MUNCIE, Ind. — For James Whitford, his confidence in his team's potential is partly based on feel and partly based on data.
Ball State basketball’s head coach sees a team that’s tough to stay with when it’s playing well, as it was during the second half against Evansville, against Indiana State and at times during its matchup with Washington. He sees a team that, in addition to other metrics, is third among Mid-American Conference programs in the NET rankings. And those two things combined, in his mind, indicate Ball State can win a MAC title and reach the NCAA tournament, something that hasn’t happened for Ball State since the 1999-2000 season.