FSU Men’s Basketball At A Glance - The Ferris State University men’s basketball team will visit the Saginaw Valley State Cardinals this Thursday (Jan. 23) for a 7:30 p.m. (EST) Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) encounter at SVSU’s O’Neill Arena in University Center, Mich. FSU will then battle the Lake Superior State Lakers in league play this Saturday (Jan. 25) with tipoff slated for 3 p.m. (EST) in LSSU’s Bud Cooper Gymnasium at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. The Bulldogs, who are presently 7-9 overall and 3-5 in conference action, rank 305th of 1,336 institutions (all levels) represented in the current (Jan. 20) Dunkel Sports Research Index Men’s Basketball Ratings. FSU is listed fourth among all GLIAC schools by the same service.

Bulldogs Split Two Games - Ferris split two league games last weekend (Jan. 16 & 18). FSU fell to the Northwood Timberwolves 79-73 last Thursday (Jan. 16) at FSU’s Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. The Bulldogs then snapped a three-game losing skid in an 81-57 triumph over archrival Grand Valley State Lakers last Saturday (Jan. 18) at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena in Allendale, Mich. Sophomore guard Corey Epps (Benton Harbor) scored 17 points and freshman guard Dennis Springs (Toledo, Ohio/Scott) added 16 points at GVSU. Senior center Adam Anderson (Kent City) tallied a game-high 21 points in the loss to Northwood while sophomore guard Carlton Epps (Benton Harbor) totaled 18 points. Junior guard Willie Thomas (Columbus, Ohio/Eastmoor Academy) chipped in 13 points versus the Timberwolves and 14 points at Grand Valley State.

Last Season - Ferris State concluded the 2001-02 campaign with a 4-22 overall mark, which included a seventh-place 1-17 GLIAC North Division finish.

The Bulldog Tradition - The 2002-03 campaign marks the 75th 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 874-816 (.517) all-time mark. The Bulldogs have won nine GLIAC titles, made six NCAA Division II Tournament appearances and reached the 1988 NCAA-II Elite Eight. Ferris, which last won the GLIAC Tournament championship in 1997-98, captured a league-record four consecutive GLIAC titles from 1986-90.

On The Road Again - FSU is 332-285 (.538) overall since 1980-81 and sports a 158-192 (.451) record in road/neutral site contests during that span. Ferris is 4-5 (.444) on the road this season.

Head Coach Bill Sall - A 1994 Calvin graduate, first-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.

Bulldogs Post Decisive Victory - Ferris’ 24-point victory at Grand Valley State was its most decisive win over the Lakers since recording a 111-79 home win on Feb. 11, 1970. The Bulldogs led 38-21 at halftime and increased the advantage to 34 points at 73-39 with 1:53 to play before GVSU scored 18 of the game’s final 26 points. The victory, which was FSU’s largest ever in Allendale, marks the second time this season the Bulldogs have won a game by 24 points. Ferris previously defeated Olivet (12/14) 109-85 in a non-league road contest. The two 24-point wins are Ferris' biggest victories since posting a 106-54 home win over Grace Bible (12/18/99).

Streak Ends For Anderson - Adam Anderson, a 2000-01 All-GLIAC North Division First-Team honoree, had his 45-game double-figure scoring streak end at GVSU as he compiled five points. Anderson, who has scored 10 points or more in 51 of his last 53 games, currently has 1,408 career points and needs 29 more to tie Lewis Garner (1,437; 1971-75) for eighth place on Ferris’ career scoring leaders list. The 6-10 Anderson, who currently ranks as Ferris’ career blocks leader (123), is fifth on the school’s career made free throw chart (420-636) and needs 25 more to tie Dannie Hayes (445; 1991-95) for fourth place. He established FSU single-season records in made free throws (179) and blocks (50) during the 2000-01 season. Anderson, who has led FSU in scoring seven of the last nine games to date, presently has 546 career rebounds and is five short of tying Dannie Hayes (551; 1991-95) for 12th place on Ferris' career list. He notched his 1,400th career point versus NU.

Preseason All-America Honoree - Adam Anderson has been named to the 2002-03 Street & Smith’s Division II Preseason Honorable Mention All-America Team for the second consecutive season. Anderson, a 2000-01 Daktronics NCAA-II All-Great Lakes Region First-Team selection, was among 31 individuals receiving preseason accolades and joined Michigan Tech’s Matt Cameron, Hillsdale’s Matt Mlynarchek and Josh Morgan of Gannon as the only representatives from a GLIAC-member institution. Anderson, who missed the final 23 games last season due to a bone bruise injury (knee) suffered in a 79-59 non-conference home win versus Olivet (11/20/01), petitioned for and was granted an extra season of eligibility last summer through the NCAA’s medical redshirt process. He has reached double-figure scoring 71 times in 95 career contests.

