100% Cotten
10/18/1999 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 18, 1999
More 100% Cotten
by Stan Cotten
As mid-October hits and the leaves turn, so do dreams down Tobacco Road. They turn to the coming basketball season, when the most storied hoops league in America dusts itself off and opens its doors.
Welcome, ACC basketball.
Even when football season is starting to get interesting, one can't help but let the mind wander into dreaming of basketball in this very special league. Practice has begun, and season openers are but a month away.
For Wake Forest, following two exhibitions, the Demon Deacons begin their season Saturday night, November 20th, against Campbell. The football Deacs end regular season play that afternoon against Georgia Tech, so mark your calendars and leave the leaf raking for another day. That day belongs to Wake Forest.
David Odom begins his second decade at the helm of Wake Forest basketball. His young team has endured and matured through two years of "cementing the foundation," finishing fourth each season with freshmen and sophomores.
"A lot of teams that go through that kind of transition...youth and lack of experience...kind of bottom out," says Odom. "Ours didn't do that. They held together, picked and scrapped and pulled together enough to finish fourth back to back which is extraordinary."
Last season, Wake Forest finished with a ninth consecutive postseason appearance, the second longest active streak in the ACC. It also marked the seventh straight season that the Deacons finished in the upper half of the ACC standings. As practice began this weekend, Wake seemed poised for another fruitful run.
"Our team took a week off after the last game this past season, and then we went right back to work," adds Odom. "We did all of the things allowable by NCAA rules. I've got to tell you, this group of guys has worked as hard as any I've been around." "I think they're committed to having a great year. I really feel they're ca pable of doing some outstanding things."
Standing in the way of every team's dreams are adversity and injury. The Deacs have had their share of nagging hurts over the past few years, including last season when athletic Niki Arinze was lost to shoulder surgery after an early game at VMI and Craig Dawson hopped through the year on one leg. Both have had surgery, and all appears well.
"I don't know that our team has been in better health than it is right now," says Odom, looking for the nearest piece of wood on which to knock.
"Our medical staff has done a great job, but you have to give credit to the players as well. They've rehabbed awfully hard."
Transfer Tate Decker and returnee Josh Shoemaker also went under the knife in the offseason. Decker had some work done on a thumb and ankle, while Shoemaker underwent some repair to a damaged toe.
"All of the operations turned out fine," Odom said. "Everybody's at full speed. We hope we can keep our team at full strength through another long and difficult season."
It's been a long wait for the 6-10 Decker after coming to Wake from Missouri. He practiced all last season but had to sit out the games while waiting to become eligible. His face, and that of 6-6 freshman Josh Howard, are the only two new ones you'll see on this year's team. I guess you could count Arinze since he missed most of last season. His return has been highly anticipated, and his athleticism on the wing will be welcomed.
Basketball trips this season will be interesting. Add to the always colorful ACC venues trips to Annapolis (Navy), Atlanta (Georgia), Fayetteville (Arkansas) and Honolulu (Rainbow Classic).
I'm sure hoping this Y2K thing is a lot about nothing, especially when it comes to the airlines. Yours truly and the Deacs are set to fly over the date change back from Hawaii. Wake's ACC opener with Florida State is set for January 4th. If we're not back, we'll send postcards. I guess if you're gonna get stuck somewhere, Hawaii isn't half bad. Think I'll pack the golf clubs just in case.
Sweet dreams. See you on the radio.
