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The Rams (11-3, 1-1 LSC) are coming off a 67-65 win over Texas A&M-Commerce last Sunday with Bryan Hammond hitting the game-winner with four seconds remaining on the clock. ASU improved to 7-0 at home with the victory and evened its conference record at 1-1 following a road loss to Tarleton State last Wednesday. WT (7-6, 0-2 LSC) has opened conference action with losses to Midwestern State and Cameron. The Buffs have won the previous seven meetings against the Rams, including the past three in San Angelo. ASU's last win over WT was on Jan. 27, 2010.

ASU continues to play strong defense this season, limiting the Lions to a season-low in points on Sunday and are second in the conference and 14th in the nation by holding opponents to 39 percent shooting from the field. The Rams are second in the LSC by shooting 48 percent from the field and are also second with 15 assists per game. ASU has made 68 of 201 attempts on 3-pointers (33 percent) and are averaging 37.2 rebounds per game with its opponents averaging 33.2 rebounds per game.

At home, the Rams are averaging 81.6 points and are shooting 52 percent. They also have a 27-5 advantage in blocked shots in games played on the Stephens Arena court. ASU, which was ranked No. 22 in the NABC Division II Coaches Poll three weeks ago before falling to Arkansas Tech and Arkansas-Monticello, is received seven votes in this week's rankings. Tarleton State is ranked No. 7 and is the only LSC team currently ranked. Midwestern State received one vote in the poll.

COACH QUOTES
Angelo State head coach Chris Beard
On former West Texas A&M head coach Rick Cooper who retired earlier this season:
"I have been very fortunate in my coaching career to work with and know some of the best coaches in college basketball.  Rick Cooper is in that group of the elite.  The reason the Lone Star Conference today is recognized as one the best leagues in men's college basketball is largely because of Coach Cooper's program at WT.  His teams won at the highest level year after year with class and character.  His players graduated consistently over the years.  Coach Cooper is one of the most respected guys in our business. I am lucky to be able to call him a friend.  He has helped me a lot in my career.  We are happy for Vinay and his opportunity.  Coach Cooper has told me many times what a good person, recruiter, and coach Vinay is." 

On the type of team West Texas A&M will bring to the Junell Center on Wednesday:
"Vinay (Coach Vinay Patel) has done a great job with this team since Coach Cooper retired.  They are very well coached and have talented experienced players both on the perimeter and inside.  Our team will have to play very well to be able to compete on Wednesday.  Our league is so balanced this year and West Texas is another team with the roster to make a deep run in March."

On the depth on the Rams' roster and the contributions from multiple players coming off the bench:
"We have been getting some good production off our bench in recent games.  This has to continue for us to be successful.  We are not a team with one or two key players.  We are a team that needs positive contributions from every player every game to have a chance to win.  Our six seniors are doing a good job with leadership."
 
RAM RUNDOWN

Kenny Williams continues to lead Angelo State with 18.6 points and 8.3 points per game. He leads the Lone Star Conference in scoring average, is second in rebounding and third in field goal percentage (49). Williams, who is averaging 19.4 points per game at home this season, recorded his sixth double-double with 25 points and 10 rebounds last week against Tarleton State and then just missed another one with 21 points and eight rebounds against A&M-Commerce. Against the Lions, the St. Louis native threw down a 360 dunk in transition which created a YouTube highlight video which was approaching 6,000 views on Tuesday afternoon. He has scored over 20 points in seven games this season and was named the Lone Star Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Nov. 3, 2013 and the Defensive Player of the Week on Dec. 7. He also leads ASU with 18 steals and is tied with Daniel Skinner and Ryan Marsh with 12 blocked shots.

Hammond, a senior guard from New Orleans, is coming off a 15-point effort against A&M-Commerce with the final two points lifting the team to a win. He has scored in double figures six times this season and is averaging 9.7 points per game. A transfer from Nicholls State, Hammond is in his second season at ASU and is leading the team with 60 assists. His assist-total ranks fourth in the conference and his 4.3 assists per game ranks fifth in the LSC. Hammond, who has led the team in scoring in two games this season, is averaging 11.4 points per game at home this season. Chris Talkington, who transferred to ASU with Hammond from Nicholls State last season, is scoring 6.6 points per game following going for 11 points against Commerce. Talkington leads the Rams by hitting 17 3-pointers and has averaged 11.7 points per game in the last seven games.

