Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons Host Conference-Opener Tuesday
1/3/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 3, 2000
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest men's basketball team opens the year 2000 and tips off the Atlantic Coast Conference season this evening. Wake Forest is coming off a disappointing 1-2 performance in the Rainbow Classic in Hawaii last week while Florida State fans will have two games to follow tonight (their football counterparts will play for the national championship in the Sugar Bowl later this evening).
PROBABLE DEMON DEACON LINEUP
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Class | PPG | RPG | |
| 4 | Robert O'Kelley | G | 6'1 | Jr. | 14.5 | 1.8 | |
| 5 | Josh Howard | G | 6'6 | Fr. | 7.7 | 2.8 | |
| 41 | Rafael Vidaurreta | C | 6'9 | Jr. | 3.5 | 6.3 | |
| 33 | Niki Arinze | F | 6'5 | So. | 7.3 | 3.5 | |
| 25 | Darius Songaila | F | 6'9 | So. | 11.7 | 4.3 |
TOP RESERVES
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Class | PPG | RPG |
| 42 | Craig Dawson | G | 6'5 | So. | 9.7 | 2.6 |
| 44 | Josh Shoemaker | F | 6'9 | Jr. | 7.3 | 6.9 |
| 3 | Broderick Hicks | G | 6'1 | So. | 6.2 | 1.6 |
| 31 | Ervin Murray | G | 6'5 | So. | 1.4 | 1.3 |
| 34 | Antwan Scott | F | 6'8 | So. | 5.3 | 3.4 |
| 52 | Tate Decker | F | 6'11 | Jr. | 3.4 | 2.5 |
HEAD COACH - Dave Odom (11th year at Wake Forest) / Won 208, Lost 110
(14th year Overall) / Won 246, Lost 152
THE LINEUP - The Demon Deacons have used the starting lineup listed above in eight of 12 games this season, including the most recent game against Villanova. The only changes came when BRODERICK HICKS started in place of NIKI ARINZE for one game in early December and when DARIUS SONGAILA was limited in three games because of a knee injury. The Deacs have used three different starting lineups this season.
In all, 11 different Deacons have started at least one game in their career while seven different players have started 10 or more games. Wake Forest used 15 different starting lineups during the 1998-99 season as twelve different players started at least one game.
THE HEAD COACH - The 1999-2000 season is the 11th at Wake Forest for coach DAVE ODOM, who has built the Demon Deacon program into one of the nation's best and most consistent. The Deacs made seven consecutive NCAA appearances from 1991 through 1997, then extended their string of postseason tourneys to nine in a row by playing in the 1998 and 1999 NIT.
Odom is a three-time ACC Coach of the Year (1991, 1994, 1995). From 1993 through 1998, his Wake Forest teams won 20-or-more games each season. Since a losing record in his first year with the Deacs, his teams have won 67% of their games, averaging 21 wins per season over the last nine years. Wake Forest won back-to-back ACC titles in 1995 and 1996, establishing a school record for wins (26-6) each year, and in 1997 spent 10 weeks as the nation's #2-ranked team.
UP NEXT - Wake Forest will travel to Clemson on Sunday for the Deacs' first road ACC action of the season. Please note that tipoff for that contest has been set for 4:00 pm and the game will be televised on the ACC-JP Network.
Wake Forest vs. Florida State
THE SERIES - Wake Forest leads the all-time series with Florida State, 10-9, after splitting a pair of meetings last year. The Deacons won the first-even meeting between the two schools in December of 1958, 73-64, at FSU. The Seminoles evened the competition with a win in the 1973 "Sunshine Classic" in St. Petersburg. The two schools did not square off again until being joined as ACC members and the Deacs have won 9 of 16 meetings in conference play.
Thirteen of the 17 ACC contests between the Deacs and 'Noles have been decided by single-digit outcomes. Ten of those 13 games have had final margins of four points or fewer.
LAST YEAR'S MEETINGS - Florida State took a 74-68 decision in Tallahassee in January, primarily due to hot shooting from the field (61.5% from the floor). The Demon Deacons fell behind by as many as 14 points (30-16) before staging a comeback. Wake Forest was down nine (32-23) at halftime, but actually took a brief 56-54 lead with 6:35 remaining on a three-pointer by Robert O'Kelley. Florida State regained control by hitting three "threes" over the next two minutes and clinched the win with six free throws in the final 0:16. O'Kelley scored a game-high 27 points for the Deacons.
