Last year, the Ball State University men's basketball team was in the midst of a total washout of a season. The Cardinals went 10-16, and then-coach Tim Buckley tossed arguably the team's best post player off the team for reasons that will likely never be made clear and, most importantly, student attendance was at the lowest level since The Nest was created to begin the 2004-2005 season. In particular, a game against Central Michigan - a Cardinal blowout victory, no less - attracted one of the most woeful student sections you could imagine.
A year later, the team's record isn't much better - they're 6-12 right now - but, in an encouraging sign, student support is better than it was last year.
And why not?
For one thing, attending a Ball State basketball game is fun. Win or lose, how can you go against the opportunity to call a short white guy with curly hair "Screech" in homage to the infamous "Saved by the Bell" character for 40 consecutive minutes? Chanting "air-ball" to anyone that fails to hit the rim or net with a shot, or serenading a Bob Saget look-alike with "Dan-ny Tan-ner!" can also be enjoyable. And, of course, the in-game promotions - Shoot for Loot, the parachutes, the pick-a-letter game that nearly always results in the contestant winning an American flag - are a blast, if only for the comedy.
Another possible reason for the added attendance is the bright future of this particular team. Last season, the Cardinals were laden with upperclassmen, and fans rarely caught a glimpse of anyone who had a chance of improving in a Ball State uniform. This season, despite the struggles, bright spots have emerged.
One is Ahmaad Cook, the freshman guard who likely played his way into the rotation for the foreseeable future when he made five 3-pointers to lead Ball State to a near-comeback victory against Eastern Michigan University last weekend. Cook has shown flashes of brilliance offensively, such as that game, and plays with great energy on the defensive end of the court as well.
Another is Anthony Newell, a nonfactor for most of last season. Newell went until winter break without failing to post double-digit points in a game, and in many of those instances also posted double-digit rebounds despite being only 6 feet, 7 inches tall and having a slight build. His high-flying acrobatics in pursuit of a rebound have won him great favor with most of The Nest.
And a third is Micah Rollin, a 6-foot-10-inch behemoth who didn't even play high school basketball but has developed nicely in his first season at Ball State. He began the year as a fouling machine who had but one reliable post move, but he has added other moves to his repertoire and has become more adept at avoiding the foul while, at the same time, developing an ability to draw a foul at the offensive end. While he still has improvements to make, he's come along faster than many fans predicted.
The Cardinals have issues. There's no doubt about it. They still fall into the Buckley offense of standing around the perimeter and playing hot potato, they still aren't a very good shooting team and they still have problems playing with a consistent fire. However, there's something that is possibly being grown here, and it is a great sign for the program that the students appear ready to come along for the ride.
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