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UMass wasn't the only one to leave the MAC today.
Ball State freshman guard Frank Alstork will be leaving the Cardinals and heading to another school, per Corey Albertson:
Ball State wing Mark Alstork tells me he intends to transfer. '13 Dayton Thurgood Marshall grad saw minutes as a freshman.
— Corey Albertson (@Corey_Albertson) March 26, 2014
That's big news for James Whitford and Co., as Alstork was one of the better players on a historically bad team. He averaged over five and a half points and just over three rebounds last year as a freshman. The start of his Ball State career was promising as he averaged just under ten points per game in December and had a streak of seven out of nine games in double digit scoring.
The Cardinals are already suffering the losses of seniors Majok Majok, Chris Bond and Jesse Berry, so this defection just adds to the gut punch that was this season. Those seniors leaving made up 52% of the Cardinals' scoring last year, and when you add Alstork and other non-impact seniors that number jumps to 68%. It's a good thing James Whitford recruited well, because the four freshmen coming in will be sure to get a lot of playing time.