Just beyond the midpoint of the Mid-American Conference basketball season, Ball State positioned itself to make a run at the regular-season title.

The Cardinals were 7-3 after a Feb. 3 victory at Central Michigan and in a virtual tie for first place in the West Division.

But a four-game losing streak ensued, then the Cardinals lost All-MAC second-team guard Dennis Trammell for the final six games with an Achilles' injury, and everything went downhill. Ball State won only four of its final seven games and failed to reach the quarterfinals of the MAC tournament for the second time in three seasons.

"The first error we made, and we'll learn from and be better for, is relaxing against Marshall," Ball State coach Tim Buckley said of a loss to the last-place Herd that started his team's downfall.

"But we were in every game, with the exception of Akron, That's a credit to the players because they came to play every night. It wasn't always as consistent as we needed, but that's part of the maturation process."

THE GOOD NEWS: Ball State has the makings of a phenomenal backcourt, the likes of which could rival those of MAC schools Eastern Michigan (Earl Boykins, Derrick Dials) and Kent State (Trevor Huffman, Andrew Mitchell and Demetric Shaw) in the past.

The Cardinals' Peyton Stovall became a major scorer this year and could shift from point guard to shooting guard next year. Another player on the wing, Skip Mills, developed this year as a good shooter, and he has a lock-down mentality as a defender while rebounding well as a guard. Incoming point guard Maurice Acker of Chicago had a great senior year in high school and will challenge to become a starter next season.

THE BAD NEWS: The Cardinals were positioned for a strong year and a possible postseason berth midway through the MAC season. Boosted by a win at Western Michigan, they were 7-3 in the MAC in early February. But Ball State stalled after injuries to power forward Terrance Chapman and guard Dennis Trammell and finished with a 3-7 record the rest of the year and an exit from the MAC Tournament in the opening round.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Maybe a shot here or a bounce there puts us in the postseason this year. We were right there. We need to get over the top and be successful in games that are close, and then finish them out." -- Ball State coach Tim Buckley on several near-misses in a 15-13 season.

KEY RETURNEES: Ball State's success next season could hinge on how well center Charles Bass and forward Anthony Kent complement the team's strong backcourt. Bass is expected to provide an inside presence, something Ball State lacked this year, after sitting out this season while rehabbing a torn Achilles' tendon in each leg. Kent was expected to be a quality contributor this year but he never lived up to his capabilities.

THE COACH: The natives are more than a little restless in Muncie, Ind. Tim Buckley finished his fifth season as coach at Ball State this year, and none of the five resulted in a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Cardinal fans expect to the go to the Big Dance at least once every three or four years, and Ball State hasn't been close. The Cardinals haven't advanced past the MAC Tournament quarterfinals the past three years, and they have a combined record of 20-18 in MAC regular-season games in that span. Buckley is under contract through the 2007-08 season, but he needs to have a good season next year to lessen some of the heat on him.

ROSTER REPORT: Peyton Stovall developed as a scorer this season, increasing his average from 7.2 to a team-best 16.1. At midseason, Akron coach Keith Dambrot called Stovall the best point guard in the Mid-American Conference. Stovall suffered a torn ACL in the final game of the season and will need 4-5 months of rehabilitation after surgery on March 30.

-- Injuries plagued the Cardinals this year. PF Terrance Chapman suffered a sprained shoulder in January. He averaged 14.1 points and 9.4 rebounds but struggled at times after his injury. SG Dennis Trammell was an All-MAC second-team pick, but he missed all but five minutes of the final six games with tendinitis in a leg.