Cardinals to Host MAC Preseason Favorite Akron

The Ball State men's basketball team hosts Mid-American Conference preseason favorite Akron at 7 p.m. on Tuesday night in Worthen Arena for its second MAC home game on the schedule.

The game will be streamed on ESPN+, with Mick Tidrow and David Eha on the call. Jack McMullen and Scot Bunnell handle the radio broadcast on WMUN 1340AM - 92.5FM.

The Cardinals (8-6, 0-2 MAC) and Zips (10-4, 2-0 MAC) meet for the 49^th time in series history. Last season, both teams won on their home court, with Ball State prevailing 70-63 on Jan. 6 before Akron
claimed an 87-83 decision on Feb. 28 in Northern Ohio.

Playing in its first game at Worthen in almost a month on Saturday, the Cardinals had a pair of late opportunities against Central Michigan to tie or take the lead, but fell 71-65. Davion Bailey posted season bests in scoring (21 points) and rebounding (five) in the setback.

Akron breezed by Northern Illinois 73-51 last Tuesday and Bowling Green 83-67 on Saturday to sweep the first week on the conference calendar. Three of the Zips' four losses have come by a combined six points, with the other being a 79-59 defeat at the hands of Drake in the Cayman Islands.

SCOUTING AKRON: The Zips went 22-11 (13-5 MAC) last season in head coach John Groce's 6^th leading the program. Akron finished third in the MAC regular season standings, bowing out in the semifinals after losing 79-73 to No. 2 seed Kent State.

The Zips lead the MAC in field goal percentage (47.4), effective field goal percentage (55.5), rebounding margin (+6.2), scoring defense (65.4 points per game), scoring margin (+11.6) and 3-pointers made per game (9.3).

Senior forward Enrique Freeman, already claiming five MAC Player of the Week honors so far this season, leads NCAA Division I in rebounds per game (13.0) and double-doubles (12). The Cleveland native also leads the MAC in field goal shooting (58.2) and free throw attempts (105).

CARDINAL DIRECTIONS

Jihad leads the Cardinals in scoring (18.5 points per game) and rebounding (7.4) averages. The junior forward out of Detroit has led the Cardinals in scoring eight games so far, scoring in double-figures 13 times, including six games with 20+ points. The big man's total points (259) and scoring average both rank fourth in the Mid-American Conference, while his rebounding average is fifth.
The Cardinals lead the MAC and rank No. 33 nationally in fewest fouls committed per game (14.5), while being second in the league in rebounding margin (+3.4) and 3-point shooting (36.5 percent).
Ball State's 20 wins last year were its most since 2016-17 when that team won 21. This season's Cardinals will look for back-to-back 20-win schedules for the first time since that 2016-17 season.
The Cardinals are a young group, as the roster includes only one senior or graduate student (Ethan Brittain-Watts). Ball State returns only 21.5 percent of minutes played and 19.6 percent of points scored from last year's team.
Brittain-Watts (Boston University), Jalin Anderson (Loyola Marymount) and Davion Bailey (Southeastern CC) form Ball State's trio of transfers.
Joey Brown (Indianapolis), Zane Doughty (Indianapolis), Mason Jones (Valparaiso, Ind.), Trent Middleton Jr. (Philadelphia) and Jurica Zagorsak (Zadar, Croatia) are the Cardinals' quintet of true freshmen.
Ball State recently signed forward Jai Anthoni Bearden (Phoenix, Ariz.) and guard Jermarhi "Fatt" Hill (Bessemer, Ala.) to national letters of intent to form the Cardinals' 2024 recruiting class.

TOP OF THE MAC: Ball State's first four games on its Mid-American Conference schedule include three matchups against the teams who finished at the top of the MAC in 2022-23.

The Cardinals played at Kent State, who was voted second in the MAC preseason coaches poll, on Jan. 2. Tuesday night's game against preseason league favorite Akron precedes another tough road game on Saturday at Toledo, who won the MAC regular season crown in 2022-23.

