PREVIEW: Ferris State Heads To Louisville For 12th NCAA Tournament Appearance

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This Week's Action: The Ferris State men's basketball squad will make its third consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance this weekend as the second-seeded Bulldogs square off against seventh-seeded Truman State (Mo.) in regional quarterfinal-round play on Saturday, March 11, in Louisville, Ky. Tipoff at Bellarmine University's Knights Hall is slated for 2:30 p.m. (ET). The game will be the second of four regional quarterfinal-round contests played on Saturday.

Three-Straight Titles: Ferris State captured its third-straight GLIAC Tournament Championship by beating Ashland 80-79 in the league title game at home on Sunday inside FSU's Jim Wink Arena. It marked the Bulldogs' fourth league crown in school history and first captured on FSU's home floor in Big Rapids.

Media Coverage: Ferris State's tourney games will be carried live on flagship station Sunny 97.3 FM and the Bulldog Sports Network with Rob Bentley calling the play-by-play action. Pregame coverage gets underway on Saturday starting at 2 p.m. (ET) and is accessible online at FerrisStateBulldogs.com. Bellarmine will provide a FREE live video stream. For a full listing of links, including live internet stats, please visit FerrisStateBulldogs.com.

Ticket Information: Tickets for the NCAA Regional will be $15 per session for adults and $10 for students. Fans can purchase tickets in person at the door on Saturday for the first session or by calling the Bellarmine Athletics Ticket Office at (502) 272-8036. Ferris State also is taking signups for a potential fan bus to Louisville and the deadline to register is Thursday at noon. Visit FerrisStateBulldogs.com for additional information.

FSU At A Glance: Ferris State currently holds a 27-4 overall record to date this year and was a school all-time best 18-3 in league action this season. The Bulldogs have scored 80-plus points in 19 of their last 23 games, including topping the century mark five times. Ferris State has scored at least 90 points in a contest a total of 12 times this season to date.  FSU's 27 wins to date surpassed the previous school-record of 26 wins and the 18 league wins were also the most in a single campaign in school history.

League Champions: This year marks the first time in which the Bulldogs had won the GLIAC North regular-season crown since back-to-back divisional titles in 2011 and 2012. It is the third year in a row, though, in which FSU has claimed a league crown as the Bulldogs are currently the two-time defending GLIAC Tournament Champions. This year also represents the first time in the 80-plus year history of Ferris State Basketball in which the Bulldogs have won both the GLIAC's regular season and tournament titles in the same campaign.

What's At Stake: The Midwest Regional champion will advance to the NCAA Division Elite Eight set for March 22-25 in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The Regional Matchups: The other quarterfinal round games Saturday feature third-seeded Southern Indiana (25-4) squaring off against sixth-seeded Findlay (23-6) at 12 p.m. (ET). The first game of the evening session will pit top-seeded Bellarmine (28-3) taking on the number eight-seed Wisconsin-Parkside (22-7) starting at 6 p.m. (ET) with fourth-seeded Kentucky Wesleyan (28-2) against fifth-seeded Quincy (24-6) starting at 8:30 p.m. (ET).

Regional Semifinals/Finals: The winners of Saturday's four quarterfinal round games will advance to Sunday's (March 12) regional semifinals with the championship game set for Tuesday, March 14. The winner of the Ferris/TSU game will play the winner of the USI/Findlay game Sunday at 5 p.m. (ET) with the winner of the Bellarmine/UWP game facing the winner of the KWC/Quincy game in the second semifinal at 7:30 p.m. (ET). Tuesday's title game tips off at 7 p.m. (ET).

Tournament Fact: The single-elimination 64 team national tournament field includes eight regions of eight teams apiece.

All-GLIAC Honorees: FSU sophomore center Zach Hankins (Charlevoix) was chosen as the GLIAC Men's Basketball Player of the Year in voting by the league's member head coaches, becoming the first-ever sophomore to receive the distinction in league history. He was also named to both the All-GLIAC First Team and the GLIAC All-Defensive Team. FSU head coach Andy Bronkema received GLIAC Coach of the Year honors for the first time while junior guard Drew Cushingberry (Romeo) earned All-GLIAC First Team recognition and senior guard Quentin Ruff (Elgin, Ill.) was named to the All-GLIAC Second Team.

