
Sat., Dec. 2 vs. IUPUI (Muncie, Ind.)
IUPUI is entering its first season as a member of the Horizon League and its fourth year under the direction of head coach Jason Gardner. The Jaguars went 14-18 overall last season and 7-9 in their final year of Summit League play. Ball State and IUPUI will be meeting for the seventh time in the past seven years (two meetings in 2011-12 season).
Tues., Dec. 5 at Notre Dame (South Bend, Ind.)
Notre Dame went 26-10 last season, including a 12-6 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Fighting Irish capped the year at No. 22 in the RPI after reaching the ACC Tournament championship game and the second round of the NCAA tournament. Notre Dame is entering its 18th year under head coach Mike Brey, who has led the Irish to the NCAA tournament 12 times. This year's meeting will mark the first between Ball State and Notre Dame since January 1976.
Sat., Dec. 9 vs. Valparaiso (Muncie, Ind.)
Valparaiso is entering its first season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference after sharing the Horizon League regular season title a year ago. The Crusaders went 24-9 (14-4 Horizon) last season and earned a berth in the NIT for the second year in a row. Valpo is now in its second season under head coach Matt Lottich. Ball State and Valparaiso will be meeting for the fifth straight season. The last meeting in Muncie, a BSU victory, came in 2015.
Tues., Dec. 19 vs. North Florida (Muncie, Ind.)
This is a return game for Ball State's trip to North Florida last year, a 73-68 Cardinals' victory. The Ospreys reached the championship game of the Atlantic Sun Tournament last season, finishing the year 15-19 overall and 8-6 in the league. UNF is entering its ninth season under head coach Matthew Driscoll, who led the program to the NCAA tournament in 2015 and the NIT in 2016.
Fri., Dec. 22 vs. Jackson State (Muncie, Ind.)
Jackson State finished last season 14-18 overall and shared third place in the SWAC with a 10-8 conference mark. The Tigers won five of their final seven regular season games and lost the other two in overtime. Wayne Brent is entering his fifth season as Jackson State's head coach. He led the program to the CIT in 2016.
Fri., Dec. 29 vs. Florida A&M (Muncie, Ind.)
Florida A&M enters its first season under the direction of Robert McCullum, a former MAC head coach at Western Michigan. McCullum, who takes over after serving the past three seasons as an assistant at Oregon, inherits a FAMU program coming off a 7-23 (5-11 MEAC) record. The Cardinals and Rattlers last met in January 2012 with Ball State winning in Muncie.
Here is a game-by-game breakdown of the Cardinals' non-conference slate for the upcoming season …
Fri., Nov. 10 at Dayton (Dayton, Ohio)
Dayton won the Atlantic 10 Conference regular season championship a year ago, finishing 24-8 overall and 15-3 in the league. The Flyers reached the NCAA tournament for the fourth consecutive season and ended the year at No. 36 in the RPI. Ball State's visit to UD Arena will mark the Flyers' first game under head coach Anthony Grant, following the departure of Archie Miller to Indiana. The Nov. 10 matchup will mark the first meeting between the teams since 2010 and only the third since 1958.
Wed., Nov. 15 at Oklahoma (Norman, Okla.)
Oklahoma reached the Final Four two seasons ago before falling to eventual national champion Villanova. After losing three starters from that team, including Naismith Player of the Year Buddy Hield, the Sooners featured one of the youngest rosters in the country a year ago. OU ranked 334th in Ken Pomeroy's experience metric during an 11-20 (5-13 Big 12) campaign. But seventh-year head coach Lon Kruger returns 77 percent of his team's scoring and welcomes a top-25 recruiting class.
Fri., Nov. 17 vs. Stony Brook (Muncie, Ind.)
This is the Cardinals' home opener. Stony Brook has played in six consecutive postseasons, including the 2016 NCAA tournament. The Seawolves went 18-14 last year, earning a berth in the CBI after finishing second in the America East Conference behind Vermont with a 12-4 league record. Stony Brook enters its second season under head coach Jeff Boals. The Seawolves have a Mid-American Conference connection on staff with former Ohio standout and Kent State head coach Geno Ford as an assistant.
Sun., Nov. 19 at Oregon (Eugene, Ore.)
Oregon reached the Final Four last season before falling by a single point to eventual national champion North Carolina. The Ducks went 33-6 (their second straight season with 30 wins), shared the Pac-12 regular season championship at 16-2 in the league and finished the year at No. 7 in the RPI. Oregon is entering its eighth season under head coach Dana Altman, who has earned Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors three times in the past five seasons.
