Nov. 29, 2006

WINSTON-SALEM, NC - The Winston-Salem State University men's basketball team returns to action on Wednesday evening at 7:30 pm from the Joyce Center on the campus of the University of Notre Dame as the Rams face the Fighting Irish in the first meeting between the two teams all-time as the Rams (1-8) try to snap a five-game losing streak by defeating the Irish (4-1).

 

Setting The Scene...The Rams enter into tonight's contest with a 1-8 record overall.  Winston-Salem State University is riding a five-game losing streak as they followed up their only win of the season (over Anderson (SC) University by the score of 67-44 on November 14, 2006) with five consecutive losses to Auburn (95-62), Georgia State (94-87), Coppin State (81-65) Georgia Southern (70-41), and Lipscomb (62-46) to fall to 1-7 overall.  The Rams will play their ninth road game of the season and sixth game in 13 days when they face the Fighting Irish of the University of Notre Dame on November 29 in South Bend, IN at 7:30 pm. 

 

Looking At The Past Schedule...The Rams will be playing in their 10th game overall and their ninth game away from home.  The Rams opened the season with three games (three weekends ago in Fresno, California) and followed it up with a home game on November 14.  Following WSSU's win over Anderson (SC) on November 14, WSSU traveled to Auburn, AL where they played their fourth game away from home, losing 95-62 (November 17).  They then traveled to Atlanta, GA where they dropped a 94-87 decision to the Panthers of Georgia State University at the GSU Sports Arena on November 19 before losing a game at Coppin State University on November 21, 2006 by the score of 81-65.  The Rams' then fell 70-41 at Georgia Southern University on November 25 and added their most recent loss, a 62-46 defeat at Lipscomb this past Monday evening.  The Rams led by as many as seven points in the first half before falling in defeat by 16.

 

What's On Tap...The Rams are reaching the end of their third road-trip week of the season as they lost the first game of the road stint at Georgia Southern in Statesboro, GA (70-41 on November 25) and followed it with a 62-46 loss to Lipscomb in Nashville, TN (November 27, 2006).  The Rams will close out the trip at Notre Dame in South Bend, IN (November 29 at 7:30 pm) before returning home to the Gaines Center for a pair of games in the first week of December.

 

Last Action...The Rams last action came on Monday, November 27, 2006 as they fell in defeat 62-46 to Lipscomb, a team that made the NIT in 2005-06.  Jamal Durham led the Rams with 16 points and 10 rebounds as he paced three Rams who scored in double-figures.  The loss dropped WSSU to 1-8 overall and ran the Rams' losing streak to five games, their longest losing streak since in a decade.

 

It's Been A Decade...The Rams have lost five consecutive games and have lost eight of their last nine contests.  The Rams' five-game losing streak is the most consecutive losses for WSSU since an eight-game skid that occurred a decade ago during the 1996-97 season.  Despite the eight-game skid that season, the Rams finished the year with a winning record with a 15-13 mark.

 

How Long Has It Been?...The Rams last losing season came in 1995-96 when Winston-Salem State University posted a 7-18 overall record.  Since then WSSU has recorded ten consecutive winning seasons.

 

Collins Versus The Irish...The Rams' Bobby Collins, who coached at Hampton University for four seasons prior to his arrival at WSSU, is no stranger to either the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference or to Division I play.  However, Collins has never faced the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame and has never faced a team from the Big East Conference.

 

Versus The Big East...Collins and the Rams have never faced a team from the Big East Conference, however in 2006-07 the Rams will face not only the Irish but the Bulls of the University of South Florida and the Hoyas of Georgetown University as they face teams from the Big East a combined three times.

 

Collins vs. Teams From Indiana...Collins is 0-0 all-time versus teams from the State of Indiana.  He has never faced a team from the "Hoosier State".  The contest versus the University of Notre Dame will mark his first foray into a game versus a team from Tennessee.

 

The Series...The Rams and Fighting Irish have never met.  The 2006-07 season is the first year of Division I classification for the Rams as they are in the second year of a five-year transition from the NCAA Division II level where they spent 61 seasons earning 10 conference (Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association) titles, 23 NCAA Tournament appearances, and the 1967 NCAA Championship.  The two teams will be meeting for the first time in history.

 

The Coaches...WSSU is led by Bobby Collins who is in his first year as the head coach of the Rams.  He is entering into his fifth season as a Division I head coach and has posted a 66-65 overall record as he led Hampton University to a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament last season.  The Fighting Irish are coached by Mike Brey (George Washington '82) who has turned in an overall record of 122-71 in his six-plus seasons at Notre Dame.  He has amassed a career record of 221-122 (11 seasons).

