Ball State

State of '08: Indiana

Shawn Siegel — Sat, 13 Sep 2008 09:33:31 -0700

HTML clipboard

Duke or Carolina? BC or UMASS? Gonzaga or Washington.. or Washington State? What is the best program in each state? While there's not much competition in Hawaii.. there are great debates to be had in loaded regions like California, North Carolina, and Texas. The State of '08 is a ranking of every program in every state.. based mostly on recent success (the last five years) mixed in with subjective factors such as conference prestige, historical success, and overall program direction.

Up today: Indiana. For more info, check out the State of '08 introduction.

INDIANA

INDIANA - Considering all the turmoil this program has gone through, Indiana's still topped ND in the RPI for 9 of the last 10 seasons. While Indiana will surely struggle this year, and probably next as well, you still have to figure in time the Hoosiers will regain their place on top of the state's basketball pyramid.

NOTRE DAME - From 1991 to 2000, ND missed the NCAA Tournament every season. But in Mike Brey's eight seasons, the Irish have reached the holy land 5 times. This year, expectations are as high as ever, and a Top 10 ranking is not out of the question.

BUTLER - Who has been the top team in Indiana over the last two seasons? Butler, according to the computer rankings. Brad Stevens picked up where Todd Lickliter left off and led the Bulldogs to an amazing 30-4 overall record. In the last 12 years, Butler has made 7 NCAA Tournaments and 3 NITs. In fact, they've had more Tourney wins recently than ND. But I give the Irish the edge for more consistent success, being in a better conference, and because they'll probably outperform Butler in the next two seasons.

PURDUE - Despite getting tons of hype last season, Purdue probably wasn't as good as many think. They mostly beat up on weak Big Ten teams and poor non-conference opponents. But the program is obviously going in the right direction, and a more legit Top 20 finish is likely this season. Still, the Boilers haven't topped ND in the RPI since the turn of the century, and haven't surpassed Indiana since 2003.

VALPARAISO - From 1996 to 2004, Valpo made the Big Dance an amazing 7 out of 8 tries. The last four seasons have been a bit more pedestrian as the program has made the move to the bigger Horizon League. But the Crusaders still knocked off 5 Top 100 teams last year, and should once again make the postseason in 2009 (NIT or CBI).

6. IUPUI - Ron Hunter continues to do a great job in Indianapolis. Since 2003, the same year IUPUI shocked many by making the Big Dance, the Jaguars have consistently finished in the upper half of the Summit League. Without George Hill, their might be a bit of slippage in 08-09, but I still expect an RPI better than 175 or so.

7. INDIANA STATE - In 2000 & 2001, Indiana State was one of the country's darling mid-majors, making the tourney in back to back to seasons, and upsetting 4-seed Oklahoma in 01. But the program has run into some lean seasons, and there hasn't been a .500 or better finish since then. But beginning in 2003, the Sycamores' RPI has improved every year (from 260 to 128), a trend which could very well continue in 2009.

8. EVANSVILLE - The Purple Aces are in the bit of a slump, and Marty Simmons has a lot of work picking up the pieces left by Steve Merfeld. Evansville hasn't reached the .500 mark in MVC play since 2001, and almost certainly won't accomplish that feat in 2009. At least they managed to beat Ball State on the road early last year.

9. BALL STATE - In the 80's and 90's, and really up until 2004 or so, Ball State was a consistently solid program that was always competitive in the MAC. But somewhere along the way, the bottom has fallen off, and the Cardinals haven't even won 10 games in the last four campaigns. Another sub-200 RPI should be expected in 08-09.

10. IPFW - Relatively new to D1 (2004), IPFW has shown signs of improvement every year. Officially joining the Summit League was a big step last year, and finishing 9-9 in conference play was a pleasant surprise.

