Feb. 9, 2007

Full Release

Saturday's Contest
#7 Grand Valley State will take on #3 Findlay in a NABC Division II top 10 matchup this afternoon in Croy Gymnasium in Findlay, Ohio. The Oilers sit atop the latest NCAA Great Lakes Regional Poll while the Lakers sit in the fourth position. GVSU is currently riding a 14 game winning streak and are in first place in the GLIAC North with an 11-2 GLIAC record locking up a berth in the GLIAC Tournament. Findlay has won 20 straight games after dropping its second game of the season and clinched a berth in the GLIAC Tournament with a 13-0 conference record. The Oilers own the nation's longest active home winning streak with 52 consecutive victories. Findlay owns the all-time series with a 7-4 record against the Lakers, yet GVSU has won two of the last three meetings. GVSU is 6-1 on the road this season outscoring its opponents by a 16.6 margin thanks in part to a 7.7 rebounding margin. Jason Jamerson, Callistus Eziukwu, and Mike Hall are all averaging 11.0 ppg or more on the road this season. Laker sixth man, Kyle Carhart, is averaging 4.4 assists per game and 2.3 steals per game on the road this season.

Last Time On The Floor
Senior center Dan Redder poured in a game-high 13 points to lead four Lakers in double digits as #7 Grand Valley (20-2, 11-2) captured its ninth straight GLIAC win and 14th overall with a 74-49 home victory over Northwood (9-13, 11-2). GVSU reached the 20-win mark for the second consecutive year which marks the first time since the 1990-91 and 1991-92 squads won 20 or more games in back-to-back seasons. GVSU scored the first 12 points of the contest and held the visiting Timberwolves scoreless for the first 6:36 of the contest until Trent Salo connected on a three to get Northwood on the board at 12-3. Grand Valley would control the tempo throughout the opening 20 minutes upping its lead to as many as 14 on two different occassions near the end of the half. Redder led all scorers with 13 points and pulled down a game-high nine rebounds in the victory. Joining Redder in double figures were freshman David Thompson (12), junior Callistus Eziukwu (12), and sophomore Pete Trammell (11). Eziukwu chipped in eight rebounds and four assists during his 24 minutes of action.

Head Coach Ric Wesley
Ric Wesley (Central Michigan, 1980) is 65-16 in his third year at the helm of the Laker basketball program. Wesley led GVSU to a 27-4 mark a year ago. GVSU claimed the GLIAC regular season and tournament titles en route to making its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2001. In addition, GVSU has held 62-of-81 opponents under 67 points during the Ric Wesley era.

• Grand Valley State entered the season ranked fifth in the Street & Smith College Basketball Yearbook. Callistus Eziukwu was named a preseason All-American.

In the Rankings
Grand Valley State is ranked seventh in the latest NABC/DII Coaches poll...The Lakers were ranked number four earlier in the year...The number four national ranking was the highest-ever ranking for the Lakers...GVSU finished fourth in the final poll in 2005-06. GVSU has been in the NABC Division II Poll 34 times in the school's history, including the last 20 consecutive polls...The Lakers have been ranked in the top 10 for the past six weeks (10, 9, 8, 8, 7, 7).

Defensive Prowess
GVSU has held 19-of-22 opponents under 65 points and 16-of-22 under 55 points this season. The Lakers have yielded just 50.6 points overall on the year and rank first in Division II in points allowed per game.

Streaking
GVSU has won 14 straight games overall and nine straight GLIAC contests. The Lakers have won nine consecutive games on their home floor and five straight away from the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena. The Laker defense has held 12 consecutive opponents under 60 points. Grand Valley completed the first undefeated month of January since the 1976-77 squad went 9-0 in the opening month of the new year. GVSU was a perfect 8-0 in the first month of 2007.

Non-Conference Perfection
The Lakers have closed their non-conference schedule with a perfect 9-0 record, including wins against at the time #10 Montevallo (12/29) and former top 15 member Christian Brothers (11/24).

2006-07 Season
A balanced attack has fueled the Lakers to a 20-2 record...The 20-win season is the second in as many years for Ric Wesley...The back-to-back 20-win seasons is the first time a Laker squad has pulled off the feat since the 1990-91 and 1991-92 squads posted 26 and 20 wins respectively...Six different players have led GVSU in scoring this season led by leading scorer Jason Jamerson's (Muncie, Ind./Burris) 14.8 ppg...Jamerson opened up the season with back-to-back double-digit scoring games against Davenport (20) and Upper Iowa (16)...Jamerson also led the Lakers in scoring against Northwood (23), Mercyhurst (20), Rochester (23), #10 Montevallo (15), Michigan Tech (14), Lake Superior State (11), 25 against Northern Michigan, on the road against Gannon (12), at home Jamerson tallied 14 against Wayne State and set a new career-high with 28 points against Ashland.

• Fellow starter Mike Hall is averaging 9.8 ppg and recorded a career-high 25 points against Lake Superior State (2/1)...Tallied 18 points in GVSU's 72-71 buzzerbeating loss to Saginaw Valley (11/30) and 18 more in its 63-52 come from behind win over Northern Michigan (1/13). Scored a team-high 14 points against Wayne State (1/25).

