Tuesday, February 6
Muncie, IN
7:00 p.m.
Ball State University
vs
Ohio
Photo by: Samantha Blankenship / Ball State University
Men's Basketball Hosting Ohio Tuesday Night
February 05, 2024 | Men's Basketball
Cardinals and Bobcats to Clash in Big Game for MAC Positioning
The Ball State men's basketball team hosts Ohio at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in Worthen Arena in an important game for Mid-American Conference positioning.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+, with Jack McMullen and David Eha on the call. Mark Foerster and Scot Bunnell handle the radio broadcast on WMUN 1340AM - 92.5FM. Ohio is the final MAC team Ball State has yet to play this year.
The Cardinals (12-10, 4-6 MAC) and Bobcats (12-10, 6-4 MAC) meet for the 91st time in series history. Last season, Ohio took both meetings between the two teams, including a 76-71 win on Jan. 10 in Athens and a 90-70 decision on March 9 in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament that ended Ball State's season.
An impressive first half defensive performance led the Cardinals to a 77-67 win at Western Michigan on Saturday afternoon. Ball State led 39-22 at halftime after allowing a season-low point total in a half against a Division I opponent. The duo of Jalin Anderson (20 points, six rebounds, five steals) and Basheer Jihad (18 points, eight rebounds) led the offense as the Cardinals won their third consecutive road game by double figures.
The Bobcats enter Tuesday night's clash winners of their last three games, beating Miami (OH) 78-69 on Saturday in their most recent game. The beginning of the stretch included Ohio notching its first road win of the year at Kent State (71-64) on Jan. 26. Ball State's only common nonconference opponent with Ohio is Detroit Mercy, who the Bobcats handled 71-52 on Nov. 18 at home.
SCOUTING OHIO: The Bobcats went 19-14 (10-8 MAC) last season in head coach Jeff Boals' fourth year leading the program. Ohio was the No. 5 seed in the MAC Tournament and bowed out in the semifinals with an 82-75 loss to No. 1 seed Toledo.
The Bobcats lead the MAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.45), field goal percentage defense (42.4), 3-pointers made per game (8.8), turnover margin (+3.6) and fewest turnovers per game (9.8). The turnover margin and fewest turnovers rank No. 23 and No. 25, respectively, in NCAA Division I.
Senior guard Jaylin Hunter leads the Bobcats in scoring (13.8 points per game) and average playing time (30.9 minutes) while pacing the conference with 4.9 assists per game and a 2.30 assist-to-turnover ratio. Junior forward AJ Clayton ranks second in the MAC with 36 total blocks while leading the team in 3-pointers made (47) and 3-point percentage (43.9) among Bobcats averaging at least three attempts per game.
CARDINAL DIRECTIONS
Ball State is the lone MAC team to win three conference road games by double figures this season.
CROATIAN DESTINATION: Ball State is the only Division I school featuring Croatia natives on both its men's basketball (Jurica Zagorsak) and women's basketball (Hana Muhl) teams.
Zagorsak is one of only nine Croatians currently on Division I men's basketball rosters. Ball State has played three other teams with a Croatian (Detroit Mercy, Little Rock and Toledo).
HANDLING THE HUSKIES: Ball State topped Northern Illinois for the eighth time in the last nine games between the two MAC foes with the 81-71 win on Jan. 27.
The men's basketball team has won by double-figures over the Huskies five times in that span and bettered record to 62-40 in the series, including 37-13 in Muncie.
BUFFALO BLOWOUT: The 28-point winning margin on Jan. 23 at Buffalo was Ball State's largest of the season against a Division I opponent and second-largest overall behind a 101-40 rout of Goshen in the Nov. 7 season opener.
The loss for the Bulls was their second-most lopsided in MAC play to date and third-worst overall.
DB FOR THREE: Junior guard Davion Bailey leads the Cardinals in 3-pointers made (43) and 3-point shooting (44.3 percent) so far this season, and his 2.39 triples made per game ranks third in the MAC.
The Indianapolis native paces the MAC in 3-point percentage among players who've made at least 35 trifectas, ranking third overall.
FREE THROWS FALLING: Redshirt junior Mickey Pearson Jr. leads the Mid-American Conference and ranks No. 27 nationally among qualifiers in free throw shooting percentage at 88.6 (62 of 70), and first in conference games at 96.9 percent (31 of 32).
Bailey (85.2 percent, 23-27) and Trent Middleton Jr. (83.7 percent, 41-49) have also been efficient at the foul line, while the Cardinals as a whole lead the MAC and are No. 26 in NCAA Division I in free throw shooting at 76.5 percent.