The Head Coach: Andy Bronkema - (Cornerstone), 4th season, 84-39 (.683).  Bronkema took over the Bulldog program three plus years ago following six years as an assistant coach, including the previous three as the program's top assistant. A collegiate standout at NAIA Division II Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Mich., Bronkema was voted All-Wolverine Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) three times and twice garnered NAIA Honorable Mention All-America laurels. He was a multi-sport prep standout at McBain (Mich.) High School. In the last two years, Bronkema has led FSU to back-to-back GLIAC Tourney Championships and berths in the NCAA Tournament.

The Coaching Staff: A familiar face is serving as Ferris State men's basketball head coach Andy Bronkema's top assistant coach again this year as Jim Lake returns to the staff. The 41-year old Lake is in his fourth campaign as the full-time assistant, but previously served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Bulldogs in two different stints over the last decade, from 2003-06 and again from 2011-13. He also was an AAU coach for Grand Rapids Storm and prep head coach.

In addition to full-time assistant coach Jim Lake, FSU's Andy Bronkema also has two other familiar faces serving as assistants on his fourth staff in Bill Killian and Raymoan McAfee. A FSU professor, Killian has been involved with the program for the last 13 years in his second stint and his association with Ferris basketball dates back to the late 1980's. McAfee wrapped up his collegiate career in 2013-14 as a two-year letterwinner and is back on the staff for the third year in a row. Newcomer Lenny Starck joins the staff this year and is a longtime coach with more than 25 years of experience on the prep level.

The Fourth Season: FSU is in its 4th season under head coach Andy Bronkema after winning the GLIAC Tourney Championship and reaching the NCAA-II Tournament for the second-straight year last season. Prior to last year, the Bulldogs also finished the 2014-15 campaign with a 23-9 overall record. In addition to winning the GLIAC Tournament title in his second year, the Bulldogs' season was also highlighted by an NCAA Tournament appearance and several other accomplishments including a top 20 national ranking, a 15-game regular season win streak, an exhibition victory over NCAA Division I Bowling Green and signature wins such as the team's first-ever victory at Findlay.

Rankings Information: Ferris State moved up to #14 this week in the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) D2 Rankings. It marks the third-straight season in which FSU has been ranked in the top 25 at least once. FSU was also 15th in the latest Hero Sports Division II National Rankings along with 8th in the D2SIDA National Rankings.

Number One In The Nation: Ferris State leads the nation in blocked shots at 6.5 per game this year. FSU center Zach Hankins presently ranks first in the country in blocks with a school-record 124 on the season while ranking 6th in the nation in field goal percentage (.647). Hankins also set a new GLIAC single-season record this year with 97 blocked shots in league play.

Bevo Francis Honoree: FSU sophomore center Zach Hankins has been chosen to the 2017 Bevo Francis Award Watch List as one of the top 50 small college players in the country. Named for the famed Rio Grande College legend who became one of the most popular players in the world, the Clarence "Bevo" Franics Award is presented annually to the player who has had the finest overall season within small college basketball. Hankins is among only 100 players competing in affiliations of NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, NAIA Division I, NAIA Division II, USCAA and the NCCAA who were selected as part of the initial watch list for the Bevo Francis Award.

GLIAC All-Tournament Team: Ferris State senior guard Quentin Ruff earned Most Valuable Player honors in the GLIAC Tournament after leading the Bulldogs with a game-high 28 points and seven three's in his final appearance at Wink Arena in the league title game against Ashland. The lone senior on the team, Ruff also had a team-high 17 points in the semifinals. He was joined on the GLIAC All-Tournament Team by sophomore center Zach Hankins and junior guard Drew Cushingberry. Hankins had two double-doubles on the weekend while Cushingberry reached double-figures in all three tourney games and tallied 26 points in the win over Hillsdale when he hit three free throws with 1.4 seconds to play.

