FSU Men’s Basketball At A Glance: The Ferris State University men’s basketball team will take part in the Sprint PCS/Southern Indiana Challenge this Friday and Saturday (Dec. 19-20) in USI’s Physical Activities Center at Evansville, Ind. FSU will square off against Indianapolis in Friday’s 6:15 p.m. (EST) non-league encounter and then face host USI Saturday with the non-conference tipoff set for 8:30 p.m. (EST).

*Note: Southern Indiana is the nation's top ranked team in the current (Dec. 16) National Association of Basketball Coaches/Division II Bulletin Top 25 poll. Indianapolis is presently ranked 16th.

Last Weekend: The Bulldogs recorded an 88-65 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) triumph versus Lake Superior State in their 2003-04 home opener last Thursday (Dec. 11) at Big Rapids (Mich.) High School. Ferris then posted an 88-76 league win Saturday (Dec. 13) over Saginaw Valley State in University Center, Mich. FSU, which has won three straight outings to date, is currently 3-5 overall and 3-1 in the GLIAC.

Thomas Earns Honor: Senior guard Willie Thomas (Columbus, Ohio/Eastmoor Academy) was named this week’s (Dec. 15) GLIAC North Division Player of the Week after averaging 28 points, 6.5 rebounds, five assists and three steals in Ferris’ two outings last weekend. The 6-4 Thomas tallied a game-high 27 points, nine boards and five assists versus LSSU and then totaled a game-high 29 points, five assists and five steals at SVSU. He currently ranks as FSU’s leading scorer (18.9 ppg) this campaign. Sophomore guard Dennis Springs (Toledo, Ohio/Scott) added 14 points in both contests.

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 881-827 (.516) 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 19-28 (.404) career coaching mark.

Not A New Site: Ferris’ contest at BRHS wasn’t an entirely new site as the Bulldogs previously played 10 of their 11 home games there during the 1998-99 campaign and posted a 3-7 (.300) mark while the 2,400-seat Jim Wink Arena was constructed. Thursday’s game was moved due to a conflict with FSU’s annual winter graduation ceremonies. The Bulldogs’ first outing at Wink Arena this campaign is against rival Grand Valley State Saturday, Jan. 10, at 3 p.m. (EST).

On The Road: FSU is 339-296 (.534) overall since 1980-81 and sports a 161-201 (.445) record in road/neutral site contests during that span. Ferris has posted a 2-4 (.333) 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.

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 in Egypt. The two-time team MVP was also a three-time All-GLIAC pick.

Great League Start: Ferris’ current 3-1 league start this campaign marks only the third time in the last 15 seasons and the first time since 1996-97 the Bulldogs have won three of their initial four GLIAC outings. FSU also started league play with a 3-1 mark in 1992-93 while its last 4-0 start came in 1989-90. The Bulldogs, along with Mercyhurst, are presently the only league schools to register three conference victories in the initial portion of the GLIAC’s 2003-04 schedule which resumes Thursday, Jan. 8. Only four league schools have played four conference games to date due to the GLIAC’s format.

Tough Road: Twelve of Ferris’ first 13 games this campaign are away from home. The Bulldogs, who played their initial six outings this season away from home, are also slated to play their next five outings either on the road or at a neutral site.

Bulldog Bites: Junior guard Carlton Epps (Benton Harbor) notched his 600th career point versus LSSU. He also moved past Dannie Hayes (125; 1991-95) into fifth place on FSU's career steals leaders list and has 130 career thefts to date ...... Dennis Springs tallied his 200th career assist at Saginaw Valley State ...... The Bulldogs have held first-half leads of eight points or more in seven of their eight outings to date this campaign ....... Willie Thomas has 102 career three-point field goals to date and is two away from tying Marcus Wallace's (104; 2000-02) ninth-place career total. Thomas recorded his 500th career point at SVSU ...... Sophomore forward Jeffery Shanahan (Flint/Kearsley) presently has reached double-figure scoring in three of his last six outings to date. He recorded a personal career-high three blocked shots against LSSU ....... Freshman forward Terrance Shaw (Saginaw/Bridgeport) totaled both a personal career-best 14 points and eight boards versus Saginaw Valley State ...... FSU has won four of its last seven home openers to date following Thursday’s victory ....... Freshman guard Joe DeMartin (Mason) and freshman guard/forward C.J. Van Wieren (Holland/West Ottawa) both saw their first collegiate action versus LSSU. DeMartin, who tallied five points, is the younger brother of current FSU women’s basketball senior guard Lucy DeMartin (Mason). Van Wieren spent the fall as a redshirt quarterback for the Bulldog football team ........ Ferris is averaging 87.3 points per game in its last three outings as compared to only 65.8 points per game in its initial five contests this season ........ FSU’s 50 total rebounds against Lake Superior State were its most since pulling down 51 boards in a 95-72 home loss to Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW) on Dec. 28, 1999.

Looking Ahead: Ferris will take part in the Porreco Cup Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 29-30, in Gannon’s Hammermill Center at Erie, Pa. FSU is slated to face Cheyney (Pa.) in Monday’s 6 p.m. (EST) tournament opener with host Gannon scheduled to battle Glenville State (W.Va.) in the 8 p.m. (EST) nightcap. The tournament’s consolation and championship games are set for Tuesday at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m., respectively.

A Look At The Opponents:

Indianapolis: The Greyhounds won the only previous series’ meeting (11/19/93) 80-76 in the Indianapolis (Ind.) Tipoff Tournament. UI is currently 7-0 overall and 4-0 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) following its 92-84 league road win at Saint Joseph’s, Ind. (12/6). The Greyhounds, under seventh-year head coach Todd Sturgeon, were 18-11 overall in 2002-03 and recorded a fourth-place 13-7 GLVC mark. UI, which was picked to finish fourth in the 2003-04 GLVC Preseason Coaches Poll, is led in scoring by junior guard David Logan (20.6 ppg). Indianapolis reached the NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Tournament last season.

Southern Indiana: The Screaming Eagles hold a 4-0 series’ edge and posted a 120-100 home win in the last meeting (12/29/00) at Evansville, Ind. USI, which was ranked second in the 2003-04 National Association of Basketball Coaches/Division II Bulletin Preseason National Poll, is presently 8-0 overall and 4-0 in the GLVC after last Saturday’s (Dec. 13) 116-72 non-league home triumph over Illinois-Springfield. Southern Indiana posted a 25-7 overall record a season ago, including a first-place tying 16-4 GLVC ledger. The Screaming Eagles, who are directed by third-year coach Rick Herdes, were picked to finish first in the 2003-04 GLVC Preseason Coaches Poll following last season’s NCAA-II Sweet Sixteen appearance. USI is led in scoring to date by senior guard Joe Gordon (14.1 ppg). All four previous meetings have been at Evansville, Ind. USI will face North Alabama this Friday (Dec. 19).