The second meeting of the season in Winston-Salem in February saw the Seminoles once again build a large lead, but this time the Wake Forest comeback was successful. After leading by three at halftime, the 'Noles built a 19-point lead (57-38) with 8:05 remaining (the Deacons also trailed by 18 points -- 61-43 -- with 6:12 left to play). Wake Forest went on a 29-8 run to close out the game and record the biggest successful comeback in Joel Coliseum history. Darius Songaila scored 19 points to lead the Demon Deacons.
IN JOEL COLISEUM - Florida State won its first two visits to Joel Coliseum in 1992 (88-85) and 1993 (74-72) with both of those contests determined in overtime. Since then Wake Forest has won six in a row over the 'Noles here, but the last three have not been decided until the final seconds.
In 1997, Wake led by two when FSU's Lamarr Greer missed a baseline jumper with 0:04 left (the Deacs won, 61-58). In 1998, the Deacons went scoreless the final 2:06 but held on for a 69-68 triumph. Greer again missed a last second shot, and a tip by Corey Lewis failed to drop as the final horn sounded. Last year, Wake Forest's Robert O'Kelley and Broderick Hicks each hit two free throws in the final 15 seconds to cap the improbable rally and give the Deacs a 67-65 win.
Noting the Demon Deacons
SONGAILA RETURNS TO THE LINEUP - Sophomore forward DARIUS SONGAILA, who suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee against High Point on Dec. 17, returned to action last week in Hawaii. Songaila sat out one contest (at Arkansas) and gradually worked his way back by coming off the bench for the next two games in Hawaii (vs Oregon and Ohio). He made his return to the starting lineup in the final game of the Hawaii tournament against Villanova.
LOOKING TO BOUNCE BACK - Wake Forest has not lost back-to-back games this year, and the Deacons will be looking to keep that streak alive against Florida State. After a 68-67 loss to Georgia, the Deacs topped UNC Greensboro (71-62), following a 67-66 loss to Oregon, Wake Forest downed Ohio (84-78).
CLOSE CALLS - Wake Forest has lost three games this season, although two of those losses have come by a combined two points and each came with the opponents hitting a very difficult shot within the final five seconds of the game. The Deacs fell to Georgia when Adrian Jones hit a running, off balance three-pointer as the final horn sounded. The loss to Oregon came when Alex Scales hit a fade-away 16-footer with four seconds left.
NOT SO NEUTRAL - Wake Forest is a perfect 6-0 at home and 2-0 in road games this season, but the Demon Deacons have struggled to a 1-3 mark on neutral courts. The Deacs will not have another neutral site date until the ACC Tournament in Charlotte, however.
THREE-POINT ACCURACY DOWN - The Deacs have struggled with their long range accuracy in the last four games, hitting just 16 of 67 (23.9%) three-point attempts. Wake Forest has shot below 30% from three-point territory in each of the last four games and have hit better than 40% in only three games this season.
The Deacons may be happy to see the friendly confines of Joel Coliseum, however -- Wake Forest is shooting 37.3% (31-83) behind the arc at home but just 30.1% (29-83) from long range away from home.
BIGGEST WIN SINCE - Wake Forest's last home game, a 79-35 win over High Point, marked the Deacs largest margin of victory since Joel Coliseum was opened in 1989 (44 points) -- the previous high was a 41 point win over Appalachian State (91-50) in 1995. The win over the Panthers was the largest overall since a 45 point victory over Maryland-Eastern Shore (105-60) in 1986-87.
Additionally, the 35 points was the fewest allowed by a Deacon team since holding Atlantic Christian to 30 points in 1947-48 (a 61-30 win).
ON THE GLASS - The Demon Deacons have been solid on the boards in the first 12 games of the season, outrebounding their opponents by nearly seven boards per game. The Demon Deacons have outrebounded nine of 12 opponents this year, posting a 8-1 record in those games. For the season, Wake Forest is outrebounding its opponents by 6.9 per game (39.3 to 32.4), the third best figure in the ACC.
GETTING TO THE LINE IMPORTANT - In the 10 games that the Demon Deacons have attempted as many or more free throws than their opponents they are 9-1. The only time that Wake Forest attempted more FT's than its opponent and still lost came against Villanova in Hawaii (70-57).
SHOT TALK - After shooting 43.1% from the floor last season, the Demon Deacons have shot that low just four times in 12 games this year. The Deacs shot a season low 35.2% against Villanova, but have shot at least 50% from the floor in five games this season (60.3% at Navy, 55.4% vs UMES, 50.0% vs Wisconsin, 51.6% vs High Point, and 53.1% vs Oregon). Wake Forest shot over 50% in only six of 31 games last season.
