Winston-Salem State Rams men's basketball
| Winston-Salem State Rams | |
|---|---|
 | |
| University | Winston-Salem State University |
| Conference | CIAA |
| Location | Winston-Salem, NC |
| Head coach | James Wilhelmi (1st year) |
| Arena |
LJVM Coliseum Annex (Capacity: 4,000) |
| Nickname | Rams |
| Colors |
Red and White |
The Winston-Salem State Rams men's basketball team is the men's basketball team that represents Winston-Salem State University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States. The school's team currently competes in the NCAA Division II Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association. Winston-Salem State competed in Division I from the 2007–08 season to the 2009–10 season as a transitional member of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC); it returned to Division II in 2010 for financial reasons.[1][2]
Among its coaches was noted Clarence "Bighouse" Gaines (1923-2005): during his 47-year tenure at WSSU as coach, professor and athletic director, his men's basketball team compiled a record of 828-447. Gaines was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982. Noted players under Gaines' era were Earl Monroe; Cleo Hill, the first African-American from an historically Black college and university to be drafted #1 by the National Basketball Association (St. Louis Hawks, 1961); and sports commentator and columnist Stephen A. Smith.[3][4]
References
- ↑ "Winston-Salem State jumps to Division I, joins MEAC". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Winston-Salem ready to return to D-II, CIAA". Sporting News. Retrieved November 29, 2012.
- ↑ Biography Of A Legend: Clarence "Big House" Gaines, Winston-Salem State University, April 20, 2005, Accessed December 12, 2012.
- ↑ Richard Sandomir, ESPN's New Master of the Offensive Foul, The New York Times, July 31, 2005, Accessed December 12, 2012.