FERRIS STATE'S DENNIS SPRINGS INKS PROFESSIONAL CONTRACT

Senior Guard Signs To Play For IBL's Expansion Holland Blast

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. Specifically, the IBL speeds up time between play with immediate inbounds and allows fewer timeouts. The absence of dead time typically leads to a faster and more entertaining high-scoring game where skilled players shine.

Blasting Off

FSU's Dennis Springs Is The Latest Former Bulldog Player To Join The Professional Ranks

A 2005-06 National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Great Lakes Region All-District First Team and Daktronics All-Great Lakes Region Second Team selection, Springs will join former Bulldog backcourt teammates Carlton and Corey Epps (Benton Harbor) as members of Holland's first-ever squad for the 2006 campaign. The Epps brothers signed with the Blast last fall after helping guide FSU to the NCAA-II Sweet Sixteen as seniors in 2004-05. Former Bulldog forward Willie Burrel (Muskegon Heights), who also concluded his collegiate playing career in 2004-05, is currently listed on Holland's injured reserve list.

The 5-6 Springs, who led the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) in assists (5.74 apg) this season and ranked as the league's third-leading scorer (16.8 ppg) this campaign, was honored as a first-team GLIAC North Division selection this year. Springs’ career average of 6.2 assists per game ranks tied for 17th place all-time in NCAA Division II history and is the GLIAC’s top career performance average for all games played. His 713 career assists not only ranks as the school's top figure, but also presently is listed 13th on the all-time NCAA Division II assists leaders list. The two-time (2003-04 & 2004-05) GLIAC North Division Second Team honoree ranked 17th nationally in assists along with 40th in steals (2.2) this season according to the latest (March 19) NCAA-II National Statistical leaders.

Springs, who compiled 28 double-figure scoring outings this season, currently is listed among the school's all-time performers in five statistical categories including ninth in scoring with 1,504 career points. He earned GLIAC North Division Player of the Week Award honors three times this campaign. Springs also received GLIAC North Division All-Defensive Team kudos for the third-straight campaign and picked up GLIAC All-Tournament Team recognition this year as the Bulldogs earned runner-up honors in the conference's annual postseason tournament (March 3-4).

Springs attained NCAA-II Great Lakes Region All-Tournament Team kudos as FSU advanced to the NCAA-II Sweet Sixteen in 2004-05. He also set a school single-season record with 213 assists during the 2004-05 campaign and was featured among the top 10 West Michigan collegiate players to watch this season by the Grand Rapids Press.

During his playing career, Springs led Ferris to back-to-back GLIAC North Division Championships (2003-04 & 2004-05), guided FSU to a runner-up league regular-season finish this year and directed the Bulldogs to consecutive NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Tournament appearances the last two campaigns. He was the conference's assists leader three of his four collegiate seasons and dished out 10 or more assists 14 times in his playing career.

Ferris posted an 18-13 overall mark this year en route to making its second consecutive national tournament berth under fourth-year head coach Bill Sall after posting a second-place 13-5 mark in GLIAC North Division regular-season action.

The Holland Blast, who will be coached by Mike Ahrens and play their home games in the Holland Civic Center, officially open the 2006 season at home Friday, March 31, against the Lansing Capitals with tipoff set for 7:15 p.m. (ET). The league, which is comprised of 26 teams, will feature five squads in Michigan this season including the locations of Holland, Grand Rapids, Lansing, Battle Creek and Macomb County.

Holland plays its second contest of the season on the road Friday, April 7, against the Grand Rapids Flight at 7:15 p.m. (ET) in Grand Rapids Community College's Ford Fieldhouse. Former Ferris State center Adam Anderson (Kent City) is currently embarking on his second season with Grand Rapids after averaging 9.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in the league's initial campaign last year. He concluded his FSU playing career in 2002-03. Both Grand Rapids are Holland are owned and operated by the same management group, Fast Forward Sports LLC.