NCAA Tournament History: FSU has made 11 previous NCAA-II National Tournament appearances, including an Elite Eight showing in 1988-89. A year ago, the Bulldogs reached the Sweet Sixteen before falling to GLIAC rival Saginaw Valley State 63-61 in Kenosha (Wis.) ..... Ferris State will be making its third-straight tourney appearance .... FSU earned a NCAA Tourney bid two years ago, but fell to Lake Superior State in overtime in the first round in Louisville. Prior to the last two years, FSU most recently appeared in the national tournament in 2010-11 and reached the Sweet Sixteen and the regional final in Louisville before fallling to eventual national champion Bellarmine on the Knights' home floor ...... FSU also reached the tourney in 2005-06, which was the Bulldogs' second consecutive trip after capping off a banner 2004-05 season with a runner-up finish in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Tournament at Findlay, Ohio ..... Ferris holds a 11-12 all-time mark in national tournament play at the NCAA level .... The Bulldogs made four-straight trips to the regional tournament from 1987-90 .... This year's appearance marks the third time the Bulldogs have advanced to the NCAA Tourney under head coach Andy Bronkema.

Quarterfinal Thriller: Ferris State rallied back from a 15-point second half deficit to beat eighth-seeded Hillsdale 87-84 in last Tuesday's (Feb. 28) GLIAC Tournament Quarterfinals at Wink Arena. Junior guard Drew Cushingberry had 26 points in the win and won the game by hitting three free throws after being fouled with 1.4 seconds to play. Overall, the Bulldogs have won 22 of their last 23 games overall this year.

Looking Back To Last Season: A year ago, the Bulldogs won the GLIAC Tournament Championship for the second consecutive year and reached the NCAA-II Sweet Sixteen under head coach Andy Bronkema's direction. The Bulldog men's basketball squad closed a memorable 2015-16 campaign with a 24-10 overall record. FSU reached the NCAA Division II Tournament for the second year in a row and claimed a second-straight GLIAC Tournament Championship while finishing with its first back-to-back 20-win campaigns since the late 1980's.

History Of Success: The Ferris State men's basketball program has a long track record of success that includes more than 1,000 all-time victories, 14 GLIAC Championships and 11 NCAA Tournament appearances. Since 2004, the Bulldogs have reached the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen three times and now won eight GLIAC regular season or tourney titles.

GLIAC Tourney Champions: Ferris State won its third-straight GLIAC Tournament Championship this past weekend as the Bulldogs topped Ashland 80-79 at home to earn the GLIAC's automatic bid into the NCAA Division II Tournament. Top-seeded FSU opened the league tournament with an exciting 87-84 win over Hillsdale last Tuesday (Feb. 28) and then topped fourth-seeded Michigan Tech 79-71 on Saturday (March 4) in the semfinals before beating sixth-seeded Walsh. The league tourney crown was FSU's third-straight and fourth overall along with the 1997-98 and 2014-15 seasons. FSU capped off a three-game run thru this year's tournament to receive the school's 12th all-time NCAA-II Tournament bid.

GLIAC Tourney History: The Bulldogs made their 17th conference tourney appearance, including the 11th in the last 13 years, and won a third-straight league postseason crown. FSU is now 19-16 all-time in league tourney action. Prior to the last two years, FSU previously reached the GLIAC Tournament Championship game as the host institution in 2011 before dropping a 73-71 buzzer beater to Wayne State at Wink Arena. Ferris captured the 1997-98 league tourney title, which was its only previous GLIAC Tourney crown in school history before the past three years.

Three-Year NCAA Stretch: The current three-year NCAA Tournament stretch is the second-best in school history. Ferris State made four consecutive trips to the big dance from 1986-87 thru 1989-90, which included one Elite Eight appearance.

Going Back In Time: This year marks fourth time and third-straight year in which the Bulldogs have reached the NCAA-II Tournament, made the GLIAC Tournament Championship Game and achieved 20 wins or more all in the same season since the 1997-98 campaign. ALong with the past three years, it also happenned in 2010-11.

