By: Connor Onion | @Conion22
Play-by-play voice on SL Radio on WCRD
Member of Ball State Sports Link
Ball State (13-6, 4-2) sits one game back of Northern Illinois for the MAC West lead.
The Cardinals look to keep pace in the West race tonight at 7:00pm ET on ESPN3 as they travel to Buffalo (10-9, 3-3).
Repercussions for Saturday’s win vs. Eastern Michigan
Surely, by now you have seen this sequence from Saturday’s game:
Sit back, relax, and enjoy this @BallStateMBB victory. @BallStateSports @MACSports #ALLIN #SCtop10 https://t.co/sdCCwvPxK6
— @bsusportslink (@bsusportslink) January 23, 2016
As Brent Musberger said in a cutaway to the final play of the Ball State game while calling the Texas vs. Kansas game on Saturday, “something did not appear right” during the wild finish.
The Mid-American Conference agreed, suspending the officiating crew for two regular season games and the entirety of the conference tournament.
Different Look
One of the most iconic names in college basketball history is no longer at the helm of the Buffalo (10-9, 3-3) program.
After a MAC Tournament title and a run to the NCAA Tournament last year, Bulls head coach and former Duke National Champion Bobby Hurley bolted for the Arizona State head coaching job, taking star guard Shannon Evans with him.
Evans was seventh in the MAC in scoring (15.4 ppg) and third in assists (4.6 apg), but the loss of power forward and reigning Mid-American Conference Player of the Year Justin Moss has proven to be biggest setback for Buffalo.
Moss’ numbers were gaudy last season — averaging 17 points and nine rebounds per contest to lead the MAC in both categories.
Moss, a junior last year, was removed from the team this summer after being caught with theft, stealing a total of $650 from two football player’s dorm room.
The departure of Moss and Evans is a sigh of relief for the Cardinals after the duo scored 17 and 25 points, respectively, in an 82-78 Buffalo win in Muncie last season.
However, sophomore returnee Lamonte Bearden, who had seven assists in the win, has picked up the scoring load for the Bulls this season, leading the team with just under 13 points per game.
Jeremie Tyler Smokin’
Through his early-season shooting woes, Coach Whitford emphasized Tyler’s shot comes out of his hand “flat” on most occasions.
With more lift on his jump shot recently, Tyler is radiating confidence, scoring in double figures in four straight games, including a season-high 17 points vs. Eastern Michigan last Saturday.
Since the start of the second half two games ago against Kent State, Tyler has found himself as the starting shooting guard with Francis Kiapway sliding to point guard and Jermiah Davis and Naiel Smith coming off the bench.
