FSU Men’s Basketball At A Glance: The Ferris State University men’s basketball team will travel to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula this weekend for two Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) road contests. FSU visits Northern Michigan Thursday, Feb. 24, for a 7:30 p.m. (EST) game in Marquette, Mich. Ferris will then conclude the regular-season Saturday, Feb. 26, versus Michigan Tech in a 3 p.m. (EST) contest at Houghton, Mich.

Tied For First: FSU is currently 19-5 overall and 11-5 in league action this season. The Bulldogs and Grand Valley State (11-5) are both tied atop the GLIAC North Division with two regular-season games remaining. Ferris, which has won eight consecutive games to date this campaign, is ranked third in the latest (Feb. 16) NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional rankings with a 14-5 regional mark.

Title Scenario: Ferris, which claimed the 2003-04 GLIAC North Division title, could repeat as the divisional champions depending upon this week’s results. Several possible scenarios exist entering the final two games of the regular-season with both Ferris & GVSU still in the title hunt. However, the Bulldogs would hold the tiebreaker advantage over the Lakers should both teams win their final two games in the Upper Peninsula.

FSU Clinches Home Game: The Bulldogs have clinched a GLIAC Tournament quarterfinal round home game, which will be held Tuesday, March 1, at a time yet to be determined. FSU can finish no lower than second in the league’s North Division based on the GLIAC’s tiebreaker formula. The semifinals and finals will be held Friday and Saturday, March 4-5, at the site of the highest remaining seed. Offical tourney parings will be released by the league office following this weekend’s games.

Media Coverage: Both of FSU’s games this weekend will be carried live by local radio station WBRN-1460 AM with Rob Bentley providing the play by play action. They can also be accessed live via the internet by clicking on the Bulldog Athletics Webcasts icon at www.ferris.edu/sports.

Ticket Information: Tickets for Thursday’s game at Northern Michigan can be obtained by contacting the NMU Athletics Department at (906) 227-1826. The Michigan Tech Athletics Department can be reached by calling (906) 487-3070 for ticket information regarding Saturday’s game.

Ferris Beats Northwood: Ferris State forced 27 turnovers en route to an 80-60 league triumph over visiting Northwood Saturday (Feb. 19) in FSU's Jim Wink Arena at Big Rapids, Mich. The Bulldogs notched their school-record 14th home victory this campaign in their regular-season home finale. Ferris State jumped out to a 41-32 halftime advantage and outscored NU 39-28 in the final half. The Bulldogs shot 43.3% (29-67) from the floor and nailed 10 three-pointers. Senior guard Carlton Epps (Benton Harbor) led four Bulldog players in double-figure scoring with 16 points. Junior guard Dennis Springs (Toledo, Ohio/Scott) added 15 points, senior forward Willie Burrel (Muskegon Heights) netted 13 points and junior guard Antwuan Holt (Okemos) chipped in 10 points.

Seniors Honored: Saturday’s contest versus Northwood also marked FSU's annual Senior Day outing as guards Carlton and Corey Epps (Benton Harbor), Willie Burrel along with graduating junior guard/forward Michael Anderson (Farmington Hills/Royal Oak Shrine) were honored prior to their final regular-season home contests in Wink Arena.

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 49-42 (.538) 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 911-841 (.520) 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.

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.

Jim Wink Arena: Ferris has recorded a 34-37 (.479) overall record to date in home contests at Jim Wink Arena, including a 23-31 (.426) 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 14-1 (.933) at home this year.

On The Road: Ferris is 368-310 (.543) overall since 1980-81 and sports a 169-212 (.444) record in road/neutral site contests during that span. The Bulldogs are 5-4 (.556) on the road this season.

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.

School Record: Ferris posted a school-record 14th home victory this season versus Northwood. This season also represents the first time Ferris has won 10 or more home games in a season since the 1995-96 campaign (13-1). It is only the third time in the last 17 years FSU has achieved 10 or more home wins. The Bulldogs have won 20 of their past 22 games in Wink Arena.

