FSU Men’s Basketball At A Glance: The Ferris State University men’s basketball team will battle Northwood Wednesday, Jan. 26, in an 8 p.m. (EST) Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) encounter in NU’s Bennett Sports Center at Midland, Mich. The contest concludes a four-game road swing for the Bulldogs.

FSU Third In Division: FSU is currently 12-5 overall and 4-5 in league action, which ranks third in the GLIAC North Division standings to date. Grand Valley State (6-3) leads the division with Michigan Tech (5-4) presently listed second. Ferris is ranked ninth in the latest (Jan. 19) NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional rankings.

Media Coverage: Wednesday’s game will be carried live by local radio station WBRN-1460 AM with Rob Bentley providing the play by play coverage. It can also be accessed live via the internet by clicking on the Bulldog Athletics Webcast icon at www.ferris.edu/sports.

Ticket Information: Tickets for Wednesday’s game at Northwood University can be obtained by calling the Northwood Athletics Office at (989) 837-4381.

FSU Beats Mercyhurst: Ferris jumped out to a 12-point halftime advantage and held on to defeat Mercyhurst 70-66 Saturday (Jan. 22) in league action at the Mercyhurst Athletics Center in Erie, Pa. The Bulldogs snapped a two-game losing skid with the victory. Senior guard Carlton Epps (Benton Harbor) paced Ferris with a game-high 23 points. Junior guard Dennis Springs (Toledo, Ohio/Scott) chipped in 16 points, including 15 in the opening half. Junior forward Jeffery Shanahan (Flint/Kearsley) totaled 13 points for the Bulldogs. Ferris shot 43.4% (23-53) from the floor and forced 17 Mercyhurst turnovers.

Ferris Drops Road Game: FSU dropped a 67-64 conference road decision last Thursday (Jan. 20) to Gannon in GU's Hammermill Center at Erie, Pa. The Bulldogs trailed 36-32 at halftime but came back to take a three-point lead at 61-58 with 4:01 left to play. However, the Knights ended up sinking 22-of-31 (71.0%) free throws compared to FSU's nine-of-11 (81.8%) performance to notch the win. Ferris totaled 24 fouls compared to Gannon's 10 personal fouls. Carlton Epps paced Ferris with a game-high 23 points. Sophomore forward Michael Daniels (Detroit/Murray-Wright) added 12 points while senior forward Willie Burrel (Muskegon Heights) totaled 10 points. The Knights managed to win the contest despite not making a single field goal in the final 12:53 of the second half.

Glancing At The Bulldogs: Ferris State, which claimed the 2003-04 GLIAC North Division Regular-Season Championship, finished the 2003-04 campaign with a 14-14 overall record and a 14-4 league mark. FSU, which has won more GLIAC championships (10) than any other league member, posted its best overall record in 2003-04 since compiling a 21-12 ledger during the 1997-98 season. Three starters and eight letterwinners return.

Head Coach Bill Sall: A 1994 Calvin graduate, third-year FSU head coach Bill Sall previously held assistant coaching positions at Calvin (1992-95), Ferris State (1995-98) and Hillsdale (1998-02) prior to being named Ferris State’s 11th head coach. The Zeeland, Mich., native served as Ferris’ interim head coach for a portion of the 1995-96 campaign and led the Bulldogs to a 5-8 mark. Before joining the coaching ranks, Sall was a standout player at Calvin from 1985-90. He twice (1989-90) received second-team National Association of Basketball Coaches Division III All-America honors and led Calvin to three Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAA) championships, four NCAA-III Tournament bids and the 1990 NCAA-III Final Four. Sall has a current 42-42 (.500) career mark.

The Bulldog Tradition: The 2004-05 campaign marks the 77th season of Bulldog men’s basketball. The program began in 1925 although Ferris did not field a team from 1942-45 due to World War II. FSU has compiled a 904-841 (.518) all-time mark. The Bulldogs have won 10 GLIAC titles, made six NCAA Division II Tournament appearances and reached the 1988 NCAA-II Elite Eight. Ferris, which captured a league-record four consecutive GLIAC titles from 1986-90, notched its 900th all-time win this season with a 110-104 overtime triumph over Indianapolis (Dec. 21) in the Lions Club Holiday Classic at FSU.

Jim Wink Arena: Ferris has recorded a 28-37 (.431) overall record to date in home contests at Jim Wink Arena, including a 17-31 (.354) mark in league play. The 2,400-seat facility replaced Old Jim Wink Arena, which was converted into the current Student Recreation Center after the 1997-98 season. FSU is 8-1 (.889) at home this year.

On The Road: Ferris is 361-310 (.538) overall since 1980-81 and sports a 168-212 (.442) record in road/neutral site contests during that span. The Bulldogs are 4-4 (.500) on the road this season.

Ferris Picked Second: Defending champion Ferris State was picked to finish second in the 2004-05 GLIAC North Division Preseason Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs totaled 32 points along with two first-place votes in the balloting conducted by the conference's head coaches. Michigan Tech was selected as the North Division favorite as the Huskies recorded 35 points along with five first-place votes. Findlay took the top spot in the South Division with 25 points and five first-place votes. Each of the league’s 13 head coaches ranked the teams in their respective divisions, but were not allowed to vote for their own team.

