Rams Return To Road To Face #22 Georgia Tech On Tuesday, Dec. 29
Dec. 24, 2009
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The Winston-Salem State University men's basketball team will return to action on Tuesday, Dec. 29 as they travel to Atlanta, Ga. to face the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech at Alexander Memorial Coliseum for the third meeting between the two teams, all-time. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
In Brief
Winston-Salem State enters the contest with a 2-7 record after falling in defeat at Maryland 98-55 on Tuesday, Dec. 22 at the Comcast Center in College Park, Md. The Rams are winless at 0-6 away from home as they have posted an 0-4 road record and an 0-2 record in neutral site contests. WSSU will travel to Atlanta, Ga. to face the Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech for the third time in the last four seasons as the Rams look for not only their first road win but their first win over Georgia Tech and their first-ever win over a nationally-ranked Division I opponent.
The Yellow Jackets enter into the matchup with the Rams with an impressive 9-2 record and are ranked 22nd in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll. The `Jackets are also receiving votes in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and are sitting in 30th place. Tech has posted a 6-1 record at home in the confines of Alexander Memorial Coliseum and their only home loss came at the hands of ACC rival Florida State.
Television
There is no live television broadcast.
WSSU Radio
The Rams will not broadcast the contest on the radio.
Georgia Tech Radio
The Yellow Jackets will broadcast the contest on the radio on the Georgia Tech/ISP Sports Network live on flagship station WQXI-AM (790 the Zone) and WYAY-FM (106.7). Wes Durham will call all of the play-by-play action and will be joined by Randy Waters who will provide color analysis.
Lineup Shakeup
The Rams have seen nine different players start at least one game this season and WSSU has used seven different starting lineup combinations. Only McIntoche Alcius has started every game in which he has appeared. Alcius has played in eight games and started all eight contests. He missed the Rams' last game due to injury (broken jaw).
Last Action
The Rams have had seven days off following their last action, a 98-55 loss at Maryland. Winston-Salem State has not played since Dec. 22 when they were defeated by a red-hot Maryland Terrapins squad.
The Rams and Terps were tied midway through the first half of play before Maryland used a 41-5 scoring run over the span of 11 minutes to put the game out of reach. The run, led by Greivis Vasquez who hit nine of his 16 field goal attempts, including a perfect four-for-four shooting performance from three-point range, handed the Rams their seventh loss of the season, and third consecutive defeat.
WSSU received 15 points and seven rebounds from junior forward Paul Davis as he was the only Ram in double-figures. Lamar Monger and Brian Fisher each chipped in with nine points in the loss as WSSU fell to 0-8 all-time versus Atlantic Coast Conference opponents.
National Rankings
The Rams are not ranked in either the Associated Press poll or the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' poll. Since making the transition to the NCAA Division I level the Rams have not been ranked. The Yellow Jackets enter the contest ranked 22nd in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches' Poll and are receiving votes (30th) in the Associated Press Top 25 poll.
The Rams Vs. Ranked Teams
Since making the transition to the NCAA Division I level, WSSU has faced a ranked opponent four times, losing all four contests. The Rams fell to #11/#12 Kansas on Dec. 19, 2006; fell to #17/#22 Georgetown 76-32 on Dec. 16, 2006; fell to #21/#22 Notre Dame on Nov. 29, 2006 and fell to #20/#24 Wake Forest on Nov. 24, 2008.
Rating Percentage Index (RPI) Update
The Rams closed the season ranked 327th in the RPI. The Rating Percentage Index (RPI) has been used by the NCAA since 1981 to supplement selection of at-large teams and help determine the seeding of all teams for the NCAA Tournament. The RPI is derived from three components: Division I winning percentage, schedule strength and opponent's schedule strength. Games against non-Division I opponents are not used. WSSU's current RPI is 327.
The Series
The two teams have met two times prior to Tuesday's contest. Georgia Tech has defeated the Rams twice as they earned a 92-47 victory on Nov. 14, 2008 and a 97-46 win on Jan. 3, 2007.
WSSU vs. The ACC
The Rams are winless versus the ACC. WSSU has posted an 0-8 record all-time versus teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference. WSSU will face three ACC teams this season (Wake Forest, Maryland and Georgia Tech).
A Quick Look At Georgia Tech
The Yellow Jackets boast an impressive 9-2 overall record and are red-hot from the field as they are hitting 48.1 percent of their shots. The Jackets are riding a one-game win streak and have won eight of their last nine contests with the lone loss coming in overtime to Florida State.
The `Jackets are led by Gani Lawal who is scoring 14.7 points per game as he leads three `Tech players in double figures.
For the first time since its Final Four and ACC Championship team in 1989-90, Georgia Tech has three McDonald's All-Americans on its roster. Derrick Favors, the 6-10 forward from South Atlanta High School and the national high school player of the year by USA Today and Parade magazine, became the third when he enrolled in August. Junior forward Gani Lawal and sophomore guard Iman Shumpert also made the McDonald's All-American team as high school seniors.
