MUNCIE, Ind. — Ball State and Central Michigan. If you looked at the Mid-American Conference standings at any point since 2017, those are the teams you'd almost always see at the top.
In 2017, Central Michigan won the MAC West and the MAC regular season titles in 2019 and 2021 over Ball State. In 2018, the Cardinals finished two games ahead of the Chippewas.
Last season, despite not winning the conference regular season title or having a chance to compete in a league tournament — it was canceled in 2021 — Ball State felt it had the resume to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.