Deacons Host St. Francis Wednesday Night
12/17/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 17, 2001
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#20 Wake Forest (7-2) vs. St. Francis (2-5)
Game #10 / Dec. 19, 2001 Lawrence Joel Coliseum (16,300) Winston-Salem, NC
Tip-Off: 7:00 p.m.
Television: None.
Radio: The Deacon Radio Network, distributed by ISP. Stan Cotten (play-by-play) and Mark Freidinger (color analysis) call the action.
The Records: Wake Forest is 7-2 after a 93-72 victory over visiting Florida State Sunday night in its ACC opener. St. Francis is 2-5 following an 88-67 loss at Howard on Saturday.
The Rankings: Wake Forest is ranked 20th in the Associated Press poll and 20th in the ESPN/USA Today poll. St. Francis is not ranked.
WFU Coach Skip Prosser: Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy '72) is 7-2 in his first season at Wake Forest. In nine years overall as a head coach, including one season at Loyola (MD) and seven seasons at Xavier, Prosser has a career record of 172-80.
St. Francis Coach Bobby Jones: Jones (Western Kentucky '84) is 21-41 in three seasons at St. Francis, 21-41 in three seasons overall.
The Series History: Wake Forest leads, 4-0. More series information on page two.
The Officials: Announced on game day.
Wake Forest Hosts St. Francis Wednesday Night At The Joel
Wake Forest, coming off a 93-72 win over Florida State Sunday night in the ACC opener, jumps back into non-conference action Wednesday night against St. Francis (PA) at Lawrence Joel Coliseum (7 p.m./no TV). The Demon Deacons, 7-2 overall, 1-0 in the ACC, are ranked 20th in the Associated Press poll and 20th in the ESPN/USA Today poll. Wake won its second straight game Sunday, beating Florida State 93-72 behind Darius Songaila's career-high 29 points. Wake Forest, which just concluded final exams, has been impressive in its last two outings -- a 40-point win over South Carolina State and Sunday's win over Florida State. Songaila has scored 54 points over the last two games and averages 18.6 points. St. Francis, 2-5, is coming off an 88-67 loss at Howard on Saturday. The Red Flash, who have four players averaging in double figures, will play the third of six consecutive road games Wednesday night. Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 4-0, although Wednesday's meeting will be the first since 1976. More series information can be found on page two. What's at stake for Wake Wednesday: - The Demon Deacons own a five-game homecourt winning streak. - Wake Forest would like to run its record to 7-0 this season against unranked teams. - The Deacons would like to continue their momentum heading into Saturday's game against St. John's at Madison Square Garden.
A Quick Look At The Deacons
Wake Forest has played just two games over the last two weeks, but both were impressive victories -- 115-75 over South Carolina State (Dec. 7) and 93-72 versus Florida State (Sunday night). The Demon Deacons, 7-2 overall and 1-0 in the ACC, like an up-tempo game. Wake averages 82.2 points per contest. The Deacs have done a good job on the boards, out-rebounding seven out of nine opponents, and they are among the ACC leaders in free throw percentage (.716). Senior Darius Songaila (18.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game), emerging as a prime candidate for All-ACC honors, has been on fire recently. Over the last two games, Songaila has averaged 27 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5 assists per game. Senior Antwan Scott (12.6 ppg., 5.7 rpg.) may be the ACC's most improved player. Scott is shooting 61.6 percent from the field, he ranks among the ACC leaders in blocked shots (19) and he has 29 dunks this season. Junior Josh Howard (12.1 ppg., 7.4 rpg.) broke out of a two-game scoring slump with 14 points Sunday against Florida State. Senior Craig Dawson (11.6 ppg.) leads the team with 25 three-point field goals. Senior Broderick Hicks (9.1 ppg., 3.6 apg.), who scored the first seven points of Sunday's game against the Seminoles, starts at the point guard position. Freshman Vytas Danelius (6.7 ppg.) has provided instant offense off the bench. Senior guard Ervin Murray doesn't score too often (1.9 ppg.) but he leads all non-starters in minutes played (16.4 mpg.). Freshman Jamaal Levy came off the bench for a career-high 15 points Sunday night.
