Ball State University
Akron
Cards Host Akron In Televised Showdown
February 18, 2021 | Men's Basketball
| Ball State (7-10, 5-7) vs. Akron (13-4, 11-3) | |
| Date | Friday, Feb. 19 |
| Time | 7 pm ET |
| Location | Worthen Arena - Muncie |
| Television | CBS Sports Network (Alex Del Barrio, Tim Doyle) (Watch) |
| Radio | 96.7 and 104.9 FM (Joel Godett, David Eha) (Listen) |
| Tickets | NONE AVAILABLE |
| Game Notes | Ball State (PDF)  |  Akron (PDF) |
| Live Stats | Live Stats |
| Social Media | Twitter  |   Instagram |
Amidst an ever-changing schedule, the Ball State men's basketball team has a nationally-televised opportunity Friday night as Akron visits Worthen Arena. Ball State lost at Akron three weeks ago, but Friday's game may look markedly different due to BSU having more Cards in the deck.Â
The Starting 5Â -Â The Top 5 Storylines For This Game
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1. UPDATE YOUR CALENDARSÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
The postponements that have happened during this season are starting to come due. It was announced this week that Ball State will play Friday's game vs. Akron, then again Sunday night at 7 p.m. vs. Western Michigan. Kent State will come to Muncie Wednesday, Feb. 24 for a makeup game and then Ball State has a regularly-scheduled home game Saturday, Feb. 27 vs. Central Michigan.
2. CARDS AND AKRON - THE SERIESÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Friday's game is the 44th meeting between Ball State and Akron on the court, with UA leading the series 25-18. BSU had won three straight over Akron before road losses there on Jan. 30 and last year. Ball State is 12-8 against Akron all-time in Muncie.
3. FINALLY A FULL DECK AGAINÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
Knock on wood while you read this, but it appears Ball State finally has some options on its roster. BSU had nine available players in road losses at Buffalo and at Akron. Practices and in-game chemistry have been disrupted and roles have been difficult to define, and the Cardinals will be aiming for incremental progress in order to peak at the right time. In total, Cardinal players have missed 47 games in addition to Ishmael El-Amin missing the second half of the first Buffalo game. Here's a breakdown of games missed by player:
| Player | Games Missed |
| Reggie Jones | 17 |
| Jarron Coleman | 10 |
| Jalen Windham | Â 8 |
| Thomas/Walton/Gunn | Â 3 |
| Hazen    |  2 |
| Huggins | Â 1 |
| El-Amin | 2nd half at Buffalo |
4. THIS TIME MAY LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT
Akron beat Ball State handily three weeks ago, but the Cardinals will have a different look. Leading scorer and rebounder K.J. Walton and starter Miryne Thomas missed the first game and Jarron Coleman was still working his way into game form. Conversely, Akron played 14 players in that game.Â
5. BALL STATE LOOKING FOR FIRST SCRIPT FLIP
Ball State is 0-2 this season in the second meeting against a team it already lost to. BSU lost to Buffalo twice and Ohio twice. The Cardinals had two such 'script flip' wins last year, coming against CMU and WMU. Ball State has a chance to answer back against Akron on Friday night.
