Nov. 30, 2006

WINSTON-SALEM, NC - The road tripping is over, at least for the next nine days as the Rams return home to the friendly confines of the C.E. Gaines Center where they will play a pair of games the first of which comes on Saturday as they host the Eagles of Georgia Southern University at 7:30 pm.

Setting The Scene...The Rams enter into tonight's contest with a 1-9 record overall.  Winston-Salem State University is riding a six-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 six consecutive losses to Auburn (95-62), Georgia State (94-87), Coppin State (81-65), Georgia Southern (70-41), Lipscomb (62-46), and Notre Dame (90-45) to fall to 1-9 overall.  The Rams will play their first home game since November 14, a span of six games, tonight at the C.E. Gaines Center in Winston-Salem, NC.

Looking At The Past Schedule...The Rams will be playing in their 11th game overall and only their second game at home.  The Rams opened the season with three games, all losses, 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 a loss (62-46) at Lipscomb this past Monday evening before dropping their most recent contest, this past Wednesday at Notre Dame 90-45. 

What's On Tap...The Rams are returning home for the first time in 18 days, 14 of which they have spent on the road as part of 21 days during November in which Winston-Salem State University was away from home.  The Rams will take to the court at approximately 7:30 pm (Eastern Time) following the Lady Rams' contest versus New Jersey Institute of Technology.  The game marks the first home doubleheader of the season for the WSSU basketball programs.

Last Action...The Rams last action came on Wednesday, November 29, 2006 when the Rams dropped a 90-45 decision to the University of Notre Dame Fighting Irish at the Joyce Center in South Bend, Indiana.  WSSU led the contest 3-0 following a Darrell Wonge three-pointer before the Irish scored 10 straight points as Notre Dame never trailed again in the contest.  WSSU was led by Lowen Wray's 12 points and Notre Dame was paced by Rob Kurz's 18 points as he led four Irish players in double-figures.  The Rams fell to 1-9 with the loss.

It's Been A Decade...The Rams have lost six consecutive games and have lost nine of their last ten contests.  The Rams' six-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.  If the Rams lose six more games this season they will be assured of their first losing season in over a decade.

Collins Versus The Eagles...The Rams' Bobby Collins who is in his first season as the head coach at Winston-Salem State has faced the Eagles only one time, registering a loss on November 25 by the score of 70-41.  Collins' all-time record versus Georgia Southern fell to 0-1 on that day as well as having his all-time mark head-to-head versus Jeff Price fall to 0-1 at the same time.

Collins Versus The SoCON...Collins has never beaten a team from the Southern Conference.  He has posted an all-time coaching record of 0-3 versus the SoCON.  As head coach of the Rams he has dropped his only game versus the conference, a 70-41 loss to Georgia Southern this season.  As head coach of the Hampton Pirates he dropped a contest to Davidson (83-70 on December 3, 2003) and he dropped a decision to UNC-Greensboro (75-72 on November 26, 2005).  All three of Collins' losses to SoCON opponents came on the road. 

Collins vs. Teams From Georgia...Collins has posted a record of 2-2 versus teams from the State of Georgia.  He came into the 2006-07 season with a perfect 2-0 record over teams from the peach state as he recorded a pair of wins over Savannah State.  However, Collins, as the head of the WSSU program, has dropped a pair of games to Georgia-based opponents this season as he dropped a 94-87 decision at Georgia State and a 70-41 decision at Georgia Southern to drop his all-time record to 2-2 versus teams from Georgia.

The Series...The Rams and Eagles have met only one time in history with Georgia Southern earning the series' only win by the score of 70-41.  The contest was played in Statesboro, GA on November 25, 2006.  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 66-66 overall record as he led Hampton University to a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament last season.  He has posted a 1-9 overall record at WSSU with his only win coming in a 67-44 decision over the Anderson University Trojans.  Georgia Southern is led by Jeff Price who is in his eighth year as the Eagles' head coach.  He has turned in a record of 125-85 at Georgia Southern and a career mark of 261-125 over 13-plus seasons.  The two have met in head-to-head action only once, earlier this season with Price and the Eagles emerging victorious by the score of 70-41.

