FSU Men’s Basketball At A Glance: The Ferris State University men’s basketball team opens the home portion of its 2003-04 schedule this Thursday (Dec. 11) versus Lake Superior State at Big Rapids (Mich.) High School. The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) encounter is set for a 8 p.m. (EST) start. The Bulldogs will then visit Saginaw Valley State Saturday (Dec. 13) for a 3 p.m. (EST) league tilt in SVSU’s James E. O’Neill Arena at University Center, Mich.

Ticket Information: Thursday’s game, which was moved from FSU’s Jim Wink Arena due to conflicts with the school’s annual winter graduation ceremonies, represents the Bulldogs’ only home contest until the new year. Ticket prices have been reduced for the event to $4. High school students with a valid student identification card or any Big Rapids Public Schools employee with an activities pass will be admitted free of charge. Those interested in attending may also bring a canned good for donation to Project Starburst and receive complimentary admission. Ferris students will receive free admission for any home basketball game by showing their student I.D. card. Additional information can be obtained by calling the FSU Athletics Ticket Office at (231) 591-2888.

A Look Back: Ferris split two league road games last weekend (Dec. 4 & 6). FSU dropped a 69-58 decision last Thursday (Dec. 4) at Findlay, which was ranked ninth in the 2003-04 Basketball Times Division II Preseason Top 25 poll. The Bulldogs then registered their first victory this campaign with a 86-66 win last Saturday (Dec. 6) at Ashland. Junior guard Carlton Epps (Benton Harbor) tallied a game-high 26 points versus Ashland. Senior guard Willie Thomas (Columbus, Ohio/Eastmoor Academy) added 23 points against AU and scored 11 points at Findlay. Sophomore forward Jeffery Shanahan (Flint/Kearsley) totaled 12 points along with 10 rebounds versus Findlay and grabbed 14 boards at Ashland. FSU is presently 1-5 overall and 1-1 in the GLIAC to date this campaign.

Last Season: Ferris State concluded the 2002-03 campaign with an 11-15 overall mark and a fourth-place 7-11 GLIAC North Division finish. Both Ferris’ overall record and league finish represented the program’s best marks since the Bulldogs finished 21-12 overall and claimed the 1997-98 GLIAC Tournament championship.

The Bulldog Tradition: The 2003-04 campaign marks the 76th 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 879-827 (.515) 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 captured a league-record four consecutive GLIAC titles from 1986-90.

Head Coach Bill Sall: A 1994 Calvin graduate, second-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. Sall has a current 17-28 (.378) career coaching mark. He is 10-15 (.400) in GLIAC outings to date.

Not A New Site: Ferris previously played 10 its 11 home games at BRHS during the 1998-99 campaign and posted a 3-7 (.300) mark as the new 2,400-seat Jim Wink Arena was being constructed. Ferris has recorded a 13-34 (.277) overall record to date in home contests at Jim Wink Arena, including an 8-29 (.216) mark in league play.

On The Road: FSU is 337-296 (.532) overall since 1980-81 and sports a 160-201 (.443) record in road/neutral site contests during that span. Ferris has posted a 1-4 (.200) road mark to date this season.

FSU Picked Fourth: Ferris was picked to finish fourth in the 2003-04 GLIAC North Division Preseason Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs totaled 17 points in the balloting by the GLIAC’s head coaches. Each of the league’s 13 head coaches ranked the teams in their respective divisions, but were not allowed to vote for their own team. Northern Michigan was selected as the GLIAC North Division favorite with five first-place votes and 35 total points while Findlay took the top spot in the South Division with 25 points and five first-place votes.

A Look At The Roster: Ferris’ 2003-04 roster includes two seniors, four juniors, two sophomores and seven freshmen. Eight of the 15 players are guards while the remaining seven are frontcourt players. Thirteen players hail from Michigan while two are from Ohio.

GLIAC Games On The Air: Ferris’ 2003-04 league games will be carried live by local radio station WBRN-1460 AM. Selected league contests can also be accessed live this season via the internet by clicking the Bulldog Athletics Webcasts icon at www.ferris.edu/sports.

FSU 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 and more. The Bulldogs’ 2003-04 yearbook is also available online.

Luncheon This Week: The final Bulldog Athletics Luncheon of the 2003-04 season will be held this Wednesday (Dec. 10) from 12-1 p.m. (EST) at FSU’s Wheeler Pavilion located at Top Taggart Field. Featured speakers include FSU men’s basketball coach Bill Sall and women’s basketball coach Tracey Fisk. For more information, please contact the FSU Alumni Office at (231) 591-2345.

