DALLAS – Javion Guy-King has made six of his first 14 threes for Ball State. The rest of the Cardinals have had a harder time from outside, leaving Mason Jones and Kai McGrew work to do when those shots miss.
Guy-King averages 14.7 points. Sean Blake leads Ball State at 15 points per game, giving the Cardinals two productive guards despite a team three-point percentage of 24.4.
The Cardinals are 1-2 after losses to Georgia Southern and Indiana State and an 89-64 win over Brescia. They made eight of 53 threes against the two Division I opponents, then 12 of 29 against Brescia, a non-Division I team.
Guy-King’s early shooting has held up better than the team total. Blake has made 16 of 32 field-goal attempts and has 10 assists against eight turnovers, giving the Cardinals another guard involved in both scoring and setting up teammates.
The missed shots have also produced rebounding work for Mason Jones and Kai McGrew. Ball State has 38 offensive rebounds through three games. Jones has 25 total rebounds, including five on offense; McGrew has 19, including six on offense.
Jones is playing 32.7 minutes per game. His presence on the floor and McGrew’s work on the offensive glass are reasons SMU’s defense cannot treat Ball State’s low shooting percentage as a completed stop.
The Cardinals have 30 assists against 41 turnovers. SMU comes in after reducing its own turnovers to 11 against Prairie View A&M, following 40 in its first two games.
Ball State visits a 3-0 SMU team that has outrebounded its opponents 118-94. Friday’s game begins at 8 p.m. on ACC Network, with Jones and McGrew supplying 11 of the Cardinals’ 38 offensive rebounds through three games.
Photo: SMU Athletics. SMU vs. Prairie View A&M, Nov. 10, 2026.
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