FSU Men’s Basketball At A Glance: The Ferris State University men’s basketball team, which is currently 10-2 overall and 2-2 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) play this season, will visit archrival Grand Valley State Saturday, Jan. 8, for an 8 p.m. (EST) league outing in the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena at Allendale, Mich. FSU then hosts Hillsdale Tuesday, Jan. 11, in an 8 p.m. (EST) GLIAC home game at FSU’s Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids, Mich.

GLIAC Games On Air: FSU’s 2004-05 league games will be carried live by local radio station WBRN-1460 AM. Selected contests can also be accessed live via the internet by clicking on the Bulldog Athletics Webcasts icon at www.ferris.edu/sports. Live internet statistics will also be available for all remaining FSU home games.

Ticket Information: Individual game tickets to FSU regular-season home basketball games can be obtained at the door or by calling the Bulldog Athletics Ticket Office at (231) 591-2888. Adult tickets are $7 and student tickets are $5. A family pass can be purchased for $15. Ferris State faculty/staff ticket prices are $5. FSU students are admitted free of charge by showing their student identification card. Tickets for Saturday’s game at GVSU can be obtained by calling the Grand Valley State Athletics Ticket Office at (616) 331-8800.

Fourth Straight Win: Ferris recorded its fourth consecutive victory this season with an 88-59 non-conference win over visiting Lewis (Ill.) last Thursday (Dec. 30) at Wink Arena. Senior guard Carlton Epps (Benton Harbor) hit six three-pointers and tallied a game-high 22 points as the Bulldogs improved to 10-2 overall this season. Ferris sprinted out to a 44-24 halftime advantage and outscored the Flyers 44-35 in the final frame. FSU shot 55.9% (33-59) from the floor for the game and was 17-of-26 (65.4%) in the second half. Ferris also sank 14-of-26 (53.8%) three-point tries and made eight-of-13 (61.5%) free throw attempts.

FSU Wins Road Game: Ferris State posted an 84-56 non-conference road triumph in the 50th all-time series’ meeting versus Alma last Tuesday (Dec. 28) at Alma, Mich. Carlton Epps tallied 18 points, junior forward Jeffery Shanahan (Flint/Kearsley) scored 14 points, junior guard Dennis Springs (Toledo, Ohio/Scott) netted 13 points and senior guard Corey Epps (Benton Harbor) totaled 10 points as the Bulldogs won the first matchup between the two schools in the last 17 years.

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 MIAA championships, four NCAA-III Tournament bids and the 1990 NCAA-III Final Four. Sall has a current 40-39 (.506) 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 902-838 (.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 27-37 (.422) overall record to date in home contests at Jim Wink Arena, including a 16-31 (.340) 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 7-1 (.875) at home this year.

On The Road: Ferris is 359-307 (.539) overall since 1980-81 and sports a 167-209 (.444) record in road/neutral site contests during that span. The Bulldogs are 3-1 (.750) on the road this season.

Among The Best: The 2004-05 campaign marks only the fifth time in the program's 77-year history and the first since 1987-88 in which Ferris has won 10 of its initial 12 games of a season. The Bulldogs also claimed 10 wins in their first 12 outings during both the 1987-88 and 1974-75 seasons. FSU won 11 of its initial 12 contests during the 1961-62, 1962-63 and 1972-73 campaigns. The 1961-62 team posted the best start in school history by winning 19 of its opening 20 contests. This season marks only the second time FSU has captured 10 wins through 12 games in the last 30 years.

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.

Up Next: Ferris begins a four-game GLIAC road swing Saturday, Jan. 15, at Wayne State. Tipoff is at 3 p.m. (EST) in WSU’s Matthaei Complex at Detroit, Mich.

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 State University Athletics’ official web site can be found at www.ferris.edu/sports.