BANKING ON BASHEER: Junior forward Basheer Jihad leads the team in scoring (18.5 points per game), rebounding (7.4 per game) and field goal percentage (49.1) among Cardinals averaging at least four field goal attempts this season. Jihad has established or tied career highs in scoring five times already this season, including in the Dec. 10 win vs SIUE (27 points).

The Detroit native's scoring average has nearly tripled over last year (7.1), while his rebounding average has doubled (3.6). Jihad started only one game in his first two seasons at Ball State, but has been a mainstay in the starting lineup as an upperclassman now.

JALIN JAMS: Anderson, a transfer out of Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles, leads the Ball State backcourt in scoring (15.4 points per game) and the team in assists (4.5 per game) as the Cardinals' lead guard.

The Jackson, Tenn., native boasts Ball State's highest offensive output (29 points against Old Dominion) so far and is on pace to set career bests for points, assists and steals while already establishing his career high for single season rebounds. Anderson has shown a penchant for explosive offensive performances, posting four 20+ point games so far in the nonconference season.

EMERGENCE OF BIG BEN: Redshirt junior center Ben Hendriks had started each of the last six games before missing the Dec. 21 game at Minnesota, totaling career-highs of 11 points and seven rebounds in the Dec. 2 win over Bellarmine and 32 minutes played in the Dec. 10 win against SIUE.

Hendriks already surpassed his career-bests for points (60), rebounds (41), assists (12), blocks (10) and steals (four) in a season through the schedule's first 14 games while shooting an impressive 84.2 percent at the free throw line. The big man has seen increased playing time over his last nine contests, averaging 19.6 minutes per game after playing 6.8 per in the first four games.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK X2: Jihad was named the Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Co-Player of the Week on both Dec. 4 and Dec. 11.

Jihad averaged 24.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game, setting career highs in scoring three times over the four-game stretch to lead Ball State to a 3-1 record.

WINNING IN WORTHEN: The Cardinals clinched an undefeated home nonconference slate for the fourth straight season with the Dec. 10 decision over the Cougars.

Ball State has won 19 consecutive nonconference contests at Worthen Arena, with its last loss being on Dec. 3, 2019 to Loyola (Chicago).

1,300 WINS: The Ball State men's basketball team recorded win No. 1,300 in program history with the Dec. 2 decision against Bellarmine. The Cardinals are the tenth current MAC men's basketball team to reach that milestone.

MAC Program Wins (as of Dec. 4, 2023)
Akron - 1,697
Ball State - 1,300
Buffalo - 1,279
Bowling Green - 1,452
Central Michigan - 1,356
Eastern Michigan - 1,292
Kent State - 1,332
Miami (OH) - 1,436
Northern Illinois - 1,315
Ohio - 1,614
Toledo - 1,551
Western Michigan - 1,372

MILESTONE WATCH: Jihad and Pearson Jr. both scored their 500th career points in the second half on Saturday against Indiana St, with Jihad hitting the figure with a 3-pointer and Pearson Jr. getting to the total on a layup.

Pearson Jr. tallied 23 of those points playing at TCU, while Anderson (820) boasts the most career points in NCAA Division I on the current roster.

HOME HEROES: Ball State boasts a 7-1 record in the friendly confines of Worthen Arena, beating visitors by an average of 19.6 points per game (81.0-61.4).

The success includes significant advantages in rebounding margin (+7.1), turnover margin (+4.0), field goal shooting (.480 to .418) and 3-point shooting (.381 to .302).

Up Next
The Cardinals hit the road to take on reigning MAC regular season champion Toledo at 7 p.m. on Saturday.

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Players Mentioned

Jalin Anderson

Davion Bailey

Ethan Brittain-Watts

Joey Brown

Zane Doughty

Ben Hendriks

Basheer Jihad

Mason Jones

Trent Middleton Jr.

Jurica Zagorsak