FSU Basketball At A Glance: The Ferris State men’s basketball team hits the road for five of its next six outings beginning with a pair of games in Ohio this weekend (Jan. 26 & 28). The trip opens Thursday, Jan. 26, as the Bulldogs visit Ashland for a 7:30 p.m. (EST) Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) encounter in Ashland, Ohio. FSU will then square off against nationally-ranked Findlay Saturday, Jan. 28, in a 3 p.m. (EST) league tilt at Findlay, Ohio.

Media Coverage: Both Thursday’s and Saturday’s outings will be carried live locally by News Talk 1460 AM (WBRN). Rob Bentley will handle the play-by-play duties for both contests. The games are also tentatively slated to be webcast at www.ferris.edu/sports.

Ticket Info: Ticket information for this week’s games can be obtained by directly contacting the Ashland and Findlay Athletics Departments, respectively. Ashland’s main office number is (419) 289-5441 while Findlay can be reached by dialing (419) 434-4663.

Bulldog Streak Ends: Ferris State had its 17-game home winning streak snapped as the Bulldogs suffered a heartbreaking 61-59 loss to Mercyhurst last Thursday (Jan. 19) night in GLIAC action at FSU's Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. FSU had also won 17 consecutive league regular-season games dating back to last campaign prior to the contest. Senior guard Dennis Springs (Toledo, Ohio/Scott) along with junior forward Terrance Shaw (Saginaw/Bridgeport) shared team-high scoring honors with 13 points apiece while Shaw hauled down a game-best 11 rebounds and had four blocked shots for Ferris State.

Ferris Bounces Back: Ferris wrapped up a four-game homestand with a decisive 68-47 league triumph over visiting Gannon last Saturday (Jan. 21) in Wink Arena. The Bulldogs sprinted out to a 44-23 halftime edge in bouncing back from Thursday's loss to Mercyhurst. Dennis Springs compiled a game-high 19 points and dished out six assists to lead Ferris State. Senior forward Jeffery Shanahan (Flint/Kearsley) added 12 points and 11 rebounds in a double-double effort while Terrance Shaw chipped in 11 points. Ferris shot a blistering 61.5% (27-55) from the hardwood in the opening half and finished the contest 27-of-55 (49.1%) from the floor. The Bulldogs' forced 25 Gannon turnovers and came up with 14 steals.

Last Season: Ferris State capped off a banner 2004-05 season with a runner-up finish in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Tournament (March 12-15) held in Findlay, Ohio. FSU reached the regional championship game for only the third time in school history last season. The Bulldogs, who won their second-straight GLIAC North Division Championship with a 13-5 league mark last campaign, concluded the year with a 24-7 overall record and fell one game shy of advancing to the NCAA-II Elite Eight for the second time ever. FSU's 24 victories represented the third-most wins in school history. Ferris, which was ranked 23rd in the final 2004-05 National Association of Basketball Coaches/Division II Bulletin Regular-Season National Poll, also advanced to the GLIAC Tournament for the second-straight year in 2004-05. Last season marked FSU’s first appearance in the national rankings since 1988-89.

National Rankings: Ferris State was ranked 18th overall in the 2005-06 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II Preseason Top 25 poll. FSU was not ranked in the latest (Jan. 16) regular-season poll, but was listed first among other teams receiving votes with nine points. Findlay is currently ranked 11th and Grand Valley State 20th among GLIAC schools featured in the current poll. Ashland also received points with three votes. The Bulldogs have already faced three of the top 10 ranked teams in the poll this campaign, including currently top-ranked Montevallo (Ala.), fourth-ranked St. Joseph’s (Ind.) and number nine-ranked Southern Indiana.

Regional Rankings: FSU is listed sixth in the initial NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Rankings, which came out last week (Jan. 18). The Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) held the top four positions in the poll with Findlay the highest ranked GLIAC school at number five. GVSU is seventh and Ashland ninth among the four league schools featured in the rankings. Saint Joseph’s (Ind.) heads the regional poll, which will be used to help determine the eight-team field for the NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Championships (March 11-14) at the end of the campaign.

