FSU Basketball At A Glance: The Ferris State men’s basketball team will host West Michigan archrival Grand Valley State Thursday, Dec. 8, for a 8 p.m. (EST) Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) encounter in FSU’s Jim Wink Arena at Big Rapids, Mich. FSU and GVSU are presently tied for first in the GLIAC North Division with identical 2-0 league marks. The first 1,000 students attending the games will receive a free FSU "Beat Valley" t-shirt.

Media Coverage: Thursday’s game will be carried live locally by News Talk 1460 AM (WBRN). Jason DaDay will handle the play-by-play duties for Thursday’s coverage. No Ferris webcast is slated to be available due to other programming conflicts.

Ticket Info: 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 general admission tickets are $7. Student tickets are $5. A family pass with two adult and two youth tickets can be purchased for $15. Ferris faculty/staff ticket prices are also $5. FSU students are admitted free of charge by showing their student identification card.

Handing Out The Hardware: Members of the 2004-05 Ferris State men's basketball team will receive their championship rings for winning a second-straight GLIAC North Division title along with earning NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional runner-up honors during a special presentation at halftime of Thursday’s Ferris-GVSU women's basketball game.

Tilt At Toledo Saturday: FSU will visit NCAA Division I Toledo (Ohio) Saturday, Dec. 10, for a 7 p.m. (EST) non-conference tilt in UT’s Savage Hall at Toledo, Ohio. The contest will be carried live locally on News Talk 1460 AM (WBRN) with Rob Bentley calling the play-by-play action.

The Last Time Out: Ferris overcame a three-point halftime deficit to pull away for a 93-71 league win over Saginaw Valley State last Saturday (Dec. 3) in University Center, Mich. The Bulldogs, who improved to 4-2 overall and 2-0 in league play, received a career-best 26 points from senior guard Dennis Springs (Toledo, Ohio). Freshman guard Jessie York (Muskegon Heights) chipped in a personal-best 22 points and senior guard Antwuan Holt (Okemos) tallied 10 points. Ferris trailed 44-41 at halftime, but outscored SVSU 52-27 in the final period. The Bulldogs shot 54.5% (36-66) from the floor, including a 21-of-33 (63.6%) second half showing.

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 State, which was ranked 23rd in the final (March 8) National Association of Basketball Coaches/Division II Bulletin Regular-Season National Poll, also advanced to the GLIAC Tournament for the second year in a row in 2004-05. Last season marked Ferris State's first appearance in the national rankings since the 1988-89 campaign.

Nationally-Ranked: Ferris State was ranked 18th overall in the 2005-06 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Division II Preseason Top 25 poll. GLIAC member Findlay was seventh in the poll with regional foe Southern Indiana listed ninth. League members Grand Valley State, Gannon and Ashland were listed in the others receiving votes category. FSU was not ranked but did receive votes in last week’s (Nov. 28) initial regular-season poll.

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 58-46 (.558) career mark. He is 53-38 (.582) 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 920-845 (.521) 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.

Things Have Changed: 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 53-38 (.582) and claimed back-to-back divisional titles along with making a regional finals appearance last campaign. FSU won only four games (4-22) the year before Sall arrived in 2001-02.

Jim Wink Arena: The Bulldogs have posted an impressive 29-8 (.784) overall record at Jim Wink Arena in Bill Sall’s head coaching era at FSU. Ferris, which holds an all-time mark of 37-37 (.500) 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 24-31 (.436) 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 377-314 (.546) overall since 1980-81 and sports a 175-216 (.448) record in road/neutral site contests during that span. The Bulldogs were 7-5 (.583) on the road in 2004-05.

Another Double-Double: FSU’s Dennis Springs compiled double-figure assists for the 12th time in his career last Thursday (Dec. 1) versus Northwood. His 15 points and 10 assists also represented his ninth double-double effort. Springs was honored prior to the contest for notching his 1,000th career point in the season opener at Saint Joseph’s (Nov. 15) and becoming the school’s career assists leader.

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.

Live Stats: “Live Stats” of all 2005-06 Ferris State home basketball games will be provided in progress via the internet. Visit www.ferris.edu/sports and click on the “Live Stats” icon.

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.

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.

