Heading into this season, six wins in Mid-American Conference play and a ninth seed in the MAC Tournament were hardly what Ball State coach Billy Taylor envisioned.
This was a team picked by many to finish near the top of the MAC West Division and a contender for an NCAA Tournament berth.
While a division title is lost, Taylor said he still feels this team is capable of making noise in Cleveland when healthy.
"I have seen significant improvement over the past two games," Taylor said. "The nice thing is, we've got everybody back."
Injury free is something this team hasn't been in a while, but for Monday's first round game at eighth seeded Western Michigan, Taylor said Ball State should be at full strength.
Only four players on the Cardinals roster have suited up for every conference game.
Over the past two games, the team showed what it could do when healthy. Ball State beat Central Michigan and Northern Illinois by a combined 30 points.
The two teams had a combined 14-45 record on the season, but the Cardinals showed flashes of potential in both games.
After battling back problems most of the season, sophomore forward Matt Kamieniecki brought toughness back to the game with big rebounds and relentless energy. Senior forward Pierre Sneed got out in transition for easy basket while senior point guard Randy Davis showed the leadership Ball State had been missing.
Ball State played well enough for Northern Illinois coach Mark Montgomery to give a vote of confidence for this team.
"I think in this league anyone can go on the road and make a run because games are so close," Montgomery said. "They [Ball State] are in every single ball game. It's going to be who executes the best in the last five minutes. They have as good a chance as anyone to get to Cleveland."
Ball State split with Western Michigan during the regular season, losing 78-61 last on Feb. 22 in Kalamazoo.
Despite not winning at Western Michigan in his tenure at Ball State, Taylor said the struggles this season might be just the thing his team needs to win.
"We had a good nonconference, but we didn't play well in MAC play," Taylor said. "Now it's just another opportunity. It's the one where everything builds for this. If we had the adversity to get us ready for the MAC Tournament, we'll take it. We wouldn't change anything if that makes us a stronger team mentally and physically heading into the battle with Western Michigan."
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