Rams prepare for first Division I season

On their second day of practice, the Rams basketball team opened up with the Lord's prayer. That's ironic, since no one else gives them a prayer this season because of their brutal schedule. The Rams will play 22 of their 27 games on the road.

"We've addressed the issue of being mentally tough," said new head coach Bobby Collins. "The way you get mentally tough is to stretch yourself, inside and outside of the classroom."

One tactic that Collins is using to instill toughness in his Rams is early practices. On Tuesdays and Thurs­days the Rams will gather for practice at 5 a.m.

The Rams' first practice took place on Oct. 13. The practice was open to the public, as part of the Division I kickoff, and billed "Ram Madness." Collins says he was pleased by the fan support. He also said he was impressed at the effort the players gave, especially since it was pretty much just entertainment.

This season provides many challenges for the Rams. It is their first season in Division I, and they have a intense schedule. They only have five home games, and they will have to travel to play such national powers as #3 Kansas, #8 Georgetown, and #21 Georgia Tech. They also changed coaches in the off-season, as Collins replaced the departed Phillip Stitt.

"He's a player's coach," said junior forward Darrell Wonge.

Collins said that although the players are smaller than he is accustomed to, he sees a lot of potential in this team. "Jamal Durham is an undersized post player that I'm going to have to depend on to carry the team early on," said Collins. Other players he said he was depending on to carry the load offensively were Wonge and guard Roy Peake.

Collins knows that the Rams have a tough road ahead. He said that a successful season for the Rams would be going .500 on the road.

"No one expects us to (go above .500) because of the type of teams we are playing, but I really want to go above .500."