by It does not matter how you look at it.
From the team’s performances, its record — 4-13 overall and 0-5 in Mid-American Conference (MAC) play — or the way fans have reacted on social media, Ball State men’s basketball is struggling.
Some folks blame coaching, and many have criticized the level of talent the Cardinals feature while citing NIL issues. Anyone can have an opinion on the matter — even if some of those thoughts seem completely off base.
After the team fell Tuesday to Akron, Ball State became the only MAC team without a conference win this season. Head coach Michael Lewis had this to say.
“The work defines you. The competitiveness, the fight, that defines you,” he said. “The results don’t define you.”
He is 100 percent right.
Results do not define who you are. It is the work that matters, and that should be all that matters in the end. But this is college basketball. Reading fan comments and posts, I do not believe that is what they are looking for.
So, what is the issue with the team? Honest answer, I have no clue. While I believe there are some promising signs we have witnessed in the last two games, there are still issues that overshadow those small glimpses.
Before I continue, I am just a dude with a laptop who has happened to cover Ball State men’s basketball for the last four years. But do I have some thoughts? Oh absolutely. I am no genie or fortune teller. I cannot see the future — that would be really cool, though. The team could go on a 10-game plus win streak after this gets posted.
But the first note I have is the injury bug.
It has hindered the team all season, and it is something people should keep in mind. According to the last update from Lewis, Jan. 10, redshirt sophomore Kaiden Fish has been banged up all season, and that has continued as he has been out for the last five games.
Then there is junior guard Joey Hart, who has been unavailable throughout most of the season. After returning for a three-game stint (Dec. 3-12, 2025), he is currently out once again with his status still being unknown. Senior guard Juwan Maxey is also still absent due to some type of illness, with his timeline being unknown as well.
Then there are others who have been in-and-out at times as well.
Because injuries have plagued the Cardinals, multiple players who have not had much experience have had to step up. Players like freshman center Preston Copeland have taken new roles, and when it comes to his circumstance, I believe he has been alright.
Yet, there is still a huge learning curve there. Add in that others like junior forward Mason Jones and senior guard Elmore James, who have logged extended amounts of playing time, and the fatigue factor is also present.
And though I am not a coach or a player — back in the day, I did tear up some kids in fifth grade during our elementary league battles — I grew up watching basketball. Being from Indiana, who the heck didn’t?
Ball State is not a good shooting team. The numbers prove that.
The Cardinals are shooting a league-low 42 percent. And while they are tied leading the MAC by only allowing 70.8 points per game, they are at the bottom of the conference with 68.0 points per game.
The players have blamed their effort, but Lewis openly questioned that in the post-game press conference following the loss to Eastern Michigan.
So, what is it? Why is this team not working?
To me, it is very simple. That question holds the answer in itself.
It is the term ‘team.’
This is in no way the fault of the players, and I want to make that clear. But with NIL, the reality is that mid-major programs are behind the eight ball. Lewis did not hesitate to say that it is still a factor in his postgame interview following the Akron defeat.
“I mean, NIL is real, Zach. It’s real,” he said. “It’s not going away. NIL and revenue sharing are real. It’s not going away.”
There are certainly exceptions — and that could be a piece for another day, once more proper and statistical research is done. It is not the G-League guys who are coming back to college basketball — that is a column and a headache on its own — who are hurting Ball State.
Players do not stay in Muncie.
Over the last three seasons, Ball State lost multiple players who had eligibility remaining. There are four players from last year’s team. Though five players from the 2024-25 season graduated, Ball State lost three players to the portal, including guard Jermahri Hill.
Going back one more year, the Cardinals lost eight players to other schools, with forward Basheer Jihad being one of them.
That’s the issue. This team is brand new, and it takes time to build chemistry. The Cardinals themselves might say they feel like a team, but there is a difference between feeling it and actually working like a team.
That is when coaching could be brought into this. What is going on in practice? Is improvement actually happening? Who knows, but Lewis said he is seeing it. Even the last two games have shown some promising signs in areas that once haunted the Cardinals.
But while Lewis and the players have said some things are getting better, is that translating to wins? Nope.
So until the program can figure out how to adapt to the new age of college basketball or keep teams together, this will be the case in more situations than not.
Now, if this group is convinced they need to run it back next season, maybe you will see better results early on. But until that happens, these rough starts to seasons will be common.
So, are the Cardinals in trouble?
Over Lewis’ tenure, his teams have started conference play 4-1 (2022-23), 1-4 (2023-24) and 2-3 (2024-25). Only one of those Ball State rosters made the MAC Tournament in Cleveland, Ohio, and this year’s group is winless through its first five games.
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu, zachcarter039@gmail.com or via X @ZachCarter85.
