Early foul trouble and poor transition awareness kept the Ball State women’s basketball team from a Mid-American Conference Championship. That and a handful of missed shots were all that separated the team from defeating Akron on Saturday, head coach Brady Sallee said.
The same things that handicapped the team over the weekend all but ensure a bright future. Sallee has shown he has no problem achieving early success in his young career with Ball State.
And he certainly knows how to transition.
Despite taking over a program that won just nine games in consecutive seasons, he’s put together back-to-back runs at the MAC Tournament. Last year Ball State advanced to the semifinal round. This season the team advanced to the championship game before falling to Akron, 68-79.
Neither was a feat Sallee fully expected to accomplish so early in his time with Ball State.
“We are just finishing year two,” Sallee said. “With the situation the program was in when we took over, that was probably a bit far-fetched.”
Sallee credited the success to a strong core of players that were willing to buy into his program. Now, he said, the expectations are higher than ever.
Ball State advanced to the Sweet 16 in the 2013 Women’s National Invitational Tournament after upsetting a No. 1 opponent in the first round. That was after the team finished MAC regular season play with a 12-4 record.
The success made it easy for Sallee to sell his philosophy to players. For senior point guard Brandy Woody, winning games was more than enough.
“Coming in with a new coach, we were going to buy into him because we wanted to win so badly,” she said.
Unless Ball State is invited to the WNIT, Saturday’s loss will be the final game of Woody and fellow senior Katie Murphy’s career. When Sallee took over at Ball State, neither of the seniors had advanced past the first round in the MAC tournament.
Now, with two consecutive runs at the MAC Championship behind them, Woody is confident she made the right decision. By sticking with Sallee and working alongside a group of young teammates, Woody was able to help usher in a phase for the program.
For Sallee, losing Woody and Murphy was one of the most difficult aspects of Saturday’s defeat.
“From the minute I walked in the door, they bought in and gave me everything they had,” he said. “It really isn’t about points or accolades, it’s just about loyalty and how much they truly meant to you.”
Sallee knows he won’t be able to directly replace the pair next season. Instead, he plans to work in young players and “do it a little bit differently.”
The transition for this year’s freshman class will be considerably smoother than those Woody and Murphy faced in their first two seasons. That will be, in part, thanks to this year’s tournament run.
Woody said every freshman was nervous going into their first tournament game, a 73-38 victory over Kent State. From that point on, at least until the final game against Akron, the freshmen were far more comfortable.
“They made it to the championship game – everyone was nervous for that – it wasn’t just them,” she said. “Just being on that stage, playing in that environment is going to be helpful.”
As Sallee prepares to enter his third season, he is hopeful that another year of consistent growth will someday lead to a MAC Championship.
“If you keep beating the door down, one of these days you’re going to break through,” he said. “I think we’re building towards that, no question about it.”
Read More
The closure of the historic Mark III Tap Room impacts Muncie’s LGBTQ+ community.
By Meghan Holt / 2 hours agoPatrons of the oldest gay bar in Indiana reflect on how it affected their lives.
A 40-year alliance: Brian Dudley is a staple with Wapahani baseball
By Zach Carter / 3 hours agoBrian Dudley spent 40 years as the Wapahani varsity baseball coach and finished his career with an 828-320 record.
Top-seeded Cardinals’ postseason run ends with upset loss to Lindenwood
By Adam Altobella / 14 hours agoNo. 10 Ball State was upset by No. 18 Lindenwood in a five-set battle (25-20, 21-25, 25-23, 19-25, 11-15) on the Cardinals’ home court Thursday night. With how scarce at-large bids to the NCAA men’s volleyball tournament are, it is likely that the red and white’s 2024 campaign is over.
