UMass Minutemen vs. Ball State Cardinals: MAC Showdown Preview
The Ball State Cardinals (4-11, 0-3 MAC) will face off against the UMass Minutemen (9-7, 0-4 MAC) in a MAC matchup in Amherst, Massachusetts on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EST. The Minutemen are favored by 11.5 points with an over/under of 148.5.
UMass has a 6-3 record in home games and excels in rebounding, ranking second in the MAC with an average of 35.2 rebounds per game. Leonardo Bettiol leads the Minutemen with 7.4 rebounds per game.
On the other hand, the Cardinals are winless in MAC play with a 0-3 record. They have struggled in games decided by at least 10 points, posting a 4-6 record in such games.
UMass boasts a field goal percentage of 46.4% this season, slightly higher than the 45.2% allowed by Ball State to opponents. The Cardinals average 67.2 points per game, which is 6.9 points lower than the 74.1 points allowed by UMass.
Key players for UMass include Leonardo Bettiol, averaging 16.1 points and 7.4 rebounds, and Marcus Banks, averaging 15.7 points in the last 10 games. For the Cardinals, Davion Hill contributes 10.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game, while Armoni Zeigler adds 10.0 points and 4.9 rebounds.
In their last 10 games, UMass has a 6-4 record, averaging 81.7 points, while the Cardinals have a 2-8 record, averaging 68.0 points. UMass shoots 46.6% from the field, while Ball State shoots 41.1%.
The Minutemen and Cardinals will meet for the first time in conference play this season, setting the stage for an exciting matchup between the two teams.