And the beat goes on....

The big challenge now is to refocus after the big signature road win and make sure you don't turn it back with a home loss.  This is the test of winning the MAC Championship (or any conference).  You gotta keep coming up with wins.

Ball State is next.  They are 11-8 with 1 non-d1 win, with a good win at Georgia Tech and a bad loss at home to Western Illinois.  Their kenpom is 106.  They are 4-2 in MAC play, with home wins over UT, UB and Miami and a road win over EMU.  Their losses are @ Akron and @CMU...two of the higher teams right now.  They are 1-2 in the MAC on the road this year.

The series has been in BGs favor.  They have beaten BSU 8 of the last 10 meetings.  BG last lost at home to BSU in 2016 and before that you have to go back to 2004.

Here's the thing about Ball State.  This is the best defensive team in the MAC and one of the top 50 in the country.  BG is third in the MAC in offense, so that's the battle worth watching.  Meanwhile, BSU is 10th in offense and BG is 8th in defense...which is a battle of a different kind.  Still, BG has won only 3 games at .91 over the past three years, and they'll need to score higher than that to get the win.

First, the not-so-good matchup.  BSU isn't a poor shooting team, ending up about 5th in the MAC.  However, they turn the ball over a lot and don't do much on the offensive boards and they don't get to the line very much.  Now, interestingly, while BG leads the MAC (and D1) in turnover percentage, they are last in turnover percentage on defense, meaning they're not actually netting any additional possessions right now.

Ball State is the best 2FG shooting team in the MAC but 8th in 3FG.  However, they try 3FGs on a higher percentage of the FGs than any other team in the conference.  As noted, they don't get to the line that much and they are 9th in FT shooting.

On the side, you get a good matchup.  BG is 8th in FG shooting--though much better in the last game--and Ball State is 2nd defending the shot.  They are #2 against 2FGs and #3 against 3FGs.

As you can see, BG has made its bones with OK shooting and very good ball handling.  BSU is #3 in forcing turnovers and #3 in live ball turnovers, so that's something to watch.  They lead the MAC in defensive rebounding--and BG is #2 on the offensive boards.  They don't allow a lot of FTs and BG doesn't get to the line much.  Again, this will match two teams that are used to success.

One last note...BG has tended so far to have its best shooting games so far this year on the road.  Let's hope that turns around.

They are led by Tahjal Teague, an all-MAC quality player.  He's scoring 17 a game on 52% shooting overall, 11 RPG and over 2 blocks a game.  He's a high-quality player.  Ishmael El-Amin, a 6'1" JR G is scoring 13 PPG on 44% overall and 44% from 3FG. Kyle Mallers is scoring 10 PPG on 35% shooting overall and 34% from 3FG.  Jarron Coleman leads the team with 19 assists but 23 turnovers, as BSU recovers from losing all-MAC Tayler Persons.

A real test for BG.  A good opponent on a perfect chance for a letdown.  Like everything else, this is a test of its own kind.