Last: Georgia - Next: Indiana

State of '08: The Introduction (& State list)

Daily Dribble: Gaudio, Taylor, and the Celtics

Shawn Siegel — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 11:54:18 -0700

Give credit to Wake Forest for making the right decision in naming Dino Gaudio the successor to Skip Prosser. Perhaps the lack of time prevented them from even considering a "bigger name" coach, but regardless of why the decision was made, it was the right one. Gaudio's 68-124 career head coaching record doesn't look good.. but only a magician could have been able to win at Army or Loyola in the 90's. I've long felt that with limited exceptions, success as a head coach is more about recruiting then x's & o's. Its hard to say with most recruits how much of a pull the head coach had on the player as opposed to any of the assistants. Gaudio is regarded as having been a major cog in Wake's recent recruiting success, particularly with the monster 2008 class. In Al-Faroug Amin, Ty Walker, and Tony Woods you're talking about 3 beasts. This year's pull of James Johnon, Jeff Teague, and Gary Clark was nice.. guys in the top 50-120ish range. But the 2008 trio is at the level that only Duke or Kansas can usually match. People will talk about how Gaudio was Prosser's long-time right-hand man and how he will make the smoothest transition. Those things are nice, but the cold hard fact of the matter is that Gaudio makes sense because he gives the program the best chance of keeping the 2008 recruits happy. Happy, big time recruits equal wins. The other coaching move of the day was Billy Taylor's hiring at Ball State. I'm not going to get into the circumstances by which Ronny Thompson left the program, allegations of racism and other wrongdoing. The facts are too murky to really know.. but I do know the hiring of Taylor is a steal. Its been a foregone conclusion for at least two years now that Taylor would leave Lehigh in due time. His name came up in connection with many openings the past couple years. And why wouldn't it? In just a handful of seasons at Lehigh, he took the program to unprecedented success. They were 5-23 the year before he arrived, and then they made the Big Dance in 2004. Last year was Taylor's most disappointing season as the Mountain Hawks only beat 10 D1 teams.. so he possibly got out just in the nick of time. But considering Ball State's recent troubles and the cloud under which the program currently sits, its hard to imagine finding a more capable coach than Taylor. Finally, moving on to the NBA for a second. I missed out writing on the Kevin Garnett trade. But let me say this, the Celtics are overrated. The two most important positions in the NBA are point guard and center, and its been this way pretty much for the league's history. The only player to transcend that reality is Michael Jordan, which is why he is far and away the best player in the league's history.. and why Lebron's early success has been so striking. Kevin Garnett is not such a talent, Allen has about a year left in the tank.. and both he and Pierce are coming off sub 60-game seasons. Those three guys along with Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo add up to a solid, but not finals-worthy team. In two years when this team hasn't won anything.. and the franchise has no young talent.. things will seem an awful lot like they did last year in Celtic-land. The fact that there were reports of Reggie Miller making a comeback with Boston (seriously, is today April Fools?) is not a good sign..

Billy Taylor to be Named Ball State Head Coach

Press Release — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 09:31:44 -0700

MUNCIE, Ind. -- Billy Taylor, who completed his fifth season as head coach at Lehigh University, has been named the 18th head men’s basketball coach in Ball State University history, according to BSU athletics director Tom Collins.

“It was clear that Billy Taylor wanted to be the head coach at Ball State University,” Collins said. “Billy has head coaching experience, Midwest roots and played at Notre Dame. He learned from the best in John MacLeod and Fran McCaffrey and was highly successful in a great league. Perhaps even more important, he cares about the student-athletes and is a proven winner.”

Taylor, a two-time Patriot League Coach of the Year, will be formally introduced as the Cardinals’ head coach at an 11 a.m. press conference Wednesday in the Alumni Lounge at Worthen Arena in Muncie.

Ball State Signs Three Recruits

Press Release — Mon, 14 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700

MUNCIE, Ind. -- C.J. Clark (Cypress, Texas/Cypress Springs H.S.), Laron Frazier (Waukegan, Ill./Waukegan H.S.) and Deontay Twyman (Sandy Spring, Md./Sherwood H.S.) have each signed a national letter of intent to attend Ball State University and compete for the men’s basketball team, according to head coach Ronny Thompson.

“We are excited to add these three young men to our program,” Thompson says. “They each have the ability to contribute immediately and impact our program.”

