Coming off a career-high season, junior guard Ishmael El-Amin announced on Twitter Tuesday afternoon that he would be "opening his recruitment to find his future home".
"Muncie, these past 3 years where some of the best memories of my life," El-Amin said in a Tweet. "Nothing but memories, blessings with great coaches, teammates, fans and of course the community. Thank you for accepting a kid from Minnesota and making Muncie feel like home as much as possible. With all being said I will be opening my recruitment to find my future home."
El-Amin was a key factor for the Cardinals this season, starting in all 31 of Ball State's games this season. He proved to be a weapon from outside the arc as he led the team in 3-point shooting, hitting 39 percent of his shots from deep. He was second in scoring for the Cardinals, averaging 13.8 points-per-game and racking up a total of 429 points on the season. El-Amin was also second in assists on the team, dishing the ball out 72 times over the course of the season.
El-Amin was one of three Cardinals to named to an All-Conference team as he picked up All-Conference Third Team honors at the end of the season. His accolades highlight his comeback season as he sat out 14 games due to injury during the 2018-19 season.
The guard so a boost in all of his career statistics throughout this year as he would down a career-high 24 points against Loyola Chicago, record seven rebounds against Toledo on Jan. 3 and pick up seven assists against Eastern Michigan on Jan. 7. Notably, El-Amin sunk a game-winning 3-pointer in the final minutes against Northern Illinois on Feb. 11, giving Ball State a 64-59 win.
El-Amin becomes the second Ball State Men's Basketball player this month to transfer from the program as freshman guard Lucas Kroft announced he was leaving March. 16. Head coach James Whitford said in a press release that he thinks the world of El-Amin and it's his job to support him.
"I think the world of Ish. My job as his coach is to support him," Whitford said. "He has decided he wants to find a new home, and we will support him. We wish him the very best. Ish is a good kid and a great player. I know he will be very successful in life going forward.”
Junior guard Ishmael El-Amin walks to the locker room with Head Coach James Whitford at halftime Jan. 7, 2020, at John E. Worthen arena. Ball State beat Buffalo 88-68. Jacob Musselman, DN
El-Amin embraced his time at Ball State not just on the court, but off the court as well. He highlights the relationships that he has made with coaches, President Geoffrey Mearns and others as "phenomenal".
“The relationships I’ve built with my coaches, with my professors, with President Mearns and with the campus community have been phenomenal," El-Amin said in a press release. "The Muncie community has been amazing. My three years here were some of the best of my life. I have tremendous respect for Coach Whitford and the whole coaching staff. They helped mold me into the player I’ve become, and I will always appreciate them. I’ve had great teammates and made some wonderful memories. It definitely hurts to leave, but I know the future is bright both for myself and for Ball State."
A handful of El-Amin's teammates from this season and past season expressed their thoughts on the guard's intentions to transfer from Ball State. A few names include redshirt senior guard Josh Thompson and former center Trey Moses.
Contact Jack Williams with any comments at jgwilliams@bsu.edu or on Twitter @jackgwilliams.
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