FSU Third In Poll: Two-time defending divisional champion Ferris State was picked to finish third in the 2005-06 GLIAC Men's Basketball Coaches Preseason North Division Poll. The Bulldogs totaled 28 points along with one first-place vote in the balloting, which was conducted by the conference's head coaches. Northern Michigan was selected as the North Division favorite as the Wildcats recorded 33 points along with four first-place votes. Findlay took the top spot in the South Division with 24 points and four first-place votes. The league's 13 head coaches voted for the division in which they play, but not allowed to vote for their own team.

Head Coach Bill Sall: A 1994 Calvin graduate, fourth-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. Including his stint as interim coach, Sall has a current 65-51 (.560) career mark. He is 60-43 (.583) overall since being appointed head coach prior to the 2002-03 campaign.

The Bulldog Tradition: The 2005-06 campaign marks the 78th 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 927-850 (.522) all-time mark. The Bulldogs have won 11 GLIAC titles, made seven 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: The Bulldogs have posted an impressive 33-9 (.786) overall record at Jim Wink Arena in Bill Sall’s head coaching era at FSU. Ferris, which holds an all-time mark of 41-38 (.519) to date in the seven year old facility, registered a school-best 15-1 (.938) overall record at home during the 2004-05 campaign. FSU is 28-32 (.467) to date in league play at Wink Arena. The 2,400-seat facility replaced Old Jim Wink Arena, which was converted into the current Student Recreation Center after the 1997-98 season.

On The Road: Ferris is 384-319 (.546) overall since 1980-81 and sports a 178-220 (.447) record in road/neutral site contests during that span. The Bulldogs, who were 7-5 (.583) on the road in 2004-05, currently hold a 5-4 (.556) road mark to date this campaign.

GLIAC Games On The Air: All eighteen of FSU’s 2005-06 league games will be carried live by local radio station WBRN (News Talk 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.

The Bulldog Roster: Ferris’ 2005-06 roster includes three seniors, three juniors, two sophomores and four freshmen. Six of the 12 players are guards while the remaining six are frontcourt players. Eleven of the 12 players hail from Michigan with Dennis Springs the only out-of-state player on the active roster.

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 athletics programs including rosters, statistics, yearbooks and more. “Live Stats” of all remaining 2005-06 FSU home contests will also be provided in progress via the internet. Visit www.ferris.edu/sports and click on the “Live Stats” icon.

The Team Captains: FSU’s three seniors are serving as the squad’s team captains this campaign. They include guard Antwuan Holt (Okemos), Dennis Springs and forward Jeffery Shanahan. Springs and Shanahan are returning three-year letterwinners while Holt played his first two collegiate seasons at GLIAC-member Northern Michigan before his transfer to FSU prior to last season.

Bulldog Bites: Ferris State has won 35 of its last 45 conference regular-season outings dating back to the 2003-04 campaign. The Bulldogs won divisional titles in both 2003-04 and 2004-05 with 14-4 and 13-5 league marks, respectively ......... The Bulldogs had their 17-game home court winning streak dating back to last season snapped by Mercyhurst. The loss also ended a 17-game GLIAC regular-season winning streak for the Bulldogs .......... FSU has emerged victorious in 27 of its last 30 home outings overall ........... The Bulldogs had posted only a 21-82 (.204) mark in the four seasons prior to current head coach Bill Sall’s arrival, but have since went 60-43 (.583). FSU won only four games (4-22) the year before Sall arrive in 2001-02 ......... FSU’s 7-0 league start this campaign was the program’s best since posting a perfect 16-0 mark in 1988-89 ............. The Bulldogs are currently 8-0 against in-state foes this season ....... Ferris dropped three of its last four January outings last season before winning its final 10 regular-season contests ......... The Bulldogs’ current overall home attendance average of 972 in seven home games this campaign ranks fourth in the league. FSU has averaged 1,090 fans in six GLIAC home contests this year. Michigan Tech leads the conference with an overall attendance average of 1,245 fans.

GLIAC Honors: Ferris’ Antwuan Holt became the third different Bulldog player to receive GLIAC North Division Player of the Week Award laurels this campaign as he was recognized Jan. 9 by the league office. Ferris has received the weekly honor four of the seven times it has been awarded this season as Dennis Springs earned recognition on both Nov. 22 and Dec. 5 while Terrance Shaw claimed the distinction once (Dec. 12) for FSU.

