Out of the 351 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I teams in the nation, Ball State men’s basketball has had the second-best improvement of any team.
Last season, Ball State finished 7-23 and was predicted to finish last this season in the Mid-American Conference according to the conference’s preseason poll.
The Cardinals have flipped the script this year; they currently sit at 18-9 and 9-5 in the MAC after a 63-59 win over Northern Illinois on Friday. The game brought in 5,160 fans, Ball State’s biggest home crowd since Nov. 23, 2013, against Butler.
“I am proud of the progress,” head coach James Whitford said. “But, at the same time, we want to strike that right balance between having the confidence that comes with success, but also having the humility with understanding what it means to have a bad day.”
Under Whitford, the Cardinals produced 12 total wins in the past two seasons, but this year the team already has 18 wins with four games remaining.
Ball State is also two wins away from having a 20-win season. The last time the men’s team was able to do that was in the 2001-02 season. That year was the last time they claimed first place in the MAC West Division as well.
This is Whitford’s third season at the helm and his system is beginning to take place as he channels another college coach’s style when it comes to creating a culture of the program.
“I follow Urban Myer and I do not think there is anyone who works on culture more than him,” Whitford said. “I promise you he works on the culture today, tomorrow, the next day, because it is just too important to a team’s success.”
The culture has been working for the Cardinals all year, as they are two games up in the MAC West Division and are in the running to compete for a conference championship for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
Strong shooting and intense defensive play has been the key to success for Ball State this season. The Cardinals’ 228 3-pointers this season ranks as the third most in program history, and Ball State’s defense is the first ranked defense in the MAC, allowing 65.4 points per game.
Whitford is defensive minded, which explains the Cardinals’ seven-spot increase from eighth place in scoring defense just a year ago.
Individual player production has also been key to the success in establishing a more balanced team.
Junior forward Franko House and sophomore forward Sean Sellers were the only players to rank top 10 in the MAC for any statistical category in the 2014-2015 season.
Six different players are in the top 10 for multiple statistical categories this season, including senior forward Bo Calhoun.
“I know I have always had faith in my game and work ethic,” Calhoun said. “It feels great knowing it is paying off right now.”
Calhoun ranks fourth in the MAC for rebounding with 228. He also has 304 points this season, 16 more than last year.
Sophomore guard Francis Kiapway is leading the way for the Cardinals’ long-range game. He ranks second in the conference in 3-point percentage at .469 and seventh for 3-pointers made with 59.
Calhoun is excited with the way this team’s play has progressed throughout the past four seasons.
“This team is headed in the right direction, but you cannot get too high on that, we have keep working hard,” Calhoun said. “I am not going to lie, it feels good; it feels great to be in our position right now.”
Ball State’s improvements did not happen overnight. Whitford believes the culture is a continuous work in progress and, “it is something that shaped a program each and every day.”
Ball State has four games remaining this season and it will be no walk in the park. Ball State still must play the three teams trailing it in the West Division — Toledo (18-9, 7-7 MAC), Central Michigan (14-13, 7-7 MAC) and Northern Illinois (18-9, 7-7 MAC).
The Cardinals’ first challenge will come against Toledo on Tuesday beginning at 8 p.m. in Toledo, Ohio.
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