Currently, the Ball State men's basketball team sits at the bottom of the Mid-American Conference West division with a conference record of 2-5. That standing is far from where the Cardinals will need to be when the MAC tournament rolls around midway through March.
In order to host a first-round tournament game, Ball State will have to finish in the top eight.
Currently, with the second-to-worst conference record of the 13 teams, tying both Akron and Toledo, the Cardinals have some work to do.
Ball State will start trying to chip away at that record in hopes of improving its league standing tonight. The Cards will play host to Marshall, a team that has a conference record of 5-2 and is currently second in the MAC East.
Even with each game drawing closer to the season's end and the MAC tournament quickly approaching, Ball State coach Tim Buckley continues to place importance on the here and now.
"I don't know that we pay as much attention to that as we do trying to get better every day and every game," Buckley said. "If you don't do that, then it doesn't really matter what happens to you in the post-season. We feel if we can get better as a team, then we might have a chance to host a home game."
Buckley will look for team improvement in a couple of areas over the course of the next five games, four of which will be played in Worthen Arena.
One area that needs some tweaking, the third-year coach explained, is the effort from his bench players.
"Our bench guys need to have a 'stopper' mentality," Buckley said. "When they come in, they have to defend; they have to rebound. They don't have to score; they don't have to handle the ball necessarily. They have to defend for us to have success, because we are this close in four of those five games we've lost. If we get all of that, then maybe we're over the hump and we win those games."
Four of Ball State's last five conference losses have been by a combined nine points, averaging a deficit of 5.6 points a game.
"I'm not saying it as a negative. I'm saying it's something we've got to chip away at if we are going to get this thing turned around and put together some games," Buckley said of his bench play. "We've got to get those guys to be more consistent."
Another area in which Buckley will look for improvement is rebounding. After the team's having been out-rebounded by Miami on Saturday, Buckley explained that he hopes to see improved play from junior Cameron Echols when it comes to the boards. Echols has had six double-doubles so far this season but has not had one since playing Northern Illinois on Jan. 11, also the last time he pulled in double digits in rebounding.
"I'd like to see him get more into his rebounding, like he was early in the season," Buckley said. "That has to be more of a focus for him."
One player Ball State will continue to turn to in hopes of support is sophomore Matt McCollom. The guard has scored more than 20 points in two of the Cardinals' last three games, with a new career-high 29 against Eastern Michigan. McCollom added 16 on Saturday against Miami.
"I really think some guys are starting to come into their own," Buckley said, "Matt McCollom being one of those guys. I think it all stems from remaining positive, trying to get better and pushing forward."
McCollom explained that his improved offensive play has simply come through a new mindset.
"I have realized that I can get to the hole better than I thought," he said. "I also tended to hold onto making bad plays before, instead of moving on to the next play. Right now I am just trying to let it go and make a good play the next time," McCollom said.
Trying to lean the Cards' record more toward the winning side will be a challenge tonight, especially against a team like Marshall who has a scorer in Ronald Blackshear. The junior averages 20.7 points a game and comes to Worthen Arena off of a 26-point performance at Buffalo on Saturday.
"I don't know if you will (slow him down)," Buckley said. "He can score no matter who guards him. He puts up points and he's a scorer, that's what he is.
"He's a tough match-up for you because he can take anybody, and he's got unlimited range," Buckley said.
Blackshear currently ranks fourth in the MAC in scoring, while Ball State continues to hold the conference's leading scorer in Chris Williams, who averages 22.2 points a game.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
