Ball State University Athletics
Jihad Named Second Team All-MAC
March 13, 2024 | Men's Basketball
Big Man was Top 5 in the Conference in Scoring and Rebounding
Ball State junior forward Basheer Jihad has been named to the All-MAC Second Team, the Mid-American Conference office announced Wednesday morning.
The Detroit native led the Cardinals in scoring (18.6 points per game), rebounding (8.0 per game) and blocked shots (1.1 per game), with those numbers ranking fourth, fifth and tied for seventh, respectively, in the MAC.
"Basheer has grown tremendously in our program, and his production this season reflects that as he put together one of the better junior campaigns of the last 25 years," head coach Michael Lewis said.
Jihad leads the league in free throws attempted (223) and made (167) this season and ranks No. 17 and No. 24 in those categories, respectively, in NCAA Division I as of Tuesday.
The third-year Cardinal finished the year accumulating 559 points which is the 17th-most in a season in Ball State men's basketball history and 7th-most by a junior.
Jihad tallied nine double-doubles and 11 20-point games in his breakout season while shooting 46.0 percent from the floor, 37.0 percent on 3-pointers and 74.4 percent at the free throw line. The big man led Ball State in scoring in 17 games and in rebounding in 17 games in the face of consistent double teams after the first month of the season.
The full All-Conference teams and award winners can be found below.
2023-24 MAC Men's Basketball All-MAC Teams & Specialty Award Winners
Coach of the Year: Tony Barbee, Central Michigan
Player of the Year: Enrique Freeman, Senior, Forward, Akron*
Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Pritchard, Junior, Guard, Central Michigan Co-Defensive Player of the Year: Tyler Cochran, Junior, Guard, Toledo
Freshman of the Year: Javan Simmons, Forward, Toledo*
Sixth Man of the Year: JaVaughn Hannah, Sophomore, Guard, Western Michigan
Â
All-MAC First TeamÂ
Ali Ali, Senior, Guard, Akron
Enrique Freeman, Senior, Forward, Akron Marcus Hill, Junior, Guard, Bowling Green Anthony Pritchard, Junior, Guard, Central Michigan Ra'Heim Moss, Junior, Guard, Toledo Â
All-MAC Second TeamÂ
Basheer Jihad, Junior, Forward, Ball State Rashaun Agee, Senior, Forward, Bowling Green Jaylin Hunter, Senior, Guard, Ohio Dante Maddox Jr., Junior, Guard, Toledo Tyler Cochran, Junior, Guard, Toledo All-MAC Third TeamÂ
Brian Taylor, Graduate Student, Guard, Central Michigan Tyson Acuff, Junior, Guard, Eastern Michigan Jalen Sullinger, Junior, Guard, Kent State David Coit, Junior, Guard, Northern Illinois AJ Clayton, Junior, Forward, Ohio
All-MAC Honorable Mention Greg Tribble, Senior, Guard, Akron VonCameron Davis, R-Junior, Forward, Kent State Anderson Mirambeaux, Senior, Center, Miami Darweshi Hunter, Graduate Student, Guard, Miami B. Artis White, R-Junior, Guard, Western Michigan  MAC All-Freshman Team Arne Osojnik, Guard, Eastern Michigan Eian Elmer, Wing, Miami Will Lovings-Watt, Guard, Northern Illinois Javan Simmons, Forward, Toledo Sonny Wilson, Guard, Toledo
 MAC All-Defensive Team
Greg Tribble, Senior, Guard, Akron
Enrique Freeman, Senior, Forward, Akron Anthony Pritchard, Junior, Guard, Central Michigan Tyler Cochran, Junior, Guard, Toledo Ra'Heim Moss, Junior, Guard, Toledo * - unanimous selection by 11 opposing head coaches
