Men’s Hoops Set to Open Charleston Classic with No. 16/17 Virginia Tech

Game 3
Ball State (1-1) vs. #16/17 Virginia Tech (1-0)
Charleston Classic
Thursday, Nov. 15 (11:30 a.m.)
Charleston, S.C. (TD Arena)
Watch: ESPN2 | Listen: 96.7/104.9 | Live Stats

Setting the Stage
• Ball State will face its second straight ranked foe when it meets No. 16/17 Virginia Tech for the first time in the first round of the Charleston Classic.

• The Cardinals opened with a win over Indiana State before falling 84-75 at No. 24/22 Purdue in a game they led early in the second half. Virginia Tech defeated Gardner-Webb, 87-59, in its only game so far, recording 16 steals and forcing 29 total turnovers.

• Thursday's winner will move on to meet the Alabama-Northeastern winner Friday at 11 a.m., while the loser will meet one of those teams in Friday's consolation game at either 1 or 1:30 p.m.

What's Trending
• Virginia Tech is one of at least three NCAA tournament teams from last season (and the second in a row) Ball State will see in non-conference play. The Hokies lost in the first round last year to Alabama. The Cardinals played 2018 Sweet 16 team Purdue the last time out. They will visit Final Four team Loyola Chicago in December. BSU could potentially see more this week, as Alabama, Wichita State and Davidson were all in the NCAA field last year.

• Ball State will be tasked with defending a Virginia Tech team that returns seven of its top eight scorers from last year's 21-12 squad. Isaiah Wilkins and Nickeil Alexander-Walker led the Hokies with 21 points each in their season-opening win.

• BSU senior point guard Tayler Persons ranks 11th among active Division I players in career assists (423), while senior center Trey Moses ranks 19th among that group in career rebounds (689).

• Junior forward Tahjai Teague was held to eight points Saturday at Purdue, snapping a streak of 10 straight double-figure games dating back to last year. He scored a game-high 21 in the opening win over Indiana State.

Matchup of Top-100 Teams
Ball State and Virginia Tech both enter Thursday's contest rated among the top 100 in the nation by Ken Pomeroy. Virginia Tech is No. 30, while Ball State checks in at No. 99, having already climbed 11 spots since the start of the season.

The Cardinals' Pomeroy rating is higher than it has been since the 2004-05 season. BSU finished that year at No. 96.

Against the Charleston Field
Among the teams in the Charleston Classic field, Ball State has played Purdue and Alabama most recently. The Cardinals have met Purdue 12 times in program history, including Saturday's loss in West Lafayette. BSU visited Alabama two years ago for the only meeting between the teams, an 77-59 win for the Crimson Tide.

The Cardinals have also met Appalachian State and Wichita State once each, though not since the 1970s. A meeting with Davidson or Northeastern would be the first in program history, just like Thursday's matchup with Virginia Tech.

Men’s Hoops Set to Open Charleston Classic with No. 16/17 Virginia Tech

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Players Mentioned

Trey Moses

Tayler Persons

Tahjai Teague