Ball State head coach James Whitford described it as “big.“
He could’ve been talking about his preseason All-Mid-American Conference center, Majok Majok.
Or Buffalo’s possible MAC Player of the Year, forward Javon McCrea.
Or even the battle between them Thursday night as the Bulls came to Muncie to play against the Cardinals.
But instead he was talking about a pivotal play Majok made late in the Ball State 71-68 win.
Down 65-61, Majok received the ball deep in position inside. He began backing McCrea down, taking three dribbles before rising for a jump hook. The ball rattled around the rim before falling in.
“Big, big, big jump hook late,“ Whitford said.
After a Ball State steal on the next possession, Majok got a pass on the right side, spun toward the baseline and laid a shot in before the help defense could rotate over.
Majok ended with 12 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field.
He said he didn’t get any more pumped up for Thursday’s matchup against McCrea.
“I just take every game with the same mentality — to be physical,” Majok said.
At times, McCrea looked like the best player on the floor against Ball State. He finished with 28 points and 11 rebounds.
When Majok would sit on the bench, either for fouls or rest, sophomore Bo Calhoun entered the game to defend McCrea. Calhoun had difficulties defending McCrea’s quickness at 250 pounds.
Whitford said going into the game, Ball State’s goal was to limit McCrea’s touches.
“Based on his 16 shots you could say we didn’t do well enough,“ Whitford said.
Ball State tried to keep McCrea from catching the ball deep in the post. This would force him to try scoring on longer jump shots.
Of McCrea’s 28 total points, six came from the foul line. In the first half, just one of McCrea’s seven field goals came from outside the paint. However, in the second half, Ball State forced McCrea to shoot three jumpers from outside the paint.
“He’s a great player,” Whitford said. “He’s the highest level. He’s going to have a lot of NBA scouts watching him this year.”
Buffalo head coach Bobby Hurley said McCrea will be playing professionally next year.
“Majok is a really good player, too,“ Whitford said. “But Javon McCrea is a handful. He’s so strong.“
With the win, Ball State earned its second victory against a Division-I team, and moved to 4-12 overall on the season. Whitford said he can see the progress of the team starting to show.
“It was a big, big possession,“ Whitford said of Majok’s jump hook.
In more ways than one.
Read More
'We have momentum on our side:' Ball State softball advances to MAC Tournament after defeating Central Michigan
By Zach Carter / 3 hours agoIn its final regular season series of the 2024 season, Ball State defeated Central Michigan 2-1. The win gave the Cardinals a berth into the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
The Cardinals win on the road against NIU
By Trinity Rea / 4 hours agoWith just two more series and two solo games remaining in Ball State Baseball's regular season, the team is attempting to fight its way up the Mid-American Conference (MAC) standings.
Yorktown softball defeats Wes-Del in 2024 Delaware County Tournament Final
By David Moore / YesterdayThe championship game was set, Tigers vs. Warriors for the 2024 Delaware County crown. By the end of the afternoon, it was Yorktown running away, taking a 10-0 victory over the Warriors.