The Team Captains: FSU’s three seniors will serve as the squad’s team captains this campaign. They include Dennis Springs, Antwuan Holt and forward Jeffery Shanahan (Flint/Kearsley). Both 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.

Ferris State Notes: Last Thursday’s attendance of 1,007 against Northwood represented the fourth-largest crowd in the seven-year history of FSU’s Jim Wink Arena. The top four crowds in the facility have all came in the last three seasons, including the top draw of 1,413 last season (11/16/04) against Cornerstone ...... Ferris has won five consecutive regular-season meetings against Northwood to date following Thursday’s victory ......... Ferris had dropped its league-opener 13 consecutive seasons to date prior to last Thursday’s victory over NU. FSU, which lost each of its previous eight GLIAC openers to Findlay, is now 8-14 (.364) in its first league tilt since the 1984-85 campaign ......... Five of FSU’s six outings this year have been decided by more than 10 points.

Bulldog Bites: Ferris State has posted 37 winning campaigns and 42 non-losing seasons in its previous 77 seasons ............ FSU has presently won 23 of its last 25 home games dating back to the 2003-04 campaign .......... Dennis Springs has scored 10 points or more in all six outings this season while Jessie York has netted five double-figure scoring performances.

GLIAC Player Of The Week: Ferris’ Dennis Springs was chosen as this week’s (Dec. 5) GLIAC North Division Player of the Week for the second time this year after averaging 20.5 points, eight assists, 4.5 rebounds along with 4.5 steals in two games last week. Springs, who also earned the distinction on Nov. 22, shot .571 (16-28) from the floor in the stretch.

FSU Fall Recruits: Ferris head coach Bill Sall recenlty announced the addition of current Muskegon Heights High School frontcourt players Edward Sanders and Lou Williams, who both plan to attend and compete in men's basketball at FSU beginning with the 2006-07 academic year. They inked national letters-of-intent with the Bulldogs during the fall signing period. The 6-7 Williams and the 6-8 Sanders helped guide the Tigers to a 26-2 overall record and a runner-up finish in the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA) Class B State Tournament last year. The duo will join current junior guard Julius Vines along with Jessie York and freshman guard Anthony Sydnor from the Muskegon Heights program.

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 behind Grand Valley State center Callistus Eziukwu while Shaw was the seventh player listed. GVSU had three selections, Ferris and Hope College both had two honorees while Aquinas, Calvin and Cornerstone each had one player on the top 10 list.

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, which recently hit news stands. 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. The Bulldogs were one of three league institutions featured in the additional category along with defending GLIAC South Division champion Findlay and archrival Grand Valley State.

A Look At Thursday's Opponent:

Grand Valley State: Ferris, which has won four of the last five series’ contests, holds a 45-36 advantage heading into this Thursday’s 82nd encounter and posted a 76-75 overtime triumph in the last meeting (2/7/05) at Big Rapids, Mich. GVSU is currently 5-1 overall and 2-0 in GLIAC action after posting an 85-69 conference home victory over Northwood Saturday (Dec. 3). Grand Valley State, which was picked to finish second in the 2005-06 GLIAC North Division Preseason Coaches Poll, is led in scoring by sophomore guard Jason Jamerson (14.8 ppg). The Lakers have won their last three outings to date under second-year head coach Ric Wesley. GVSU was 18-10 overall during the 2004-05 campaign and placed second in the GLIAC’s North Division with a 11-7 league mark. FSU head coach Bill Sall currently holds a 4-3 career coaching mark versus the Lakers. FSU and GVSU split last season’s two matchups as the Bulldogs suffered a 62-59 setback in Allendale (1/8/05). GVSU was ranked 24th nationally last week (Nov. 28).

The Last Meeting: FSU’s Dennis Springs hit a short jumper with one second left in overtime to lift the Bulldogs past archrival Grand Valley State 76-75 in last season’s (2/7/05) showdown at Wink Arena. A desperation three-point attempt from three-quarters court range by GVSU's Courtney James misfired at the buzzer as the second-largest crowd (1,177) in the facility's history stormed the floor and carried Springs off the court. Springs' last second heroics were set up after Ferris senior guard Carlton Epps tied the contest at 69 points apiece at the end of regulation on a putback following a missed shot as the horn sounded.