Just like last season, the Ball State men's basketball team will look toward several newcomers for some needed production.
The cast of newcomers include 6-foot-9 freshmen forward Landon Alder, 6-5 freshmen forward Anthony Newell, 7-foot junior forward/center Anthony Kent, and 6-9 junior forward/center Charles Bass.
Head coach Tim Buckley said that the incoming players are expected to contribute early.
"That's why we brought them here," he said.
Alder averaged 23 points and 13 rebounds a game at Adams Central in Decatur, Ind. Newell averaged 18 points and five assists a game at Simeon high school in Chicago Simeon. Both freshmen admit to some early struggles adjusting to the collegiate level.
"It's a lot more mental; you can't go by your skills," Alder said "You've got to find different things in the game to get an advantage."
"The time management, I found it pretty hard at first to manage my time, but everything is well now," Newell said.
Newell went to the same high school as former Ball State forward Cameron Echols did. Newell said Echols had some influence on his decision to come to Ball State.
"My (high school) coach told me to talk to Cameron and he said everything was good here," Newell said.
Both freshmen have said the team's upperclassmen have made it easier to adjust as well.
"This summer, if I made a mistake, they (upperclassmen) would take me aside, and say what I did wrong and how to do it," Alder said.
While the freshmen are getting their first taste of Ball State basketball, Bass and Kent have already spent a year with the team. The two juniors transferred to Ball State last year and had a year to learn the program. NCAA rules require transfers to sit out the first year after transferring.
Bass transferred from Ohio State and Kent from Columbus State Community College. Both say that sitting out from games for a year will not have any affect on their game.
"I think it's just like riding a bike, I pretty much know everything I'm suppose to know," Bass said. "It just gives me time to understand the offense and about the way we play."
"It could (have an effect), but not me, I got bigger and stronger," Kent said. "I was able to get use to the system here."
Buckley agrees with both of their assessments.
"It will affect them, if they want it to," Buckley said.
Two of the newcomers will have to wait until later in the season to get started. Alder is recovering from bone spurs, while Bass is recovering from an injury to his Achilles tendon and isn't eligible until the fall semester ends. Both players expect to be healthy and ready to play when conference play begins.
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