COACH'S GAME BALL: Preston Ross

Head Men's Basketball Coach Bobby Collins chose forward Preston Ross as the recipient of this issue's Game Ball.

Ross, a 6-foot-5-inch, 220-pound senior from Fayetteville, N.C., is in the midst of his first season at Winston-Salem State after transferring from Western Carolina.

Although he didn't choose to go to WSSU right out of high school, he knew Coach Collins.

"I recruited him while he was in high school, initially," Collins said.

"I've known his family personally all my life. He's a good young man from a great family background."

Ross has played extremely well to this point and has led the Rams to a 2-1 start [as of Nov. 21]. He has started every game and has shown that he is a versatile player.

He ranks second on the team in points per game (18.7) and blocks per game (0.7), is tied for second in rebounds per game (6.7) and leads the team in free-throw percentage (87.5).

"He brings a lot of intangibles to the game, and he does a lot for our team," Collins said.

"He has a high basketball IQ, great character and he's a leader. I trust him. I'm very pleased with all that he has given us thus far."

Q: How long have you been playing basketball?

A: I started when I was around 8 years old. I would just watch my dad play because he would go to the gym all the time, and I guess that's what got me into it.

Q: What's your favorite part about playing basketball?

A: Playing in front of people is a cool experience. Showing them what you can do and having them cheer you on is fun.

Q: Who's your favorite NBA player?

A: My favorite player is Carmelo Anthony (New York Knicks forward), and after him, it'd probably be Lebron [James] (Miami Heat forward).

Q: Are there any certain NBA players you try to model your game after?

A: Not really. I used to try to play like Scottie Pippen (Hall of Fame Chicago Bulls forward), but now I just do my own thing.

Q: What's been the biggest difference in playing for WSSU as opposed to Western Carolina?

A: The biggest differences are the style of play and the crowd. The crowd here is a lot more live. They get loud and get us hype. It's just different.

Q: What are your plans after WSSU?

A: I plan to play professional basketball somewhere. I'm majoring in Management Information Systems, so after my basketball career, I plan on doing something with computers.