While the entire state patiently awaits Indiana vs. Kentucky late Saturday afternoon, an important in state rivalry will be occurring 3 hours north. Ball State and Butler will meet for the 103rd time, and the 60th straight year. The rivalry favors Butler, but has seen it’s share of back and forth. The Cardinals dominated the Bulldogs in the 1990s, and Butler returned the favor in the 2000s. But in the 103 years of the rivalry, it will be tough to find a time these two teams met in which the game had this much importance to each team.
The Butler Bulldogs enter Saturday’s game at a gimpy 4-5. They’ve already lost twice more than they did in the 2009 season. Butler has lost its last two games including one to a Valpo team that lost its two best players from last year to graduation and transfer.
Butler has already played two top ten teams, and Indiana so they’re not scheduling any bunnies.
Ball State's Jarrod Jones battles Butler big man Matt Howard last season.
However they have yet to put together a quality victory. Should Butler win on Saturday it would easily be their most quality win of the season. But what looms ahead for Butler also sheds importance on this matchup. Butler plays Purdue, Gonzaga, and Stanford in their next three. It’s entirely possible that if the Bulldogs lose to Ball State, they’ll be looking at a 6 game losing streak, and a 7 game losing streak vs. D1 opponents.
And having such a streak would not bode well heading into conference play. For mid-majors this is all that really matters. The Horizon league is assuredly a one bid league this year. But if Butler is reeling heading into conference play, the bad play could extend.
Butler, however, may have played its best game in its most recent loss. The Bulldogs hung with No. 8 Xavier for a good portion of the game. And more importantly, after going down 23-6, battled back to within four. Perhaps the young team is finally putting things together.
Ever since 2003, the Cardinals have been Butler’s child’s chew toy. A once Cardinal dominated series turned Blue (pun intended) very quickly. Ball State was stomped last year at Hinkle Fieldhouse 88-55 after a very promising start to the season.
The Cardinals opened up the season 4 minutes away from beating a ranked Arizona team. But after falling at Indiana State the next week, the Cardinals stared 0-2 straight in the face. They’ve responded with five straight wins. However no opponent near the ability of Arizona or ISU.
However the quality of the victories have been promising. The Cardinals bashed Texas Southern until UTSO crawled back and made it fairly respectable in garbage minutes. Ball State beat UT-Martin on the road in a game they led 54-24, then pummeled SIU-Edwardsville last Tuesday. The opponents aren’t quality, but the wins have been.
But Ball State still lacks that signature win; Butler would give it to them. A win would put the Cardinals at 6-2, with a very favorable stretch ahead, and a real possibility of reeling 10 or more wins together heading into MAC play.
There’s also the feeling that if not now, when? Ball State is loaded with talent compared to years past, and probably has one of the nations top 10 big men in Jarrod Jones. Matt Howard is out of the picture, and Andrew Smith is looking more and more like a guy that benefitted more from Howard than anything. If Ball State can’t beat Butler in a year when the Cardinals are up and the Bulldogs are down, when will they?
There’s no question in my mind the big man battle will be a key to this game. Jarrod Jones is averaging 19.8 points per game this season, and even with Cody Zeller down in Bloomington now, is easily the best big man in Indiana. If Jones can put together his 6th 20 point game in eight contests, the Cardinals have to like their odds.
Basketball purists will also love the matchup at PG. Ronald Nored and Randy Davis signify how point guard is supposed to be played. They’re each teams heart and souls. They both play above their ability, and they both can take over games if need be. Davis is 3rd in the nation in assists this year, and each will be one of each others toughest matchups this year.
This Butler team is nowhere near the one that went to the title game the past two years. But look at where Butler was at this point last year, and if you predicted a repeat, you’re either lying, or related to Paul Hinkle. It’s always a stretch to say that one game could make or break a 30 game season. But when Jarrod Jones and Andrew Smith tip off at 2pm Saturday in Worthen Arena, it’s hard to remember a time when the game was so important to both teams.
“Jarrod Jones is easily the best big man in the state.”
Are you serious? Quit being so biased. Jones is good, but to say he is easily better than Zeller is asinine. If you could choose between the two for your team, you would pick Zeller. I’m sure of it. And really, that is the true test.
Butler has played a far better schedule, and I think they win a close game. I’m not sold on Ball State yet.
Nicely done. I, too, disagree that Jones is a better player than Zeller. It’s hard to measure what Cody brings to the floor, so many intangibles and more than anything, he makes everyone better. No question however, that Jones is a very athletic and talented big man.
Zeller is not better than Jones at this point. No way. Zeller obviously has better players around him and we all know IU has played an awful schedule until Big 10 play. From a pure basketball skill set right now, Jones can do way more. Ask any NBA scout and they will tell you the same. I think it’s safe to say that if you inserted Jarrod Jones into that line-up with Watford, Hulls, etc…he would be your favorite big man too.