Bulldog Bites: Dennis Springs currently has 489 career assists and needs 43 more to match Jarvis Walker’s (1985-89) school-record mark of 532 assists. Springs, who has scored 10 points or more in six consecutive outings this season, is 11 points away from scoring his 900th career point at Ferris State ............. Carlton Epps presently has 76 steals to date this season and has passed Day Day Smith's single-season record of 69 thefts recorded back in 1997-98. He presently has a 25-game double-figure scoring streak dating back to last campaign ........... Carlton Epps has 79 three-pointers to date this season, which ranks second on the school's single-season list. He is 12 away from matching Willie Thomas' record of 91 treys set a year ago ....... Corey Epps needs 26 points to record his 800th career point and 12 rebounds to garner his 300th career board.

FSU Clinches Berth: FSU has clinched its second consecutive GLIAC Tournament berth. The Bulldogs, who made their first league tourney appearance since 1997-98 a year ago, are 4-8 all-time in six previous tournament appearances following last season’s 72-71 quarterfinal round home loss to Northwood (3/2/04) in Wink Arena. Ferris captured the 1997-98 league tourney title. The GLIAC Tournament remains on campus sites this season for the third year in a row. Prior to the 2002-03 season, the four previous GLIAC men’s and women’s tournaments were held at a neutral site location, with the final three taking place at the DeltaPlex in Grand Rapids, Mich.

NCAA Regional Info: The winner of this season’s GLIAC Tournament will receive the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Tournament slated for March 12-15 at a site to be determined. Eight teams, including six at-large teams, will participate in the regional with the official announcement set to be released Sunday, March 6.

More Bulldog Bites: Ferris has totaled more turnovers than its opponent only once this season, which came in an 84-56 non-league road win at Alma (Dec. 28) ......... Ferris has won its last 12 games held in the month of February dating back to last season. The Bulldogs were 6-2 during the month a year ago ....... Prior to Bill Sall’s arrival, the Bulldogs had posted only a 21-82 (.204) mark in the four previous seasons (1998-2002) combined. Since his debut, Ferris is currently 44-34 (.564) ...... Ferris’ 19 victories to date this season represents FSU’s most wins since posting a 21-12 mark in 1997-98 and only the second time in the last 10 seasons Ferris has won 15 or more games ....... FSU's last seven losses dating back to last season have all been by seven points or less.

A Look At The Opponents:

Northern Michigan: NMU holds a 62-39 advantage heading into this Thursday’s 102nd encounter. FSU has won four of the last five meetings, however, including an 80-75 triumph in the most recent (2/5/05) contest at Big Rapids, Mich. NMU is currently 12-13 overall and 7-9 in GLIAC action after Monday’s (Feb. 21) 63-51 GLIAC road win at Wayne State. Northern Michigan, which was picked to finish fourth in the 2004-05 GLIAC North Division Preseason Coaches Poll, is led in scoring by sophomore forward Ricky Volcy (19.7 ppg). The Wildcats have lost three of their last five games to date under 18th-year head coach Dean Ellis. NMU was 16-12 overall in 2003-04 and placed tied for third (10-8) in the GLIAC North Division. FSU head coach Bill Sall presently holds a 4-1 career coaching mark versus NMU.

Michigan Tech: The Huskies maintain a 48-45 lead entering Saturday’s 94th series meeting. MTU had won 11 consecutive series contests prior to FSU’s current two-games streak, which includes a 65-62 win in the most recent contest (2/3/05) at Big Rapids, Mich. Michigan Tech is presently 16-8 overall and 9-7 in league play this season following last Saturday’s (Feb. 19) 85-56 league road win at Saginaw Valley State State. The Huskies, under 11th-year head coach Kevin Luke, were 22-8 overall during the 2003-04 campaign and compiled a second-place 13-5 GLIAC North Division record. MTU, which is led in scoring by senior forward Josh Buettner (19.7 ppg), was selected first in the 2004-05 GLIAC North Division Preseason Coaches Poll. Michigan Tech has won three-straight games to date this campaign. Sall has a current 2-3 mark against MTU, which will host Grand Valley State Thursday (Feb. 24) prior to facing the Bulldogs.