• Senior Dan Redder (Zeeland, Mich.) ranks fourth on the squad with 9.2 ppg...Redder led GVSU with 22 points against Ferris State (12/7), tallied 16 points against Christian Brothers (11/24), and 13 against Northwood (2/7).

• Junior shooting guard Joel Whymer poured in 17 points on five three-pointers against Missouri-St. Louis (11/25).

• Senior Kyle Carhart led the Lakers with 14 points against Lewis (12/16).

• Callistus Eziukwu's second game back from injury was the junior's first as the Lakers leading scorer with 14 points and 10 rebounds against Florida Southern (12/30)...Eziukwu poured in 11 to lead the Lakers against Lake Superior State (1/11). Eziukwu tallied 15 points in the Lakers' non-conference win over Marygrove College.

• 10 different players are averaging at least 11.5 minutes per game for the Lakers this season, with six Lakers seeing 20 or more minutes per game....Jamerson is averaging a team-high 29.6 minutes

NCAA Regional Rankings (as of Feb. 7)

GLIAC Standings

NABC Division II Coaches Poll

• Junior guard Jason Jamerson, a 2005-06 Second-Team All-GLIAC North performer, leads the squad in scoring (14.8), 3-pointers made (62), third in rebounding (4.8), and fourth in assists (39)...Jason's 194 career three-pointers ranks first on the all-time list just past J.P. Huntington's (1995-99) career mark of 191...Jason has scored in double digits 38 times and has three double-doubles...Tallied double digits in nine straight games before scoring nine points against Marygrove...Pulled down six or more rebounds 18 times...Jamerson scored a season-high 25 points against Northern Michigan (1/7)...Became the 27th member of the 1,000 point club against Ashland as he scored a career-high 28 points (1/27).

• Senior forward Mike Hall is averaging 9.8 points and 5.1 rebounds per game this season...Tallied his 46th game in double figures against Lake Superior State (2/1) as he recorded a career-high with 25 points...Tallied 17 points against Mercyhurst (12/9), all in the second half...Scored in double figures 11 times this season, including six straight...Came into the 2006-07 season averaging 9.0 points and 4.2 rebounds during his career...Missed the opening game of the season with a hand injury...Sunk a free throw with 0.7 seconds left to give GVSU a 59-58 win over #10 Montevallo (12/29)...The very next night poured in 13 points and pulled down five rebounds against Florida Southern (12/30)...Scored 18 points in GVSU's come from behind win over Northern Michigan (1/13)...Poured in a team-high 14 points and pulled down nine rebounds against Wayne State (1/25).

• Senior center Dan Redder is averaging 9.2 points and 4.1 rebounds per game...42 of Redder's 90 rebounds have come on the offensive end...Redder has scored in double-figures 22 times in two seasons as a Laker...Shooting 59.2 percent from the floor which ranks second on the squad and 75.9 percent from the charity stripe...Scored a career-high 22 points against Ferris State (12/7).

• Junior center Callistus Eziukwu (E-zoo-koo) was the 2006 GLIAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, a First-Team All-GLIAC North Division and a North Division All-Defensive Team honoree...Eziukwu set the all-time blocked shots record against Lake Superior State and now has 214...Eziukwu moved past Ron Polus (197; 1981-85) on the list...Eziukwu saw his first action of the 2006-07 regular season in the Florida Southern Holiday Classic (12/29-30) after missing the first 10 games of the regular season due to a foot injury suffered during practice before the regular season...Eziukwu is averaging 10.0 points, 7.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 23.5 minutes of action in his 11 games back...Eziukwu's superb shooting touch remained intact as he has connected on 62.2 percent of his shots.

• Senior guard/forward Kyle Carhart is averaging 6.9 points and is second on the squad with 63 assists (2.9 per game)...Leads the squad and is ninth in the GLIAC standings with 36 steals on the year...Ranks fifth on the squad with 22.5 minutes per game yet has started just one game, playing primarily as the sixth man for the Lakers...Tallied a season-high 15 points against SVSU (11/30)...Led the team in assists three of the last six games.

• Sophomore forward Pete Trammell has started 49 of 50 career games played...Averaging 6.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game this season...Scored in double digits 14 times... First on the team from the charity stripe hitting on 37-of-42 free throws (88.1)... Scored a season-high 17 points against Ferris State (12/7), chipped in 12 points against Northwood (2/7).

• Junior guard L.J. Kilgore is averaging 3.5 points and 3.0 assists per game...Dished out 64 assists and tallied 33 steals in 23.1 minutes per game...Tallied a career-high 11 points against Saginaw Valley (11/30)...Dished out a career-high seven assists vs. Ferris State (12/7).

• Junior transfer Joel Whymer has connected on 27-of-67 three-pointers (40.3) on the season...Hit five three-pointers in two contests on the season at Missouri-St. Louis (11/25) and vs Rochester (12/20)...Scored a season-high 17 points in the win at Missouri-St. Louis (11/25).

Did You Know
Grand Valley State has recorded at least one three-point field goal in every game since the three-point field goal shot came into effect in 1986-87. The streak is currently at 581 games during 21 seasons.