WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The Winston-Salem State University men's basketball team will return to action on Tuesday, Dec. 22 as they travel to College Park, Md. to face the Terrapins of the University of Maryland at the Comcast Center for the first-ever meeting between the two teams. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m.
In Brief
Winston-Salem State enters the contest with a 2-6 record after falling to Charlotte at Halton Arena 94-52 on Dec. 8, 2009. WSSU was slated to face the Panthers of Ferrum at the C.E. Gaines Center on Saturday, Dec. 19 but due to weather concerns the contest was postponed. The Rams have been off for 14 days prior to taking to the court versus Maryland on Dec. 22. WSSU boasts a pair of players with double-digit scoring averages as Brian Fisher leads the team with 12.1 points per game and Shelton Carter is averaging 11.9 points per contest. The Rams, a staunch defensive unit, have been impressive this season and are averaging 63.1 points per game of offense while holding their opponents to 74.9 points per game. WSSU returns to the road to play the Terps where the Rams are winless at 0-3 this season. Maryland returns to action after 10 days off as they are riding a one-game win streak after downing Eastern Kentucky 83-72 on Dec. 12 at the Comcast Center where they are a perfect 5-0 at home this season.
Television
The game between the Rams and Terps will be broadcast on on Comcast SportsNet Plus with Chick Hernandez calling all of the play-by-play action and Christy Winters Scott providing the color analysis. The game will mark the first television appearance of the season for the Rams.
WSSU Radio
The Rams will not broadcast the contest on the radio.
Maryland Radio
The Terps will broadcast the contest live on the radio on WJZ-FM (105.7), WJZ-AM (1300 AM) and WJFK-FM (106.7) with Johnny Holliday calling all of the play-by-play action, Chris Knoche providing color analysis and Walt Williams serving as the sideline reporter.
A Bolstered Lineup For 2009-10
This season the Rams welcome the services of nine newcomers as head coach Bobby Collins boasts a lineup that is 18 players deep. The Rams will return three starters in Paul Davis, Brian Fisher and Diontae Gibson and will bolster the lineup with nine newcomers which includes three junior-college transfers and six freshman.
Lineup Shakeup
The Rams have seen eight different players start at least one game this season and WSSU has used six different starting lineup combinations. only McIntoche Alcius has started all eight games this season.
Last Action
The Rams have had 14 days off, a much-needed respite, and have recently completed a strenuous finals week. WSSU's last action came on Dec. 8, 2009 when they dropped a 94-52 decision to the Charlotte 49ers at Halton Arena in Charlotte, N.C.
The Charlotte forwards would do most of the damage as the 49ers shot a blistering 54.7 percent from the field in the win. Forward Chris Braswell and Shamari Spears would pace Charlotte as Spears led the team with 17 points while Braswell added 16 points and 15 rebounds.
Lamar Monger earned his first start of the season and wasted no time in leading the Rams with 14 points. Paul Davis added 12 points and Brian Fisher chipped in with 10 points as three WSSU players scored in double figures in the loss.
WSSU hit only 30.8 percent of their attempts from the field but played excellent defense against a Charlotte team that was receiving votes in both of the national polls and was riding high on emotion after defeating #20/#18 Louisville by 22 points only three days earlier.
National Rankings
Neither WSSU nor Maryland are ranked in either the AP Top 25 poll or USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll. Since making the transition to the NCAA Division I level the Rams have not been ranked.
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. The 49er's recently defeated the nationally ranked Cardinals of Louisville (#20/#18) in their last action.
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 never met. The Rams and Terps will be meeting for the first time.
WSSU vs. The ACC
The Rams are winless versus the ACC. WSSU has posted an 0-7 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 Maryland
The Terps enter the game versus the Rams with a 6-3 record overall and have lost three of their last five games after starting the season a perfect 4-0. Despite the 6-3 record the Terps are a perfect 4-0 at home in the friendly confines of the Comcast Center and are an impressive 809-286 (.739) at home dating back to the 1923-24 season. Maryland is 66-6 (.916) in non-conference games at the Comast Center.
Maryland boasts four double-figure scorers and is led by Sean Mosley who is scoring 14.6 points per game. In addition to Mosley the Terps are scoring in bunches as Landon Milbourne (13.8 points/4.9 rebounds), Greivis Vasquez (13.6 points/4.3 rebounds) and Eric Hayes (13.2 points/2.3 rebounds) are all scoring in double-figures.