Bulldog Bites: Carlton Epps has surpassed Aaron Nauta's (1996-00) school record mark of 166 career three-pointers and currently has 183 career treys to date. He also moved into second place on the school's career steals chart and is 13 away from matching Ty Miller's (1990-94) record total of 227 thefts ..... Ferris' 110 point outing versus Indianapolis (Dec. 21) is the Bulldogs' highest in the six-year history of the new Jim Wink Arena. The 214 total points in FSU's 110-104 overtime victory also represents an arena record ...... Carlton Epps has currently reached double-figure scoring in all 12 contests this campaign. He notched his 1,200th career point against Lewis ..... Dennis Springs notched his 400th career assist at Alma while senior forward Willie Burrel (Muskegon Heights) garnered his 300th career point in the same contest ..... FSU’s last four losses dating back to last season have all been by six points or less ...... Corey Epps needs 21 points to register his 700th career point ....... Carlton Epps has tallied 92 points in six previous meetings against GVSU (15.3 ppg) while Corey Epps has netted 70 career points (11.7 ppg) in six contests versus the Lakers ..... FSU’s current assists (20.4 apg) and steals (13.2 spg) averages rank as the best in school history.

GLIAC Player Of Week: Carlton Epps has been selected this week's (Jan. 3) GLIAC North Division Player of the Week for his performance in leading the Bulldogs to four non-league victories over the holiday break. The 6-2 Epps averaged 22.8 points per game and shot 60.0% (30-50) from the floor in the four-game stretch. Epps, who also sank 18-of-32 (56.3%) three-point attempts in the four outings, added 17 steals, 11 rebounds and nine assists while converting 13-of-14 (.929) free throw opportunities. His selection this week represents the second time he has attained league award accolades this season following his previous selection on Nov. 29. He currently leads the GLIAC in scoring (21.5 ppg), steals (3.25 spg) and made three-point field goals (3.75 pg) this season. In addition, he has presently tallied seven 20-plus point performances this campaign.

A Look At The Opponents:

Grand Valley State: Ferris, which has won three consecutive series’ contests, holds a 44-35 advantage heading into this Saturday’s 80th encounter and defeated GVSU 91-78 in the last meeting (2/16/04) at Allendale, Mich. GVSU is currently 9-2 overall and 3-0 in GLIAC action after posting a 73-34 non-conference home victory over Goshen (Ind.) last Saturday (Jan. 1). Grand Valley State, which was picked to finish third in the 2004-05 GLIAC North Division Preseason Coaches Poll, is led in scoring by freshman center Callistus Eziukwu (14.1 ppg) entering Thursday’s (Jan. 6) league road game at Findlay. Senior guard Marcus Wallace, who previously played for Ferris from 2000-02 before transferring to GVSU, is the squad’s second-leading scorer (13.3 ppg) to date. The Lakers have won eight of their last nine games to date under first-year head coach Ric Wesley. GVSU was 14-13 overall during the 2003-04 campaign and placed fifth in the GLIAC’s North Division with a 6-12 league mark. FSU head coach Bill Sall currently holds a 3-2 career coaching mark versus the Lakers. Ferris also recorded an 88-82 home win over GVSU last campaign (1/10/04) at Big Rapids, Mich.

Hillsdale: Ferris holds a 57-37 series advantage entering Tuesday’s 95th series contest and defeated the Chargers 73-69 in the last meeting (1/15/04) at Hillsdale, Mich. However, HC has won four of the last six series’ contests to date. The Chargers are currently 7-5 overall and 2-0 in league play under seventh-year head coach Ed Douma after a 97-91 non-conference loss at Indianapolis last Sunday (Jan. 2). Hillsdale compiled a 13-14 overall record during the 2003-04 campaign and finished fifth (6-11) in the GLIAC’s South Division. The Chargers, who were picked to finish fifth in this season’s GLIAC South Division Preseason Coaches Poll, are led by junior guard Cory Coe (14.3 ppg). Hillsdale has won two of its last three games to date this campaign. Sall, who previously served as a Hillsdale assistant coach from 1998-02 under Douma, presently holds a 2-1 career coaching mark versus HC. Sall also played under Douma at Calvin (1985-90) and was his assistant coach (1992-95) for the Knights. Hillsdale hosts Northern Michigan (Jan. 6) and Michigan Tech (Jan. 8) this weekend prior to visiting Ferris State.