A November Record...The Rams played 10 games during the month of November, turning in a 1-9 record.  Until this season Winston-Salem State University had never played ten games during the first month of the season.  WSSU had played nine games in the month of November three times in history but had never played 10 games like they did this season.  Of those ten games, nine game on the road.

Ten Conferences Down...The month of November saw the Rams play teams from 10 different conferences.  The Rams have faced the: Western Athletic Conference (WAC) when they played Fresno State, Big West when they played UC-Irvine,  the Sun Belt when they played South Alabama, the Carolinas-Virginias Athletic Conference (NCAA Division II) when they played Anderson, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) when they played Auburn, the Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA) when they played Georgia State, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) when they played Coppin State, the Atlantic Sun (A-Sun) when they played Lipscomb, and the Big East when they played Notre Dame.

Five Conferences To Go...The Rams have faced 10 different conferences thus far in 2006-07 and will face an additional five other conferences this season.  In the upcoming weeks the Rams will face the Mid-American Conference (MAC) when they face Akron (December 9), the Big 12 when they face Kansas (December 19), Conference USA when they face UAB (December 23), the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) when they face Georgia Tech and Wake Forest (January 3 and February 6) and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) when they face Alabama A&M (February 12) giving the Rams a total of 15 different conferences faced this season.

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 eight opponent game highs for the young 2006-07 season.  The Tigers set opponent team highs in points (95), points in a half (54), 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).

Home, Sweet Home...The Rams will play the first of two consecutive home games this weekend when they face the Eagles of Georgia Southern.  The Rams face GSU on December 2 and then face the Bulls of the University of South Florida on December 7 in their only pair of back-to-back home games this season.  The two game will mark the second and third of six total home games for the Rams in 2006-07.

No Rest For The Wicked...It gets no easier for the Rams after a pair of home games as they once again return to the road for seven consecutive road contests.  The Rams take to the road on December 8, 2006 and travel to face Akron (December 9), Georgetown (December 16), Kansas (December 19), UAB (December 23), Towson (December 29), Georgia Tech (January 3), and Morgan State (January 5) before returning to the C.E. Gaines Center for a home game versus Ferrum on January 7.

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 faced nine teams away from the friendly confines of the CE Gaines Center.  WSSU spent a total of 21 days on the road as they traveled to Fresno, CA for three games; traveled to Auburn, AL for a game against the Tigers of Auburn University; traveled to Atlanta, GA for games against Georgia State and Georgia Southern; traveled to Nashville, TN for a game against Lipscomb; and traveled to South Bend, IN for a contest versus Notre Dame.

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.

"The travel alone is very difficult and playing teams like Notre Dame, it doesn't help. We are prepared, we get our rest on the road, but there is nothing like your home rest. We're going to take it one game at a time and give it all that we have and hopefully one night we can catch on fire and win one of these games." WSSU head coach Bobby Collins following the loss to Notre Dame

It's In The Game...With their transition to the Division I level, the Rams have been included in the latest installment of Take 2 Interactive's NCAA 2K7 video game for X-Box, X-Box 360 and Sony Playstation 2.  The Rams are rated a 68 overall and are ranked higher overall than all but two Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference teams.

Trailing At The Half...The Rams have led at halftime three times this season and have posted a 1-2 record when doing so.  WSSU has trailed at the half seven times and has posted losses in all seven of those contests.

Have To Hold `Em Under 30%...The Rams' lone win of the 2006-07 season came when they held their opponent to under 30% shooting from the field.  When opponents shoot 40% or better from the field the Rams are a collective 0-9 on the season.

Margin Is High...The Rams have lost six games by 17 points or more.  The have lost one game by 16 points, one by 12 points and one by seven points.  WSSU has had no contest decided by less than seven points.

Don't Bet On Black...The Rams have lost nine games away from home.   However, WSSU has lost five of those games while wearing their alternate black jersey and lost only three games wearing their road red jersey (the other loss coming in a neutral-site game away from home when they wore their home white jersey). 

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 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 1050-605 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 early-season 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 committing two-tenths of a turnover more per game than they force.

Injury Update...Heading into the fifth 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 Saturday'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 10.6 points and 5.0 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 10 games of the 2006-07 season, Winston-Salem State University has nine players on the roster who have appeared in all 10 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 were 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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