Men's Basketball Hoping for Rebound Season

Ball State senior Peyton Stovall chats

with cheerleaders at the Fan Jam

(Melanie Maxwell/The Star Press).

Members of the Ball State Men’s Basketball Team have plenty of reasons to feel sorry for themselves as the 2007-08 season quickly approaches.

First off, they didn’t exactly find a winning formula last season. The team failed to reach double digits in the win column, finishing a dismal 9-22 (5-11 in MAC play). The last time the Cardinals totaled just nine wins was the 1986-87 season, which concluded a few months before I was born. Perhaps the only thing as small as last year’s win total is this year’s roster. A grand total of nine – that’s right, nine – scholarship players are on board for the upcoming season. The addition of two walk-ons was necessary just to be able to run 5-on-5 drills in practice!

Unfortunately, that’s not the extent of their worries. Their captain and leading scorer from a year ago, four-year veteran Skip Mills, has been lost to graduation. Gone are his 13.7 points per game and his wealth of experience. Also gone are several other key players from last year, including 6-10 center Micah Rollin, who was dismissed by new head coach Billy Taylor after violating unnamed team policies. Taylor arrives to Muncie after five years at Lehigh University, where he received Patriot League Coach of the Year honors twice.

Yet in spite of these troubling figures, the Ball State Men’s Basketball Team and its fans are excited for the start of the 07-08 season. Last night’s Fan Jam saw hundreds show up to take pictures, get autographs, and meet the players. The event also featured free prizes and drawings, which attracted fans of all ages. Worthen Arena was anything but a pity party last night, as the Billy Taylor-led Cardinals have their eyes on success this year.

But who are going to lead the Cardinals to this success? And where will the scoring come from? The answer to both of these questions is Peyton Stovall. Stovall is a fifth-year senior, a preseason All-MAC selection, and the undisputed leader of the team. His 78 career starts give him the on-court experience that this young Ball State team so desperately needs. He is looking to increase last year’s output of 8.8 points per game, which was third on the team. Also returning from last year’s squad are junior Anthony Newell, who averaged nearly 12 points and eight boards a game, junior Brandon Lampley, and redshirt freshman Rashaun McLemore.

Coach Taylor will be looking for immediate contributions from his five newcomers. Laron Frazier and Rob Giles both led their junior colleges on National Junior College Athletic Association tournament runs last year, including a national championship for Giles at Mott Community College. Freshman Melvin Goins, Malik Perry, and Deontay Twyman all bring impressive high school resumes to Muncie. Goins was named a McDonald’s All-American nominee a year ago after averaging 25 points and six assists.

While some questions about the men’s basketball team remain, most will be answered on November 9. That’s when the Cardinals take on the Butler Bulldogs in Worthen Arena, marking the 99th meeting of the in-state rivalry. This leaves us with one final question: will YOU be there?