FSU Men’s Basketball At A Glance: The Ferris State University men’s basketball team, which is presently 6-2 overall and 2-2 in Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) action this campaign, will host the first-ever Lions Club Holiday Classic Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 20-21, at FSU’s Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. Ferris will face Southern Indiana Monday, Dec. 20, and then battle Indianapolis Tuesday, Dec. 21. Both non-league games begin at 7:30 p.m. (EST).

The Tourney Field: The classic will feature four NCAA Division II men’s basketball contests involving two schools apiece from both the GLIAC and the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). In addition to the host Bulldogs, the field also includes Southern Indiana and Indianapolis of the GLVC along with GLIAC member Wayne State. WSU and Indianapolis will tangle in Monday’s (Dec. 20) tournament opener at 5:30 p.m. (EST) while FSU battles USI in the 7:30 p.m. (EST) nightcap. Tuesday’s (Dec. 21) opening game between WSU and USI tips off at 5:30 p.m. (EST) with Ferris and Indianapolis squaring off in the 7:30 p.m. (EST) finale.

Ticket Information: Local Lions Club members and the FSU Athletics Department presently are selling tickets to area clubs throughout the district for $2 apiece in blocks of 25 tickets. General admission tickets will also be available and can be obtained by calling the FSU Athletics Department at (231) 591-2860. Individual ticket prices are $5 per person per night or a family package of five tickets can be purchased for $20 per night. FSU is hosting the event in conjunction with the Big Rapids (Mich.) chapter of the Lions Club International.

FSU Falls At SVSU: Ferris dropped an 82-79 overtime decision to Saginaw Valley State in GLIAC action last Saturday (Dec. 11) at University Center, Mich. The Bulldogs had one final attempt to tie the contest with eight-tenths of a second left in the extra period but missed a three-point attempt as the buzzer sounded. Senior forward Willie Burrel (Muskegon Heights) compiled a team-high 22 points and 10 rebounds for FSU while senior guard Carlton Epps (Benton Harbor) added 15 points and sophomore forward Michael Daniels (Detroit/Murray-Wright) chipped in 10 points along with eight rebounds.

Ferris Wins Road Game: Ferris outscored Lake Superior State 47-38 in the second half en route to an 81-70 league victory last Thursday (Dec. 9) at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. FSU, which led 34-32 at halftime, was paced by Willie Burrel's team-best 18 points. Sophomore forward Terrance Shaw (Saginaw/Bridgeport) added 17 points, Carlton Epps totaled 15 points and junior guard Dennis Springs (Toledo, Ohio/Scott) contributed 10 points for FSU.

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 36-39 (.480) 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 898-838 (.517) 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 captured a league-record four consecutive GLIAC titles from 1986-90.

Jim Wink Arena: Ferris has recorded a 24-37 (.393) 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 4-1 (.800) at home this year.

On The Road: Ferris is 356-307 (.537) overall since 1980-81 and sports a 167-209 (.444) record in road/neutral site contests during that span. The Bulldogs are 2-1 (.667) 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. The first-place team in the North Division received six points while the second-place team earned four points, etc. The first-place squad in the South Division picked up five points, the second-place team took four points, etc.

A Look At The 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.

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 will visit Alma (Mich.) Tuesday, Dec. 28, for a 7:30 p.m. (EST) non-conference outing. FSU then hosts Lewis Thursday, Dec. 30, in a 7:30 p.m. (EST) non-league tilt at Wink Arena.

GLIAC Games On The 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 visiting www.ferris.edu/sports.

Bulldog Bites: Ferris State is presently two victories away from notching the program's 900th all-time win ...... The 2004-05 campaign represented the first time the Bulldogs had won six of their initial seven games of a season since the 1974-75 season ....... Carlton Epps needs one three-pointer to match Aaron Nauta's (1996-00) school record mark of 166 treys ...... The Bulldogs are currently 4-2 overall in games decided by five points or less this campaign. Last season (2003-04), Ferris dropped five of its seven games decided by the same margin ..... Willie Burrel had both a personal career-high 22 points and 10 rebounds at Saginaw Valley State. He has presently scored 10 points or more in his last five appearances this campaign ....... Ferris' victory at Lake Superior State was its fourth consecutive series' triumph ........ FSU had won five consecutive road games dating back to last season prior to its loss at SVSU ....... Terrance Shaw compiled a personal career-best 17 points at LSSU ...... Ferris State has shot 33% or less from three-point range in each of its last four outings to date after previously having shot 39% or better in each of its initial four contests this campaign ...... Ferris State was ranked first among the GLIAC’s latest (Dec. 12) overall statistical leaders this season in scoring offense (85.0 ppg), assists (18.8 apg), steals (12.75 spg), turnover margin (+7.12) and assist/turnover ratio (1.51). Carlton Epps led the conference in scoring (20.9 ppg) and made three-point baskets (3.38 pg) while Dennis Springs topped the GLIAC chart in both assists (7.50 apg) along with assist/turnover ratio (3.75) ........ Dennis Springs currently has 382 career assists to date and is 63 away from matching Tim Herman's (1975-79) third-place FSU mark of 445 assists ............ Junior forward Jeffery Shanahan (Flint/Kearsley) notched his 250th career point at LSSU ............ Three of FSU’s next four games are against teams which reached the NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Tournament last season. The lone exception is FSU’s non-league outing at Alma (Dec. 28) .......... Freshman forward Mike Runstrom (Traverse City/Central) notched his first collegiate point with a free throw at Lake Superior State ....... FSU’s eight turnovers at LSSU was a season low. The Bulldogs recorded less than 10 turnovers in a game four times last campaign, including a low of eight against Michigan Tech (2/28/04).

FSU On The Internet: Ferris State University Athletics’ official web site can be found at www.ferris.edu/sports. The site features information on all of FSU’s varsity teams.

A Look At The Opponents:

Southern Indiana: The Screaming Eagles hold a 5-0 series’ edge and posted an 89-62 home win in the last meeting (12/20/03) at Evansville, Ind. USI, which was ranked first in the 2004-05 National Association of Basketball Coaches/Division II Bulletin Preseason National Poll, is presently 5-2 overall and 4-1 in the GLVC after last Wednesday’s (Dec. 8) 83-63 league home triumph over Missouri-St. Louis. Southern Indiana posted a 28-7 overall record a season ago, including a second place 15-5 GLVC ledger. The Screaming Eagles, who are directed by fourth-year head coach Rick Herdes, were picked to finish first in the 2004-05 GLVC Preseason Coaches Poll following last season’s NCAA-II National Championship runner-up showing. USI has won four of its last five games to date this campaign and is led in scoring to date by senior forward Randy Holbrook (14.2 ppg). All five previous meetings have been at Evansville, Ind.

Indianapolis: The Greyhounds hold a 2-0 series’ advantage and won last season’s meeting (12/19/03) 90-77 in the Sprint PCS/Southern Indiana Challenge at Evansville, Ind. UI is currently 5-2 overall and 3-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) heading into the Lions Club Holiday Classic following its 94-87 league home win over Lewis (Ill.) last Saturday (Dec. 11) at Indianapolis, Ind. The Greyhounds, under eighth-year head coach Todd Sturgeon, were 20-10 overall in 2003-04 and recorded a fourth-place 12-8 GLVC mark. UI, which was picked to finish fifth in the 2004-05 GLVC Preseason Coaches Poll, is led in scoring by senior guard David Logan (24.6 ppg). Indianapolis reached the NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Tournament for the second consecutive season in 2003-04.