The Ball State men’s basketball team hosts Indiana State at 7 p.m. on Friday for its regular-season home opener at Worthen Arena, looking to rebound from an opening-night defeat while renewing a century-old series.
ballstatesports.com reported that Friday’s matchup marks the 141st meeting between the two in-state rivals, making the Sycamores the second-most played opponent in Cardinals history behind Western Michigan at 143 games. The series dates back more than a century to Feb. 11, 1922.
Cardinal Roster Depth and Opening Losses
Both teams enter the contest seeking their first win after dropping their respective season openers on Monday night. Ball State fell 67-55 on the road against Georgia Southern in the MAC-SBC Challenge, a cross-conference event where the Mid-American Conference ultimately finished with a 7-5 record. Meanwhile, Indiana State dropped a 78-70 decision against Charlotte in Terre Haute despite holding a 30-27 halftime lead.
The Cardinals carry notable veteran experience into the contest under head coach Chris Capko, who took the helm in March after serving as an associate head coach on Andy Enfield’s staff at SMU. Ball State’s roster features 12 players in their junior year or later, with seven players entering at least their fourth year of college.
Senior forward Mason Jones anchors that experience after securing a career-high 13 rebounds during Monday’s opener at Georgia Southern. Entering the campaign, Jones logged 2,192 career minutes—trailing only Ohio’s Javan Simmons and UMass transfer Jayden Ndijigue among active MAC roster players for minutes played at the same conference institution.
Broadcasting Details and in-State Slate
Dylan Budd, Sam Klug, and Annaka Whittey will call the action on the ESPN+ stream. Mick Tidrow and David Eha handle the radio broadcast on WMUN 92.5 FM / 1340 AM.
Friday’s contest is the third of five scheduled games this season for Ball State against opponents from Indiana. The slate includes prior exhibitions at Purdue on Oct. 18 and against Purdue Fort Wayne on Oct. 28, alongside upcoming regular-season games against USI on Nov. 28 and Evansville on Dec. 8. Following Friday’s game, Ball State remains at home to host Brescia University on Monday night.
