On a revamped Ball State offense, freshman guard Zavier Turner has been a consistent contributor. His work ethic is a bright spot for head coach James Whitford.
“He won’t ever take a rep off of practice ever,” Whitford said. “I always give him a chance to have a sub in there and he won’t do it.”
Turner originally signed his letter of intent to play for Ball State during his junior year in 2012 at Pike High School.
The 5-foot-9 Indianapolis native got off to an fast start in his first three games, shooting 10-of-14 from the three-point distance while averaging 17.7 points per game. Since then, he has gained the attention of the opposition and the media as he leads the nation in free throw shooting at 95 percent on 38-of-40 shooting.
“He improved as a player and playmaker on the court,” sophomore forward Bo Calhoun said. “I believe he handles the pressure that’s been put on him very well.”
Although his averages have leveled off recently, Turner is averaging 31.7 minutes per game, which is sixth-highest in the Mid-American Conference. Turner now averages 12.7 points and four assists a game, which are both team bests.
Whitford said Turner and fellow freshman Mark Alstork have similar approaches to the game.
“They are both fiercely competitive players,” he said.
Today, Ball State (3-10, 0-2 MAC) will travel to Athens, Ohio, to face the Ohio Bobcats (11-4, 1-1 MAC).
“I feel like our guys are making progress,” Whitford said. “It’s harder to sell that message when you’re not winning — it really is.”
Ball State played arguably its best basketball at Kent State on Saturday, holding the lead until the 11-minute mark of the second half. Turner managed to score 12 points and grab three rebounds, but he turned the ball over four times in his 33 minutes of play.
“We’re moving in the right direction,” Whitford said. “It will feel good when we can crack a few of these [wins].”
Whitford will see a familiar face today in Ohio head coach Jim Christian, who he coached with at Miami during the 1995-96 season. Whitford served as an administrative assistant while Christian was an assistant coach.
He isn’t over analyzing the coaching matchup. He’s remained focused on the team’s improvement through out the season.
“We’re practicing way better now than we were in the beginning of the year,” Whitford said. “We just have to keep grinding and keep getting better.”
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