In Ball State's first match up against Central Michigan on Jan. 18, the Cardinals were known for their defense.
The team was ranked first in the Mid-American Conference in scoring defense and only surrendered 52 points to Central Michigan en route to a 21-point win.
Since that game, the Cardinals have been in a free fall. Ball State is 1-9 in conference games and giving up 64.6 points per game (6th in MAC) to league opponents. The team has held only two teams under 60 points in that span.
On Wednesday, Ball State (13-14, 4-10 MAC) plays Central Michigan (9-19, 4-10 MAC) as the Cardinals look to get back above .500.
Sophomore guard Tyrae Robinson said the problems haven't been schematic or something complicated. The team just isn't talking on the court.
"At the beginning of the season, we had a lot of communication throughout the game," Robinson said. "As the season went on, we lost it and that affects us offensively and defensively. A lot of people aren't always dialed in on one end and it's just that split second. You try and make something happen and it's too late because the game moves too fast."
For a month now, the game has moved too fast or the Cardinals too slow.
Ball State beat Southern Illinois in an ESPN BracketBusters game on Feb. 18, but the team is still in the midst of a nine-game losing streak in conference play.
Robinson said the losing and strains of a long season cause the team to be lackadaisical at times on the court. The confidence isn't there and Robinson said players get into their own heads.
"A lot of people can talk about it, but we just gotta be about it," Robinson said. "Once we get on the court, we just gotta let everything out and just play basketball and play to win."
After leading the MAC West Division at 4-1 earlier in the season, Ball State has dropped to tenth in the conference standings.
With the new MAC Tournament system, winning your division doesn't necessarily matter. The top four seeds, regardless of division, advance directly to Cleveland. Seeds 5-12 must play opening round games at designated campus sites before moving on.
If the tournament started today, Ball State would play at Toledo on March 5. The team would face winning five games in six days to earn an NCAA Tournament bid.
Despite the long odds, Robinson said he and his team are up for the challenge.
"I always go out there with confidence," Robinson said. "It doesn't matter what team we face, I just compete. That's just what I do."
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