Posted at 11:30 AM EST odds are subject to change.

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Ball State -101 over San Jose St

Baha Mar Convention Center, Nassau, Bahamas

2:30 PM EST. After seven games, the Spartans of SJSU are 5-2 but what that record does not reveal is that they have beaten five cupcakes and lost to two cupcakes. 5+2 = 7 cupcakes or the 316th ranked Strength of Schedule (SOS) in the country. They’re now favored over a team they shouldn’t be favored over because this game is on a neutral floor and because SJSU is the second best team here. We like Tim Miles (head coach of the Spartans), as he’s a proven winner from his days at Colorado State, North Dakota State and Nebraska but winning at San José State is an uphill climb. The Spartans haven’t tasted success on the hardwood in many years, sporting a 20-138 record in Mountain West play since joining the conference in 2013.

We recently bet against the Cardinals and mentioned at that time that we would be getting behind them soon when they were undervalued and this is that day. It’s actually a new dawn and a new day in Ball State basketball. This proud program, located in the belly of the basketball beast that is Indiana, demands excellence. Not mediocrity. Former head coach James Whitford understands this reality all too well. Whitford made major strides his first five seasons, notching two 20-win campaigns and a third 19-win season in 2018.

The Cardinals fell on hard times the past three years, but it was far from a disaster. Still, a 28-27 record in the MAC since 2020 did little to appease the appetite for success in Muncie.

Unsatisfied with moderate returns under Whitford, the athletic department decided to move on from the coach and took a big swing in finding a replacement. Fittingly, it was a homegrown Hoosier, Michael Lewis, who decided it was time for a return to his Midwest roots. Lewis is fresh off a three-year term as an assistant under Mick Cronin at UCLA. The Bruins’ recent return to glory is one of many reasons Ball State sees a bright future under Lewis’ direction. He studied under many bright basketball minds, including both Brad Stevens and Chris Holtmann at Butler. Many Hoosiers will also remember Lewis from his playing days at Indiana, where his basketball mind was molded by the great Bobby Knight.

Lewis recognizes his coaching path has been quite a privilege. He says he’s pocketed bits and pieces from each former mentor along the way. For example, Lewis reveres Cronin’s ability to communicate and build relationships with players, a skill he sees as a differentiator in the current era of college basketball. Recruiting new players is only part of the equation; re-recruiting existing players is now equally, if not more, important. Thankfully for the Cardinals, Lewis did just that this summer. He convinced many of Whitford’s players to stick around and prevented a major roster implosion often seen with first-year head coaches. This is a testament to Lewis’ authenticity and speaks volumes about the respect he has already commanded in the Ball State locker room.

Three future cornerstones were close to pulling the plug on their Ball State tenure -- Payton Sparks, Jaylin Sellers and Basheer Jihad — but Lewis managed to reel them back in. This second-year trio is a tight-knit group and believes brighter days are ahead under Lewis’ stewardship. A number of upperclassmen also stayed put, including backcourt stalwarts Luke Bumbalough, Demarius Jacobs and Jalen Windham, who will all be reunited with their former perimeter running mate, Jarron ‘Boogie’ Coleman.

There’s something brewing in Ball State this summer. Reinvigorated by a new coach and blank canvas, it’s hard not to be bullish on a 2023 turnaround. Don’t forget that Ball State won nine MAC games last year, including a 10-point win over Toledo and a one-point loss to Kent State. At their best, the Cardinals could run with anyone. Consistency was the missing ingredient. To Lewis, toughness is the prerequisite to the consistency this team needs to climb higher in the standings. On paper, the talent is in place for a breakthrough campaign. Learning from last year — and listening to Lewis’ preachings — could manifest Ball State into a MAC title contender in no time. Today, we get ‘em at a discount.