Clark, a 6-foot-7 forward, joins the Ball State program after spending last season at Panola College in Carthage, Texas. He earned Honorable Mention on the All Region XIV at Panola after averaging 14 points and four rebounds per game. Clark shot 48 percent from the field, 39 percent from three-point range and 78 percent from the free throw line. After playing at Cypress Spring High School in Houston, Clark signed with Colorado State and played in 12 games as a freshman for the Rams. “C.J. is a versatile player,” Thompson says. “He can legitimately play three different positions. His athleticism and length are assets, as is his ability to knock down shots.”

Frazier, a 6-0 point guard, helped Highland Community College to the NJCAA Division I National Tournament in 2007. As the starting point guard, Frazier averaged 14 points and six assists per game en route to being named the Arrowhead Conference Player of the Year. He was also named the Region IV Most Valuable Player and a Second Team NJCAA Division I All-America.

“Laron was a second-team All-American,” Thompson says. “I think having the accolades he has says something about the type of competitor he is. As a point guard, Laron has the ability to shoot and knock down shots. He also has a great ability to create shots for his teammates.”

Twyman, a 6-0 guard, was the first athlete in 17 years to be named All-Met in both basketball and football by The Washington Post. Twyman led Sherwood to the 4A Championship after averaging 17 points, eight assists, six rebounds and three steals per game as a senior. His team posted the most wins in school history with a 23-4 record and he finished his prep career with over 1,200 points in his career.

In addition to basketball, Twyman led Sherwood to consecutive Maryland 4A State Finals in football as a quarterback. He registered over 7,000 yards with 80 touchdown passes.

“Deontay is an explosive scoring guard,” Thompson says. “To be an All-Met selection in basketball and football shows Deontay knows how to compete. He can create and hit shots. I am excited to add Deontay to our program.”

The trio of signees join Kevin Ford (Portland, Ore./ Jefferson H.S.), Rob Giles (Detroit, Mich./Crockett H.S.), Robert Martina (Pompano Beach, Fla./Deerfield Beach H.S.), Melvin Goins (Humble, Texas/Christian Life Center Academy) and Malik Perry (Philadelphia, Pa./Philadelphia Lutheran Christian Academy), who have already committed to the BSU program for 2007-08.

MAC Recap: 11-18

Ryan Molnar — Sun, 19 Nov 2006 07:55:38 -0800

The MAC had four teams in action yesterday and last night with all but one team winning. Kent State picked up a good win at home over Detroit. Marquette handed it to Eastern Michigan. Toledo took care of Middle Tennessee State in overtime, and Buffalo came away with an impressive win over Miami (FL). Kent State had a balanced attack lead them to a 61-48 victory over the University of Detroit Mercy at the MAC Center yesterday afternoon. Kent State held Detroit to just 38 percent shooting and withstood a hot start from behind the 3-point line from the Titans. Detroit hit its first three triples, but then proceeded to only shoot three-of-16 the rest of the game. Freshmen guard Rodriguez Sherman led Kent State with 14 points in his first colleigate start. Due to many suspensions of players he was thrust into the lineup and did not commit one turnover in 31 minutes of play. Senior Armon Gates scored 12 points and brought down a career high 8 rebounds. He is known more for his 3 point shooting ability but in this game he was only able to make two three pointers. Kent State returns to action on Tuesday when they host Temple University. Eastern Michigan fell hard to #17 Marquette University 95-62. The Eagles were led by freshmen Devon Dumes who was the only player on Eastern in double figures as he scored 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field while hitting 4-of-7 from behind the arc. EMU stayed with Marquette for much of the first half but could not withstand Marquette’s hot shooting from the field along with its stingy defense. The Golden Eagles connected on 48% of it’s three point attempts while Eastern hit just 38% of theirs. Marquette had five players in double figures and were led by sophomore guard Dominic James who had 17 points. EMU will take on Detroit on Wednesday, November 29th. Toledo got their first win of the year last night but it wasn’t easy. Playing against Middle Tennessee State in the Virgin Islands as part of the Paradise Jam Tournament, Toledo fell down by as much as 18 points at the half but battled back to win it 75-69 in overtime. Senior guard Justin Ingram came up big for the Rockets scoring a career-high 32 points. He also hit the three that forced overtime. Senior forward Keonta Howell came up with 21 points and 6 rebounds and overcame a 20 point deficit with a 22-2 surge late in the second half. Ingram hit the game-tying three with only 0.9 seconds left on the clock. Middle Tennessee State rode their 72.7 percent shooting to a 18 point halftime lead. Toledo will play VCU on Monday afternoon in their last game at the Paradise Jam Tournament. The Buffalo Bulls win over the Miami Hurricanes was the school’s first win over a school from the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Bulls defeated the Hurricanes 60-57 in the America’s Youth Classic in Evansville, Indiana last night. Yassin Idbihi hit the game-winning jumper with 3.7 seconds remaining to carry the Bulls to their third win of the season. The senior forward led Buffalo with 22 points and a career high 14 rebounds. Buffalo only shot 36.5 percent but played solid defense and came up big on the boards. Buffalo was able to out-rebound Miami 43-35, including 16 offensive boards. Buffalo will take on Evansville in the final game of the tournament today. Today’s games feature Ball State hosting Prairie View A&M, Bowling Green hosting Furman, Akron hosting Tiffin, Ohio hosting Yale, Buffalo on the road at Evansville, and Central Michigan hosting UMKC. Here are my predictions: Ball State, Akron, Ohio, and Central Michigan all win, while Bowling Green and Buffalo both lose. Yesterday: 1-3. Overall: 6-4.

