Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Men's Hoops Closes Out Regular Season Home Schedule
2/25/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 25, 2000
WAKE FOREST (14-13, 5-9 in ACC) vs. GEORGIA TECH (12-14, 4-9)
February 27, 2000 -- 2:00 pm
Lawrence Joel Coliseum
Wake Forest closes out the 1999-2000 regular season home schedule this afternoon against Georgia Tech in what will mark the final home game of Demon Deacon seniors Jim Fitzpatrick and Tim Fuller. Wake Forest is coming off a 96-78 loss to 2nd-ranked Duke on Tuesday night. The Deacs, who defeated the Yellow Jackets 60-46 earlier this season in Atlanta, are looking for a series sweep of Georgia Tech for the first time since 1997 and for just the fourth time since the ACC series began in 1980. Today's game will be televised regionally by CBS.
PROBABLE DEMON DEACON LINEUP
| No. | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Class | PPG | RPG |
| 4 | Robert O'Kelley | G | 6'1 | Jr. | 13.9 | 1.9 |
| 31 | Ervin Murray | G | 6'5 | So. | 2.7 | 1.8 |
| 41 | Rafael Vidaurreta | C | 6'9 | Jr. | 4.3 | 6.7 |
| 5 | Josh Howard | F | 6'6 | Fr. | 8.2 | 4.6 |
| 25 | Darius Songaila | F | 6'9 | So. | 13.2 | 5.2 |
TOP RESERVES
| 42 | Craig Dawson | G/F | 6'5 | So. | 8.0 | 2.1 |
| 44 | Josh Shoemaker | F/C | 6'9 | Jr. | 5.0 | 4.9 |
| 34 | Antwan Scott | F | 6'8 | So. | 5.0 | 2.8 |
| 3 | Broderick Hicks | G | 6'1 | So. | 4.1 | 1.4 |
| 10 | Jim Fitzpatrick | G | 6'0 | Sr. | 0.3 | 0.5 |
| 52 | Tate Decker | F | 6'11 | Jr. | 2.6 | 2.1 |
HEAD COACH - Dave Odom
(11th year at Wake Forest) / Won 213, Lost 120
(14th year Overall) / Won 251, Lost 162
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 five different lineups over the next 10 games. Sophomore ERVIN MURRAY was inserted into the starting lineup on Feb. 15 against NC State, replacing senior JIM FITZPATRICK, and the Deacs have used the above listed lineup in each of the last three games. Wake Forest has used eight different lineups this season while 10 different players have started at least one game. Center RAFAEL VIDAURRETA is the only individual to start all 26 games, and Vidaurreta and DARIUS SONGAILA have started all 13 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 closes out the regular season on Thursday at Virginia (7:00 / ESPN2) before traveling to Charlotte for the ACC Tournament (March 9-12).
Wake Forest vs. Georgia Tech
THE SERIES - Wake Forest has won two in a row over Georgia Tech to deadlock the all-time series between the two schools at 23 wins apiece as the Demon Deacons and Yellow Jackets meet for the 47th time this evening. Their first ever encounter came in the 1949 Dixie Classic in Raleigh, with Tech capturing a 64-57 verdict. Wake won twice in a pair of 1960s meetings before the rivalry was resumed when the Jackets joined the ACC in 1980.
THIS YEAR'S FIRST MEETING - Wake Forest took a 60-40 decision on January 27th in Atlanta, led by a stingy defense that held Georgia Tech to 32.7% shooting from the floor and 21.1% from three-point range while outrebounding the Yellow Jackets, 40-28. The Demon Deacons built a 26-6 lead over the first 10 minutes of the game and cruised to a 37-19 halftime lead. Georgia Tech clawed back to cut the lead to 12 points on a three-pointer from Tony Akins with 4:45 to play, but Wake Forest converted on five of six free throw attempts in the final 1:15 to seal the 14-point victory.
As a team, Wake Forest shot just 37.7% from the field, but the Deacs connected on 17 of 24 free throws and committed just 12 turnovers in the victory. Guard ROBERT O'KELLEY paced the Deacons with 16 points while freshman JOSH HOWARD added 14 points, nine rebounds, four assists and two steals. Jason Collier (16 points) and Sean Fein (12 points) scored in double figures for the Yellow Jackets.