 

A November Record...The Rams play 10 games during the month of November.  Winston-Salem State University has never played ten games during the first month of the season.  WSSU has played nine games in the month of November three times in history but have never played 10 games like they will this season.

 

Six Conferences Coming...The Rams will play six different conferences as they close out the month of November and move into December.  Winston-Salem State will face the Atlantic Sun (once), the Big East (three times), the SoCon (once), the Mid-American Conference (once), the Big 12 (once) and the Colonial Athletic Conference (once).

 

Season Highs...Jamal Durham's 22 point, 13 rebound performance versus Auburn set five season records as Durham tallied a WSSU team season high 22 points (which Brian Fisher tied with 22 points versus Georgia State), a WSSU team season high 13 rebounds, a WSSU team season high eight offensive rebounds, a WSSU team season high eight made field goals, and a WSSU team season high 37 minutes played.

 

Opponent Game Highs...Unfortunately for the Rams, their 95-62 loss to Auburn set nine opponent game highs for the young 2006-07 season.  The Tigers set opponent team highs in points (95), points in a half (54), margin of victory (33 points), made field goals (33), field goal shooting percentage (57.9%), three-point field goal shooting percentage (47.6%), assists (25), steals (13) and double-figure scorers (six).

 

Three Out Of Four Isn't Bad...The game versus the Tigers of Auburn set four WSSU team game highs as the Rams attempted a season-high 69 field goal attempts (at the time, which was recently surpassed by their 78 FG attempts versus Georgia State), shot a season high 68.4% from the free throw line and pulled down a team season high 20 offensive rebounds (which was also surpassed with 22 offensive boards versus GSU).  However, the Rams also committed a season-high 21 turnovers.

 

No Rest For The Wicked...It gets no easier for the Rams as they once again return to the road for another week.  Winston-Salem State will conclude the month of November with three road games as they complete the first 30 days of the 2006-07 season with their seventh (GSU), eighth (Lipscomb) and ninth (Notre Dame) games away from the friendly confines of home.  WSSU has traveled over eight thousand miles during that span and has taken to the friendly skies for five flights on two different air carriers (Delta three times and United twice)

 

Flying Gets Old...Prior to WSSU's trip to California (November 10-13), the Rams had a pair of players that had never flown before in Jamal Durham and Jarmel Baxter.  However, flying is now a familiar scene for both players as they will head into the weekend's action having taken off and landed 20 times as the Rams have had eight flights and have changed planes four times for a grand total of 20 takeoffs and landings.  The pair of Rams and their teammates and coaching staff members will again get comfortable in airplane seating as they fly to Atlanta, Nashville and South Bend during this road trip.

 

Road Tripping With The Rams...During the month of November, the Rams will face nine teams away from the friendly confines of the CE Gaines Center.  WSSU will spend a total of 21 days on the road as they travel to Fresno, CA for three games; travel to Auburn, AL for a game against the Tigers of Auburn University; travel to Atlanta, GA for games against Georgia State and Georgia Southern; travel to Nashville, TN for a game against Lipscomb; and travel to South Bend, IN for a contest versus Notre Dame as they close out their November road trips.

 

Frequent Flier Miles...The Rams will travel over 25,000 miles round trip this season as they play 23 road games this year.  The Rams will travel by plane to visit 12 opponents and will travel by charter bus for the remaining 11 opponents.

 

Unique Opponents...The Rams will face 27 unique opponents during the 2006-07 season.  The Rams will play only the Georgia Southern Eagles and the North Dakota State Bison more than once during their first year as a Division I team.

 

Transition Year Two...The Rams are currently in the second year of a five-year transition from the Division II level to the highest level of competition in Division I.  The Rams are an independent team this season but will join the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in 2007-08.  The Rams will become a full-fledged Division I member that is eligible for all NCAA championships in the 2010-11 season.

 

12th MEAC Member...On July 20, 2006, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) announced that it will expand its membership to 12 members next year, as the league voted to admit Winston-Salem State University into the league beginning in 2007-08. "We are elated to welcome Winston-Salem into the MEAC family", said Commissioner Dennis Thomas. "Obviously we think that WSSU is an outstanding academic institution with an excellent athletics program." Winston-Salem State University is currently in the second year of its reclassification from Division II to NCAA Division I status. WSSU will begin a full MEAC schedule in all sports beginning in 2007-08. However they will not be eligible for MEAC Championship play until the 2010-11 football season. The addition of WSSU marks the first expansion for the MEAC since 1997, when Norfolk State University became the 11th member of the conference.

