Dec. 4, 2007

Complete Release in PDF Format

THE GAME: North Carolina Central University plays in-state foe Western Carolina University for the first time... WCU is located in Cullowhee, N.C., which is west of Asheville, N.C. and south of the Great Smoky Mountains... The Catamounts compete in the Southern Conference... NCCU head coach Henry Dickerson posted a 5-1 record against Western Carolina when he was head coach at Tennessee Chattanooga from 1997-2002... This is the Eagles' 10th road game of the season and NCCU does not return home until Dec. 29.

THE SERIES: This will be the first meeting between the Catamounts of Western Carolina University and the Eagles of North Carolina Central University.

UP NEXT: NCCU travels to Ohio to play the Zips of the University of Akron on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m.

FUTRELL EARNS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM HONORS AT DRAKE: NCCU senior forward Charles Futrell was voted to the inaugural Iowa Realty Invitaional All-Tournament Team, hosted by Drake University on Nov. 30-Dec. 1. Futrell amassed 21 points, 21 rebounds, three blocked shots, two steals and an assists during the two games, including a season-high 12 boards against Cal State Northridge.

FUTRELL NETS CAREER-HIGH: NCCU senior forward Charles Futrell recorded a career-high 20 points during a 74-52 loss at Towson University on Nov. 27. Futrell has now scored double-fi gures in eight of the Eagles' 10 games this season. The only exceptions were at Davidson and against Cal State Northridge when posted nine points. The converted football receiver/quarterback in only his second season of college hoops, leads the team with an average of 14.2 points per game.

EAGLE GUARD RETURNS TO THE NEST: NCCU junior guard Ashton Sauls returned to his hometown of Des Moines, Iowa during the weekend of Nov. 30-Dec. 1 for the Drake University/Iowa Realty Invitational. Sauls, who was born and raised in Des Moines, earned all-conference honors as a two-sport athlete in football and basketball at Des Moines East High School, then attended Indian Hills Community College and Des Moines Area Community College before transferring to NCCU in Durham, N.C. In the fi rst-round game against Drake, Sauls scored a team-best 15 points and grabbed four rebounds. The next night versus Cal State Northridge, he recorded fi ve points and four boards before fouling out of the contest.

THE COACHES: Henry Dickerson (Morris Harvey, 1973) is in his fourth season as head coach at North Carolina Central and enters the contest with a 40-52 record at NCCU and a 112-125 career record. Dickerson arrived at N.C. Central in 2004-05 after a fi ve-year stint as head coach at Tennessee-Chattanooga, where he was 72-73 and won two Southern Conference divisional titles from 1997-2002. He also served as associate head coach at Chattanooga from 1989-97, and held assistant coaching positions at Marshall from 1983-89 and Charleston from 1979-83. Western Carolina head coach Larry Hunter ranks 12th on the active winningest NCAA men's basketball coaching list with 535 victories during his 28-year career.

EAGLES MEET TWO BOXING LEGENDS IN IOWA: What began as just another plane ride for the NCCU men's basketball team, turned in to a day the Eagles will never forget. As the squad entered the United airplane in Chicago heading to Iowa on Nov. 29, a buzz began circulating when they noticed that they were among greatness. Seated in row 11 was boxing legend Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns. When the plane unloaded in Des Moines, Iowa, where NCCU will participate in the Iowa Realty Invitational at Drake University (Nov. 30-Dec. 1), Hearns and his long-time friend and boxing promoter Harley Brown were gracious enough to chat with the Eagles and take pictures. Then, as the Eagles turned the corner heading to baggage claim, there was another boxing legend, Sugar Ray Leonard, to greet Thomas Hearns. The two were in town for a special event. Although none of the NCCU student-athletes were alive when the duo fi rst met in the ring, the Eagles still stood in awe at the sight of two of the greatest boxers of all time.

EAGLES IN TRANSITION - FIRST YEAR OF DIVISION I: North Carolina Central University, located in Durham, N.C., is in its first season of NCAA Division I competition. The Eagles will be eligible for the NCAA post-season at the end of the four-year reclassifi cation process in the 2011-12 campaign.

WHERE IS NCCU COMING FROM? NCCU finished its final season in Division II with a 13-15 overall record. In their only regular-season game against Division I opposition, the Eagles were within two points of East Carolina University early in the second half, but the Pirates eventually sailed to a 68-47 victory. Among the team's highlights were victories over the eventual Division II national champions (Barton College, 11/18/06) and three other regionally-ranked opponents.