FREE THROWS SHOWING IMPROVEMENT - While shooting accuracy from the floor has improved this season, the Deacons have been very inconsistent at the free throw line. After hitting 37 of their first 48 free throws (77.1%) in the first two games of the year, Wake Forest connected on only 96 of 161 (59.6%) free throw attempts over the next seven games.
That trend began to reverse in Hawaii, however, as the Deacs hit 71.6% from the charity stripe in the three-game tournament, including a 15-18 performance (83.3%) in the final against Villanova.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS / COMPARING 1998-99 TO 1999-00 - Through 12 games of the 1999-2000 season, some interesting statistical trends have developed as compared to last year. As a team, Wake Forest is attempting 10.0 more 2pt-field goals per game than last season, while the Demon Deacons are taking 3.2 less 3pt-field goals per contest. Overall, the Deacs are taking (6.8) and making (5.0) more field goals per game the season as opposed to last year.
1998-99 vs. 1999-00
| Year | All FGA | FGM | 2pt Att | 2pt M | 3pt Att | 3pt M |
| 1998-99 | 52.3 | 22.5 | 34.5 | 16.4 | 17.9 | 6.2 |
| 1999-00 | 59.1 | 27.5 | 44.5 | 22.6 | 14.7 | 4.9 |
| Difference | +6.8 | +5.0 | +10.0 | +6.2 | -3.2 | -1.3 |
ODOM HITS 200 - Wake Forest's win over Campbell in the season opener was the 200th at the school for Demon Deacon head coach DAVE ODOM, who is now 11th on the ACC all-time victory list (208-110). He is on pace to surpass both Jim Valvano (209 wins at NC State) and Vic Bubas (213 at Duke) during the 1999-2000 campaign. Wake Forest's next win will tie Odom for 10th place on the ACC's all-time victory list. Odom's overall record as a head coach is now 246-152 including a three-year stint at East Carolina from 1980 through 1982.
On the Wake Forest career coaching list, Odom ranks 3rd behind Carl Tacy (222-149 record from 1973-1985) and the school's all-time victory leader, Murray Greason (288-243 from 1934-1957). Odom's 86 ACC victories (he's 86-70), however, are the most for any Demon Deacon coach.
A BALANCED ATTACK - The Demon Deacons are averaging 75.0 points, but no player is scoring more than 15 points per game. ROBERT O'KELLEY leads the Deacs with a 14.5 ppg average while DARIUS SONGAILA (10.7 ppg) is also scoring in double figures. A closer examination of the statistics reveals that seven different players are scoring over six points per game and nine different players are averaging at least four points per contest.
Double Digit Deacons
| Scoring | Rebounding | |
| Niki ARINZE | 3 times (Campbell, HPU, Oregon) | |
| Craig DAWSON | 4 times (Navy, Wisc., Temple, Ohio) | |
| Broderick HICKS | 2 tines (UMES, Arkansas) | |
| Josh HOWARD | 3 times (UMES, Arkansas, Ohio) | |
| Robert O'KELLEY | 10 times (9 straight, 21 of last 24 overall) | |
| Antwan SCOTT | 2 times (High Point, Arkansas) | once (Arkansas) |
| Josh SHOEMAKER | once (UMES) | |
| Darius SONGAILA | 7 times (19 of 26 overall) | |
| Rafael VIDAURRETA | 2 times (UMES, UGA) |
TIME SHARING - Through 12 games of the season, the Demon Deacons have operated with a very deep bench. Nine different players are averaging better than 10 minutes per game while no player is playing more over 32 minutes per contest. Junior ROBERT O'KELLEY, who averaged 35.0 mpg last season, leads the team with 32.0 mpg.
Thirteen different Demon Deacons played at least 10 minutes in the win over High Point on Dec. 17.
THREE-POINT STREAK CONTINUES - Wake Forest enters the game against Florida State having made at least one three-point field goal in 242 consecutive games. The last time that the Demon Deacons did not make a three-pointer was in a 1992 homecourt victory over Tulane.
DEACS IN THE "O-DOME" - The Demon Deacon overall record in Lawrence Joel Coliseum since the facility opened for the 1989-90 season is an excellent 127-29 (81.4% winning pct).
After winning just one league game in Joel in its inaugural campaign (1989-90), Wake Forest has won nearly 75% of its conference games (53-18) on its homecourt since 1990. North Carolina is the only ACC visitor to post a winning record in Joel Coliseum.