Skinner, a junior who transferred in from Jacksonville College this season, is second on the team with 9.9 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. He has also contributed 39 assists and 16 steals for the Rams. Skinner recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds against York College and has scored in double figures in eight games this season. He has also led the team in rebounding four times. Tommy Woolridge, who was named the LSC Offensive Player of the Week after going for 19 points on five 3-pointers at UTEP, is averaging 7.1 points per game and has 21 assists and 14 steals in his junior season.

Omari Gudul, a sophomore from the Congo, is averaging 4.4 points and 4.2 rebounds in 12 starts for the Rams. Gudul recorded a double-double earlier in the season with 13 points and 11 rebounds against York College. Fellow sophomore Thomas Brandsma is coming off a season-high 11 points against A&M-Commerce where he hit three 3-pointers. It was the first game in double-figures for Brandsma who transferred to ASU from McMurry along with Williams.

The Rams continue to get solid contributions from underclassmen Chantz Chambers (5.2 points) and Reggie Sutton (4.8), while seniors Ryan Marsh and Zach Jones are filling needed roles. Marsh is coming off a season-high four blocked shots against A&M-Commerce which was two off his career-high which he established last season against Lubbock Christian. Jones scored a season-high eight points against Oklahoma Wesleyan earlier this season, while sophomore Nash Nelson is fifth on the team with 14 assists.
 
WEST TEXAS A&M BUFF REPORT

WT travels to San Angelo after opening Lone Star Conference play with a 76-70 loss to Midwestern State in Canyon on Jan. 8 before falling 69-68 last Saturday to Cameron on the road. The Buffs went 7-4 in their non-conference schedule and are 2-4 away from home (2-3 away/0-1 neutral). WT is averaging 71.6 points per game this season with its opponents averaging 68.9.

WT is coached by Vinay Patel who was named the interim head coach after longtime coach Rick Cooper announced his retirement on Dec. 5, 2013. Cooper was in his 21st season at WT and had led the Buffs to an impressive 391-193 record during his tenure. Patel has served in a variety of basketball coaching roles at WT for the past nine years.

The Buffs scored a season-high 85 points in a 20-point win over Hillsdale Baptist and were held to a season-low 50 points when they play No. 1 Metro State and fell by 15. WT has shot 46 percent from the field this season, including 34 percent on 3-pointers (87 of 251). That percentage ranks third in the conference behind ASU and Tarleton State. They have struggled from the free-throw line and enter their 14th game of the season hitting only 58 percent of their free throws (152 of 260).

Drimir Ferguson leads WT in scoring at 15.1 points per game in his senior season. A 5-foot-9 guard from the Bronx, Ferguson is shooting 41 percent from the field and has hit 20 3-pointers this season (35 percent). He also leads the team with 75 assists which ranks second in the LSC and has 20 steals – seventh in the conference. Antjuan Ball leads the conference with seven double-doubles and is averaging 11.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. An Alabama native, Ball has also contributed a team-leading 18 blocks and has 15 assists in his first season in Canyon. His 10.1 rebounds per game and 68 percent shooting from the field leads the conference. His field goal percentage ranks ninth in the nation and his total rebounds (133) ranks 21st throughout Division II.  

Tez Dumars is second on the team with 12.3 points per game and 30 assists. A 6-foot-2 junior guard from Garland, Dumars leads WT from beyond the arc with 30 3-pointers (38 percent) which ranks fourth in the conference. David Duncan (6-9, Jr., Washington, D.C.) rounds out four WT players in double-figure scoring with 10.1 points per game. He is also averaging 6.1 rebounds per game and has 10 blocks.

The Buffs are also receiving scoring options from Keon Pledger (8.3 points), David Gibbs (7.3) and Miles Gatewood (5.8). Gibbs, a senior from East Hartford, Connecticut, is third on the team with 4.5 rebounds per game and second with 16 steals. Gatewood is third on the team with 24 assists.
 
MEDIA COVERAGE: Jeremy Bryant will be calling the game locally on 1260AM KKSA with a simulcast on AngeloSports.com. The Angelo State athletic communications department will also be live streaming the game and is providing live stats. Links to both are at the top of this preview and on the men's basketball schedule page. Fans and media can also follow the action with in-game updates at www.twitter.com/AngeloSports.

UP NEXT: Angelo State will return to action on Saturday with a road game against Eastern New Mexico in Portales, N.M. The Rams are 4-3 away from San Angelo this season. ASU will be looking to snap a five-game losing streak to the Greyhounds which dates back to a 70-68 win in Portales on Jan. 26, 2011.