WBB Tops NCAA List For Biggest Turnaround Of 2019-20
March 20, 2020 | Women's Basketball
MUNCIE, Ind. - Ball State eighth-year head coach Brady Sallee guided his team this season to a 21-10 overall record with 13 more wins than the Cardinals had in 2018-19. Last year, Ball State wrapped up its season with an overall 8-23 ledger. The 13-game turnaround leads all NCAA Division I women's basketball programs and ranks 30th all-time in NCAA history.Â
The Cardinals ended the 2019-20 campaign ranked 10th in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (30.2), 11th in free throws attempts (655) and 49th in both field goal percentage defense (36.8) and 3-point defense (28.8). Ball State went 13-4 this season in two-possession games, posted a 5-3 mark in one-possession contests and was 2-1 in overtime games.
Ball State earned the No. 2 seed in the 2020 Mid-American Conference Tournament with a 13-5 league record, marking the sixth time in Sallee's tenure the Cardinals have punched their ticket straight to the MAC Tournament in Cleveland.Â
The Cardinals placed two players on the MAC postseason award lists. Junior forward Oshlynn Brown was named to the All-MAC First Team, while freshman guard Sydney Freeman was selected to the MAC All-Freshman Team.
Ball State was picked to finish fifth in the MAC West Division preseason poll, but the Cardinals made a loud statement by winning 10 more league games than last season. The Cardinals' turnaround from last season to this one is tied for second-best in the MAC record books. The improvement of 10-or-more wins in a season has happened five times.
The Cardinals won their 20th game of the season on Feb. 29 against MAC champion Central Michigan, making Sallee the only head coach in program history to have four 20-win seasons —21-9 (2015-16), 21-10 (2016-17), 25-8 (2017-18) and 21-10 (2019-20).
The Ball State women's basketball team will continue to post updates and stories along with social media information. For more information, please follow @BallStateSports, @BSUCoachBrady and @BallStateWBB.
Largest Turnarounds In the Country
|
Team |
18-19 Record |
19-20 Record |
Improvement |
Coach |
|
Ball St. |
8-23 |
21-10 |
13.0 |
|
|
San Jose St. |
6-24 |
19-12 |
12.5 |
Jamie Craighead |
|
Louisiana |
7-23 |
19-12 |
11.5 |
Garry Brodhead |
|
Southeast Mo. St. |
13-17 |
25-7 |
11.0 |
Rekha Patterson |
|
UNC Greensboro |
11-19 |
23-9 |
11.0 |
Trina Patterson |
|
San Diego St. (Mountain West) |
9-21 |
20-11 |
10.5 |
Cindy Fisher |
|
Seattle U |
3-27 |
13-16 |
10.5 |
Suzy Barcomb |
|
Valparaiso |
8-24 |
17-12 |
10.5 |
Mary Evans |
|
Cleveland St. |
10-20 |
21-11 |
10.0 |
Chris Kielsmeier |
|
Southern Utah |
8-23 |
18-13 |
10.0 |
Tracy Sanders |
|
Binghamton |
12-18 |
22-9 |
9.5 |
Bethann Shapiro Ord |
|
Coastal Carolina |
17-15 |
25-4 |
9.5 |
Jaida Williams |
|
Columbia |
8-19 |
17-10 |
9.0 |
Megan Griffith |
|
Eastern Ky. |
2-27 |
11-18 |
9.0 |
Samantha Williams |
|
UIW |
5-24 |
14-15 |
9.0 |
Jeff Dow |
|
Longwood |
3-27 |
12-18 |
9.0 |
Rebecca Tillett |
|
Montana St. |
16-15 |
25-6 |
9.0 |
Tricia Binford |
|
South Carolina |
23-10 |
32-1 |
9.0 |
Dawn Staley |
|
Alcorn |
4-26 |
13-18 |
8.5 |
Courtney Pruitt |
|
Fla. Atlantic |
5-25 |
13-17 |
8.0 |
Jim Jabir |
|
Grand Canyon |
7-20 |
15-12 |
8.0 |
Nicole Powell |
|
Lafayette |
8-23 |
15-14 |
8.0 |
Kia Damon |
|
Northwestern |
21-15 |
26-4 |
8.0 |
Jim McKeown |
|
Rider |
19-13 |
26-4 |
8.0 |
Lynn Milligan |
|
UMass Lowell |
7-22 |
16-15 |
8.0 |
Tom Garrick |