March 23, 2008

Allendale, Mich. - • #1 Grand Valley State (36-0) will play #3 Winona State (35-1) in an NCAA DII Elite Eight quarterfinal contest. This marks the second straight year that Grand Valley State has appeared in the NCAA DII Elite Eight.

NCAA Tournament: Grand Valley State is appearing in its eighth NCAA DII National Tournament all-time. The Lakers are 8-8 all-time in NCAA Tournament action, including a 6-1 mark the last two years with two straight NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional titles. Prior to last season's run to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, GVSU's last win in the NCAA Tournament was during the 1990-91 season.

• Postseason Play - The GVSU senior class is 12-4 all-time in postseason action, including a 6-2 mark in NCAA Tournament action.

• Streaking: Grand Valley State has won a school-record 36 straight games. GVSU is the first collegiate basketball team in state of Michigan history to go 30-0 in the regular season. The Lakers' 36 victories ties the NCAA DII all-time record for wins in a season. Regis won 36 games during the 1949 season (36-3).

• The last three years GVSU has had winning streaks that have spanned 17 (2005-06), 14 (2006-07) and 36 games (2007-08) under Wesley.

• The Series: This is the first-ever meeting between Grand Valley State and Winona State.

• Last Time On The Floor: Junior forward Pete Trammell scored 17 points and pulled down eight rebounds, while senior guard Jason Jamerson added 17 points and four rebounds in the Lakers' 75-58 win over Findlay. Senior guard L.J. Kilgore added a career-high 14 points, and dished out six assists. Callistus Eziukwu chipped in eight points and pulled down 12 rebounds, while freshman forward Justin Ringler added eight rebounds and nine rebounds.

• Head Coach Ric Wesley: Ric Wesley (Central Michigan, 1980) , who was named the 2008 NABC Great Lakes Region and 2008 GLIAC Coach of the Year, is 110-19 (.851) in his fourth year at the helm of the Laker basketball program. Wesley picked up his 100th victory third-fastest (119 games) in DII history and eighth fastest in the history of college basketball. Wesley leads all active coaches in the NCAA ranks with an .853 winning percentage. GVSU is 92-9 since the 2005-06 season overall, including a 49-5 record in GLIAC action. Grand Valley State is 65-4 at home under Wesley, including a current school-record 33-game home court winning streak. Wesley has led GVSU to three straight GLIAC North Division titles (2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08).

• Grand Valley State is 65-4 at home the last four years, including a current 33-game winning streak. GVSU is 52-1 in its last 53 home games, with the lone loss (72-71) coming on a three-pointer as time expired to Saginaw Valley State.

• Defense: GVSU has been known for defense during the Ric Wesley era. GVSU has held 98-of-its-129 opponents under 67 points. 76 opponents have scored less than 60 points and 36 have tallied 50 points or less.

• The Lakers currently lead the nation in Scoring Defense - 53.8 ppg. and Field Goal Percentage Defense - 36.3 percent.

• GVSU has held 24-of-36 foes under 55 points, including 10 under 50 points...GVSU has held 7-of-his-last-17 opponents under 50 points and prior to the FSU game GVSU had he ld 15 straight under 58 points.

• Callistus Eziukwu - 2008 Great Lakes Regional Tournament MVP...2008 NABC All-Great Lakes Region First-Team...2008 GLIAC Player of the Year...2008 First-Team All-GLIAC North Division (4X)...2008 GLIAC North All-Defensive Team (4X)...2008 GLIAC Tournament MVP...2008 First-Team Daktronics All-Great Lakes Region...Eziukeu leads GVSU in scoring (15.6 ppg) rebounding (8.8) and blocked shots (86)...Eziukwu is connecting on 62.5 percent of his shots from the floor...Callistus has scored in double-figures 32 times this season and has 14 double-doubles on the year...Pulled down 10 or more rebounds 16 times this season, including a string of 11 straight...Pulled down nine or more rebounds 16 times in the Lakers' last 19 games...Eziukwu has 31 double-doubles in his career...He is now 6th in all-time points scored with 1,663. Eziukwu moved into 5th in career rebounds with 908 and is first in all-time blocks with 326...His 326 blocked shots is the third-best total all-time in DII.

