RAMS READY FOR UNION
March 14, 2006

KANSAS CITY, MO:  The Texas Wesleyan University basketball team will have one more practice on Wednesday, before they take on 5th seeded Union University in the 69th Annual Buffalo Funds NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.  The Rams will meet the Bulldogs at 12:30 p.m. in Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City.

The Rams arrived in town Monday afternoon in time for a practice session at Rockhurst Univeristy.  Tuesday morning they worked out at Park Hill High School before taking part in the Tip-Off Banquet.

At the banquet, Texas Wesleyan’s Albert Tally was one of 32 student-athletes honored as his team’s Champion of Character.  The award recognizes athletes who exemplify qualities of respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership, and sportsmanship.  Of the 32 recipients, Talley was one of only four to be singled out by Dr. Phil and Mary Pattison to receive the Pattison Family Foundation Schoarship.  Talley suffered a season ending back injury in 2003 and went through 18 months of rehab while serving as a student assistant coach to be able to play his final year of eligibility this season.  He is currently working on his Masters’ of Business Administration.

Tomorrow, the tournament gets underway at 9:00 a.m.  The Rams will get a quick reality check and some time to enjoy themselves when they visit some children at a local YMCA as part of the Champions of Character program before they return to Rockhurst for their final preparation for the game with Union.

For Texas Wesleyan, this is their first appearance in the tournament since 1983, a span of 23 seasons.  Union is more accustomed to the tournament, having made eight appearances in the last nine seasons.  The Bulldogs have been seeded as high as 2nd (2002, 1999); however, neither school has ever made it farther than the elite eight.