Ball State University basketball fans who turned out for the "Fan Jam" at Worthen Arena Tuesday night may have noticed two new faces sitting in line to autograph posters.
The Cardinals had nine players on the roster at one point, but walk-ons Dexter Hinkley and Othello Banaci have now joined the team to push the roster to 11 players.
The paperwork was not complete on the two players as of Tuesday so they were unable to comment, but first-year Cardinals' coach Billy Taylor said the pair will be a big help to the team in preparation for the season.
"We're just trying to find some guys who can help us fill the roster," Taylor said. "We've got a couple of young men who are big kids, working hard, and we hope everything can come through paperwork-wise so they can be part of our team."
Hinkley was noticeably taller than the majority of the roster, whose tallest player besides Hinkley is 6'5" Anthony Newell. Although Taylor didn't know exactly how tall Hinkley is since his paperwork is not yet complete, he said the coaching staff had targeted walk-ons with size.
"We certainly wanted a guy who was thick and could give us some size and a presence inside during practice," Taylor said. "We're filling walk-on roles, and just trying to address different needs to where they can really help us."
Taylor said joining a Division I basketball team is a great opportunity for walk-on players.
"It's about guys who are hungry for the game of basketball," Taylor said. "It's about guys who are passionate about playing and who want the opportunity to be part of a Division I basketball experience."
The Cardinals open play with an exhibition home game against Anderson on Sunday afternoon, and Taylor said he is hopeful he can get Hinkley and Banaci on the floor.
"We're going to try to win the game first and foremost," Taylor said. "We want to work on positioning offensively and defensively. Beyond that, I'm not exactly sure. It all depends on paperwork."
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