A funny thing happened at Ball State just before the holiday break.
A strange phenomenon overtook the campus. It caused extreme mood swings, irritable behavior in even the most placid souls and a great, disembodied babble of voices to rise above all else in East Central Indiana. A national ranking had landed in Muncie.
I speak, of course, about the early season heights the men's basketball team had reached after its impressive outing in Maui. The Cardinals' victories over Kansas and UCLA, both nationally recognized and tradition-rich programs, set the bar for this season rather high.
These accomplishments filled the hearts of Cardinal hoops supporters with glee and caused fans to foam at the mouth in anticipation of conference championships and perhaps even greater honors. The Cardinals were rewarded for their efforts with a spot in national Top 25 polls. And then odd things started to happen.
Case in point, the basketball team's game against Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne. As I stood in Worthen Arena watching the Cardinals handily dispatch the Mastodons, my satisfaction in the resulting victory was apparently not shared by all those around me.
One distraught fan flung his baseball cap to the ground and spewed an expletive-laced tirade seemingly every time the Mastodons made a basket. Why? Because by not beating the Mastodons by 30 or more points, he thought the team would drop in the polls.
Rankings are like candies. They are both sweet and tasty, but neither last very long nor are ultimately satisfying. Unlike college football, where, as illustrated by the recent BCS fiasco, a late-season loss can reduce a national-championship contender to wondering "what if?", the only time the No. 1 ranking in college basketball really matters is when the final second ticks off the clock in the national championship game.
Because of a number of recent losses, the Cardinals are no longer ranked. So, all of the fans who devoted so much energy fretting about a meaningless number can now focus on the team's efforts on the hardwood, not in the polls. Championships are won on fields and courts, not on paper. And, as ESPN's Chris Berman likes to say, "That's why they play the games."
This team has a chance to be special. The victories over Kansas and UCLA were clearly not flukes and are, in basketball parlance, "good wins." Also, the team has not suffered any "bad losses." The Cardinals have been defeated by arguably the most talented team in the nation in Duke. Indiana rarely loses a non-conference game at Assembly Hall. Butler is as good, if not better, than it has ever been and Oklahoma State is annually a national power.
Most recently, defending Mid-American Conference champion Kent State, who beat Indiana in last season's NCAA Tournament, showed they will not surrender their crown without a fight. All these games were tough losses but were also competitive contests that showed the heart of this year's team.
So rejoice, Cardinal basketball fans. All is not lost. The Cards have entered into the conference season and, if the they can consistently play with the poise and desire they showed in Maui, have a chance to claim a MAC championship and play their way into the NCAA Tournament.
Notice that I said play their way into the tournament. That's because no one can be voted into the tournament.
While polls only acknowledge 25 teams, 65 teams are invited to the Big Dance. It's the latter number that is the important one.
Write to Josh at jsaylor5@yahoo.com
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