Personal...The 2009-10 season will mark Ignas Palaima's first year as a member of the WSSU men's basketball team...An athletic talent with both great size and quickness, Palaima will immediately add a physical presence to the paint for the Rams...A native of Klaipeda, Lithuania he comes to WSSU following a stellar high school career at Asheville Christian High School in Asheville, N.C. where he turned in averages of 13 points and nine rebounds per game his senior year as he helped to lead Asheville Christian to a Carolina Athletic Association Championship and a 2A state title...An All-Conference selection in both his junior and senior seasons, Palaima led Asheville Christian to a state runner-up finish his junior season in high school...A teammate of current WSSU center Sam Johnson at Asheville Christian, Palaima was a heavily recruited prospect who considered Memphis, South Carolina, Louisiana-Monroe, UNC-Asheville and USC-Upstate before signing with the Rams...The son of Virginija Palaimiene his academic major is undeclared...Born in Klaipeda, Lithuania on Sept. 16, 1989...Nicknamed "Ig".