During the first six games of the 2008-09 season, Antonio Ballard showed he could be a valuable asset to the Miami (Ohio) men’s basketball team.

The Jeffersonville graduate took advantage of the most playing time he had ever received in his collegiate career. He even started for the first time in his career on Dec. 3 in a 68-52 victory at Temple.

That all changed a couple days later. On Dec. 5, Ballard tore a thumb ligament during practice, placing him out of the RedHawk rotation for four to five weeks.

But the injury did not dampen his determination one bit. Ballard, a redshirt sophomore, has come back to the court and picked up where he left off.

Since his return on Jan. 14 against Ohio, Ballard has earned starts in four of the last five games, broke his career-high points total three times and recorded his first career double-double.

“I’m super happy to get back. I can’t explain the emotion,” Ballard said. “When you’re injured, you see the game from a different perspective. Actually, you learn a lot. But being back is great.”

Ballard’s thumb injury last month occurred during a rebound drill. Ballard was on the verge of falling to the floor and used his hand to try to catch himself. That’s when he suffered the ligament tear along with chipping a bone in his hand.

“When it happened, I didn’t pay much attention to it. But it looked pretty bad,” Ballard said. “What made it more frustrating was we had a game the next day. I’m just glad it was not for the whole season.”

It was not the first time an injury has affected Ballard’s Miami career. Last season he suffered a foot injury in the first half of the campaign and decided to sit out the rest of the year as a medical redshirt.

“It was disappointing, but I knew it was the right thing to do,” Ballard said. “I was thankful for it.”

Once the foot, Ballard was chomping at the bit to get on the court and could not wait for this season to start.

“I was definitely ready to get going,” Ballard said. “I knew I was ready to contribute in a variety of ways.”

Ballard has been on fire since his return. The 6-foot-4 guard is averaging 12.6 points and 7.6 rebounds in the last five contests.

In his first game back against Ohio, he set a new career-high scoring output with 10 points in a 66-62 loss. Ballard posted his first double-double in a 66-55 victory at Kent State on Jan. 27, registering career highs in scoring (13) and rebounding (11).

A week later in a 76-64 home loss to Buffalo, he set his career-high point total again with 15 points. On Wednesday at home, Ballard contributed a team-high 14 points and six boards in an 80-52 win over Northern Illinois.

The victory over the Huskies improved the RedHawks’ overall record to 11-7, which includes single-digit losses to nationally ranked UCLA and Xavier. Miami is second in the Mid-American Conference West Division standings with a 4-2 conference mark.

“It’s not bad, but I felt some of our losses we could’ve won,” Ballard said about the RedHawks’ record. “In most of our losses against Top 25 teams, we played pretty well. Those games showed how well we could play.”

Ballard and Miami’s goals are to win the MAC Tournament in March and earn a spot in the NCAA tournament, which occurred Ballard’s freshman year.

“We definitely want to accomplish that,” Ballard said. “We need to get stronger and tougher. We’ve got to learn how to finish. We just can’t start playing well in the second half. We need to get better in practice every day, whether it’s after a win or a loss.”

Ballard has persevered under the guidance of veteran Miami head coach Charlie Coles, who has 218 victories in his 13-year tenure at his alma mater. Ballard has loved every minute learning the game from the 66-year-old Coles.

“He’s a great coach and I mean it as a coach and a person,” Ballard said. “He gives you the feedback you need to hear. He’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever had.”

Coles is one of the many reasons Ballard has enjoyed his tenure at Miami, where he is majoring in sport studies.

“I wouldn’t go anywhere else,” Ballard said. “It’s one of the top schools in academics in Ohio and the nation. It’s a great atmosphere and a good environment to be in.”



BALLARD’S RECENT PLAY

Former Jeffersonville standout Antonio Ballard has been on a roll since he returned from a thumb injury he suffered on Dec. 5. Here are his statistics the last five games:

• OHIO, JAN. 14: 10 points (career-high), 4-of-5 field goals, 2-of-2 3-pointers, eight rebounds (game-high).

• KENT STATE, JAN. 17: 13 points (career-high), 6-of-9 field goals, 1-of-4 free throws, 11 rebounds (game- and career-high), first double-double of his career.

• BOWLING GREEN, JAN. 20: 11 points, 5-of-10 field goals, 1-of-1 free throws, six rebounds, four assists.

• BUFFALO, JAN. 24: 15 points (career-high), seven rebounds, 5-of-9 field goals, 3-of-5 3-pointers, 2-of-3 free throws, two steals (game-high).

• NORTHERN ILLINOIS, JAN. 28: 14 points (team-high), 5-of-9 field goals, 1-of-3 3-pointers, 3-of-5 free throws, six rebounds.