Despite suffering an 11-point loss to Miami University on the day Tracy Roller's season-ending announcement was made, Ball State University guard Porchia Green said the news wasn't a distraction for her team.
"We've maintained our focus pretty well; it's not a distraction really," Green said. "We love coach Roller and we miss her but we're not focusing on her at all right now. We're just focused on getting through the season and winning the [Mid-American Conference] right now."
Because of her battle with mononucleosis, Roller has been away from the team since Finals Week of the Fall Semester. Roller could not be reached for comment.
Wednesday's announcement caught most of Ball State's fan base off guard, acting head coach Lisa McDonald said. However, she said she has been discussing the possibility of Roller missing the remainder of the season throughout her absence.
Last week, that possibility became more of a reality, McDonald said.
"I've been prepared," McDonald said. "It wasn't something that was completely out of the blue. I care about her as my friend and my boss, so my main concern is that she gets healthy and back on her feet."
Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tom Collins has echoed those concerns throughout Roller's stint with mono.
Although he is concerned for Roller's health, Collins said, he isn't worried about the state of the Cardinals' women's basketball team.
McDonald is one of the reasons Ball State hasn't dropped off since losing Roller to mono, Collins said.
Roller's associate head coach has been at her side during her seven years at the helm of Ball State's women's basketball program.
"Lisa has done a great job in leading the team in Tracy's absence," Collins said. "Everyone has responded, and that's what you want out of your assistant coaches. I think that's also a credit to Tracy because she's put a terrific staff together."
Instead of allowing Roller to break the news to her team, the administration made the decision to inform the Cardinals itself, McDonald said.
Collins declined to comment on the announcement to the team.
Though it was disappointing for Roller and her team, McDonald said, it's a decision everybody respected.
"It is what it is; we just had to take it for what it's worth," McDonald said. "We respect the decision the administration makes. For whatever reason, I think they thought that was what was best."
As disappointing as the news was to the team, McDonald said, the finality of knowing the team will be without its head coach will be a positive for everybody.
"For the kids I think it's nice that they don't have to answer the questions now that they've been getting all along," McDonald said. "They were getting questions from kids in class, from the professors they see and even random people [in the Village]. So I think for them it's nice that they can focus on the rest of the season."
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