Wed., Nov. 22 at Bucknell (Lewisburg, Pa.)
Bucknell capped a 26-9 season a year ago with a trip to the NCAA tournament. The Bison went 15-3 in the Patriot League, winning the conference's regular season and tournament championships. Bucknell returns its top nine scorers from a team that finished No. 66 in the RPI last season. The Bison enter their third year under head coach Nathan Davis, who has led the program to Patriot League regular season titles in each of his first two years.
Sat., Nov. 25 at Indiana State (Terre Haute, Ind.)
Indiana State is entering its eighth season under head coach Greg Lansing. The Sycamores went 11-20 last year, including a 5-13 mark in the Missouri Valley Conference. This year's meeting will be the 132nd in the all-time series. Ball State has played Indiana State more often than any opponent in program history. The game is the first of eight in a row inside the state of Indiana to close the Cardinals' non-conference schedule.
Tues., Nov. 28 vs. Oakland City (Muncie, Ind.)
This contest, just the second home game of the year for Ball State, begins a stretch in which the Cardinals will play six of their final seven non-league games inside Worthen Arena. The Mighty Oaks went 20-8 last season under long-time head coach Mike Sandifar, who has consistently led the program to the postseason at the NCCAA level.
Sat., Dec. 2 vs. IUPUI (Muncie, Ind.)
IUPUI is entering its first season as a member of the Horizon League and its fourth year under the direction of head coach Jason Gardner. The Jaguars went 14-18 overall last season and 7-9 in their final year of Summit League play. Ball State and IUPUI will be meeting for the seventh time in the past seven years (two meetings in 2011-12 season).
Tues., Dec. 5 at Notre Dame (South Bend, Ind.)
Notre Dame went 26-10 last season, including a 12-6 mark in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Fighting Irish capped the year at No. 22 in the RPI after reaching the ACC Tournament championship game and the second round of the NCAA tournament. Notre Dame is entering its 18th year under head coach Mike Brey, who has led the Irish to the NCAA tournament 12 times. This year's meeting will mark the first between Ball State and Notre Dame since January 1976.
Sat., Dec. 9 vs. Valparaiso (Muncie, Ind.)
Valparaiso is entering its first season as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference after sharing the Horizon League regular season title a year ago. The Crusaders went 24-9 (14-4 Horizon) last season and earned a berth in the NIT for the second year in a row. Valpo is now in its second season under head coach Matt Lottich. Ball State and Valparaiso will be meeting for the fifth straight season. The last meeting in Muncie, a BSU victory, came in 2015.
Tues., Dec. 19 vs. North Florida (Muncie, Ind.)
This is a return game for Ball State's trip to North Florida last year, a 73-68 Cardinals' victory. The Ospreys reached the championship game of the Atlantic Sun Tournament last season, finishing the year 15-19 overall and 8-6 in the league. UNF is entering its ninth season under head coach Matthew Driscoll, who led the program to the NCAA tournament in 2015 and the NIT in 2016.
Fri., Dec. 22 vs. Jackson State (Muncie, Ind.)
Jackson State finished last season 14-18 overall and shared third place in the SWAC with a 10-8 conference mark. The Tigers won five of their final seven regular season games and lost the other two in overtime. Wayne Brent is entering his fifth season as Jackson State's head coach. He led the program to the CIT in 2016.
Fri., Dec. 29 vs. Florida A&M (Muncie, Ind.)
Florida A&M enters its first season under the direction of Robert McCullum, a former MAC head coach at Western Michigan. McCullum, who takes over after serving the past three seasons as an assistant at Oregon, inherits a FAMU program coming off a 7-23 (5-11 MEAC) record. The Cardinals and Rattlers last met in January 2012 with Ball State winning in Muncie.
This Week in Ball State Sports // Mick Tidrow and Jeff Mitchell wrap up the academic year
Thursday, May 07
Men's Basketball // Chris Capko joined Sunday baseball broadcast to talk hoops, baseball and more
Tuesday, April 28
Men's Basketball // Coach Capko Mic'd Up in Worthen Arena for the 1st time
Wednesday, April 01
Men's Basketball // Post press conference w/Coach Capko, President Mearns, Jeff Mitchell & David Eha
Thursday, March 26