Whether it’s playing a team similar in skill level or the same opponent twice in one season, coach Billy Taylor’s philosophy to nonconference scheduling has always been to simulate Mid-American Conference situations.
When Ball State (4-4) plays South Dakota (4-6) for the second time in a week on Saturday, Taylor will certainly get his desired league preview.
The Cardinals won the first game in the home-and-home series 62-51 on Dec. 8, but junior guard Jesse Berry said there’s nothing like completing a sweep at the visiting arena.
“I think it’s a mindset,” Berry said. “It’s hard beating a team twice. I think we’re capable of doing it, but I definitely think South Dakota at their place is a different team than the South Dakota we played here.”
While Saturday’s game against the Coyotes is the ideal tune-up for conference play, there is one difference. Ball State had more than a month’s worth of preparation between the first and second game against MAC West Division opponents last season.
Such a small gap between games against South Dakota arguably makes adjustments even more important.
After the Cardinals shredded the Coyotes’ defense with passes into the middle of their zone in the first game, it wouldn’t be surprising if South Dakota switched up defenses. No matter what the team does, however, Taylor said the most important thing is not settling for the first shot on offense.
“The difficult part of going against a team who plays zone is your jump shooters are going to get open shots on the first or second pass,” Taylor said. “We just really kept trying to reinforce our guys to not get sucked into it. Keep moving the basketball, share the basketball and let the ball go from side-to-side.”
Taylor said he has stressed ball reversals to his team all week long, but one person who didn’t need telling twice was Berry.
While sitting with an illness during crunch-time minutes of the first game, Berry said he noticed some things he’s going to capitalize on if South Dakota plays zone again.
“I think we were holding it [the ball] too long,” Berry said. “We were staring down our passes, so they knew where the ball was going. I think if we use our pass fakes a little bit it’ll make them close out more so we can get in the gap and make a kick or something.”
Closing down gaps on defense wasn’t a problem for the Cardinals. The Coyotes struggled to get many open looks all game long, shooting 20-for-59 (33.9 percent) for the game.
Despite the success, Taylor said the biggest mistake would be getting complacent on that end of the floor.
“We want to make sure we’re even better defensively,” Taylor said. “Our guys have to understand they’ve got good shooters now playing at home, and if we give them those open looks, those are shots those guys will feel comfortable making.”
Both Berry and Taylor recognize South Dakota is a different team playing on their home court in Vermillion, S.D.
The Coyotes are 3-1 at home this season, and Taylor said perhaps nothing prepares his team more for MAC play than a trip to a remote place like South Dakota in the dead of winter.
“You travel to some places that are a little farther out during league play,” Taylor said. “There may not be a huge crowd, it may be during break. You still have to put all that aside and play your best.
"That’s really what it’s going to test for us.”
