With the season only 12 days away, first-year coach Ronny Thompson and his collective staff are doing some fine-tuning with their squad and putting the finishing touches on a productive off-season for the Ball State University men's basketball team.
The Cardinals got their first taste of game action this past Saturday at Worthen Arena in the form of a scrimmage with IUPUI.
"I felt it went really well," Ball State coach Ronny Thompson said. "The guys are really starting to come together, gelling and starting to figure it out, which is really exciting for me. They give me 110 percent and that is all I can ask for right now."
By participating in a scrimmage, the coaching staff was able to see how some new faces would fare during a game-like atmosphere.
One of those faces, 6-foot, 10-inch junior Micah Rollin, is a Junior College transfer (JUCO) from Long Beach, Calif..
He played two years at the College of Southern Idaho and averaged 3.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in just fewer than 10 minutes per game.
"It think it was especially good for guys like Micah Rollin to get some reps," Thompson said. "Micah has grit. He's a competitive kid, but he hasn't played a lot of basketball under a real whistle. I love his demeanor, but he still has to learn some tact and get a feel for the game."
Rollin isn't the only JUCO Thompson and his staff brought in for the 2005-06 season.
Steve Horton and Jarelle Redden played together at Cincinnati State Technical College. Horton, a 5-foot, 9-inch guard, averaged 13 points per game and ranked sixth in the nation with eight assists.
His teammate Redden is also a guard, standing at 6 feet, 2 inches. He played more in the low-post and put up 15 points a contest while hauling down 10 boards.
Both should figure into the Cardinal rotation, although it is yet to be seen what type of role each player will take on.
"Honestly, I don't know," Thompson said of his potential starting five. "We still have a lot of practices left and a lot of evaluating left to do. Who knows at this point, and that's okay as long as they are giving me 110 percent, which they are. I can tell you that everyone is healthy, with the exception of some minor dings which come with a season starting."
With three returning seniors, coach Thompson is looking for his seniors to emerge as leaders on the floor.
"I have been on the upperclassmen to be our leaders, because they've been through the fire," Thompson said. "We have not designated anyone as the guy, the weight is on everyone's shoulders. This team is going to be a team by committee. We've all got to get it done if we're going to be successful."
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