Out of the 351 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I teams in the nation, Ball State men’s basketball has had the second-best improvement of any team.
Last season, Ball State finished 7-23 and was predicted to finish last this season in the Mid-American Conference according to the conference’s preseason poll.
The Cardinals have flipped the script this year; they currently sit at 18-9 and 9-5 in the MAC after a 63-59 win over Northern Illinois on Friday. The game brought in 5,160 fans, Ball State’s biggest home crowd since Nov. 23, 2013, against Butler.
“I am proud of the progress,” head coach James Whitford said.