Having two big men taller than 6 feet and 7 inches seems normal for a Division I starting lineup, but Ball State often could not play a physically-imposing combination like Majok Majok and Zach Fields on the floor together last season.
Nagging injuries and personnel decisions forced coach Billy Taylor to insert undersized players like juniors Tyler Koch and Chris Bond at the power forward position.
But with a mix of recruiting and training in the summer, Ball State’s newfound depth inside was arguably its biggest strength in the team’s 78-51 season-opening win against Grambling State on Sunday.
“I love the way our front court played — just with a ton of energy,” Taylor said. “Having those guys that can rebound the basketball [and] that are physical and aggressive. It gives us a lot of flexibility in our front court. We can mix and match depending on what we think is a strength of ours, or trying to attack someone else’s weakness. Having four aggressive bigs is something that will help us in the long term.”
It did not take long for those four bigs — juniors Majok and power forward Matt Kamieniecki, senior center Fields and freshman forward Bo Calhoun to make an impact. The group combined for 33 points and 28 of the team’s 38 rebounds, 13 of those offensive.
Ball State’s interior players dominated the smaller Grambling State lineup from the tip, but for Fields, Sunday’s season opener felt anything but immediate.
After three years of limited action — he redshirted as a freshman — Fields said he dedicated himself to getting in shape and losing weight in the summer. He shed nearly 30 pounds and it paid off in Sunday’s game. The North Vernon, Ind., native recorded career highs in points and rebounds with 10 and eight, respectively.
“It’s giving me goose bumps right now thinking about it,” Fields said after the game. “This is five years coming. The hard work has paid off and I’ve never given up. It feels good and I’m truly blessed to have this opportunity right now.”
While Fields uses his 269-pound frame to anchor down in the paint and clean up the glass while the other three are high-energy pursuers of the basketball. In Sunday’s game, they continually rebounded outside of their area and ended the Tigers’ possessions.
“There were a number of possessions where it was Majok flying in for a rebound or [Kamieniecki] or [Calhoun] keeping balls alive,” Taylor said. “If we can control our defensive glass, it’s going to allow us to get out in transition and that’s where I think we can have some fun.”
While Kamieniecki’s excitement and energy to be back on the floor was infectious, it may have been Midland College transfer Majok having the most fun. In his first game as a Cardinal, the Australian-native recorded a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds in 28 minutes.
Majok’s long arms were effortlessly rising above everyone for boards that make Ball State’s +1.3 rebounding margin from last season seem beatable.
“[My approach is] a mixture of boxing out my man and go get the ball,” Majok said. “Every time that ball goes up, I have to go after it.”
Perhaps the biggest advantage to the increased depth is Taylor’s ability to limit Kamieniecki from always going after it on the floor. With a history of injuries, Taylor said he doesn’t want to play his max-energy guy extended minutes — only 14 on Sunday — unless needed.
“Once we got a lead, we didn’t have to throw him back in there,” Taylor said. “Whether it’s taking charges or diving on a loose ball — [Kamieniecki] is going to end up on the floor. It’s just what he does. We want him play with that reckless abandon. It’s just nice having more guys around him [that can take some pressure off].”
