Wednesday, January 12, 2000
Miami braces for Ball State
Cardinals latest 'train' to hit Oxford
BY JOHN FAY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
After Kent beat Miami in overtime 10 days ago, Charlie Coles used the train analogy. “I got run over by a train,” Coles said. “The good news is I'm still on track. The bad news is the train's backing up. I'm going to get hit again.”
Coles could have said “again and again and again.”
Since the Kent loss, Miami beat Central Michigan, then dropped another heartbreaker to Ohio University.
|
BALL STATE at MIAMI
|
• When: 7 p.m. today
• Where: Millett Hall (9,200)
• Records: MU 5-6 (1-2 Mid-American Conference), BSU 10-2 (1-1 MAC)
• TV: None
• Radio: WCKY-AM (1360), WMOH-AM (1450), WFMG-FM (101.3)
BY THE NUMBERS
• 77.3: Number of points a game Ball State is averaging
• 10: Number of consecutive games Ball State had won before losing to Eastern Michigan on Saturday
• .426: What opponents are shooting from the field against Ball State
|
Now the train is coming around the bend again in the form of Ball State. The Cardinals, 10-2 and 1-1 in the Mid-American Conference, come to Millett Hall at 7p.m. today.
Ball State is in the same class as Kent and OU.
“We need to play a good game,” Coles said. “They're all going to end up being tough.”
The RedHawks, 5-6 and 1-2, easily could be 8-3 and 3-0. But they let the Kent and OU games slip away. The RedHawks are a team with just enough talent to contend with the MAC elite.
“But we don't have any margin for error,” Coles said. “All of us seem to be taking turns making mistakes.”
Coles pointed to a few of the errors that turned around the Ohio game. The RedHawks twice fouled OU's Steve Esterkamp (LaSalle) as he was making 3-point shots. “How do you do that?” Coles said. “Foul him and he makes it?”
It got worse. The second time he was fouled, Esterkamp missed the free throw but rushed in unblocked and was fouled again grabbing the rebound.
He converted the two free throws.
“That's a five-point play right there,” Coles said. “We can't have that. We've all got to tighten up.”
And if they don't?
“We're going to get buried,” Coles said.
Other than Buffalo at home Jan.22, the RedHawks don't have a game that would be considered anything near a lock. That's because the MAC is as deep from top to bottom as it has ever been.
“There's better balance,” Coles said. “There's more good teams. I think our team from last year would win the league this year. But there used to be five or six bad teams. There's not this year. Northern Illinois is struggling, but they beat Wisconsin. We're struggling, but we beat Xavier and Notre Dame.”
So the RedHawks are capable of beating Ball State. They'll just have to play well to do it.
Ball State's star is Duane Clemens, a 6-foot senior point guard. He leads the team in scoring at 18.0 points a game. But the player who lifted the Cardinals over the top is Theron Smith, a 6-8 freshman who averages 12.3 points.
“He's the best freshman I've seen in the league this year,” Coles said. “As far as talent, (Ball State) is on par with Kent and OU.”
Sports Stories
Perez makes Hall of Fame
Sparky, Marty could go in with Tony
Perez's election elevates Reds' dynasty
Doggie's day better late than never
Fisk, Perez linked by '75 Series
Reds will honor Perez
Perez' milestones
Perez was the 'glue' of the Big Red Machine
Reds in the Hall of Fame
Enquirer Editorial: Finally, Congratulations
Seattle says Junior talks back on, but Reds disagree
Dayton 76, Xavier 72
UC's Johnson showing maturity
Bengals, Johnson settle grievance
