Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons Open Two-Game Homestand
2/14/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 14, 2000
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest opens a critical two-game homestand this evening when the Demon Deacons entertain NC State. A Wake Forest win tonight would tie the Deacs with the Wolfpack for fifth place in the ACC standings heading into Saturday afternoon's showdown with Maryland. NC State won the first meeting of the year between the schools, 76-57 in Raleigh. Tonight's game will be televised regionally on the ACC Television Network.
WAKE FOREST (13-11, 4-7 in ACC) vs NC STATE (15-7, 5-6)
February 15, 2000 -- 8:00 pm -- Lawrence Joel Coliseum
PROBABLE DEMON DEACON LINEUP
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Class | PPG | RPG |
| 4 | Robert O'Kelley | G | 6'1 | Jr. | 15.0 | 2.0 |
| 10 | Jim Fitzpatrick | G | 6'0 | Sr. | 0.4 | 0.5 |
| 41 | Rafael Vidaurreta | C | 6'9 | Jr. | 3.7 | 6.8 |
| 5 | Josh Howard | F | 6'6 | Fr. | 7.8 | 4.1 |
| 25 | Darius Songaila | F | 6'9 | So. | 12.0 | 4.9 |
TOP RESERVES
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Class | PPG | RPG |
| 42 | Craig Dawson | G/F | 6'5 | So. | 8.0 | 2.3 |
| 44 | Josh Shoemaker | F/C | 6'9 | Jr. | 5.3 | 5.0 |
| 34 | Antwan Scott | F | 6'8 | So. | 5.0 | 2.8 |
| 3 | Broderick Hicks | G | 6'1 | So. | 4.5 | 1.5 |
| 31 | Ervin Murray | G | 6'5 | So. | 2.0 | 1.4 |
| 52 | Tate Decker | F | 6'11 | Jr. | 2.8 | 2.2 |
HEAD COACH - Dave Odom (11th year at Wake Forest) / Won 212, Lost 118
(14th year Overall) / Won 250, Lost 160
THE LINEUP - The Demon Deacons used the same starting lineup listed in 11 of the first 15 games this season (O'KELLEY, HOWARD, VIDAURRETA, ARINZE, SONGAILA) before using four different lineups in the next five games. Senior JIM FITZPATRICK became the 10th different Demon Deacon to start a game this season Feb. 2 at Davidson when he replaced Arinze in the starting five, and the Deacs have used the starting lineup listed above in each of the last four games. Wake Forest has used seven different lineups this season, while RAFAEL VIDAURRETA is the only individual to start all 24 games. Vidaurreta and DARIUS SONGAILA have started all 11 ACC contests.
In all, 11 different Deacons have started at least one game in their career while eight 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.
UPCOMING - Wake Forest wraps up this current "mini" two-game homestand on Saturday afternoon versus Maryland (4:00 / RJ, ESPN2) before returning to the road next Tuesday at Duke (8:00 / RJ). Four games remain on the 1999-2000 regular season schedule after tonight, two of which will be played in Winston-Salem's Joel Coliseum.
Wake Forest vs. NC State
THE SERIES - Tonight's game is the 207th meeting between Wake Forest and NC State in a series that dates back to 1911. The two schools have met at least twice every year since then except in 1915 and 1944.
NC State holds a 122-84 advantage in the series. The Wolfpack has won three of the last four meetings, snapping a streak where Wake Forest won 14 of 17 games played from 1990 through 1998. The Demon Deacons are 15-7 against the Wolfpack under head coach Dave Odom.
THIS YEAR'S FIRST MEETING - NC State took a 76-56 decision on January 16th in Raleigh, thanks to an outstanding performance from guard Anthony Grundy who scored a career-high 30 points. With NC State leading 21-20 at the 7:57 mark in the first half, the Wolfpack closed the period on a 13-2 run to build a 12-point lead at halftime (34-22). The Demon Deacons cut the lead to seven points (48-41) with 8:55 to play, but could not draw any closer as NC State pulled away for the 20-point victory. Wake Forest shot just 36.8% from the floor while NC State hit 51.3% of its field goal attempts and connected on 31 of 37 free throws (83.8%).
ROBERT O'KELLEY led the Demon Deacons with 15 points while DARIUS SONGAILA added 14 points and eight rebounds. Justin Gainey (13 pts) and Damien Wilkins (12 pts) joined Grundy in double figures for the Wolfpack.
IN JOEL COLISEUM - The Demon Deacons hold an 8-2 edge over the Wofpack here on the Joel parquet. NC State won on its first visit to this building in 1990, then again in 1997 when a three-point shot by CC Harrison at the buzzer dealt Wake Forest a 60-59 overtime defeat. The Demon Deacons won here last year, 74-45.