TOP OF THE MAC: Ball State's first four games on its Mid-American Conference schedule included games against the three 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 and preseason league favorite Akron on Jan. 9. Ball State's matchup on Jan. 13, Toledo, won the MAC regular season crown in 2022-23.
BANKING ON BASHEER: Jihad leads the team in scoring (19.5 ppg), rebounding (7.8 per game) and field goal percentage (49.8) among Cardinals averaging at least four field goal attempts this season. Jihad has established or tied career highs in scoring six times already this season, including on Jan. 20 against Miami (29 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 and the team in assists (4.5 per game) as the Cardinals' lead guard. The Jackson, Tenn., native leads the MAC in steals (24) in conference play and is second overall at 39 total steals so far.
The Jackson, Tenn., native boasts Ball State's highest offensive output (29 points against Old Dominion) so far and has already established his career high for single season points, assists, rebounds and steals. Anderson has shown a penchant for explosive offensive performances, posting seven 20+ point games so far this 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 (99), rebounds (60), assists (16), blocks (18) and steals (four) in a season through the schedule's first 22 games. The big man has seen increased playing time over his last 16 contests, averaging 19.4 minutes per game after playing 6.8 per in the first four games.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK X3: Jihad was named the Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Co-Player of the Week on Jan. 29 after taking home the honor on Dec. 4 and Dec. 11.
Jihad averaged 24.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.5 per game in wins at Buffalo and vs Northern Illinois, including a 28-point, 14-rebound double-double on Jan. 27 against the Huskies.
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: Anderson is 56 points away from scoring 1,000 in his career. The junior had 604 of those while playing for LMU.
Jihad and Pearson Jr. both scored their 500th career points in the second half on Dec. 16 against Indiana St, with Jihad hitting the figure with a 3-pointer and Pearson Jr. getting to the total on a layup.
Up Next
Ball State takes a break from MAC play to travel to Texas State for the MAC-SBC Challenge at 5 p.m. ET (4 p.m. CT) on Saturday.
The game will be streamed on ESPN+, with Jack McMullen and David Eha on the call. Mark Foerster and Scot Bunnell handle the radio broadcast on WMUN 1340AM - 92.5FM. Ohio is the final MAC team Ball State has yet to play this year.
The Cardinals (12-10, 4-6 MAC) and Bobcats (12-10, 6-4 MAC) meet for the 91st time in series history. Last season, Ohio took both meetings between the two teams, including a 76-71 win on Jan. 10 in Athens and a 90-70 decision on March 9 in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament that ended Ball State's season.
An impressive first half defensive performance led the Cardinals to a 77-67 win at Western Michigan on Saturday afternoon. Ball State led 39-22 at halftime after allowing a season-low point total in a half against a Division I opponent. The duo of Jalin Anderson (20 points, six rebounds, five steals) and Basheer Jihad (18 points, eight rebounds) led the offense as the Cardinals won their third consecutive road game by double figures.
The Bobcats enter Tuesday night's clash winners of their last three games, beating Miami (OH) 78-69 on Saturday in their most recent game. The beginning of the stretch included Ohio notching its first road win of the year at Kent State (71-64) on Jan. 26. Ball State's only common nonconference opponent with Ohio is Detroit Mercy, who the Bobcats handled 71-52 on Nov. 18 at home.
SCOUTING OHIO: The Bobcats went 19-14 (10-8 MAC) last season in head coach Jeff Boals' fourth year leading the program. Ohio was the No. 5 seed in the MAC Tournament and bowed out in the semifinals with an 82-75 loss to No. 1 seed Toledo.
The Bobcats lead the MAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.45), field goal percentage defense (42.4), 3-pointers made per game (8.8), turnover margin (+3.6) and fewest turnovers per game (9.8). The turnover margin and fewest turnovers rank No. 23 and No. 25, respectively, in NCAA Division I.
Senior guard Jaylin Hunter leads the Bobcats in scoring (13.8 points per game) and average playing time (30.9 minutes) while pacing the conference with 4.9 assists per game and a 2.30 assist-to-turnover ratio. Junior forward AJ Clayton ranks second in the MAC with 36 total blocks while leading the team in 3-pointers made (47) and 3-point percentage (43.9) among Bobcats averaging at least three attempts per game.
CARDINAL DIRECTIONS
- Jihad leads the Cardinals in scoring (19.5 points per game) and rebounding (7.8) averages. The junior forward out of Detroit has led the Cardinals in scoring 14 games so far, scoring in double-figures 21 times, including 11 games with 20+ points. The big man's total points (430) and scoring average rank third in the Mid-American Conference, while his rebounding average is fourth.