Looking Ahead
The Rams will return to action again on Jan. 4, 2010 when they play host to the Pioneers of Columbia Union at the C.E. Gaines Center in Winston-Salem, N.C. at 7:30 p.m. Winston-Salem State has never lost to Columbia Union and the contest will mark the Rams' final non-conference game before the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular-season schedule begins in earnest on Jan. 9.
Following the contest versus Columbia Union the Rams will again return to the road as they travel to Dover, Del. on Jan. 9 to face the Hornets of Delaware State University before making the trip to Princess Anne, Md. on Jan. 11 to face the Hawks of the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore.
Dominic Alston Sidelined
The Rams have likely lost junior transfer guard Dominic Alston for the season with a left foot fracture that he suffered in WSSU's season-opener at Oregon. Medical tests confirmed that he has a fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his left foot. Alston underwent surgery to repair the fracture on Thursday, Dec. 3 at Wake Forest Baptist Hospital with WSSU orthopedic surgeon Dr. Cristin Ferguson performing the procedure. He is expected to make a full recovery. The timetable for his return has not yet been announced.
Alcius Update
Despite early indications that junior forward McIntoche Alcius would miss the next six to eight weeks while he recovers from surgery to repair a broken jaw, doctors have cleared Alcius for a return to action, provided that he wears a custom-fit protective mask to shield his broken jaw from additional injury. Alcius suffered the injury in practice on Dec. 7 when he collided with a teammate while battling for a rebound. He underwent surgery on Dec. 9 and his jaw is wired shut. He will return to the lineup versus Georgia Tech on Dec. 29.
Injury Report
The Rams will be without the services of Diontae Gibson (knee) and Dominic Alston (foot) who are both out for Tuesday's game.
Transfer Paying Dividends
Junior forward Shelton Carter, a transfer from Charleston Southern University who is in his first year as an active member of the Rams' roster (after sitting out 2008-09 per NCAA transfer rules) has immediately paid dividends for the Rams as he has led WSSU in scoring in five of the Rams' nine games this season and heads into action averaging 11.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
The Century Mark
The Rams have not given up 100 points to an opponent since surrendering 112 points to the Broncos of Fayetteville State on Valentine's Day (Feb. 14) of 1998 when they fell in defeat 112-104 in triple overtime, a span of 341 games. The Rams have scored 100 points of more seven times since with the most recent 100-point scoring outburst coming on Jan. 12, 2008 when they defeated Maryland-Eastern Shore 105-59. The Rams have not scored 100 points or more in a span of 56 games.
Fisher's First
Brian Fisher did not start in the Rams' win over Milligan on Nov. 30. The contest marked the first time that Fisher did not start since WSSU's 73-50 loss at Delaware State on Jan. 12, 2009. Despite not starting, Fisher recorded a career-high eight assists. The Rams' 63-60 loss to South Carolina State on Dec. 5, marked the second consecutive game that Fisher entered into from off of the bench. Fisher recorded 34 minutes of playing time en route to 16 points, five rebounds and a pair of steals. Fisher has since returned to the starting lineup.
Fisher Is The 26th Member Of 1,000-Point Club
Senior guard Brian Fisher became the 26th member of WSSU's illustrious 1,000-point club when he scored his final basket in the Rams' 94-57 victory over Atlanta Christian College on Nov. 20. Fisher dunked home his 14th point of the contest and scored his 1,000th career point. The senior guard has appeared in 94 games for the Rams and has an 11.3 points per game career scoring average.
First Time In Eight Years
With three players recording double-doubles in the win over Atlanta Christian on Nov. 20, the Rams recorded two or more players with double-figure points and double-figure rebounds in the same contest for the first time since Dec. 1, 2001 when Marcus Best scored 19 points and recorded 10 rebounds and Devonaire Deas scored 18 points and recorded 10 rebounds. In the victory over the Chargers, Shelton Carter recorded 17 points and 10 boards, Paul Davis tallied 13 points and 11 rebounds and McIntoche Alcius recorded 10 points and a team-leading 12 rebounds.
First Time Since Last March
When the Rams had five players score in double-figures on Friday, Nov. 20 it marked the first time since WSSU's overtime victory over Bethune-Cookman on March 3, 2008 that the Rams had five double-digit scorers. Shelton Carter (17), Brian Fisher (14), Paul Davis (13), Andrew Jackson (12) and McIntoche Alcius (10) all scored in double-figures.
The Well Runneth Over
Freshman point guard Marcus Wells has immediately contributed for the Rams in 2009-10. A 2009 graduate of Southern Durham High School, Wells was named the 19th best point guard in the nation by ESPN.com and the third best point guard in the nation (behind only John Wall and Akeem Richmond). The fifth-best high school basketball player in the state of North Carolina, Wells averaged 18 points, six rebounds, four steals and five assists per game as a senior. Wells earned the first start of his WSSU career on Sunday, Nov. 15 versus UC Davis and scored 15 points and pulled down three rebounds in 35 minutes of work. Since then he has started four more games and he heads into action versus Georgia Tech averaging 4.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.
