by Ball State men’s basketball visited the Kohl Center in Madison, Wisconsin, as the Cardinals faced No. 24 Wisconsin for a Veterans’ Day matchup. This was the first time Ball State has played a Big Ten team since Minnesota in the 2023-24 season.
Both the Cardinals and Badgers came into the game undefeated. But that changed for Ball State as the Red and Black fell 86-55.
Here are three notes from Tuesday’s game.
A phenomenal start for Wisconsin
It did not take long for the Badgers (3-0) to catch fire with the basketball in their hands. They opened the game on a 7-0 scoring run, and just a few minutes later, Wisconsin led Ball State 20-6.
Though Wisconsin’s scoring numbers were a point of emphasis in the first half, so was their rebounding. With the Badgers having three 6’10 “players and two who are 7’0″, they won the eye contest with the Cardinals (2-1), whose tallest athlete is freshman forward Preston Copeland at 6’9”.
The difference in height aided the Badgers as they grabbed 26 rebounds to Ball State’s 16 in the opening half.
However, the Cardinals did put together some solid plays to end the half. Senior guard Elmore James IV led the Red and Black with eight points to end the half, while senior guard Devon Barnes followed with six.
Ball State ended the half shooting 9-for-28 (32.1 percent) from the floor while the Cardinals were 3-for-14 (21.4 percent) from deep.
Similar play for both teams in the second half
Following the halftime break, the Badgers continued their success, thanks to senior guard Nick Boyd and junior forward Nolan Winter. The pair combined for 31 — 19 and 12 — points and Winter grabbed 10 rebounds in the win.
Wisconsin also found its scoring rhythm in the final 20 minutes of play as the Red and White went on a 22-5 run over an eight-minute span. This hindered the Cardinals, and as they continued to struggle from the floor, they never found momentum to make a run.
Ball State finished its first loss of the year, going 18-for-53 (34 percent) and 7-for-23 (30.4 percent) from 3-point range. James led the Cardinals with 17 points and Barnes finished with 12.
The Badgers defeated Ball State in several categories other than the score. That includes rebounding (45-25), assists (20-9) and blocks (8-4).
CARTER: Thoughts on Ball State through three games
The Cardinals have played a few different types of opponents in their first three games. They defeated a Division I team in Louisiana Lafayette to kick off the season, then topped a Division II opponent in Mansfield (PA) and then fell today to a top 25 team in the NCAA.
Through that, we have seen some different things. For one, the Cardinals have relied on a small-ball lineup. This has allowed them to be faster on the court, and due to the number of guards on the roster (eight), the team has a few more weapons beyond the 3-point line.
Some standouts have been redshirt sophomore guard Davion Hill, who was averaging 16.0 points ahead of the loss to Wisconsin. Junior guard Armoni Zeigler leads the team as he is averaging 16.5 points. He also leads the team with 6.0 rebounds per game.
While Ball State’s two wins saw the Cardinals fight back in the second half, that wasn’t the case against the Badgers. But again, they are ranked and heck of a team.
Only time will tell how Ball State looks going forward, and that will continue when the Cardinals next play Saturday, Nov. 15. They will host Little Rock (1-1) at 7 p.m.
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu, zachcarter039@gmail.com or via X @ZachCarter85.
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu, zachcarter039@gmail.com or via X @ZachCarter85.
