Ball State junior forward Majok Majok has one of the most interesting backstories of any player in the Mid-American Conference.
He was born in South Sudan, spent much of his childhood in Australia and played two years of prep-school ball before enrolling at Midland College (Texas). Rivals named him the 18th-best junior college prospect before he signed on with Ball State. His cousin, Ater, played for Connecticut and was a second-round NBA Draft pick in 2011.
Ohio will make its way to Muncie, Ind., to square off with Majok and the rest of the Cardinals on Wednesday, when it will look to get back on track in its fourth-straight MAC road game — the longest in program history.
Walter Offutt, redshirt senior guard, said Ohio (15-6, 6-1 MAC) views the upcoming matchup as a way to bury its Saturday loss and get back into the groove it had during its previous seven-game win streak.
“We have to forget about the loss,” he said. “Me and coach and some of my teammates talked about it already. We have to not let it be a snowball effect with the loss and pile up another loss.”
Majok is the centerpiece of a Ball State (8-12, 2-6 MAC) offense that averages only 64 points per game, but features four players that have produced more than 10 points per game in conference play.
He reps a double-double per game, and has given opponents fits on the glass, as he leads the conference in rebounds.
“He’s a lot to handle inside — physical, tough, goes for every rebound,” Christian said.
Despite middling offensive numbers, the Cardinals have a well-rounded offense that has the ability to be competitive on any given night, Christian said.
Senior guard Jauwan Scaife is their go-to scorer, as he has averaged 16 points per game in conference play. His running mate, junior Jesse Berry, can be counted on for two points fewer per contest.
Although he puts up more modest numbers (10 points, six rebounds per game in MAC play), Christian said junior forward Chris Bond is the type of player that can be left unaccounted for and has the ability to ignite an offense.
“I think he’s a workhorse,” Christian said. “That kid plays so dang hard and he’s around the ball.”
Ohio senior forwards Reggie Keely and Ivo Baltic will be tasked with keeping Majok and Bond in check Wednesday, thus marking the second-straight game they will be pitted against a pair of big men who shoot better than 50 percent from the field.
Baltic was largely ineffective Saturday, as he didn’t score for the second game in a row, though he had a combined 26 points and 17 rebounds in the Bobcats’ previous two games.
Christian said Ohio’s extensive travel has been tough on the team, but it isn’t too much of an additional burden.
After traveling to Muncie, the Bobcats will get a reprieve from road play Saturday when they take the court at The Convo for the first time in three weeks. They will depart again three days later, however, in order to travel north to play Central Michigan.
“It would be a little bit different if the travel was really, really far, but we’re not really traveling that far,” he said. “… Still, it’s not easy. Obviously playing at home is something to look forward to when you’re playing at home after playing on the road, and we haven’t had that luxury.”
jr992810@ohiou.edu
