by With the Ball State men’s basketball season just around the corner, it’s time to take a look at this year’s roster. The Cardinals will feature 10 new faces — seven transfers and three true freshmen — and only five returners.
Here’s a full roster breakdown.
Freshman No. 0 guard Jai Anthoni Bearden
Bearden hails from Phoenix, Arizona and was a First Team All-State player his junior season at Sunnyslope High School. During that same season, he also helped lead the program to a state runner-up finish in the Class 5A Tournament.
He redshirted last season.
Senior No. 1 guard Elmore James IV
After three seasons at Mid-American Conference opponent Ohio, James came to Ball State after playing 94 games and starting 50 for the Bobcats. During that time, he averaged 7.6 points per game. Last season, he averaged 8.2 points per game and 2.1 rebounds per game.
He scored a season-high 20 points as he drained a career-high six 3-pointers at Toledo March 7.
Redshirt sophomore No. 2 guard Davion Hill
Hill began his collegiate basketball career as he redshirted at Missouri State and then transferred to Northwest Florida State College for the 2024-25 season. During his lone season with the xxx, he averaged 14.3 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game.
He shot 50.7 percent from the court and had a free-throw percentage of 75.8.
Senior No. 3 guard Juwan Maxey
Maxey started his college basketball journey with two seasons at Macomb Community College. He then transferred to Youngstown State, where he averaged 11.4 points per game and 2.2 assists per game in 34 games.
He had a season-high 29 points against Milwaukee Feb. 21.
Redshirt sophomore No. 4 forward Kayden Fish
After redshirting his freshman season at Iowa State, Fish then played nine games last season and scored six points and recorded three rebounds. Fish scored over 1,000 points playing at Staley High School and helped them to a 24-2 record in his senior season. He was ranked as the 37th-best power forward in his respective recruiting class.
Junior No. 5 guard Armoni Zeigler
Zeigler spent the last two seasons playing for Saint Peter’s. Last season, he averaged 11.1 points per game and grabbed 6.1 rebounds per game. He scored double-figures 16 times throughout the season.
Graduate student No. 7 forward Cam Denson
Coming into his sixth season of college basketball, Denson has made multiple stops in that run. He started at Odessa Community College, then played for Triton Community College and then transferred to Pacific, where he played for two seasons.
Last year, Denson played for Long Beach, where he played in 30 games with 15 starts. He averaged 4.2 points per game and 3.2 rebounds per game.
Sophomore No. 11 guard Kody Clancy
Clancy comes into his second year at Ball State after appearing in four games last season. Before arriving in Muncie, Clancy played at Scottsburg High School and scored 1,556 career points.
Senior No. 13 guard Devon Barnes
Barnes will be playing for his fourth team this year as he arrives at Ball State after seasons at Triton Community College, Tarleton State and UTEP. Last year at UTEP, Barnes played in 30 games and started 27 of those. He averaged 10.0 points per game and recorded 1.6 steals per game.
Junior No. 20 guard Joey Hart
One of Ball State’s returners who saw a lot of action last year, Hart comes into the 2025-26 season after averaging 2.4 points per game and 1.3 rebounds in his first season with the Cardinals. As a freshman at Kentucky, Hart played in seven games with the Wildcats.
Freshman No. 23 forward Easton Foster
A local true freshman, Foster played at Monroe Central and was named First Team All-State after averaging 21.8 points and 10.8 rebounds. He also averaged 3.8 assists, 3.2 blocks and 2.2 steals as he helped the Golden Bears to sectional and regional championships during the 2024-25 season.
Junior No. 24 forward Mason Jones
One of Ball State’s most experienced players, Jones returns for his junior season after playing in 61 games for the Cardinals over the last two years. Last season, he made seven starts and played in 30 games as he averaged 4.5 points per game and 4.0 rebounds per game.
Freshman No. 34 Preston Copeland
Copeland comes from Combine Academy and averaged 16.3 points per game and 8.0 rebounds per game. Per 247sports, Copeland was the No. 19 North Carolina prospect in his recruiting class.
Freshman No. 45 guard Alex Farley
Farley finished his high school career at Clinton Prairie High School and broke records for the most 3-pointers in a half (10) and in a quarter (seven). As a senior, he averaged 15 points per game and led the Gophers to the program’s first-ever state runner-up finish in 2025.
Junior No. 54 center Zane Doughty
Coming into his second season at Ball State, Doughty played in 13 games last season. He averaged 1.2 points per game and recorded 1.3 rebounds per game. He had a career-high nine points in the Cardinals’ win over Florida Tech Nov. 26.
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu, zachcarter039@gmail.com or via X @ZachCarter85.