IN JOEL COLISEUM - Wake Forest is 7-3 versus Georgia Tech in this building after taking a 67-58 victory here last February. The Demon Deacons dropped decisions to the Yellow Jackets in Joel Coliseum in 1990 (the building's first season of operation), 1993 and 1998.
Noting the Demon Deacons
SENIOR DAY TODAY - Today's game marks the final regular season home game for Wake Forest seniors TIM FULLER and JIM FITZPATRICK. Both players are former walk-ons to the program who each earned scholarships for their final season. Fuller (majoring in communications) and Fitzpatrick (sociology) will both earn their degrees From Wake Forest this May.
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 had stepped into the starting lineup at the point guard position in four straight games before being replaced by sophomore ERVIN MURRAY in the last three contests.
MURRAY AT THE POINT - Sophomore guard ERVIN MURRAY has stepped into the starting lineup at the point guard position in the last three contests, providing the solid defense, play-making and ball handling skills that put him into the starting lineup in 14 games in 1998-99. He has come on strong of late, and over the last five games Murray is averaging 27.8 minutes, 6.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
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 13.9 turnovers per game.
DEACS HIT MAGIC NUMBER OF "70" - Wake Forest is 10-1 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 doing so in three of the last five games. Duke became the first team to defeat the Demon Deacons when they scored over 70 points (a 96-78 loss on Tuesday night). Wake is just 4-12 when scoring under 70 points, including a 0-4 mark when failing to break the 60-point plateau.
DEACONS BEGIN WITH "D" - Wake Forest under head coach Dave Odom has always been known for its solid defensive play, and this year is no exception. The Demon Deacons lead the ACC in scoring defense, allowing just 64.4 points per game in all games and 68.6 ppg in ACC games only.
DEFENSE DOES THE JOB - Fourteen of 27 opponents have shot under 43% from the floor against Wake Forest this year -- the Demon Deacons are 13-1 in those games. Florida State became the first team to shoot under 43% (38.8%) and win the game on Feb. 5 in Tallahassee. When the opposition has shot over 43%, the Deacs are just 1-12.
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.
AT THE HALF - Wake Forest has held a halftime lead in 16 of 27 games, and the Deacons are 12-4 in those contests. However, since building a halftime lead in 12 of the first 14 games, Wake has trailed at the half in nine of the last 13 contests.
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 20-6 this year (although Wake Forest is just 12-6 when attempting more charity tosses). [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 66.1%. from the line (the second lowest figure in the ACC). However things are improving -- the Deacs have hit 80-of-102 attempts (78.4%) from the free throw line in the last four games.
THREE-POINT ACCURACY DOWN - Wake Forest has struggled with their long range accuracy this season. The Deacons are shooting 31.1% behind the arc, the lowest team mark since the three-point shot was instituted in 1986-87.
That percentage has taken a downturn since the new year -- the Deacs are hitting just 29.7% on long range attempts in 14 ACC games. In fact, the Deacs have failed to shoot at least 30% from 3-point territory in eight of the last 12 games.
THREE-POINT STREAK CONTINUES - Wake Forest enters the game against Georgia Tech having made at least one three-point field goal in 257 consecutive games. The last time that the Demon Deacons 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 1,411 points, good for 16th place on the Wake Forest all-time scoring list. O'Kelley needs 27 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- ) | 1,415 |
O'KELLEY ENTERS ELITE COMPANY - With 15 points at North Carolina, ROBERT O'KELLEY became only the sixth junior in Wake Forest history to score 1,400 points. 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
(1400+ 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- ) | 1,415 |
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 currently leads the team in scoring in ACC games only (15.5 ppg), he currently ranks 3rd in the conference in free throw percentage (85.5%), 3rd in field goal percentage (53.9%), and 11th in scoring 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 25 of 27 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 3rd on the team in both scoring (8.2 ppg) and rebounding (4.6 rpg). In the last six games, however, Howard is averaging 12.0 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.0 steals per contest.
