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2018 MAC Basketball Preview: Kent State Golden Flashes at Ball State Cardinals

The Flashes and Cardinals will battle it out to see which team can get to 7-5 in the MAC

By Dave Drury
NCAA BASKETBALL: JAN 03 Ball State at Kent State Photo by Frank Jansky/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Tonight we’ll have a battle between two teams sitting at 6-5 in the MAC; as the Kent State Golden Flashes (12-12) will travel to Muncie to take on the Ball State Cardinals (15-9).

Kent has clawed their way back to a .500 record after going 5-3 in the last eight games while the Cardinals have gone just 5-5 since reeling of nine straight wins between November 25th and January 2nd, which included their huge win over #9 Notre Dame.

Game Details

  • When: Friday, February 9th at 9 p.m.
  • Where: Worthen Arena - Muncie, Indiana
  • Watch: ESPNU or the WatchESPN App
  • Line: BSU -5.5

Players to Watch

Jaylin Walker, G, KSU - Walker leads the team with 17.4 points per game and has been on a tear lately. He’s dropped 20+ in three of the last four games and has added nearly five rebounds and two assists per game in that span as well.

Adonis De La Rosa, C, KSU - De La Rosa has snatched a ton of rebounds for the Flashes; his eight per game is fifth best in the MAC. Plus he also averages 12.2 points per game. In the last five contests he’s averaged 14.8 points and 8.6 rebounds per game.

Trey Moses, C, BSU - Moses is one of four Cardinals to average 10+ points per game, as he nets 10.3. He also snags 8.1 rebounds per game (just .1 better than De La Rosa for forth best in the MAC). In the last four games, he’s averaging a double-double with 10 rebounds and 16.5 points per game and has added 4.25 assists per game as well.

Tahjai Teague, F, BSU - Teague is tied for second in points per game for BSU, with 10.5 and, like Moses, can rebound too. He’s second in that category as well with seven boards per game.

Prediction

Kent State will keep it close for a little while but the depth of Ball State will pull the Cardinals away in the second half. Of the two, BSU can shoot, rebounding, and share the rock better than Kent and eventually that’ll wear down the Flashes.

Moses will have quite the impact down low while Teague and Tayler Persons (the leading scorer for Ball State) will add a lot offensively.

Kent State Golden Flashes - 73
Ball State Cardinals - 86

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