Ball State University Athletics
Sparks First Team All-MAC in Preseason Poll
October 22, 2024 | Men's Basketball
Cardinals Picked 7th by MAC Head Coaches
The two-time Second Team All-MAC pick and 2022 MAC Freshman of the Year enters the season with 880 career points and 575 rebounds. Sparks averaged 13.5 points and 8.5 rebounds per game as a freshman and 13.3 points and 8.7 boards as a sophomore, starting in all 62 games played with the Cardinals.
Central Michigan's Anthony Pritchard, Kent State's VonCameron Davis, Ohio's AJ Clayton and Toledo's Javan Simmons were also named to the preseason first team.
Ball State was picked seventh with 67 points in the vote of the league's head coaches. Ohio (121 points) got the most votes to win the regular season crown followed by Akron (106) and Kent State (99).
Complete results of the preseason poll can be found below.
2024-25 MAC Men's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll
(First Place Votes)
1. Ohio (11) – 121 Â
2. Akron (1) – 106
3. Kent State – 99
4. Toledo – 95
5. Bowling Green – 73
6. Miami – 72
7. Ball State – 67
8. Central Michigan – 55 Â
9. Eastern Michigan – 36
10. Western Michigan – 33 Â
11. Northern Illinois – 24 Â
12. Buffalo – 11
Tournament Champion: Ohio (8), Kent State (3), Toledo (1)
2024-25 MAC Men's Basketball Preseason All-MAC Teams
First Team
Payton Sparks, Senior, Center, Ball State
Anthony Pritchard, Senior, Guard, Central Michigan
VonCameron Davis, R-Senior, Forward, Kent State
AJ Clayton, Senior, Forward, Ohio
Javan Simmons, Sophomore, Forward, Toledo
Second Team
Isaiah Gray, Senior, Guard, Akron
Jalen Sullinger, Senior, Guard, Kent State
Shereef Mitchell, Graduate Student, Guard, Ohio
AJ Brown, R-Sophomore, Guard, Ohio
Isaiah Adams, Fifth Year, Guard, Toledo