A Quick Look Back At 2008-09
The Winston-Salem State men's basketball team finished the 2008-09 season with an 8-22 overall record and a 5-13 mark versus opponents from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Rams, under the tutelage of WSSU head coach Bobby Collins again showed considerable improvement . The Rams closed the season 3-8 at home, 5-10 on the road and winless at 0-4 at neutral sites.
Home Sweet Home
The Rams will benefit from truly playing at home this season as Winston-Salem State has moved all but one home game back to the C.E. Gaines Center on the campus of WSSU instead of using the Joel Coliseum and Coliseum Annex as their home courts. The 3,200-seat venue is one of the most hostile places for a visiting team to play in the Southeast with the Rams boasting a nearly .730 winning percentage inside its confines. The only home game that will be played at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum is the Jan. 25 contest versus North Carolina A&T. Thus far this season the Rams are 2-1 at home.
A Look Inside The Numbers
• The Rams are 2-7 this season. WSSU is 1-0 on Monday, 0-3 on Tuesday, 1-1 on Friday, 0-2 on Saturday and 0-1 on Sunday.
• The Rams are 2-7 overall, 2-1 at home, 0-4 on the road and 0-2 in neutral site games. WSSU has faced eight non-conference opponents (2-6) and have faced only one MEAC foe (0-1).
• The Rams are undefeated at 2-0 when they score 80 points or more.
• Winston-Salem State is 2-1 when they have a player record both double-figure points and rebounds (double-double). The Rams first loss when having a player record a double-double came on Dec. 5 as WSSU fell 63-60 to South Carolina State despite Paul Davis' 17 point and 12 rebound performance.
• The Rams are 1-5 when their opponent has a player record a double-double.
• In a dramatic improvement over the past two seasons, the Rams are getting ever closer to posting a positive rebounding margin. The Rams are averaging 37.0 rebounds per game and are giving up only 41.9 rebounds per game for a rebounding margin of only -4.9 rebounds per game.
• The Rams are 2-2 when leading at halftime this season. WSSU has led at halftime against UC Davis, Colorado State, Atlanta Christian and Milligan. The Rams are 0-5 when trailing at the half this season.
• WSSU is 2-4 when they allow their opponents to score first in a contest. The Rams are 0-3 when they score the first points of a ballgame.
• WSSU is 2-2 when wearing their white uniforms; WSSU is 0-2 in their red uniforms and is 0-3 in their black uniforms.
• The Rams are 0-6 when they shoot 40 percent of less from the field and are 2-1 when shooting better than 40 percent from the field. WSSU is also 0-6 when allowing opponents to shoot 50 percent of better from the field.
Extensive Depth
WSSU head coach Bobby Collins has assembled an impressively deep roster of talent this season. Through nine games Collins has seen 16 different players take the court for the Rams with 14 players appearing in multiple contests. Nine players are averaging double-digit minutes per game and six players are averaging 20 minutes per game or more.
Double Figures Not Rare
Shelton Carter (5), Brian Fisher (6) and Andrew Jackson (5) have each scored in double-figures at least five times each this season. The Rams have only two players averaging in double-digits in scoring but the Rams have seen seven players score 10 points or more in at least one game and have five players who have multiple double-digit scoring performances.
The "President"
The Rams' Andrew Jackson, nicknamed "The Pres" for his namesake that people relate to the seventh president of the United States, who coincidentally was born in the Waxhaws area near the border of North and South Carolina, is turning in nearly a 1.1:1 ratio of assists to turnovers. Jackson has recorded 32 assists and 28 turnovers thus far this season.
Likely To Redshirt
Head Coach Bobby Collins has yet to formally announce the status of freshman forward/center Ignas Palaima and senior guard Diontae Gibson, yet all signs indicate that both players will redshirt. Palaima has dressed for only one game and will likely spend his freshman season as a redshirt. Gibson is still not fully recovered from off-season knee surgery and has not appeared in any games yet this season.
Blocked Shots Leader
WSSU junior forward/center Paul Davis has already entrenched himself as WSSU's career leaders in blocked shots. Davis turned in a single-season record 48 blocks during the 2007-08 season and followed it up with 46 blocks last season. Adding in the 10 blocks he has earned this season he now ranks first on WSSU's all-time career blocked shot list with 104 rejections. Davis' three blocks versus South Carolina State on Dec. 5, 2009 allowed him to overtake Corey Thompson and Marcus Best who previously sat atop of the Rams' career blocked shots records with 101 career blocks. Davis also ranks first in the Rams' single-game blocked shot records with seven blocks as he tallied seven rejections versus Norfolk State on Jan. 26, 2009.
Charge Ahead
Through nine games this season, the Rams have taken 23 charges. 10 players have stepped in and taken a charge this season with six players recording multiple charges taken. Andrew Jackson leads the team with five charges taken as WSSU is taking an average of 2.6 charges per contest.
63 Years Of Tradition
The Rams have turned in an overall record of 1076-667 over the span of 63 completed seasons of men's basketball competition for a winning percentage of 61.8 percent. The Rams have turned in 49 winning seasons and have recorded only 14 losing seasons. The 2008-09 season marked the 14th losing season in WSSU history.
