Ball State University men's basketball coach Billy Taylor, a former athlete himself, is acutely aware of what five close defeats in a row can do to a team, especially when that team is as young as his Cardinals' team.
Heading into tonight's game at Purdue University, Taylor said he emphasized the process of building a team from the ground up to keep his team's spirits high.
"We are trying to focus on the process," Taylor said of his team, which is trying to recover from its first 0-6 start since 1923. "Ultimately, we will get some wins, and we can be successful in league play. We're not talking about the end result yet."
Tonight's game is Ball State's third of its season against a team that played in last season's NCAA Tournament. The Boilermakers join Georgetown University and Butler University in that group. All three of those teams also won at least one game in last year's tournament.
Taylor said he is proud of his team's effort thus far in close losses against a tough schedule.
"I think the most encouraging thing about our guys is the fact that we are competing against very good programs," Taylor said. "You talk about some very successful programs that continue to have success throughout the season."
Ball State has gained some sense of offensive balance in its last two games as five Cardinals scored seven or more points in each of the defeats against St. Joseph's University and Valparaiso University. Freshman guard Rashaun McLemore tallied two double-digit scoring games last week, the first two of his career.
Taylor said he thinks the added offensive threats can take some pressure off of senior guard Peyton Stovall, the Cardinals' leading scorer since junior forward Anthony Newell went down with a foot injury.
"Since teams do very detailed scouting, they're obviously going to try to take away Peyton Stovall and limit his touches," Taylor said. "The great thing about Peyton is that he does not force the issue. He's setting up good looks for his teammates and that's just unselfish team basketball."
Stovall is a Lafayette native and returns to his hometown for the first time as a Ball State player tonight. He averaged 22 points a game in his senior season at Lafayette Jefferson High School.
"This is a great opportunity for Peyton," Taylor said. "Any time you get the chance to go home and play in front of your family and friends, it is a great opportunity. I'm excited for him and all of our guys are excited for him. I know he'll be very fired up about it."
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