Glancing At The Bulldogs: Ferris returns seven letterwinners and four starters from last season, including senior co-captains Willie Thomas and Nathan Wruble (Harbor Beach). The Bulldogs’ biggest loss was 6-10 center Adam Anderson, who is presently playing overseas in Egypt. The two-time team MVP earned All-GLIAC First-Team accolades last season.

Bulldog Bites: Ferris win at Ashland snapped a four-game series losing streak and ended a six-game winless stretch dating back to last season ...... Carlton Epps has 122 career steals to date and needs three more to tie Dannie Hayes (125; 1991-95) for fifth place on FSU's career steals leaders list. He is currently four points away from notching his 600th career point ...... Nathan Wruble garnered his 200th career point at Findlay ...... Sophomore guard Dennis Springs (Toledo, Ohio/Scott) currently is eight assists shy of recording his 200th career assist ...... The Bulldogs have held first-half leads of eight points or more in five of their six outings this campaign ....... Willie Thomas has 90 career three-point field goals to date and is two away from tying Richard Legreair (92; 1985-89) for 10th place on the school's career leaders chart ...... Ferris has currently lost 12 consecutive league-opening contests following its loss at Findlay ........ Jeffery Shanahan has presently reached double-figure scoring in two of his last three outings ....... Freshman forward Michael Daniels (Detroit/Murray-Wright) has totaled 10 points or more in three of his last four contests to date. He registered a personal career-high nine rebounds at Findlay ...... The Bulldogs have had five different leading scorers in their six outings to date this season ....... FSU has won three of its last six home-openers, including last season’s (11/26/02) 92-71 non-conference win over Calvin.

Between The Lines: “Between The Lines”, a weekly television program profiling Ferris State University Athletics, airs across northern Michigan on WFQX-Fox 33 every Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (ET). The 30-minute program is hosted by Phill Mooney and produced in the studios of the University’s cable Channel 7. FSU men’s basketball head coach Bill Sall will make appearances throughout the season. The show is also aired locally on the University's cable Channel 7 every Tuesday (7 p.m.) and Wednesday (8 p.m.).

Looking Ahead: Ferris will take part in the Sprint PCS/Southern Indiana Challenge Friday and Saturday, Dec. 19-20, in USI’s Physical Activities Center at Evansville, Ind. FSU will face Indianapolis in Friday’s (Dec. 19) 6:15 p.m. (EST) non-league tilt and then battle tournament host Southern Indiana Saturday (Dec. 20) in an 8:30 p.m. (EST) non-conference game.

A Look At The Opponents:

Lake Superior State: The Bulldogs maintain a 65-42 lead entering this Thursday’s 108th series meeting. LSSU has won five of the last six contests although Ferris posted an 85-71 win in the last meeting (2/6/03) at Big Rapids, Mich. Lake Superior State, which has lost two-straight outings to date, is presently 3-3 overall and 0-2 in league play after last Saturday’s (Dec. 6) 82-75 GLIAC loss at Wayne State. The Lakers, who are coached by first-year head coach Mike Fitzner, were 12-15 overall during the 2002-03 campaign and compiled a sixth-place 6-12 GLIAC North Division record. LSSU, which is led in scoring by junior forward Scott Jamison (17.0 ppg), was picked to finish seventh in the 2003-04 GLIAC North Division Preseason Coaches Poll. FSU head coach Bill Sall is 1-1 all-time versus LSSU.

Saginaw Valley State: Ferris holds a 38-27 lead heading into this Saturday’s 66th series meeting and defeated SVSU 78-65 in the last meeting (2/15/03) at Big Rapids, Mich. Saginaw Valley State is currently 6-1 overall and 2-0 in league play following last Saturday’s (Dec. 6) 71-70 conference home win over Hillsdale. The Cardinals, under sixth-year head coach Dean Lockwood, were 13-14 overall in 2002-03 and recorded a fourth-place tying 7-11 GLIAC North Division mark. SVSU, which was picked to finish sixth in the 2003-04 GLIAC North Division Preseason Coaches Poll, is led in scoring by junior guard/forward Anthony Parker (18.9 ppg) and has won its last five games to date this campaign. The two teams have split the last four meetings while Sall holds a 1-1 career coaching mark against SVSU.