Ball State University has successfully produced several talented basketball players who advanced to professional careers in the National Basketball Association. Among the notable former Cardinals to make it to the major professional leagues are Bonzi Wells, who enjoyed a productive ten-year NBA career playing for teams like the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets, as well as Rawle Marshall and Theron Smith, both of whom transitioned from standout collegiate careers in the Mid-American Conference to stints in the professional ranks.