Cardinals Host Highest-Rated Opponent Yet when Loyola Chicago Visits Tuesday

Game 8
Ball State (4-3, 0-0 MAC) vs. Loyola Chicago (4-4, 0-0 MVC)
Tuesday, Dec. 3 (7 p.m.)
Muncie, Ind. (Worthen Arena)
Watch: ESPN+ | Listen: 96.7/104.9 | Live Stats | Tickets | Game Card

Setting the Stage
• Ball State returns to the court Tuesday for the first time in a week after its first extended break of the season. The Cardinals are continuing a five-game homestand and looking to bounce back from a second early home loss last week against Western Illinois. BSU will host a Loyola Chicago team that played three games last week in the Cayman Islands Classic, falling to South Florida and Colorado State before winning its tournament finale against Old Dominion.

• Tuesday's contest marks the return game for Ball State's visit to Loyola Chicago a year ago. The Cardinals earned a 75-69 win over a Ramblers program coming off a Final Four appearance the previous season. Last year's matchup was the first ever between the two programs.

The Matchup
• Loyola is the highest-rated opponent Ball State has faced so far this season. The Ramblers come to Muncie at No. 99 in the Ken Pomeroy ratings and No. 121 in ESPN's BPI (three spots ahead of BSU). Northern Kentucky, which came to Worthen Arena at No. 132 in KenPom, had been the Cardinals' highest-rated opponent.

• Ball State was knocking at the door of the top 100 in KenPom before falling to No. 121 after the loss to Western Illinois. The Cardinals remain one of six MAC teams in the top 125.

• Loyola's roster features four holdovers from its 2018 Final Four Team, headlined by this year's preseason Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year Cameron Krutwig. The other Ramblers who were on the active roster in the Final Four season are Lucas Williamson, Jake Baughman and Bruno Skokna.

• Cameron Krutwig, an All-MVC First Team selection last year, leads Loyola in points (16.9), rebounds (6.8) and assists (4.6) per game. Tate Hall (14.4) and Lucas Williamson (10.6) also average double-figure scoring for the Ramblers.

• Loyola is the third and final MVC opponent on the BSU schedule. The Cardinals lost 79-75 at Evansville three days before the Aces knocked off No. 1 Kentucky. They then defeated Indiana State 69-55 on a neutral floor at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Ball State went 4-1 against the MVC last season, including its win over the Ramblers in Chicago.

What's Trending
• Ishmael El-Amin scored a career-high 21 points and hit a career-best five 3-pointers (5-for-9) the last time out against Western Illinois. The junior guard, who averaged 5.6 points per game over his first two years, has elevated to 13.9 per game this year, second on the team only to Tahjai Teague's 15.0.

• Against Western Illinois, Tahjai Teague recorded his third double-double in the past four games. Teague's 17 career double-doubles are the most of any active MAC player, one more than Willie Jackson of Toledo.

• Kyle Mallers ranks third nationally and leads the MAC in 3-point percentage at 55 percent. The senior has hit 14-of-21 (66.7 percent) over his past three games, including an 8-for-10 performance against Howard in which he tied the school record for 3's in a game set by Dennis Trammell against Marshall in 2005.

• Ball State ranks 26th in the country in 3-pointers, averaging 9.7 per game. Last year, 3-point shooting was the Cardinals' largest problem. BSU ranked 313th nationally in 2018-19 with 6.1 made 3's per game.

Cardinals Host Highest-Rated Opponent Yet when Loyola Chicago Visits Tuesday

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Players Mentioned

Ishmael El-Amin

Kyle Mallers

Tahjai Teague