GoBSU.com's Rob Mathews and Jim Kemp share their observations from the November 13 Men's Basketball open scrimmage.

Acker, a 5-foot-8 point guard for Coach Tom Cappel at Hillcrest, averaged 18 points and six assists as a junior last season.  He helped his high school team to records of 27-2 as a sophomore and 25-4 last season.  Hillcrest has captured 16 straight conference championships.  Acker's AAU club team won the 2003 national championship and finished fourth last summer.

"First and foremost, Maurice Acker is a winner," says Buckley.  "He is the consummate point guard with a great feel for the game.  Maurice fits the characteristics of a Ball State basketball student-athlete from being a great person to a person who works extremely hard."

Nelson, a 6-9 center for Coach Mike Winters at Rockford Jefferson, averaged 10 points along with nearly 10 rebounds and four blocks a game in leading his team to a 21-6 record last year.  Nelson, who helped his high school team to the Illinois Class AA Regional Championship game, is actively involved in the Chicago AAU program and skill development.

"Pat Nelson has a tremendous upside," Buckley says. "He is a hard-working big man who wants to get better.  His potential is unlimited, especially the way he is learning the game and soaking it up like a sponge.  We are excited to welcome he and Maurice to the Ball State program."

Peyton, a 6-7 forward, will join the BSU program after spending two seasons at Vincennes University.  He averaged 8.7 points and 7.1 rebounds in 34 games last season.  He upped his scoring average over the final eight games of the season, averaging 21 points per game during the stretch.  Peyton, who is from Indianapolis and attended Lawrence Central through his junior season, averaged 16 points and six rebounds as a senior at Shores Academy.

  "D'Andre Peyton is a player we are bringing in to realize his potential," Buckley says.  "He is coming from a high-profile program with excellent instruction.  We are excited to welcome he, Pat and Maurice to the Ball State program."

The Cardinals, which welcome the return of four seniors, open play for the 2004-2005 season Nov. 17 with an exhibition contest against Taylor University, before beginning the regular season Nov. 23 against Kentucky.

In addition, the 2004-2005 men's basketball schedule has been altered to accommodate television start times. The updated changes are listed below:

Time Changes:

Dec. 18 vs. Indiana State 4 p.m.

Jan. 29 vs. Northern Illinois 1 p.m.

Date Changes:

Feb. 24 vs. Toledo 8 p.m.

The Cardinals return four seniors to its 2004-2005 team -- Michael Bennett, Terrance Chapman, Matt McCollom and Dennis Trammell. McCollom, a two-time MAC Academic First-Team selection, has started 87 games for the Cardinals in the three previous seasons, including 27 games a year ago. He had 12 double-figure scoring games, including three of over 20 points.

Trammell started 28 games in 2003-04 and paced the team with his 13.2 points per game to rank 18th in the league in scoring. He has 19 double-figure scoring games, including five with 20-or-more points. Chapman played in all 29 games with 15 starts to average 7.8 points per outing. Bennett played in 26 games last season and in 83 over his career.

The 2004-05 season opens Nov. 23, on a neutral court in Cincinnati, Ohio, against perennial power Kentucky. A 14-game regular-season home schedule awaits the team in Muncie, while the Dec. 28 tilt against Indiana will be played at Conseco Fieldhouse — the NBA home of the Indiana Pacers.