Former Bulldogs Sign Pro Contracts: Former Ferris State guards Carlton and Corey Epps (Benton Harbor) recently signed professional contracts with the International Basketball League's (IBL) expansion Holland (Mich.) Blast. The 6-2 twins are among the franchise's first additions for the league's 2006 season. The IBL, which played its inaugural season in the spring and summer of 2005, is the newest professional basketball league designed around the concept of a faster, more skilled game. The duo concluded their four-year careers by guiding the Bulldog men's basketball team to a runner-up finish in the 2004-05 NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional. Former Ferris State center Adam Anderson played for the Grand Rapids Flight in the IBL this past season.

Players To Watch: FSU’s Dennis Springs and Terrance Shaw were chosen among the top 10 West Michigan collegiate players to watch this year by the Grand Rapids Press in the Nov. 15 edition. Springs was picked second overall while Shaw was the seventh player listed.

National Stats Leaders: FSU’s Dennis Springs presently is ranked 20th nationally in steals along with 25th in assists among the latest (Jan. 23) NCAA-II National Statistical leaders. Springs is currently averaging 5.7 assists along with 2.6 steals per outing. The 5-7 Springs has averaged 7.6 assists per game at home and 4.7 assists per outing in road games to date.

Possible Breakthrough Team: Ferris State was listed as a possible breakthrough squad in the 2005-06 Street & Smith's College Basketball Magazine Division II Preview. The annual list of teams, which was compiled by Chuck Mistovich of the Basketball Times, included a preseason top 10 list and 30 additional teams receiving possible breakthrough recognition.

Upcoming Slate: The Bulldogs return home to host Saginaw Valley State Thursday, Feb. 2, for a 8 p.m. (EST) league game in Wink Arena. FSU then will visit Northwood Saturday, Feb. 4, with league tipoff set for 3 p.m. (EST) inside NU’s Bennett Sports Center in Midland, Mich.

A Look At The Ashland Matchup:

Ashland: FSU holds a 7-5 series’ edge entering Thursday’s meeting and defeated the Eagles 85-81 last season (12/4/04) at Big Rapids, Mich. FSU has won the last two matchups, however, AU has won four of the last six series’ contests overall. Ashland is presently 15-4 overall and 7-2 in GLIAC play this season after claiming a 84-79 overtime road win at Saginaw Valley State last Saturday (Jan. 21). The Eagles, who are directed by 13th-year head coach Roger Lyons, were 13-14 overall during the 2004-05 campaign and compiled a fifth-place 6-11 GLIAC South Division finish. AU, which is led in scoring by senior forward/center Justin Brown (18.3 ppg), was picked to finish fifth in the 2005-06 GLIAC South Division Preseason Coaches Poll. FSU head coach Bill Sall holds a 3-1 career coaching mark to date versus AU.

A Look At The Findlay Matchup:

Findlay: The Oilers maintain a 9-2 series’ edge over the Bulldogs and defeated Ferris 94-73 in the 2004-05 NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Championship Game (3/15/05) at UF’s Croy Gymnasium in Findlay, Ohio. UF has won its last 12 outings overall to date this campaign heading into Tuesday’s (Jan. 24) non-league home contest versus Central State (Ohio). The Oilers, who are guided by 21st-year head coach Ron Niekamp, were 30-4 overall during the 2004-05 campaign and posted a first-place 16-1 GLIAC South Division finish. Findlay also claimed the 2004-05 GLIAC Tourney Championship and advanced to the NCAA-II Elite Eight. Senior guard Dustin Pfeifer is the Oilers’ leading scorer (12.7 ppg) to date this campaign. UF, which has claimed four consecutive league South Division crowns, was picked to finish first in the 2005-06 GLIAC South Division Preseason Coaches Poll and currently holds a 16-2 overall mark along with a 9-1 league record this season. The Oilers are ranked 11th nationally in the latest (Jan. 17) national rankings. Ferris head coach Bill Sall is 0-4 in his head coaching career versus Findlay, which has won the last nine series’ matchups to date. Findlay also posted a controversial 87-85 regular-season victory over the Bulldogs with a tip-in at the buzzer last season (12/2/04) in Big Rapids, Mich.