The Ball State men’s basketball team only needed 11 games to match last season’s win total of five, but head coach James Whitford still feels his team has a long way to go.
“Our commitment above and beyond practice is much better [than last season],” Whitford said. “[Our culture is] nowhere near where I feel like it one day can be, but it's better in that way of players holding players accountable ... Our communication is probably 40-50 percent better and has 50 percent more room to grow.”
Ball State has faced adversity in its second year under Whitford, as the former assistant coach at Arizona hasn’t had his entire roster available to him at any point this season.
Ball State's lineup was in flux after Cincinnati transfer Jeremiah Davis sustained a foot injury before the season started.
Whitford inserted freshman Jeremie Tyler into the starting lineup, and through nine games Tyler ranked third on the team in scoring at 12 points per game. The 6 foot 2 guard’s .429 three-point percentage and 12 steals were both the team’s second-highest, while his 3.8 rebounds per contest ranked third.
Davis has since returned, playing 17 minutes in Ball State’s most recent game against Bethune-Cookman, but the Cardinals now have to figure out how to replace Tyler, who was declared academically ineligible for the remainder of the season.
“I want to apologize to all I have disappointed, including my family, teammates, our fans and alumni,” Tyler said in a statement. “This is a humbling experience that I have to learn from, and I look to become a stronger person because of it.”
While Tyler’s production on both sides of the ball won’t be easy to replace, it is a situation Ball State has found itself in already this season. Freshman Francis Kiapway has started both games since Tyler was deemed ineligible, averaging 10.5 points in those contests and providing the coaching staff with reason for optimism.
“Francis stepping up was important for us, its given us confidence,” Whitford said. “Francis was a little untested. You never know exactly what you’re getting when you get a kid from high school.”
Ball State begins Mid-American Conference play on Wednesday at Eastern Michigan after finishing the non-conference portion of its schedule at 5-6. Three of the Cardinals’ first four conference games are on the road, where Ball State is currently winless in five attempts.
Despite its poor road record, the Cardinals have been in every contest away from Worthen Arena, its worse loss being an 18-point defeat at the hands of No. 9 Utah.
Whitford said while it is important to take something away from a close loss, becoming too confident is counterproductive.
“The worst thing I can do is tell [the players] what they want to hear to try and give them confidence,” Whitford said. “My job is to be honest with them and give them direct feedback. We’ve shown we can play with really good teams.”
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