 

Tough Tests...The Rams have one of the most difficult schedules in the nation.  They face 11 different conferences and will face 27 unique opponents.  The Rams will face #5/#5 Kansas (December 19), #18/#23 Georgetown (December 16) and #21/#24 Georgia Tech (January 3) this season.  WSSU faces four teams that made the 2006 NCAA Tournament (Georgetown, Kansas, South Alabama, and Alabama-Birmingham) and five teams that made the NIT (Wake Forest, Lipscomb, Georgia Southern, Notre Dame and Akron). 

 

A New Era; A Proud History...The Rams are entering into a new era at WSSU as they are heading into the Division I ranks.  However, the Rams have a history of basketball excellence as they have recorded 49 winning seasons including 10 consecutive winning years.  The Rams have posted 23 20-win seasons and a 30-win season in 1967 when they won the NCAA Championship with a 31-1 record.

 

1000-Plus Wins All-Time...Winston-Salem State University has posted an all-time record of 1050-604 for a winning percentage of 63.4%.  Legendary coach Clarence E. "Big House" Gaines won 828 games at WSSU during his career which still places him fifth on the NCAA's all-time win list (behind Dean Smith of North Carolina, Bobby Knight of Indiana and now Texas Tech, Adolph Rupp of Kentucky and Jim Phelan of Mount Saint Mary's).

 

California Love?...The Rams are not thrilled with their recent road trip to California.  The Rams are now saddled with an overall all-time mark of 0-2 versus teams from the state of California, and head coach Bobby Collins is now 0-4 all-time versus California schools.

 

First In Shooting...The Rams were first in the CIAA in shooting percentage last season as they hit 47.6% of their shots.  WSSU shot 50% or better from the field in 11 of their last 15 games in 2005-06 and posted an 11-4 mark over that stretch.  This season the Rams have yet to crack the 50% shooting barrier in any game.

 

Turnover Differential...The Rams ranked first in the CIAA in turnover margin as they turned in a plus (+) 3.04 turnover ratio last season.  This season the Rams are forcing .02 turnovers more per game than they commit.

 

Injury Update...Heading into the fourth week of the 2006-07 season, the Rams are again healthy with no players on the injury chart.  All 15 active roster members will be at head coach Bobby Collins' disposal for Wednesday's game. 

 

Jamal Durham Up To His Old Tricks...WSSU sophomore forward Jamal Durham is starting the 2006-07 season right where he left off last season, a season that saw him earn CIAA All-Rookie honors.  Durham heads into this week's action averaging 10.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per contest. 

 

The Last Time WSSU Scored 100...The last time that the Rams scored 100 points was on December 2, 2005 versus Knoxville College.  The Rams earned the 103-80 win in Winston-Salem, NC at the CE Gaines Center.  In that game WSSU had seven players score in double-figures as Alleggrie Guinn tallied 20 points to lead the Rams.

 

The Last Time WSSU Gave Up 100...The last time that the Rams gave up 100 points to an opponent was on February 14, 1998 (Valentine's Day) at Capel Arena in Fayetteville, NC.  The Rams lost that contest, broadcast live on television on MBC Networks, in triple-overtime, to Fayetteville State University by the score of 112-104 (3OT).

 

The Last Time WSSU Held An Opponent To Under 30% FG Shooting...The last time that the Rams held an opponent to less than 30% shooting from the field was on November 14, 2006 when they held the Trojans of Anderson University (SC) to a 28.6.0% shooting percentage as the Trojans converted only 14 of 49 field goal attempts.  The contest was a 67-44 win for WSSU at the C.E. Gaines Center in Winston-Salem, NC.  It also served as Bobby Collins first win as head coach at WSSU.

 

Deep Bench...Despite being young, the Rams, and head coach Bobby Collins have a deep bench.  Through nine games of the 2006-07 season, Winston-Salem State University has 10 players on the roster who have appeared in all nine games.  The Rams also have eight players who have started at least one contest.

 

The Last Time WSSU Had Two Players Record Double-Doubles In The Same Game...Was on December 1, 2001 at Catawba College in Salisbury, NC when Marcus Best, WSSU's all-time leader in steals (346), scored 19 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.  Devonaire Deas, a transfer from Florida State University, chipped in with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

 

The Last Time WSSU Had A Player Record An Assist/Points Double-Double...Was on January 31, 2006 as Alleggrie Guinn scored 26 points and added 10 assists in WSSU's 82-75 loss to the Broncos of Fayetteville State University at the LJVM Coliseum Annex.

 

The Last Time That A WSSU Player Led The Rams In Points/Rebounds/Assists...Was on December 7, 2004 at Mars-Hill College when Alleggrie Guinn recorded 25 points, six rebounds, and four assists in WSSU's 83-80 win.  He also led the Rams in steals in that same contest with four.

