Ohio will be in Cleveland this week for the Mid-American Conference Tournament, starting with a quarterfinal matchup against Ball State on Thursday.
Since Jeff Boals took over as head coach, Ohio is 5-1 in MAC Tournament play, including a victory over Ball State in the first round last year.
The Bobcats enter this year’s tournament as the No. 5 seed, the same position they were in two years ago when they won it and went on to upset Virginia in the NCAA Tournament.
Here is everything to know about Thursday’s matchup:
Game Information
Opponent: Ball State
Time: 30 minutes after the end of Toledo vs. Miami, likely around 1:30 p.m.
Location: Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (Cleveland)
How to watch: ESPN+
How to listen: The Varsity Network
Follow live stats here
Meet the Opponent
Head Coach: Michael Lewis (first season)
Probable starters
01 Demarius Jacobs
02 Luke Bumbalough
03 Mickey Pearson Jr.
05 Payton Sparks
12 Jaylin Sellers
Statistical leaders
Points: Jarron Coleman (14.5 points per game)
Rebounds: Sparks (8.7 rebounds per game)
Assists: Coleman (3.9 assists per game)
Blocks: Jacobs (36)
Steals: Jacobs (42)
Field goal percentage: Sparks (59.1%)
3-point percentage: Sellers (46%)
Free throw percentage: Jacobs (82.7%)
Matchup History
Ohio has absolutely dominated Ball State recently, winning 16 of the last 19 matchups between the two. This includes a streak of eight consecutive wins for Ohio from 2012 to 2017.
Under Boals, the Bobcats are 5-1 against the Cardinals and have won each of the last five, including a 76-71 win in The Convo on Jan. 10, the Bobcats’ first MAC win of the season.
In the first round of the MAC Tournament last year, Ohio beat Ball State 77-67 behind 44 combined points from Mark Sears and Jason Carter. Miles Brown also had 13 in the win.
Player(s) to watch
Ball State has four players - Coleman, Sellers, Sparks and Jacobs - who average between 12 and 15 points per game. In fact, the Cardinals are the only team to qualify for the MAC Tournament without a single player averaging more than 15 points per game. Coleman, Ball State’s leading scorer, has missed the last two games with turf toe and his status for Thursday is still up in the air.