Between The Lines: FSU’s Bill Sall will make periodic appearances throughout the season on “Between The Lines,” a weekly half-hour television show devoted to Ferris Athletics. The program, which is hosted by Shannon Vesper and produced by FSU Media Productions, airs each Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m. (ET) and 8 p.m. (ET), respectively, on Ferris Cable Channel 7.

Looking Ahead: Ferris State returns home to face Michigan Tech Thursday, Feb. 3, in an 8 p.m. (EST) league encounter at FSU’s Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. The Bulldogs will then host Northern Michigan Saturday, Feb. 5, in a 2 p.m. (EST) GLIAC game and square off against rival Grand Valley State Monday, Feb. 7, in an 8 p.m. (EST) league home contest.

The FSU Roster: Ferris’ 2004-05 active roster includes three seniors, four juniors, three sophomores and four freshmen. Eight of the 14 players are guards while the remaining six are frontcourt players. Thirteen players hail from Michigan with one from Ohio.

FSU On The Internet: Ferris Athletics’ official web site can be found at www.ferris.edu/sports. The Bulldogs’ 2004-05 yearbook is also available online.

Live Statistics: “Live Stats” of all remaining 2004-05 FSU home contests will be provided in progress via the internet. Visit www.ferris.edu/sports and click on the “Live Stats” icon.

Bulldog Bites: Carlton Epps currently has 226 career steals and is one away from tying Ty Miller's (1990-94) school record total of 227 thefts. The 6-2 Epps grabbed his 400th career board at Gannon ....... Dennis Springs needs 16 points to garner his 800th career point ...... Senior guard Corey Epps (Benton Harbor) is currently 10 assists away from notching his 200th career assist ........ Michael Daniels totaled a season-high 12 points at Gannon and registered his 200th career board at Mercyhurst ............ Carlton Epps currently has reached double-figure scoring in all 17 contests this season and 23 of his last 25 outings dating back to last campaign. He has been the Bulldogs’ leading scorer in 15 of 17 contests this year ...... Jeffery Shanahan recorded his 300th career point versus Mercyhurst ........ Carlton Epps currently ranks first among the GLIAC’s overall statistical leaders in scoring (20.9 ppg), free throw percentage (.877), steals (3.0 spg) and made three-point field goals (3.65 pg) this season. In addition, he has presently tallied nine 20-plus point performances this campaign ....... Dennis Springs ranks second in the GLIAC in assists (6.7 apg) and first in assist/turnover ratio (3.00) while FSU ranks first among the league’s overall team leaders in scoring offense (82.3 ppg), assist/turnover ratio (1.37), turnover margin (+5.53), steals (12.29 spg) and assists (18.82 apg) ....... Carlton Epps ranks among the national leaders in scoring (20th), made three-point field goals (13th), three-point field goal percentage (20th), free throw percentage (20th) and steals (7th) according to the latest (Jan. 18) NCAA-II national statistical rankings. Dennis Springs is listed fifth in assists.

FSU Team Notes: FSU's last seven losses dating back to last season have all been by seven points or less. The Bulldogs are currently 6-0 in games decided by 10 points or more this campaign ....... Ferris concluded non-conference play this campaign with an 8-0 mark after previously posting an 0-10 non-league ledger last season ........ The Bulldogs have dropped six of their last seven meetings to date versus Gannon following last Thursday's setback ......... Ferris has been held to 70 points or less in four of its last five outings this campaign after previously scoring more than the same figure in its initial 12 games this season ......... The Bulldogs’ current 8-1 mark at Jim Wink Arena this campaign ranks as the program’s best performance in the six-year history of the facility to date ........ Ferris State was listed fifth among other teams receiving votes with 10 points in last week’s (Jan. 19) National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II Top 25 poll .......... Ferris is currently 7-5 overall in games versus Great Lakes Regional opponents this campaign.

Home Stretch: FSU will play six consecutive games at home to begin the month of February. Six of the Bulldogs’ remaining nine outings this season are in Big Rapids. The Bulldogs have currently played five of their last seven contests away from home entering Wednesday’s outing at NU.

Tough Month: Ferris improved to 2-3 (.400) this month with Saturday’s win at Mercyhurst. Last season, the Bulldogs recorded a 5-2 (.714) overall record during the month of January after previously recording only a 4-38 (.095) mark in January games from 1998-03.

A Look At The Opponent:

Northwood: Ferris holds a 41-20 advantage heading into this Wednesday’s 62nd meeting. The Timberwolves have won six of the last eight meetings, including a 72-71 triumph over FSU in the most recent meeting (3/2/04) during the 2003-04 GLIAC Tournament quarterfinal round at FSU’s Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. NU is currently 7-8 overall and 3-5 in GLIAC action after dropping a 73-62 league setback at home to Wayne State last Saturday (Jan. 22) in Midland, Mich. NU, which was picked to finish fifth in the 2004-05 GLIAC North Division Preseason Coaches Poll, is led in scoring by senior guard D.J. Hughes (14.1 ppg). The Timberwolves have lost four of their last five outings to date this campaign under eighth-year head coach Bob Taylor. Northwood was 17-12 overall during the 2003-04 campaign and placed tied for third in the GLIAC North Division with a 10-8 mark. The Timberwolves’ assistant coach, Lewis Garner, compiled 1,437 points and 342 rebounds during his FSU playing career (1971-75) and later served as a Bulldog assistant coach from 1990-94.