The Terps are hitting 47.6 percent of their field goal attempts and are shooting .363 from behind the three-point line. Despite the scoring prowess the Terps are pulling down only 37.3 rebounds per game.
The Road Ahead For The Rams
The Rams will take to the road for their next two games as Winston-Salem State will close out the calendar year versus a pair of Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) opponents. WSSU will travel to College Park, Md. to face the Maryland Terrapins on Dec. 22 and will close out the year with a road game versus Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Ga. on Dec. 29.
The Rams have never faced Maryland and Dec. 22's contest will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs, both of which have earned national championships in their long and storied histories.
WSSU has faced Georgia Tech two other times in history with both of those contests taking place at Alexander Memorial Coliseum in Atlanta, Ga. The Yellow Jackets lead the series 2-0 with the last meeting coming on Nov. 14, 2008.
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.
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' eight games this season and heads into action averaging 11.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
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 and for the third time this season had the team lead, or a share of the team lead, in 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 returned to the starting lineup versus Charlotte on Dec. 8 where he recorded 10 points, three rebounds and three assists.
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 93 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 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.
Hold `Em Under 30 Percent
The Rams held the Chargers of Atlanta Christian to 27.3 percent shooting on Nov. 20 as ACC hit only 18 of their 66 field goal attempts. It marks the first time that the Rams have held an opponent to less than 40 percent shooting since Nov. 14, 2006 when Anderson hit only 14 of 49 field goal attempts. The Rams nearly matched that feat in their win over Milligan on Nov. 30 as they held the Buffaloes to 31.8 percent shooting (21 of 66).
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 Charlotte averaging 4.8 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 2-6 this season. WSSU is 1-0 on Monday, 0-2 on Tuesday, 1-1 on Friday, 0-2 on Saturday and 0-1 on Sunday.
• The Rams are 2-6 overall, 2-1 at home, 0-3 on the road and 0-2 in neutral site games. WSSU has faced seven non-conference opponents (2-5) 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 1-4 when their opponent has a player score in double figures and pull down double-digit rebounds (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 37.1 rebounds per game and are giving up only 42.2 rebounds per game for a rebounding margin of only -5.1 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 0-4 when trailing at the half this season.
• WSSU is 2-3 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 0-2 in their black uniforms.
• The Rams are 0-5 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 0-5 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 eight games Collins has seen 16 different players take the court for the Rams with 13 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 1.3:1 ratio of assists to turnovers. Jackson has recorded 29 assists and 22 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 eight games this season, the Rams have taken 20 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 four charges taken as WSSU is taking an average of 2.5 charges per contest.
63 Years Of Tradition
The Rams have turned in an overall record of 1076-666 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.
National Champions
Under the tutelage of legendary coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines and behind the play of Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, the Rams earned the 1967 NCAA Division II Men's Basketball National Championship. The 1967 Rams posted an overall record of 31-1 and defeated three top-10 teams in the National Championship tournament en route to the National Championship title.
The House That Gaines Built
Legendary coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines coached at Winston-Salem State University from 1946-1993 and was a fixture at WSSU until his death on April 18, 2005. Gaines coached the Rams for 48 seasons and posted an 828-447 overall record as well as leading the Rams to the 1967 National Championship. He still ranks as the fifth-winningest coach in NCAA history and ranks as the all-time winningest African American head basketball coach in NCAA history.
Pearl's Wisdom
Vernon Earl "The Pearl" Monroe rose to prominence playing basketball at Winston-Salem State University, a college career that he parlayed into a successful 13-year career in the NBA. Under the coaching of legendary Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines, Monroe averaged 7.1 ppg his freshman year; 23.2 ppg as a sophomore; 29.8 ppg as a junior and 41.5 ppg his senior year en route to becoming the Rams' all-time leading scorer with 2,935 total points. In 1967, he earned NCAA College Division Player of the Year honors and led the Rams to the NCAA College Division National Championship. Hailed as the innovator of the spin move, Monroe was the 1968 NBA Rookie of the Year, was named to the 1969 All-NBA First Team, earned All-Star honors four times, won the 1973 NBA World Championship as a member of the New York Knicks, was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990 and was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996. Innovator of the spin move, Monroe was the 1968 NBA Rookie of the Year, was named to the 1969 All-NBA First Team, earned All-Star honors four times, won the 1973 NBA World Championship as a member of the New York Knicks, was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1990 and was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996.
