The Bulldogs play Ball State at Worthen Arena in Muncie, Ind. at 7 p.m. this Friday. Last season, the Dawgs beat the Cardinals 65-41 at Hinkle. This is a new year, however, and I'm a little anxious for the outcome of this game.
BSU finished 9-22 last season, but return junior forward Anthony Newell and senior guard Peyton Stovall. Newell averaged 11.9 ppg and 8.0 rpg, leading his team with 248 rebounds, last season. The junior forward scored 16 points, with a 50 pecent field goal percentage, and grabbed 14 rebounds in just 23 minutes in the Cardinal's exhibition game against Anderson on Nov. 4. Meanwhile, Newell's fellow team captain, Stovall, ranks seventh in Ball State's Top 10 three-point shooters with 122 in his career.
The Cardinals also have a new head coach, Billy Taylor. According to the BSU athletics Web site, Taylor led Lehigh to the "second-largest turnaround in America" in his first season as head coach in 2002-03. The two-time Patriot League Coach of the Year took Lehigh to its first-ever Patriot League regular season and tournament championships in 2003-04. The following season, Taylor's team compiled a school-record 11 Patriot League wins.
Now back to Butler, the Dawgs went 8-4 in road games and have returned five seniors from last seaon's Sweet 16 team. A.J. Graves has scored 19 and 15 points in his first two games, while freshman Matt Howard has contributed 12 and 13 with Mike Green netting 12 and eight. Senior Pete Campbell provided a team-high 20 points in the Marian win.
The Dawgs have also averaged more points than last season's team (67.6 ppg) with the 75 and 83 emblazened on the scoreboard in the first two games. They have allowed less points than last year as well (57.1 ppg), holding St. Joe's to 50 and Marian to 49.
But this is a different team without head coach Todd Lickliter and Brandon Crone and Brian Ligon. But, the statistics are in our favor, and a win on the road against an improving BSU team would be a big boost early in this season. I look for the Cardinals to test the Dawgs in this contest.
Picture: Mike Green guards a St. Joe defender in the first game of the season on Nov. 1. Photo by Josh Arntz
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