Noting the Demon Deacons
ARINZE OUT FOR THE SEASON - Sophomore forward Niki Arinze, a starter in 18 games this year, will miss the remainder of the 1999-2000 season after being diagnosed with a dislocating tendon near his right ankle. School medical officials confirmed the diagnosis of a subluxing peroneal tendon on Monday evening with a MRI. The injury limits Arinze's ability to make sharp cuts or jump off his right ankle. The Wake Forest medical staff will use an initial conservative treatment of placing Arinze in a walking boot for the next four to six weeks. At that point his condition will be reevaluated to determine if other medical procedures will be necessary.
Arinze, who missed all but five games last year with a dislocated left shoulder, played in each of the team's first 21 games this season before suffering the injury. The 6'5 forward was averaging 5.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
KEY STRETCH BEGINS - Of course all games within the ACC are important, but this evening's game against NC State is part of a critical two-game homestand where the Demon Deacons will play two teams just ahead of them in the league standings. Wake Forest (currently 4-7 in conference play) hosts NC State (5-6 in ACC) tonight and Maryland (6-4) on Saturday afternoon in Joel Coliseum, giving the Deacs an outstanding opportunity to move up in the ACC standings.
DEFENSIVE MATCHUP - Tonight's game pits the top two scoring defenses in the ACC against one another. Wake Forest leads the conference in scoring defense, allowing 62.3 ppg, while NC State is second in that department with a 63.6 ppg.
LINEUP ADJUSTMENT - Wake Forest made a lineup adjustment prior to the game at Davidson on Feb. 2, moving junior ROBERT O'KELLEY off the point and to the shooting guard position in an attempt to get him better looks at the basket and jump-start his offense. Senior JIM FITZPATRICK has stepped into the starting lineup at the point guard position in the last four games, while sophomore ERVIN MURRAY has seen added time in the last two contests (24.0 mins per game) and performed well (6.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.0 apg). O'Kelley has responded with 64 points in the last four games (16.0 ppg) while totaling 12 assists and just three turnovers in 151 minutes of play.
DEACS HIT MAGIC NUMBER OF "70" - Wake Forest is a perfect 9-0 when the Deacons score 70 or more points this season. The Deacs had not topped 70 points for 12 straight games (since Dec. 29 vs Ohio) before scoring 79 in last Tuesday's win over Clemson. Wake is just 4-11 when scoring under 70 points, including a 0-4 mark when failing to break the 60-point plateau.
DEFENSE DOES THE JOB - Thirteen of 24 opponents have shot under 43% from the floor against Wake Forest this year -- the Demon Deacons are 12-1 in those games. Florida State became the first team to shoot under 43% (38.8%) and win the game last weekend in Tallahassee. When the opposition has shot over 43%, the Deacs are just 1-10.
CLOSE CALLS - Three of Wake Forest's losses this season have come by two points or less. Two defeats came with the opponents hitting a very difficult shot within the final five seconds of the game -- Georgia's Adrian Jones hit a three-pointer at the buzzer and Oregon's Alex Scales hit a fade-away 16-footer with four seconds left. Wake lost to Florida State, 66-64, on Jan. 4. Wake Forest is now 1-5 in games decided by five points or less. In contrast, the Deacs are 12-6 in games decided by more than five points.
AT THE HALF - Wake Forest has held a halftime lead in 15 of 24 games, and the Deacons are 11-4 in those contests. However, since building a halftime lead in 12 of the first 14 games, Wake has trailed at the half in seven of the last 10 contests.
A SENIOR CITIZEN - When JIM FITZPATRICK joined the starting lineup for the Davidson game, he became the first senior to start a game for the Deacons this season. Wake Forest had been one of only two teams in the ACC that have not had a senior in the starting lineup at any point this season (Maryland was the other). The other seven conference schools have already had one or more seniors start games this season.
Wake Forest gained attention two years ago when the Deacs became the first team in ACC history to start five freshman in a league game. Those freshmen are now juniors and last year's freshmen are now sophomores, but the Deacs are still a team with no four-year scholarship seniors (former walk-ons Tim Fuller and Jim Fitzpatrick were both awarded scholarships for their final season).
GETTING TO THE LINE IMPORTANT - The old adage that whomever attempts more free throws will usually win the game certainly holds true this season. The team that has shot more free throws is 18-5 this year -- including a 11-5 mark by Wake Forest. [Temple and Wake Forest each shot 23 free throws].
INCONSISTENT AT THE LINE - While the Deacons have been successful in getting to the free throw line this season (22.5 attempts per game), they have struggled to capitalize on that advantage for much of the season. As a team, Wake Forest is shooting just 65.1%. from the line (the second lowest figure in the ACC). The Deacs had just 51.7% (30-58) from the stripe in three previous games before hitting 44-of-57 attempts (77.2%) in the last two games.
