MUNCIE, Ind. — Historic season or not, preceding play matters little when it's tournament time.
Ball State men's basketball (20-11, 11-7 MAC), once riding high with the program's best start (19-7) since 1997-98 before a slew of injuries and tough matchups led to a 1-4 finish, knows nothing is given.
The losses ended the Cardinals' contention for the Mid-American Conference regular-season title, instead landing them the fourth seed and a first-round tournament matchup with No. 5 Ohio (18-13, 8-10 MAC) at approximately 1:30 p.m. Thursday, March 9, at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.
While it's difficult to predict exactly how much healthier BSU will be after five days of preparation, the team is undoubtedly re-energized by the chance showcase its season-long improvement on a bigger stage.