Ball State men's basketball: first impressions of 2023-24 roster after Week 1 schedule
MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State men's basketball is 2-0 to begin its 2023-24 schedule, an ideal start for a revamped and mostly inexperienced roster.
Following an 85-52 exhibition victory over Rose-Hulman, the Cardinals rightfully dominated Goshen 101-40 on Nov. 7 before earning an upset 73-68 over Old Dominion on Saturday, in which BSU entered as 3.5-point underdogs.
Here are three first impressions:
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Roster's starters excel, depth still undetermined
The Cardinals lost four of last season's starters, and head coach Michael Lewis, predictably, leaned on new and returning veterans to fill in the gaps.
Fifth-year Boston University transfer guard Ethan Brittain-Watts was expected to compete for such a role, but he is sidelined with an injured hip/groin.
Starting 5 in first two games:
G Jalin Anderson (19.5 PPG, transfer)
G Davion Bailey (9.5 PPG, transfer)
F Mason Jones (4.5 PPG, freshman)
F Mickey Pearson (11 PPG)
C Basheer Jihad (18 PPG)
With the Goshen game quickly uncompetitive, Lewis inserted his many youngsters throughout. Redshirt freshman Micah Bell flashed the most with 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting.
But against the Monarchs, a thrilling back-and-forth affair that came down to the final minutes, BSU's starters played 85% of the team's minutes and scored 67 of its 73 points.
Most of Jihad's 15 points came in the second half after recovering from early foul trouble. Each of Pearson's three triples were momentum-swinging makes that thwarted ODU runs. Bailey flashed some scoring acumen with 10 points and two triples, but his biggest impact came defensively as he caused several deflections, earning him the "hungry dog" bone award in the postgame locker room.
Although that reliance on the starting unit yielded a win that day, it is an unsustainable rotation that Lewis said will not be the norm moving forward.
"I just apologized to some of the younger guys to not to get their head down, not get disappointed because they didn't get to play like they did the other night. This game got tight. I relied on some some veterans, some guys that I have built some trust over the course of practices," Lewis said. "That was a hard game for somebody with zero college experience … So you've got to kind of protect them a little bit. Their minutes do not reflect how I feel about them as players and what I believe they can become."
The lone youngster to receive significant playing time, however, was Jones. The 6-foot-7 freshman from Valparaiso started both games and played 37 minutes against ODU despite scoring zero points on 0-for-2 shooting with three rebounds and four fouls.
But Lewis and Anderson were both adamant postgame that Jones' effort was essential to the victory.
"He competes. You have that type of energy, I can teach you the rest if you're coachable. But if you don't have that, it makes it a lot more difficult," Lewis said. "He's got an energy to him that is contagious ... He's got a chance to be pretty good, but he's got no idea what he's doing out there, but he just plays his a** off, and you can work with something like that."
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Jalin Anderson is the new leader
When Anderson committed to Ball State in the spring, he hoped to make a "huge jump" in both his leadership and play.
Through two games, he's on track. He set new career highs with 29 points and nine rebounds against Old Dominion, making his first six shots to help BSU capture an early 20-10 lead that proved pivotal.
He later hit a clutch and-1 floater that gave BSU a 64-63 lead with just over one minute remaining.
Anderson, though, was anything but satisfied after the game.
"I had four turnovers. That's unacceptable, especially as the starting point guard … I try to play this game together as a team because it's the only way we can win," Anderson said. "It's just one game … I can always grow. Whether I had 50 points, I can always get better. Points don't really mean anything. It's all about the dub."
Several players said during the preseason that Anderson immediately made an impression, and he's proven to be an impact addition thus far.
He brings secure ball handling, shooting, poise and command to the court. Anderson appears unafraid of tense moments without being selfish, which sets a good example for his many young teammates to follow.
"My time at (Loyola Marymount University) prepared me for this. That's a reason why coach brought me over here," Anderson said. "I've been in pressure moments my entire life, so this is fun for me."
Early schedule challenge showcased toughness and adaptability
It wouldn't have been surprising for Ball State to lose to Old Dominion because of the teams' disparity in athleticism and experience.
Lewis even admitted that he was pleasantly surprised by his team's strong start and ability to overcome the Monarchs' many runs and late lead changes.
It was a glimpse into the roster's mental makeup.
"You don't know what you got until you get in these situations, especially with an inexperienced team. I'm super proud of the effort that we had," Lewis said. "I was a little anxious walking into the game this morning because I didn't know how we would react if this thing got loose. If they got 10 points, how would we combat that? How would we respond? … That's why I'm proud of the effort and what we got. Our confidence will only grow."
Even more impressively, Ball State won without playing its preferred style. Lewis said during the team's media day that he expects this team to play faster than last season's, yet BSU tallied just one fast break point against ODU.
But that was purposeful as Lewis told his guys to force the opposition into a half-court game, knowing that his players couldn't keep up with Old Dominion's speed.
The Cardinals even deployed a zone defense multiple times in effort to thwart ODU's paint penetration and throw off its rhythm. Although BSU's rebounding suffered, the strategy worked and could be a "curveball" Lewis deploys throughout the season.
Ball State's half-court offense and on-ball defense clearly needs work, but the team showcased more malleability and toughness than expected, both terrific signs moving forward.
"We made our fair share of mistakes. But we responded each time. We didn't let it kill us. We kept fighting. We stayed with it," Lewis said. "We made them make some tough shots and we were able to come up with key stops when we needed it. And then we were able to grind out enough offense to figure it out. But if we're going to be any good, we've got to become a really good defensive team."
Gus Martin is a sports reporter at The Star Press. Follow him on X (platform formerly known as Twitter) @GusMartin_SP, and contact him at gmartin@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Ball State basketball: how 2023-24 roster played in Week 1 of schedule