TAKING CARE OF THE BALL - Wake Forest has done a solid job of protecting the basketball this season, and the Deacs lead the ACC with an average of 13.6 turnovers per game. In fact, Wake Forest has turned the ball over a total of 39 times (9.8 per game) in the last four games.
THREE-POINT ACCURACY DOWN - Wake Forest has struggled with their long range accuracy this season. The Deacons are shooting 30.9% behind the arc, the lowest team mark since the three-point shot was instituted in 1986-87.
The three-point shooting percentage has taken a downturn -- the Deacs are hitting just 28.8% on long range attempts in 11 ACC games. In fact, the Deacs have failed to shoot at least 30% from 3-point territory in seven of the last nine games.
THREE-POINT STREAK CONTINUES - Wake Forest enters the NC State game having made at least one three-point field goal in 254 consecutive games. The last time that the Deacs did not make a three-pointer was a 1992 homecourt victory over Tulane.
O'KELLEY CLIMBS THE CHARTS - Last season, guard ROBERT O'KELLEY became just the third player in Wake Forest history to reach the 1,000 point plateau by the end of his sophomore year (Dickie Hemric and Rodney Rogers are the others). O'Kelley currently has 1,400 points, good for 16th place on the Wake Forest all-time scoring list. O'Kelley needs 42 points to pass No. 15 Alvis Rogers (1979-83).
Wake Forest Career Scoring
| 1. Dickie Hemric (52-55) | 2,587 |
| 2. Randolph Childress (91-95) | 2,208 |
| 3. Len Chappell (60-62) | 2,165 |
| 4. Tim Duncan (94-97) | 2,117 |
| .. | |
| 14. Jack Williams (53-57) | 1,453 |
| 15. Alvis Rogers (79-83) | 1,441 |
| 16. Robert O'Kelley (98- ) | 1,400 |
O'KELLEY ENTERS ELITE COMPANY - With 15 last Saturday against North Carolina, ROBERT O'KELLEY became only the sixth junior in Wake Forest history to score 1,400 points. Last year, the Demon Deacon guard completed became only the third Wake Forest player to scored 1,000 points by the end of his sophomore season (joining Rodney Rogers and Dickie Hemric). Below is a list of the school's all-time scoring leaders at the end of their junior season. (Of course, from the mid-50s until the 1972-73 season freshmen did not play on the varsity level.)
Deacon Junior Scoring Leaders
(1300+ Points at End of Junior Year)
| Dickie Hemric (1952-55) | 1,841 |
| Rodney Rogers (1991-93) | 1,720 |
| Randolph Childress (1991-95) | 1,564 |
| Skip Brown (1974-77) | 1,476 |
| Tim Duncan (1994-97) | 1,472 |
| ROBERT O'KELLEY (1998- ) | 1,400 |
SONGAILA MAKES HIS MARK - Since returning to the lineup on a full time basis from a knee injury on Jan. 4 against Florida State, sophomore forward DARIUS SONGAILA has raised his level of play and is making a strong push for All-ACC honors. Songaila is second on the team in scoring in ACC games only (13.6 ppg), he currently ranks 1st in the conference in free throw percentage (85.7%), 3rd in field goal percentage (52.4%), and 10th in steals (1.4 per game) in league games only.
HOWARD IMPRESSES, TOO - Freshman JOSH HOWARD has made an impact as the only freshman on a team full of veteran players. Howard has started 22 of 24 games, an impressive feat considering that 10 other Demon Deacons had started at least one game in their career entering this season. He is currently 4th on the team in both scoring (7.8 ppg) and rebounding (4.1 rpg). In the last seven games, however, Howard's numbers have improved to 10.1 ppg and 5.9 rpg.
VIDAURRETA & THE GLASS - Junior RAFAEL VIDAURRETA became the 24th member of the 500 rebound club at Wake Forest against North Carolina on Jan. 12. He is currently 20th on the Wake Forest career rebounding chart with 562 boards.
Wake Forest Career Rebounding
| 1. Dickie Hemric (52-55) | 1,802 |
| 2. Tim Duncan (94-97) | 1,570 |
| 3. Len Chappell (60-62) | 1,213 |
| ... | |
| 19. Trelonnie Owens (91-94) | 581 |
| 19. Jim Johnstone (79-82) | 573 |
| 20. Rafael Vidaurreta (98- ) | 562 |
ODOM CRACKS ACC'S TOP 10 - 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 in 10th place on the ACC's all-time victory list (212-118). Wake Forest's win over North Carolina moved Odom into 10th place on the ACC's all-time victory list past NC State legend Jim Valvano. Odom's overall record as a head coach is now 250-160 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 90 ACC victories (he's 90-77), however, are the most for any Demon Deacon coach and the 10th highest in ACC history.