Bulldog Bites - Dennis Springs has registered 10 double-figure scoring performances to date this campaign, including seven of his last 11 outings ...... Senior guard/forward Jeff Guernsey (Buckley) presently has scored 198 career points and needs two more to register his 200th career point .... Thirteen of Ferris' 16 opponents this campaign had a .500 record or better prior to the contest while five of Ferris' nine losses this season have been by seven points or less ...... Carlton Epps has posted double-digit scoring performances in seven of his last 10 outings. He notched his 400th career point at Grand Valley State while his twin brother Corey Epps registered his 300th career point .... Sophomore guard Michael Anderson (Farmington Hills/Royal Oak Shrine) is three points shy of attaining his 100th career point ....... Senior guard Brian Monahan (Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor Pioneer) is three assists short of recording his 200th career assist ...... Willie Thomas has registered five consecutive double-figure scoring performances to date. The 6-4 Thomas is averaging a team-high 16.1 points per game in Ferris' eight league contests this campaign ....... Adam Anderson needs six assists to garner his 100th career assist and eight field goals to garner his 500th career field goal ...... Ferris' two made free throws at Grand Valley State was its fewest since sinking two of seven attempts at Northern Kentucky (11/16/01).

Against The Opponents - Ferris visits Saginaw Valley State and Lake Superior State in league action this week.

Saginaw Valley State: Ferris holds a 37-26 advantage heading into this Thursday’s 64th meeting. The Bulldogs have won three of the last four games and defeated SVSU 81-80 in the team’s last meeting (2/16/02) at University Center, Mich. SVSU is currently 8-9 overall and 2-6 in GLIAC action after last Saturday’s (Jan. 18) 64-60 league home loss to Northern Michigan. Saginaw Valley State, which was picked to finish sixth in the 2002-03 GLIAC North Division Preseason Coaches Poll, is led in scoring by sophomore forward Anthony Parker (20.0 ppg). The Cardinals have dropped six consecutive games to date under fifth-year head coach Dean Lockwood. SVSU was 5-21 overall in 2001-02 and placed sixth in the GLIAC North Division with a 2-16 mark.

Lake Superior State: The Bulldogs maintain a 64-41 lead entering this Saturday’s 106th series meeting. However, LSSU has won four consecutive games and defeated Ferris 91-68 in the last meeting between the teams (2/7/02) at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. Lake Superior State is presently 8-10 overall and 2-7 in league play heading into this Thursday’s (Jan. 23) league home game versus Grand Valley State. LSSU posted a 77-67 league win at Northwood last Saturday (Jan. 18). The Lakers, under fifth-year head coach Marty McDermott, were 17-10 overall during the 2001-02 campaign and compiled a third-place 8-10 GLIAC North Division record. LSSU, which is led in scoring by senior guard Ben Dewar (25.9 ppg), was picked to finish fifth in the 2002-03 GLIAC North Division Preseason Coaches Poll. Lake Superior State has won its last two games to date.

Between The Lines - Between The Lines, a weekly television program profiling Ferris State University Athletics, will continue to be aired on northern Michigan’s WFQX-Fox 33 every Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. (ET) beginning January 22. The show is hosted by Ira Childress, who's also the executive producer. The 30-minute program is produced in the studios of the University’s cable Channel 7 and then aired across northern Michigan on Fox 33, which is stationed in Cadillac. The Jan. 22 guest will be Carma Burcham, FSU’s Coordinator of Records and NCAA, along with Bill Sall, men’s basketball head coach, and Bob Daniels, men’s ice hockey head coach.

FSU Sports Luncheon - The next FSU Sports Luncheon of the 2002-03 athletics season will be held this Wednesday (Jan. 22) from 12-1 p.m. (EST) at the Scoreboard in Big Rapids, Mich. Featured speakers include FSU men’s basketball head coach Bill Sall, hockey head coach Bob Daniels and men’s and women’s track and field head coach Jeff Kavalunas. For more information, contact the FSU Alumni Office at (231) 591-2345.

Looking Ahead - Ferris will battle the Michigan Tech Huskies Thursday, Jan. 30, at FSU’s Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. Tipoff for the league encounter is slated for 8 p.m. (EST). The Bulldogs then host the Northern Michigan Wildcats in GLIAC play Saturday, Feb. 1, at 3 p.m. (EST).