- The Cardinals lead the MAC and rank in the Top 30 nationally in free throw percentage (76.5, No. 26) and 3-point percentage (37.8, No. 25). Ball State also makes the most free throws per game (16.7) in the league (No. 31 nationally).
- 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 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.
Ball State is the lone MAC team to win three conference road games by double figures this season.
CROATIAN DESTINATION: Ball State is the only Division I school featuring Croatia natives on both its men's basketball (Jurica Zagorsak) and women's basketball (Hana Muhl) teams.
Zagorsak is one of only nine Croatians currently on Division I men's basketball rosters. Ball State has played three other teams with a Croatian (Detroit Mercy, Little Rock and Toledo).
HANDLING THE HUSKIES: Ball State topped Northern Illinois for the eighth time in the last nine games between the two MAC foes with the 81-71 win on Jan. 27.
The men's basketball team has won by double-figures over the Huskies five times in that span and bettered record to 62-40 in the series, including 37-13 in Muncie.
BUFFALO BLOWOUT: The 28-point winning margin on Jan. 23 at Buffalo was Ball State's largest of the season against a Division I opponent and second-largest overall behind a 101-40 rout of Goshen in the Nov. 7 season opener.
The loss for the Bulls was their second-most lopsided in MAC play to date and third-worst overall.
DB FOR THREE: Junior guard Davion Bailey leads the Cardinals in 3-pointers made (43) and 3-point shooting (44.3 percent) so far this season, and his 2.39 triples made per game ranks third in the MAC.
The Indianapolis native paces the MAC in 3-point percentage among players who've made at least 35 trifectas, ranking third overall.
FREE THROWS FALLING: Redshirt junior Mickey Pearson Jr. leads the Mid-American Conference and ranks No. 27 nationally among qualifiers in free throw shooting percentage at 88.6 (62 of 70), and first in conference games at 96.9 percent (31 of 32).
Bailey (85.2 percent, 23-27) and Trent Middleton Jr. (83.7 percent, 41-49) have also been efficient at the foul line, while the Cardinals as a whole lead the MAC and are No. 26 in NCAA Division I in free throw shooting at 76.5 percent.
TOP OF THE MAC: Ball State's first four games on its Mid-American Conference schedule included games against the three 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 and preseason league favorite Akron on Jan. 9. Ball State's matchup on Jan. 13, Toledo, won the MAC regular season crown in 2022-23.
BANKING ON BASHEER: Jihad leads the team in scoring (19.5 ppg), rebounding (7.8 per game) and field goal percentage (49.8) among Cardinals averaging at least four field goal attempts this season. Jihad has established or tied career highs in scoring six times already this season, including on Jan. 20 against Miami (29 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 and the team in assists (4.5 per game) as the Cardinals' lead guard. The Jackson, Tenn., native leads the MAC in steals (24) in conference play and is second overall at 39 total steals so far.
The Jackson, Tenn., native boasts Ball State's highest offensive output (29 points against Old Dominion) so far and has already established his career high for single season points, assists, rebounds and steals. Anderson has shown a penchant for explosive offensive performances, posting seven 20+ point games so far this 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 (99), rebounds (60), assists (16), blocks (18) and steals (four) in a season through the schedule's first 22 games. The big man has seen increased playing time over his last 16 contests, averaging 19.4 minutes per game after playing 6.8 per in the first four games.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK X3: Jihad was named the Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Co-Player of the Week on Jan. 29 after taking home the honor on Dec. 4 and Dec. 11.
Jihad averaged 24.0 points, 11.5 rebounds and 3.5 per game in wins at Buffalo and vs Northern Illinois, including a 28-point, 14-rebound double-double on Jan. 27 against the Huskies.
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: Anderson is 56 points away from scoring 1,000 in his career. The junior had 604 of those while playing for LMU.
Jihad and Pearson Jr. both scored their 500th career points in the second half on Dec. 16 against Indiana St, with Jihad hitting the figure with a 3-pointer and Pearson Jr. getting to the total on a layup.
Up Next
Ball State takes a break from MAC play to travel to Texas State for the MAC-SBC Challenge at 5 p.m. ET (4 p.m. CT) on Saturday.
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballMen's Basketball // Armoni Zeigler
Wednesday, September 10
Men's Basketball // Armoni Zeigler - Heart of the Cardinal Podcast
Tuesday, September 09
Men's Basketball // Jai Anthoni Bearden
Wednesday, August 20
Men's Basketball // Jai Anthoni Bearden - Heart of the Cardinal Podcast
Wednesday, August 20