Ohio travels to Ball State looking for its first season-sweep in two seasons.
With eight games left in Ohio's season, the front runner for the MAC Championship is as clear as a fogged window on a snowy Athens day.
For the Bobcats, however, that ambiguity means a chance to sneak up the MAC rankings, and what stingier opponent to sneak by than the Cardinals?
Ohio (14-8, 5-5 MAC) will travel to Muncie, Indiana on Tuesday to play Ball State. Ball State (15-8, 6-4 MAC) enters the matchup first in the MAC West in addition to sporting the conference's best defense.
Tuesday is the second time Ohio plays Ball State this season and is also the Bobcats' attempt to get past .500 in conference play for the first time since coach Saul Phillips took over at the helm in 2014.
"I would like to get over (being .500) for once," Phillips said. "There will not be a raucous, 'we're back to .500' festivity at the Phillips' household tonight if that's what you're getting at. We're going to take it with a little more class and dignity and say, 'Ya know what? We need to get this program to the point where we expect to be here.' No exceptions."
The Bobcats have been moderate in Phillips' second year, but an improved offense and maturity have helped them stay within reach of the MAC competition. A second win against a defensive-first Ball State could push Ohio past that mediocrity.
The way they could get out of that middling conference road? Leaning on Jaaron Simmons and Antonio Campbell.
Simmons and Campbell's combined for 48 points and 24 rebounds during Ohio's 79-72 win against Ball State in January.
Tuesday, the duo will again look to lead the Bobcats past the Cardinals and toward the top of the MAC standings.
"When someone can score at will or get to the paint and make good plays for other teammates, it makes the game a lot easier for not just me, but the whole team," freshman Jordan Dartis said of Simmons.
Simmons is coming off his fifth double-double of the season against Northern Illinois, and Campbell has been the Bobcats' most productive player this season. He averages 16 points and nine rebounds per game.
"I didn't want to lose, so I did whatever I had to do, whether that was dropping it off to a teammate or getting a bucket or get to the line," Simmons said. "That was my mindset."
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Ohio would be battling for a sixth seed if the MAC postseason started today.
But regardless of Ohio does against Ball State's difficult defense Tuesday, the MAC's tournament picture will remain unclear.
@Lukeoroark
Lr514812@ohio.edu
