Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest Basketball Notes
11/5/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 5, 2001
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Wake Forest vs. Gulbene Buki
Exhibition #2 - Nov. 7, 2001
Lawrence Joel Coliseum (14,665)
Winston-Salem, NC
Tip-Off: 7:00 p.m.
Television: None
Radio: None
The Records: Wake Forest is 1-0 in exhibition play after whipping an outmanned Nike Elite team, 108-65, last Friday at Lawrence Joel Coliseum. Gulbene Buki is 1-0 on its United States tour following an 83-80 win at Albany Saturday night. Gulbene Buki plays at Liberty Monday night.
The Rankings: The ESPN/USA Today poll does not rank Wake Forest in the top 25, although the Deacons are receiving votes. Wake would be ranked 28th. The Associated Press poll has not been released yet.
WFU Coach Skip Prosser: Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy '72) is 0-0 in his first season at Wake Forest. In eight years overall as a head coach, including one season at Loyola (MD) and seven seasons at Xavier, Prosser has a career record of 165-78. Gulbene Buki Coach Janis Zeltins: Zeltins is head coach of Vientspils in the Latvian National League.
The Series History: None.
The Officials: Announced on game day.
Deacons Wrap Up Exhibition Play Wednesday Night
Wake Forest will play its final tune-up Wednesday night in preparation for the Nov. 12 season opener against UNC-Wilmington. Wednesday's exhibition game will pit the Deacons against a team from Latvia called Gulbene Buki. The game tips off at 7 p.m. and will not be televised. Wake Forest won its exhibition opener, 108-65, last Friday against Nike Elite. Gulbene Buki defeated Albany (83-80) Saturday night and plays at Liberty on Monday. Gulbene Buki features six players who played on the Latvian National Team, the Latvian Under 20 and Under 18 National Teams and other national team candidates. In Saturday's win at Albany, Arturs Brunins paced Gulbene Buki with 20 points and Agris Galvanovskis added 17 points.
Wake Forest Rolls To 108-65 Win In Exhibition Opener
Wake Forest jumped out to a 54-37 halftime lead and cruised to a 108-65 win over Nike Elite in an exhibition game Friday night at Lawrence Joel Coliseum. Senior Antwan Scott scored 22 points in just 21 minutes to pace the Deacons. Scott was 8-of-9 from the floor, 6-of-7 from the line and recorded a team-high four steals. Josh Howard added 18 points and eight rebounds and Darius Songaila and Craig Dawson scored 11 points each for Wake. The Deacons out-rebounded Nike Elite, 51-28, and forced 28 turnovers.
Deacons Picked To Finish Fifth In ACC By The Media
Duke was the overwhelming choice to finish first in the ACC as voted on by the media Oct. 28 at ACC Operation Basketball. Wake Forest was picked to finish fifth -- the same place the Deacons finished in 2000-01. Duke earned 661 out of a possible 666 points. The Blue Devils were followed by Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina and Wake Forest. Georgia Tech was predicted to finish sixth, followed by NC State, Florida State and Clemson.
ACC Preseason Poll Rk. Team 1st Place Total Points 1. Duke 69 661 2. Maryland 5 596 3. Virginia 483 4. North Carolina 421 5. Wake Forest 407 6. Georgia Tech 254 7. NC State 242 8. Florida State 140 9. Clemson 126
The Skip Prosser Era Begins At Wake Forest
Skip Prosser, who has compiled a 165-78 record in eight seasons as a head coach, takes over at Wake Forest this season. Prosser comes to Winston-Salem after serving seven seasons as the head coach at Xavier, where he compiled a record of 148-65 (.695) and led the Musketeers to six postseason appearances. A 1972 graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Prosser's teams won 20 games or more six times in seven years at Xavier. He has the 18th-highest winning percentage among active Division I coaches and he helped Xavier earn one of the nation's highest graduation rates. Joining Prosser on the coaching staff will be former Xavier assistants Jeff Battle and Dino Gaudio and former Musketeer players Chris Mack (assistant coach) and Pat Kelsey (director of basketball operations).
Winningest Active Division I Coaches Rk. Coach, Current School Pct. 1. Jerry Tarkanian, Fresno State .802 2. John Kresse, Charleston .801 3. Roy Williams, Kansas .800 4. Rick Majerus, Utah .742 4. Jim Boeheim, Syracuse .742 6. Rick Pitino, Louisville .739 7. Lute Olson, Arizona .738 8. Tom Izzo, Michigan State .736 8. Bob Huggins, Cincinnati .736 10. John Chaney, Temple .734 11. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke .731 12. Nolan Richardson, Arkansas .721 13. Eddie Sutton, Oklahoma State .716 14. John Calipari, Memphis .712 15. Tubby Smith, Kentucky .711 16. Jim Calhoun, Connecticut .682 17. Mike Montgomery, Stanford .680 18. Skip Prosser, Wake Forest .679 19. Larry Eustachy, Iowa State .673 20. Billy Tubbs, TCU .672 *Entering the 2001-02 season
Experience On Deacons' Side As Five Veteran Seniors Return
Five fourth-year seniors who have played key roles for Wake Forest the previous three seasons, are back in the fold in 2001-02. Combined, those five seniors have played in a 475 games. The five seniors: shooting guard Craig Dawson, point guard Broderick Hicks, guard Ervin Murray and forwards Antwan Scott and Darius Songaila. An honorable mention All-ACC selection last season, Songaila will leave Wake ranked among the all-time leaders in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots.
