Ball State University Athletics
Tuesday, November 9
Statesboro, Ga.
7 p.m.
Ball State University
at
Georgia Southern
Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services
Cardinals Travel to Eagles for Season Opener
November 08, 2021 | Men's Basketball
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State men's basketball team opens the season on the road to begin the ninth season under Head Coach James Whitford. In eight seasons at the helm, Coach Whitford has started on the road six times. Ball State will battle Georgia Southern in Statesboro, Georgia, at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, as BSU begins its 101st season of men's basketball.
The Cardinals and Coach Whitford are no strangers to beginning the season on the road as six of the previous eight contests were away from the friendly confines of Worthen Arena. BSU has a 3-5 record in season openers, with two of the wins coming at home.
This year's team features nine returners and six new faces and looks to improve on a 10-13 season. The combination of returners and newcomers will provide excitement and depth for the Cardinals during the 2021-22 campaign. Miryne Thomas and Luke Bumbalough lead the returners as they each averaged 7.3 points per game. Thomas leads all returners in rebounding as he averaged 5.1 rebounds per game last season. Blake Huggins produced a team-high 13 blocks a season ago and looks to improve on his career total this season. Bumbalough is the team's leading returner in assists with 65.
Tuesday will be the fourth meeting between Ball State and Georgia Southern, and the first in over four decades. The Eagles hold a 2-1 record against the Cardinals and won the last meeting, 88-75, back on February 15, 1975.
The Eagles are led by Elijah McCadden, who averaged 10.2 points per game last season and produced 5.0 rebounds per game, which was second on the team. Prince Toyambi led the team last season with 6.0 rebounds per game and chipped in with 5.7 points per game. Georgia Southern returns nine from last year's squad, including 79 percent of the team's rebounding and 65 percent of the team's scoring.
The game can be seen on ESPN+. All of BSU's games are on Woof Boom Radio's 96.7 FM, 102.9 FM, 104.9 FM, WLBC HD2, and the stream of 967BlakeFM.com as well as WERKFM.net.
Tale of the Tape (based on last season's final stats)
Ball State CATEGORY Georgia Southern
74.7 ............................ POINTS PER GAME................................. 71.5
75.5 ........................ OPP. POINTS PER GAME............................. 67.8
.443 ...................... FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE............................ .447
.431 .................. OPP. FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE........................ .423
.342 ............... 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE..................... .319
.331 ........... OPP. 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE................. .350
.751 ..................... FREE THROW PERCENTAGE........................... .635
36.9 ......................... REBOUNDS PER GAME............................. .34.4
+1.4 ........................ REBOUNDING MARGIN.............................. +2.7
13.8 ............................ ASSISTS PER GAME................................ .12.5
14.4 ........................ TURNOVERS PER GAME............................. 14.4
-0.9 ........................... TURNOVER MARGIN................................ +1.4
5.5 .............................. STEALS PER GAME................................... 8.1
2.4 .............................. BLOCKS PER GAME.................................. 3.9
Follow the Cardinals
Twitter
Instagram
*For tickets call 1-888-BSU-TICKET or 765-285-1474, or click here.
The Cardinals and Coach Whitford are no strangers to beginning the season on the road as six of the previous eight contests were away from the friendly confines of Worthen Arena. BSU has a 3-5 record in season openers, with two of the wins coming at home.
This year's team features nine returners and six new faces and looks to improve on a 10-13 season. The combination of returners and newcomers will provide excitement and depth for the Cardinals during the 2021-22 campaign. Miryne Thomas and Luke Bumbalough lead the returners as they each averaged 7.3 points per game. Thomas leads all returners in rebounding as he averaged 5.1 rebounds per game last season. Blake Huggins produced a team-high 13 blocks a season ago and looks to improve on his career total this season. Bumbalough is the team's leading returner in assists with 65.
Tuesday will be the fourth meeting between Ball State and Georgia Southern, and the first in over four decades. The Eagles hold a 2-1 record against the Cardinals and won the last meeting, 88-75, back on February 15, 1975.
The Eagles are led by Elijah McCadden, who averaged 10.2 points per game last season and produced 5.0 rebounds per game, which was second on the team. Prince Toyambi led the team last season with 6.0 rebounds per game and chipped in with 5.7 points per game. Georgia Southern returns nine from last year's squad, including 79 percent of the team's rebounding and 65 percent of the team's scoring.
The game can be seen on ESPN+. All of BSU's games are on Woof Boom Radio's 96.7 FM, 102.9 FM, 104.9 FM, WLBC HD2, and the stream of 967BlakeFM.com as well as WERKFM.net.
Tale of the Tape (based on last season's final stats)
Ball State CATEGORY Georgia Southern
74.7 ............................ POINTS PER GAME................................. 71.5
75.5 ........................ OPP. POINTS PER GAME............................. 67.8
.443 ...................... FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE............................ .447
.431 .................. OPP. FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE........................ .423
.342 ............... 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE..................... .319
.331 ........... OPP. 3-POINT FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE................. .350
.751 ..................... FREE THROW PERCENTAGE........................... .635
36.9 ......................... REBOUNDS PER GAME............................. .34.4
+1.4 ........................ REBOUNDING MARGIN.............................. +2.7
13.8 ............................ ASSISTS PER GAME................................ .12.5
14.4 ........................ TURNOVERS PER GAME............................. 14.4
-0.9 ........................... TURNOVER MARGIN................................ +1.4
5.5 .............................. STEALS PER GAME................................... 8.1
2.4 .............................. BLOCKS PER GAME.................................. 3.9
Follow the Cardinals
*For tickets call 1-888-BSU-TICKET or 765-285-1474, or click here.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballMen's Basketball // Post Game Press Conference vs Miami
Saturday, December 20
Men's Basketball // Post Game Press Conference at Campbell
Sunday, December 14
'Twas The Week Before #MACtion
Saturday, December 13
This Week in Ball State Sports Podcast // Guests: Adrian Wheatley and Jeff Mitchell
Thursday, December 11