 

The Last Time WSSU Defeated A Ranked Team...Was on February 11, 2006 in Charlotte, NC as the Rams handed the 23rd-ranked (NCAA Division II) Golden Bulls of Johnson C. Smith University an 81-57 defeat at Brayboy Gymnasium.  The Rams have defeated at least one ranked team each season for four consecutive seasons (the Rams have been a Division II team for 61 years with the 2006-07 season marking their first year as a Division I program).

 

A Look At The University...Winston-Salem State University was founded as the Slater Industrial Academy on September 28, 1892. It began in a one-room frame structure with 25 pupils and one teacher. In 1895, the school was recognized by the state of North Carolina, and in 1897, it was chartered by the Slater Industrial and State Normal School.

                From the beginning, the school has insisted upon the vital importance of elementary school teachers in building an improved citizenship. Emphasis has, therefore, constantly been placed upon the quality and quantity of training for these teachers. In 1925, the General Assembly of North Carolina recognized the school's leadership in this field and granted the school a new charter, extending its curriculum above high school.  The school changed its name to Winston-Salem Teachers College and empowered it, under the authority of the State Board of Education, to confer appropriate degrees.  Winston-Salem Teachers College thus became the first Negro institution in the nation to grant degrees for teaching in the elementary grades.

                The Nursing School was established in 1953, awarding graduates the degree of Bachelor of Science. The basic nursing program covers four years of study with equal emphasis on academic and professional education.

                In 1957, the North Carolina General Assembly revised the charter of the college and authorized the expansion of the curriculum to include secondary education and any other specific types of training as directed and determined by the State Board of Higher Education.

                The North Carolina General Assembly of 1963 authorized the changing of Winston-Teachers College to Winston-Salem State College. A statute designing Winston-Salem Teachers College as Winston-Salem State University received legislative approval in 1969.  On October 30, 1971, the General Assembly reorganized higher education in North Carolina, and on July 1, 1972, Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) became one of 16 constituent institutions of The University of North Carolina, subject to the control of the Board of Governors.

                Winston-Salem State University is located on 110 acres in Winston-Salem, Forsyth County, North Carolina, a city of 185,470 residents. This thriving Twin City is part of the Piedmont Triad, which encompasses the neighboring cities of Greensboro and High Point. The Triad is one of the most heavily populated and fastest growing metropolitan areas between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta, GA (U.S. Census Statistical Information).

                Winston-Salem State University rapidly is changing its "well-kept secret" status.  The University has been ranked by U.S. News and World Report's "Best Colleges and Universities" publication as one of the best public liberal arts colleges in the south for the last five years.  WSSU is perhaps best defined by part of the University's mission statement which reads: "Excellent academic programs with a strong liberal arts foundation will be offered within a learning culture which exemplifies excellence in teaching and scholarship; emphasizes faculty-student interaction; promotes lifelong learning; and prepares individuals for leadership and service in the global society."

                The present day Winston-Salem State University has come a long way from its humble beginnings as Slater Industrial Academy in 1892;  WSSU now enrolls over 5,557 students, offers bachelor's degrees in over 40 majors, master's degrees in seven degree programs, and employs nearly 250 full-time faculty and 350 staff members.  It is accredited by the Commission on College of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.  WSSU has a diverse student population with increasing enrollment of non-traditional and part-time students.

On March 5, 1998 the University's "Strategic Framework for Change" was unveiled to the Board of Trustees and the Winston-Salem community.  The document provides the context for transforming today's Winston-Salem State University into one of the region's finest public undergraduate institutions.  Nursing at Winston-Salem State University offers a global health curriculum and international student and faculty exchange.  Gottenburg's University in Sweden, the Nightingale Institute at King's College in London, the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland, Waterford Regional Technical College in Southern Ireland, and WSSU are all partners in this exciting venture.

                The pass rate for Winston-Salem State University nursing graduates on the state board examination is above 90 percent, one of the highest in the state of North Carolina and the highest among historically black colleges and universities nationally.

                In the 90's, Fortune 500 corporations increasingly recruited business, economics, and accounting graduates.  Recently, the University's student chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants was recognized in the national competition at the Association's annual meeting.  Winston-Salem State University is no longer a hidden jewel or "Best Kept Secret."  The word is out about WSSU.

WSSU are all partners in this exciting venture.

                The pass rate for Winston-Salem State University nursing graduates on the state board examination is above 90 percent, one of the highest in the state of North Carolina and the highest among historically black colleges and universities nationally.

                In the 90's, Fortune 500 corporations increasingly recruited business, economics, and accounting graduates.  Recently, the University's student chapter of the National Association of Black Accountants was recognized in the national competition at the Association's annual meeting.  Winston-Salem State University is no longer a hidden jewel or "Best Kept Secret."  The word is out about WSSU.

 

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