MEN’S BASKETBALL: Player development will be key to Whitford’s success
In the eyes of James Whitford, success in player development comes in two parts: finding kids with the work ethic to be great and a coach willing to push and guide them there.
Use the fields below to perform an advanced search of Ball State Daily's archives. This will return articles, images, and multimedia relevant to your query. You can also try a Basic search
67 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
In the eyes of James Whitford, success in player development comes in two parts: finding kids with the work ethic to be great and a coach willing to push and guide them there.
James Whitford has said repeatedly he loved being an assistant at Arizona, but he admits actively looking to become a head coach his last couple years there.
James Whitford has said repeatedly he loved being an assistant at Arizona, but he also admits actively looking to become a head coach elsewhere during his last couple years there. That search officially ended on Wednesday as athletic director Bill Scholl and university president Jo Ann Gora introduced Whitford as the 19th head coach in Ball State history in front of a huge crowd in the Alumni Lounge. There was a buzz in the room as Gora opened with statements about returning the program to an era of greatness and Whitford certainly echoed that excitement. “When the Ball State job opened up, my mouth was watering and I was itching in my seat to get the job,” Whitford said. Since getting into Muncie early this week, Whitford said he met with players on Tuesday and expects to meet with pending recruits Zavier Turner and Franko house in the next four days in an attempt to secure their commitments. His first couple weeks won’t be easy with him needing a staff and possibly two more scholarships filled before the season, but Whitford seemed poised and ready for the work load on Wednesday. “I think the combination of coaches I’ve been around and the great teams I’ve been on, it put me in position to be ready for this challenge here at Ball State,” Whitford said. Look for in-depth coverage with more quotes from Whitford and a former player in the Daily News on Thursday.
During his search for Billy Taylor’s replacement, athletic director Bill Scholl said finding a candidate who could put Ball State back in contention for Mid-American Conference titles and postseason appearances was a primary focus.
When Billy Taylor was fired on March 14, James Whitford was gearing up for an NCAA Tournament run with Arizona at what he said was the best assistant coaching job in the country.
Since firing Billy Taylor on March 14, Ball State athletic director Bill Scholl said he hoped to find a replacement around the time of the Final Four. Scholl made good on that deadline after the school announced on Saturday that James Whitford, former associate head coach at Arizona, would take over as head coach of the men’s basketball team.
After scouting a potential recruit in Haiti’s game vs. Australia in Indianapolis last September, Ball State soccer coach Craig Roberts got an even bigger commitment than he originally intended from the Caribbean nation.
Ball State athletic director Bill Scholl has been reluctant to release names or say how big the candidate pool is for the vacant men’s basketball coaching position, but it’s clear the search is starting to take on a new tone.
For the past six seasons, Billy Taylor calmly patrolled the sidelines, hardly ever losing his cool with players or officials during the game.
Billy Taylor talked about the team’s ability to overcome injuries and playing out of position to finish with a 15-15 record.
CLEVELAND -- With four minutes left in the game, Will Regan got a crosscourt pass from a teammate and extended a long pump fake before pulling the ball back with a smile.
If Akron’s frontcourt of Demetrius Treadwell and Zeke Marshall taught coach Billy Taylor anything, it’s that Ball State needed to recruit big to compete.
If Akron’s frontcourt of Demetrius Treadwell and Zeke Marshall taught coach Billy Taylor anything, it’s that Ball State needed to recruit big to compete.
While it was arguably the ugliest of Ball State’s eight Mid-American Conference victories this season, Saturday’s 53-51 win over Northern Illinois was undeniably the most important.
Saying Ball State played like a different team in the latter half of the season doesn’t accurately describe its transformation.
There were no team meetings to talk about a change in tempo or style.
The way Jauwan Scaife describes his time on the court sounds more like a family barbecue than a hunt for one of five potential byes in the Mid-American Conference Tournament.
Even after a four-game losing streak and a 1-5 record at home in Mid-American Conference play this season, Ball State’s postseason position looks remarkably good thanks to a change in the MAC Tournament format.
Matt Kamieniecki bent slightly at the waist, clearly favoring his back as he walked gingerly to the bench for a timeout late in Saturday’s game.
After Ball State beat Northern Illinois on Wednesday, freshman guard Marcus Posley tweeted a message concerning the health of Jesse Berry.