2005-06 (As a junior): Played in 26 games in his first year at UALR, starting 17 of the team’s final 18 contests ... Averaged 8.7 points per game and ranked 10th in the Sun Belt Conference with a team-best .509 field goal percentage (83-of-163) ... Was also ranked among the league leaders in rebounding, sitting 20th in the conference at 4.6 boards per game, and seventh in offensive rebounds per game (2.46) ... Enjoyed his best game of the year against Arkansas State on Jan. 9, posting season highs for points (28) and rebounds (nine) in just his third start ... His 28-point effort against the Indians, which came on a 12-of-20 shooting performance, marked the highest single-game total by a Trojan during the 2005-06 season ... Reached double figures in points nine times and twice led the Trojans in scoring ? 28 points against ASU and 19 points at Middle Tennessee (Jan. 14) ... Improved his scoring and rebounding averages in Sun Belt play, contributing 10.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game against league foes ... Also saw his free-throw percentage rise to 70.0 percent (35-of-50) in conference play ... Started all 13 Sun Belt games he appeared in ... Was fourth on the team with 29 steals (1.12 per game) ... Averaged 1.31 steals per game in league play (11th best in the Sun Belt) ... Came up with a season-high five steals in a 73-66 win at Troy (Feb. 4), while adding 10 points and seven rebounds ... Scored 17 points on 7-of-8 shooting against UAPB (Dec. 13) ... Collected eight rebounds against South Alabama (Dec. 2) and North Texas (March 3) ... Played a season-high 32 minutes against Western Kentucky (Jan. 12) and Middle Tennessee (Jan. 14) ... Collected five-or-more rebounds in 11 games.
Northwest Mississippi CC: Named National Junior College Athletic Association Division-I All-America honorable mention in his final year at Northwest Mississippi after averaging 12.2 points, 8.9 rebounds and two blocks per game ... Also earned All-Region XXIII and First-Team MACJC All-State accolades as a sophomore ... Helped NW Mississippi to the regional and district titles in each of his two years, as well as two national juco tournament berths and a state championship in 2004-05 ... At one point, the Rangers were ranked No. 2 in the country ... Left NW Mississippi as the school’s seventh all-time leading rebounder ... Reached double figures in rebounding 16 times last year, including a career-high 18 boards against Mississippi Gulf Coast CC on Nov. 22, 2004 ... Played under head coach Don “Bubba” Skelton.
Coffeeville High School: A three-time team most valuable player, he averaged 29 points, 19 rebounds and three blocks per game as a senior ... Earned division most valuable player honors in 2002 and 2003 ... Named Coffeeville’s best offensive and best defensive player three-straight years.
Personal: Full name is Byron Dontae Ray ... Son of Cortiss Evans and Tiree Dire ... Born Dec. 15, 1984 in Scobey, Miss. ... Has two brothers: Marcus and Sharbour ... Majoring in radiology.