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 18th on the Wake Forest career rebounding chart with 582 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 |
| ........ | |
| 16. Lefty Davis (53-56) | 618 |
| 17. Frank Christie (62-64) | 600 |
| 18. Rafael Vidaurreta (98- ) | 582 |
MORE GLASS NOTES - RAFAEL VIDAURRETA needs just 18 more rebounds to become the fifth WFU player to grab at least 600 rebounds by the end of his junior season. Below are the school's all-time rebounding leaders at the end of their junior season.
Deacon Junior Rebounding Leaders
(600+ Rebounds at End of Junior Year)
| Dickie Hemric (1952-55) | 1,287 | |
| Tim Duncan (1994-97) | 1,113 | |
| Rodney Rogers (1991-93) | 705 | |
| Rod Griffin (1975-78) | 656 | |
| RAFAEL VIDAURRETA (1998- ) | 582 |
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 tied for 9th place on the ACC's all-time victory list (213-120). Wake Forest's win over NC State moved Odom into a tie for 9th place on the ACC's all-time victory list with Duke legend Vic Bubas. Odom's overall record as a head coach is now 251-161 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 91 ACC victories (he's 91-79), however, are the most for any Demon Deacon coach and the 10th highest in ACC history.
DOUBLE DIGIT DEACONS - Ten 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 24) while SONGAILA has scored in double figures on 20 occasions (including 31 of the last 43 overall dating to last season).
Double Digit Deacons
| Scoring | Rebounding | |
| Niki ARINZE | 3 times | |
| Craig DAWSON | 8 times | |
| Broderick HICKS | 2 times | |
| Josh HOWARD | 10 times (7 of last 10) | once (NC State) |
| Ervin MURRAY | once (Maryland) | |
| Robert O'KELLEY | 21 times (20 of 24) | |
| Antwan SCOTT | 4 times | once (Arkansas) |
| Josh SHOEMAKER | 2 times | |
| Darius SONGAILA | 20 times (14 of 17) | once (Maryland) |
| Rafael VIDAURRETA | 2 times (2 of last 3) | 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 27 games, the Wake Forest bench is averaging 25.9 points per game while the starting five has totaled 43.0 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 seven times.
TIME SHARING - Through 27 games, the Demon Deacons have operated with a very deep bench. Ten different players are averaging better than 10 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 33.9 mpg.
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 |
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 | 8-7 | 9-6 | 9-6 | 7-7 | 6-11 | 10-5 | 10-5 | 71-51 |
| Last 10 Years* | 17-5 | 11-10 | 9-10 | 12-9 | 11-9 | 7-17 | 15-6 | 14-9 | 96-75 |
* - includes 1999-2000 season
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 130-33 (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 (56-22) 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 | 3-4 | 9-4 | |
| Totals | ? | 73-5 | 57-28 | 130-33 | |
| ? | ? | (93.6%) | (67.1%) | (79.8%) |
vs. The ACC in Joel Coliseum
| Clemson | 10-1 | ? | Maryland | 7-4 | |
| Duke | 5-6 | ? | North Carolina | 5-6 | |
| Florida State | 6-3 | ? | NC State | 9-2 | |
| 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 | 9-4 |
| On Opponent Court | 4-6 |
| On Neutral Court | 1-3 |
| Leading at Halftime | 12-4 |
| Trailing at Halftime | 2-9 |
| Leading with 10:00 Left | 13-3 |
| Trailing with 10:00 Left | 1-10 |
| Final Margin Fewer than 5 Pts | 0-3 |
| Final Margin 5-to-9 Pts | 5-4 |
| Final Margin in Double Figures | 9-6 |
| WF Scores 80+ Pts | 4-0 |
| WF Scores 70-79 Pts | 6-1 |
| WF Scores 60-69 Pts | 4-8 |
| WF Scores Under 60 Pts | 0-4 |
| WF Shoots 50%+ | 5-2 |
| WF Shoots Under 50% | 9-11 |
| Opponent Shoots 50%+ | 0-4 |
| WF Atts More FTs than Opp | 12-5 |
| WF Out-Rebounds Opp | 10-8 |
| Opp Out-Rebounds WF | 4-5 |