DOUBLE DIGIT DEACONS - Eight different Deacons have scored in double figures at least once this season. Only two Deacs (ROBERT O'KELLEY and DARIUS SONGAILA), though, are averaging more than 10 points per contest. O'KELLEY has reached double digits in 21 games (including 20 of the last 21) while SONGAILA has scored in double figures on 17 occasions (including 28 of the last 40 overall dating to last season).
Double Digit Deacons
| Scoring | Rebounding | |
| Niki ARINZE | 3 times | |
| Craig DAWSON | 7 times | |
| Broderick HICKS | 2 times | |
| Josh HOWARD | 7 times (4 of last seven) | |
| Robert O'KELLEY | 21 times (20 of 21) | |
| Antwan SCOTT | 3 times | once (Arkansas) |
| Josh SHOEMAKER | 2 times | |
| Darius SONGAILA | 17 times (11 of 14) | |
| Rafael VIDAURRETA | 5 times |
POINTS OFF THE BENCH - Given Wake Forest's balanced offensive production, it comes as no surprise that the Demon Deacons have received solid contributions off the bench this season. Through 24 games, the Wake Forest bench is averaging 27.1 points per game while the starting five has totaled 41.4 ppg. The bench has actually outscored the starters on three occasions this season (Arkansas, High Point and MD-Eastern Shore) while the starting five has topped 50 points just four times.
TIME SHARING - Through 24 games, the Demon Deacons have operated with a very deep bench. Ten different players are averaging better than nine minutes per game while only one player is playing more than 30 minutes per contest. ROBERT O'KELLEY, who averaged 35.0 mpg last season, leads the team with 33.8 mpg.
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 six of their eight ACC foes, with only North Carolina and Florida State holding an advantage over the Deacs the past 10 years.
Wake Forest vs the ACC
| CLEM | DUKE | FSU | GT | MD | UNC | NCST | UVA | TOTAL | |
| Last 7 Years* | 12-4 | 8-6 | 9-6 | 9-6 | 7-6 | 6-11 | 9-5 | 10-5 | 70-49 |
| Last 10 Years* | 17-5 | 11-9 | 9-10 | 12-9 | 11-8 | 7-17 | 14-6 | 14-9 | 95-73 |
*includes 1999-2000 season
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 the past two seasons.
Consecutive Postseason Appearances by ACC Schools
| North Carolina | 33 | Duke | 4 |
| WAKE FOREST | 9 | NC State | 3 |
| Clemson | 7 | Georgia Tech | 2 |
| Maryland | 6 |
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 129-32 (80% 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 (55-21) on its homecourt since 1990. North Carolina and Duke are the only ACC visitors 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 Record | |
| 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 | 2-3 | 8-3 |
| Totals | 73-5 | 56-27 | 129-32 |
| (93.6%) | (67.5%) | (80.1%) |
vs. The ACC in Joel Coliseum
| Clemson | 10-1 | Maryland | 7-3 |
| Duke | 5-6 | North Carolina | 5-6 |
| Florida State | 6-3 | NC State | 8-2 |
| Georgia Tech | 7-3 | Virginia | 8-3 |
ALL IN THE FAMILY - Did you know that head coach DAVE ODOM's two sons, Lane and Ryan, are both involved in coaching at the Division I level? Lane is in his second season on the staff at UNC Charlotte after previously serving on the staffs at Alabama and East Carolina, while Ryan is in his first year at UNC Asheville after a stint at Furman.
"MARCH MADNESS" RETURNS TO JOEL - The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball championship returns to Winston-Salem and Joel Coliseum this spring. After hosting first and second round action of the event in both 1993 and 1997, Wake Forest and Joel Coliseum were selected as a host site for this year's event as well.
Winston-Salem and Buffalo, N.Y., will be the two sites for the first and second rounds of the East Region this spring, with gamedates set for March 17 and 19, 2000.
The Wake Forest Record When...
| At Home | 8-3 |
| On Opponent Court | 4-5 |
| On Neutral Court | 1-3 |
| Leading at Halftime | 11-4 |
| Trailing at Halftime | 2-7 |
| Leading with 10:00 Left | 12-3 |
| Trailing with 10:00 Left | 1-8 |
| Final Margin Fewer than 5 Pts | 0-3 |
| Final Margin 5-to-9 Pts | 5-3 |
| Final Margin in Double Figures | 8-5 |
| WF Scores 80+ Pts | 4-0 |
| WF Scores 70-79 Pts | 5-0 |
| WF Scores 60-69 Pts | 4-7 |
| WF Scores Under 60 Pts | 0-4 |
| WF Shoots 50%+ | 4-1 |
| WF Shoots Under 50% | 9-10 |
| Opponent Shoots 50%+ | 0-3 |
| WF Atts More FTs than Opp | 11-4 |
| WF Out-Rebounds Opp | 9-6 |
| Opp Out-Rebounds WF | 4-5 |
