The Ball State women's basketball team has developed a strongnon-conference schedule for the 2004-2005 season, featuring Dukeand Kansas at home.
Duke went to the Elite Eight last season before losing toMinnesota and the matchup against Kansas will bring a Big 12 schoolto Muncie.
"For us to get an opportunity to play teams like that, it's justreally exciting for us; but to get them at home is a dream cometrue," head coach Tracy Roller said.
The Cardinals will open the season at the Seton Hall Tournament,with Wagner and LaSalle also competing. Roller said the teamdecided to make the trip to the East Coast because that was oneplace senior Kate Endress wanted to go. As the only senior on theteam, the coaches asked her where she would like to go during hersenior campaign.
"It was a good tournament where we felt we could be competitiveand still make it an educational experience," Roller said.
Ball State also scheduled Evansville so Endress would get achance to visit her home town. The Evansville trip will be madeduring a road swing that begins with a matchup against Saint Louis,then the team will head down to Evansville.
The Cardinals will play Saint Louis twice this season, once onthe road and once at home, because the teams needed to fulfilltheir contract before the Billikins moved from Conference USA tothe Atlantic 10. The contest also gives them an extra home game,Roller said.
In other non-conference games, the team will face Cincinnati onthe road Nov. 24, the day after the men's basketball team takes onKentucky at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati.
In all, the Cardinals could face eight teams, seven for sure,that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season.
Ball State opens Mid-American Conference play on Jan. 5 atToledo, followed by two home games against Central Michigan andWestern Michigan. Roller said the MAC is as open as it's ever been,but Eastern Michigan may hold an edge because of how well they didlast season.
"I couldn't even tell you who to pick," Roller said. "I thinkthere's about eight teams that could possibly win."
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