Ball State Signs PG Melvin Goins

Press Release — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 10:10:34 -0800

MUNCIE, Ind. -- Melvin Goins (Humble, Texas/Christian Life Center Academy) has signed a National Letter of Intent to attend Ball State University and compete for the men's basketball program, according to first-year head coach Ronny Thompson.

"Melvin is a special talent," Thompson says. "He is strong, quick and can be an impact player. I am really ecstatic to sign a player the quality of Melvin. We are extremely excited to have him join our Ball State program."

Goins -- a 5-foot-11, 180-lb. point guard -- averaged 25 points and nearly six assists per game as a junior last season. Before going to Christian Life Academy this year, he helped Heritage Christian to a 28-14 record a year ago, in addition to playing for the Dallas Mustangs AAU Team.

Thompson and the 2006-07 Cardinals open the season Saturday with a 1 p.m. game against Northern Colorado at Worthen Arena.

MAC Conference Preview

CHN — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 10:36:44 -0800

Conference Previews | Top 144 | 06-07 Preview Home

MAC Preview

Conference Rank: 15th

Conference Page

All-Conference

Player of the Year - Romeo Travis, Akron, F

Dru Joyce, Akron, G

Martin Samarco, Bowling Green, G

Skip Mills, Ball State, G/F

Yassin Idbihi, Buffalo, F/C

Nat'l	Team (Click for Preview)	Conf	Tourney
62	Akron	1	NCAA
73	Miami (OH)	2	NIT
84	Toledo	3	NIT
102	Kent State	4
142	Ohio	5
169	Western Michigan	6
190	Ball State	7
210	Northern Illinois	8
250	Bowling Green	9
266	Buffalo	10
284	Eastern Michigan	11
299	Central Michigan	12

Preseason Head Coach Q&A's:

Charlie Coles - Miami

Stan Joplin - Toledo

Other MAC Articles:

MAC Preseason Media Poll

Ryan Molnar's MAC Blog

MAC Preseason Rankings

Ryan Molnar — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 17:02:03 -0800

In the MAC East, the Akron Zips were voted to finish first this year. The Ohio University Bobcats were picked to finish right behind them in what should be a very competitive division. The Kent State Golden Flashes and the Miami (OH) RedHawks were picked third and fourth respectively. Rounding out the MAC East were the Buffalo Bulls and the Bowling Green Falcons. In the MAC West, the Toledo Rockets were picked to finish first. Coming in second are the Northern Illinois Huskies. Third and fourth are the Western Michigan Broncos and the Ball State Cardinals. Rounding out the MAC West are the Eastern Michigan Eagles and the Central Michigan Chippewas.