Wake's record in Joel includes an outstanding 73-5 mark against non-ACC foes. Non-conference losses suffered by the Deacons in Joel Coliseum have come to Colorado in January of 1991, California in December of 1993, Utah and Vanderbilt (in the NIT) during the 97-98 season, and Arkansas last year.
Deacon Homecourt Advantage - Record in Joel Coliseum
| Non-ACC | ACC | Overall | |
| 1989-90 | 7-0 | 1-6 | 8-6 |
| 1990-91 | 7-1 | 6-1 | 13-2 |
| 1991-92 | 8-0 | 5-3 | 13-3 |
| 1992-93 | 7-0 | 5-3 | 12-3 |
| 1993-94 | 7-1 | 6-2 | 13-3 |
| 1994-95 | 5-0 | 7-1 | 12-1 |
| 1995-96 | 6-0 | 8-0 | 14-0 |
| 1996-97 | 6-0 | 5-3 | 11-3 |
| 1997-98 | 7-2 | 5-3 | 12-5 |
| 1998-99 | 7-1 | 6-2 | 13-3 |
| 1999-00 | 6-0 | 0-0 | 6-0 |
| Totals | 73-5 | 54-24 | 127-29 |
| (93.6%) | (69.2%) | (81.4%) |
ACC SUCCESS - Since dropping their first 11 league contests and finishing with a 3-11 mark in the league in 1990, the Demon Deacons under head coach Dave Odom have achieved winning records against seven of their eight ACC foes, with only North Carolina holding an advantage over the Deacs the past nine years.
Wake Forest vs the ACC
| School | Last 6 yrs | Last 9 yrs |
| Clemson | 10-4 | 15-5 |
| Duke | 8-5 | 11-8 |
| Florida State | 9-4 | 9-8 |
| Georgia Tech | 8-6 | 11-9 |
| Maryland | 7-5 | 11-7 |
| North Carolina | 5-10 | 6-16 |
| NC State | 9-4 | 14-5 |
| Virginia | 10-4 | 14-8 |
| Totals | 66-42 | 91-66 |
| [61%] | [58%] |
ACC Regular Season Records in the 1990's
| School | W-L | Pct. |
| Duke | 109-47 | 69.9 |
| North Carolina | 108-48 | 69.2 |
| Wake Forest | 86-70 | 55.1 |
| Maryland | 80-76 | 51.3 |
| Georgia Tech | 73-83 | 46.8 |
| Florida State | 56-72 | 43.8 |
| Virginia | 69-87 | 44.2 |
| Clemson | 60-96 | 38.5 |
| NC State | 49-107 | 31.4 |
TOP HALF OF ACC - With a victory over NC State in its final regular season contest, Wake Forest claimed undisputed possession of 4th place in the final league standings for the 1999 campaign. The Demon Deacons have now finished in the top half of the ACC regular season standings (4th place or higher including ties) seven consecutive years.
NINE STRAIGHT POSTSEASON TRIPS - The Demon Deacons made a ninth straight postseason appearance with their participation in the 1999 NIT. That streak of nine straight postseason trips ranks second among ACC schools, seven of which took part in either the NCAA Tournament or NIT last year.
Consecutive Postseason Appearances by ACC Schools
| North Carolina | 33 |
| WAKE FOREST | 9 |
| Clemson | 7 |
| Maryland | 6 |
| Duke | 4 |
| NC State | 3 |
| Georgia Tech | 2 |
The Wake Forest Record When...
| At Home | 6-0 |
| On Opponent Court | 2-0 |
| On Neutral Court | 1-3 |
| Leading at Halftime | 7-2 |
| Trailing at Halftime | 1-1 |
| Leading with 10:00 Left | 8-2 |
| Trailing with 10:00 Left | 0-1 |
| Final Margin Fewer than 5 Pts | 0-2 |
| Final Margin 5-to-9 Pts | 4-0 |
| Final Margin in Double Figures | 5-1 |
| WF Scores 80+ Pts | 4-0 |
| WF Scores 70+ Pts | 4-0 |
| WF Scores 60+ Pts | 1-2 |
| WF Scores Under 60 Pts | 0-1 |
| WF Shoots 50%+ | 4-1 |
| WF Shoots Under 50% | 5-2 |
| Opponent Shoots 50%+ | 0-1 |
| WF Atts More FTs than Opp | 9-1 |
| WF Out-Rebounds Opp | 8-1 |
| Opp Out-Rebounds WF | 1-2 |
