Ball State comes roaring back after tragedy strikes
MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) — The banners inside Worthen Arena rekindle fond memories of Ball State basketball.
They are reminders of seven regular season Mid-American Conference championships, seven league tourney crowns and seven NCAA Tournament bids earned during a 19-year stretch starting in 1981. They spur debate about whether the greatest moment in program history was the Sweet Sixteen run in 1990 or the improbable journey to the 2001 Maui Invitational championship game after upsetting No. 4 Kansas and No. 3 UCLA on back-to-back nights before falling short against top-ranked Duke.
Since then, the once budding mid-major program has been mired mostly in mediocrity. Or worse. The rafters prove it.
This season was supposed to be different.