Scouting The Opposition: Truman State will be making its first NCAA appearance in 11 years. The Bulldogs are 22-9 under head coach Chris Foster and reached the semis of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Tourney this past week for the first-time ever. TSU did not play a GLIAC team this season, but went 12-6 in league action and finished second in the GLVC West Division. Sophomore guard Jake Velky leads the squad at 15.9 ppg with senior guard Cory Myers at15.4 ppg.

Series History: Saturday's game will represent the first-ever series' matchup for the Bulldogs against Truman State. The two teams have never met before in regular-season or postseason play. FSU is 2-0 all-time against teams from Missouri in NCAA competition with a 88-80 overtime win over Southwest Baptist in the 1990 Great Lakes Regional held in Owensboro (Ky.) along with a 83-76 triumph over Drury in 2011 in Louisville.

No NCAA Rematch: This year the Bulldogs get a new opponent for NCAA postseason play for the second-straight year after being Bellarmine in last year's tourney opener. In each of FSU's previous two NCAA trips prior to last year, the Bulldogs drew a rematch in the first round of the NCAA Tournament against a league foe they had just played. In FSU's 2010-11 trip to the NCAA Tourney, the Bulldogs drew Wayne State on the heels of a 73-71 loss at home to the Warriors in the GLIAC Tourney Championship Game at FSU's Jim Wink Arena. However, Ferris State won the first round game in Louisville en route to a regional championship game appearance. Two years ago, Lake Superior State avenged a GLIAC Championship Game setback to the Bulldogs by ending FSU's season in the NCAA Tournament in Louisville.

Fourth Midwest Berth: While Ferris State is making its 12th all-time NCAA Division II Tournament berth, it is only the fourth trip to the Midwest Regional for the Bulldogs.  FSU's first three national tournament bids were to the North Central Regional Tournament before making five to the then named Great Lakes Regional Tournament.

Against The GLVC: Ferris State owns a current 5-6 all-time mark against Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) opponents in national tournament play heading into this year's regional tournament.  FSU beat two GLVC foes in the 2004-05 tournament with wins over Indianapolis and Southern Indiana and posted a victory over Drury in its trip to the Big Dance in 2010-11. Last year, FSU topped Bellarmine and Indianapolis in its first two regional games.

Taking On The GLIAC: The Bulldogs are presently 1-3 all-time against GLIAC member schools in NCAA Tournament play. Two years ago, FSU fell to Lake Superior State in the first round in Louisville, which came on the heels of a 2011 win over Wayne State in 2011 also in Louisville. FSU also fell to regional host Findlay in the 2004-05 NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Final at UF's Croy Gymnasium in Findlay, Ohio. Last year, the Bulldogs dropped a 63-61 decision in the title game to Saginaw Valley State in Kenosha, Wis.

Against The Field: Ferris State holds a current 1-2 mark against the NCAA-II Midwest Regional Tournament field this season.  The Bulldogs posted an early season 97-81 win over Quincy (Ill.) in St. Louis before falling to Wisconsin-Parkside 85-75 at home over the Thanksgiving weekend. FSU also suffered an 81-77 overtime setback to Findlay in Big Rapids in the Bulldogs' lone matchup against the Oilers.

Nation-Leading Road Wins: The Bulldogs won 13 games at home (13-3) this season inside Wink Arena along with 13 on the road. FSU's 13 road wins and 13-1 overall record is the best in the nation in Division II basketball. Ferris State also went 1-0 on neutral floors with the triumph coming against fellow Midwest Regional participant Quincy.

Greatest Three-Year Stretch: Over the last three seasons, the Bulldogs own a 74-23 overall record, which represents the greatest three-run year in school history. It marks the third time in wich FSU has won 20 or more games in three-straight seasons along with the 1972-75 and 1986-89 eras, but neither of those three-year cycles produced as many wins.

Complete Game Notes Packet (PDF)