• Jason Jamerson - 2008 Great Lakes Regional All-Tournament team...2008 NABC All-Great Lakes Region First-Team...2008 First-Team All-GLIAC...2008 GLIAC All-Tournament Team...2008 First-Team Daktronics All-Great Lakes Region...Jamerson is second on the team in scoring, averaging 14.6 points per game...Jamerson leads the team in three- pointers made (92) and steals (69), while ranking second in assists (84)...Jason is third on the team in rebounding (4.2)...His 92 made three-pointers this season is tied for the top all-time single-season total...Jason has scored in double figures 27 times this season...Jamerson ranks 1st in Laker annals in three-pointers made (301), 5th in all-time steals (192), and is 4th in points scored with 1,699.

• Junior forward Pete Trammell is third on the squad in points per game (10.5), second in three-pointers made (51) and assists (82)...Pete is averaging 3.4 rebounds per game and is hitting 75.2 percent from the charity stripe...Trammell has scored in double figures 17 times this season, including a career-high 28 points in the season-opener vs. Columbus State...Pete was 4-4 from the 3-point line at Northwood (1/24) and connected on 4-of-5 in the Great Lakes Region final en route to a 17-point outing.

• Senior forward Nick Freer is averaging 7.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game...Freer is hitting 77.9 percent of his free throw attemps...Nick has scored in double figures 10 times, including a season-high 23 points at Indianapolis (12/28)...Tallied 20 points versus Lake Superior State (3/7) in the GLIAC Tournament semifinals.

•Redshirt freshman Justin Ringler is second on the team in rebounding (4.6) and fourth on the team in scoring (8.1)...Ringler is shooting 52.6 percent from the floor and 78.6 percent from the charity stripe...Justin has scored in double figures 10 times this season and notched his first career double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds at Ferris State (2/23) in the regular season finale. Ringler tied his career-high 17 points vesus Hillsdale (3/1) in the GLIAC Tournament quarterfinals...Ringler tied the GLIAC single-game tournament record by making all 11 of his free throw attemps vs. Hillsdale and set the GLIAC Tournament all-time record for made free throws in a series (20)...Ringler is averaging 8.25 rebounds per game in his last five games.

• Senior guard L.J. Kilgore was named to the Great Lakes Regional All-Tournament team...Kilgore is averaging 5.7 points and 3.5 assists per game...Kilgore is shooting 79.5 percent (31-39) from the charity stripe this season, including a 4-for-4 outing Sunday night in the final minute versus NKU (3/16)...L.J. scored a career-high 14 points and was 3-3 from 3-point land vs. Findlay (3/18) in the Great Lakes Regional title game. Also dished out six assists in the GLR title game...Kilgore ranks 13th in the country in assist-turnover ratio (2.68-1.0). L.J. dished out a career-high nine assists vs. Northern Michigan (2/9/08).

• L.J. Kilgore leads GVSU in assists (113), while Jason Jamerson (84), and Pete Trammell (82) follow closely.

?DIDYOUKNOW: 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 630 games during 22 seasons.

2008 Grand Valley State Honors

Callistus Eziukwu - NCAA DII Great Lakes Region Tournament MVP...NABC All-Great Lakes Region First-Team...GLIAC Player of the Year; All-GLIAC North First Team (4x); GLIAC All-Defensive Team (4x); First-Team Daktronics All-Great Lakes Region.

Jason Jamerson - NCAA DII Great Lakes Region All-Tournament team...NABC All-Great Lakes Region First-Team...All-GLIAC North First Team; First-Team Daktronics All-Great Lakes Region.

Pete Trammell - All-GLIAC North First-Team; GLIAC All-Defensive Team.

L.J. Kilgore - NCAA DII Great Lakes Region All-Tournament team...All-GLIAC Second-Team; GLIAC All-Defensive Team

NCAA Tournament: The Lakers are appearing in their eighth NCAA DII National Tournament all-time. The Lakers are 5-8 in seven previous trips. Prior to last season's run to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight, GVSU's last win in the NCAA Tournament was during the 1990-91 season.