Medical misfortunes -- Theron Smith, Rob Robbins, Kevin Cates and Tom Howland come to mind -- have riddled the Ball State men's roster the past two seasons and contributed to a pair of sub-.500 seasons.
Two inside players had injuries that hindered their development in offseason, and another was sidelined briefly when practices began, but the Cardinals appear on the road to recovery.
Head coach Tim Buckley has a wealth of talent inside that he's hoping to explore. Two of the expected contributors are junior Ohio State transfer Charles Bass and junior Howland. Also recovering from injury is freshman forward Landon Adler.
Bass, expected to fight for a starting position after the graduation of starters Robert Owens and Cameron Echols, injured his left Achilles tendon during the last week of August and had surgery following the injury. He is not eligible to play until the middle part of December as part of his transfer. But he is recovering and making progress in practice.
"It's coming along slowly but surely," Bass said. "It needs time to heal but I hope to be back by the start of the conference schedule. There's only so much I can do."
Bass is still day-to-day in terms of ability in practice, but Buckley knows what he is capable of when he does become healthy and eligible.
"He has a defensive presence and is a potential shot blocker," Buckley said. "He's like a condor (with his wingspan)."
Howland fought kneecap injuries last season. By overcompensating for the one knee, he injured the other and needed surgery during the spring, but he is healthy and practicing, Buckley said.
His biggest worry is to build up his stamina, but he should play in the season opener against Kentucky on Nov. 23.
Adler, a recruit who led Indiana high school basketball in rebounding at Adams Central in Decatur, experienced bone spurs in his feet. He is also expected to be ready once the season begins and help replace Owens and Echols.
One of the reasons that both Howland and Adler are expected to be ready when the season starts up is the team's training staff, Buckley said.
For every team, the injury bug is a factor in determining whether a team plays in the postseason or not. With so many new faces, especially on the inside, the Cards can't afford to suffer ailments again this year.
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