Career Games Played/WFU History Rk. Player (Years) Games 1. Tim Duncan (1994-1997) 128 2. Robert O'Kelley (1998-01) 127 3. Josh Shoemaker (1998-01) 126 4. Danny Young (1981-1984) 122 Tony Rutland (1995-98) 122 6. Anthony Teachey (1981-84) 121 7. Frank Johnson (1977-81) 120 Randolph Childress (1991, 93-95) 120 9. Tyrone Bogues (1984-87) 119 Rafael Vidaurreta (1998-01) 119 11. Lee Garber (1982-85) 116 12. Trelonnie Owens (1991-94) 115 Jerry Braswell (1995-98) 115 nr. Broderick Hicks (1998- ) 97 Darius Songaila (1998- ) 96 Antwan Scott (1998- ) 95 Craig Dawson (1998- ) 94 Ervin Murray (1998- ) 93
Deacons Just Outside Of First ESPN/USA Today Poll
Wake Forest was not ranked in the first ESPN/USA Today top 25 of the season, but the Deacons were listed third among teams receiving votes. The Associated Press poll, which has ranked Wake Forest for 19 consecutive weeks, has not been released. Five Wake Forest opponents are in the ESPN/USA Today top 25 including three teams -- Duke, Maryland and Kansas -- ranked in the top 10.
Deacons Open 2001-02 Season Monday Against UNC-Wilmington
Wake Forest, making its first ever appearance in the Preseason NIT, kicks off the 2001-02 season Monday night in Lawrence Joel Coliseum against UNC-Wilmington (7 p.m./no TV). The winner of Monday's game will play either Arkansas or Maine in the second round of the Preseason NIT Friday at a site to be determined. Wake Forest and UNC-Wilmington posted identical 19-11 records last year. The Deacons advanced to the NCAA Tournament -- their 11th consecutive postseason appearance. The Seahawks earned an NIT bid -- their third postseason appearance in four years. UNCW is led by junior guard Brett Blizzard, the Colonial Athletic Association preseason player of the year and a two-time All-CAA selection. Blizzard averaged 13.8 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists last season. He also sank 78 three-point field goals in 30 games.
The Wake Forest-UNCW Series History
- Wake Forest leads the series, 9-0. - Wake won the last meeting between the two teams, 56-52, in the 1998 postseason NIT. - Four out of the last five meetings have been decided by four points or less. - The Deacons are 8-0 all-time at home against the Seahawks. - The only meeting between the two teams outside of Winston-Salem came in the first contest between the two teams -- an 83-79 Wake Forest win at UNCW in 1977-78. - Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser has never faced UNC-Wilmington previously. - UNCW's Jerry Wainwright is 0-1 all-time against Wake Forest. - Wake Forest is 46-12 all-time against teams currently in the Colonial Athletic Association.
Wainwright Returns To Old Stomping Ground
UNC-Wilmington head coach Jerry Wainwright returns to a place he worked for nine years when his Seahawks come to Wake Forest on Monday. Wainwright served nine seasons as a Demon Deacon assistant coach, from 1985-86 to 1993-94. Wainwright first worked under Bob Staak and later under Dave Odom. Monday's game marks the second time Wainwright has returned to Winston-Salem to play Wake Forest. In 1998, his Seahawks fell to the Deacons in the postseason NIT at Lawrence Joel Coliseum. More Wake Forest-UNCW connections: - Wainwright and current Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser both previously worked as an assistant coach at Xavier. Wainwright worked one season at Xavier (1984-85) before following Bob Staak to Wake Forest. Prosser worked as a Xavier assistant coach from 1985-93 before taking over as the Musketeers' head coach in 1994-95. - UNC-Wilmington sophomore forward Joel Justus is the son of John and Mary Ann Justus. Mary Ann currently works as a secretary in the Wake Forest basketball office. John previously served as the SID at Wake Forest for 16 years and also as the SID at UNC-Wilmington. - Wake Forest assistant athletic director for media relations Dean Buchan is a UNC-Wilmington graduate.
Josh Howard Is Second Team Preseason All-ACC
Junior forward Josh Howard was named second team Preseason All-ACC in a vote by the media. Howard finished the 2000-01 season on the All-ACC second team. The preseason All-ACC first team includes Jason Williams (Duke), Mike Dunleavy (Duke), Carlos Boozer (Duke), Juan Dixon (Maryland) and Lonny Baxter (Maryland). Howard received 11 first team votes.