Songaila Named ACC Player Of The Week, Levy ACC Rookie Of The Week
Wake Forest senior Darius Songaila was named the ACC co-Player of the Week on Monday following his career-high 29 points against Florida State Sunday night. Songaila, who has won the award once previously in his career, added five assists and three steals in the win over the Seminoles. Freshman Jamaal Levy, who came off the bench for a career-best 15 points, was named the ACC Rookie of the Week. Levy added seven rebounds and was 2-of-3 from three-point range against Florida State.
Wake Forest Off To Solid ACC Start With 93-72 Win Over Florida State
Wake Forest used a 13-0 run and a career-high 29 points from Darius Songaila to beat visiting Florida State, 93-72, in the ACC opener Sunday night. Songaila's 29 points came on 10-of-18 shooting, including 1-of-2 from three-point range, and he was 8-of-9 from the free throw line. The senior also matched a career-high with five assists and he chipped in three steals. Freshman Jamaal Levy came off the bench for a career-high 15 points, Josh Howard added 14 points and eight rebounds and Antwan Scott contributed 13 points for the Deacons. Wake Forest, which led 43-38 at the half, shot 55.7 percent, forced 22 Florida State turnovers and out-rebounded the visitors, 34-32. More from Sunday's win over Florida State: - Levy's 15 points were the most by any Deacon freshman in one game this season. - Songaila's 29 points were the most by any Deacon player in one game this season. - Florida State's 22 turnovers were the most by any Wake Forest opponent this season. - The Seminoles' first-half field goal percentage (.630) was the highest single-half field goal percentage by a Deacon opponent this season.
Deacon Streaks
- The Deacons have a five-game homecourt winning streak with a perfect 5-0 record this season. Wake has wins over UNC-Wilmington, Elon, Minnesota, SC State and Florida State. The Deacs' final two home games last season were losses to Final Four-bound Duke and Maryland. - Wake Forest has won four of its last five road games. - Wake Forest has made at least one three-point field goal in 264 consecutive games. - The Deacons are 4-0 this season in games decided by five points or less. - Wake has used the same starting lineup -- Broderick Hicks, Craig Dawson, Antwan Scott, Darius Songaila and Josh Howard -- in all nine games. - Songaila has scored in double figures in 10 straight games dating back to last season. - Dawson has made at least one three-point field goal in every game this season. Throw out the game against Maryland in last year's ACC Tournament when Dawson played just one minute before getting injured, he has made at least one three-pointer in 20 straight games.
Wake-St. Francis Series History
- Wake Forest leads the series, 4-0. - Wednesday's game will be the first meeting between the Deacons and Red Flash since the 1975-76 season. - Wake Forest is 2-0 at home all-time against St. Francis. Wednesday's game will be the first meeting at Lawrence Joel Coliseum. - The two teams first met in 1959-60 (a 94-60 WFU victory). - The Deacons are 16-0 all-time against teams from the Northeast Conference. Wake last played a Northeast Conference team last year in the season opener -- a 108-61 win over Mount St. Mary's. - Wake's Skip Prosser is 1-0 all-time against St. Francis. His Xavier team beat the Red Flash in 1995-96. - Wednesday's game marks the third straight year the Deacons have played a team from Pennsylvania. Wake lost to Villanova in 1999-00 and beat Temple last year.
Wednesday Night Tid-Bits - Wednesday's game will be Wake Forest's 10th of the season, yet the Deacons have not played a single game on a Saturday. That will change this Saturday when Wake plays at St. John's. - Wake's next two games -- vs. St. Francis and St. John's -- come against teams with the "St." prefix and a nickname that begins with "red": the Red Flash (St. Francis) and the Red Storm. - The leading scorer for Wake Forest (Darius Songaila) and for St. Francis (Reiner Mougnol) are from Lithuania and France, respectively.
Songaila Gaining Reputation As Clutch Performer...
Senior Darius Songaila has made the game-winning shot in two games this season decided by one point. Songaila hit a lay-up with 2.7 seconds remaining to lift Wake Forest to a 79-78 win over UNC-Wilmington in the season opener. Without Songaila's basket, Wake Forest would own a 3-2 record right now. Nov. 21 against Fresno State, Songaila's follow tip with 1.7 seconds left gave the Deacons a 62-61 win over the Bulldogs in the semifinals of the Preseason NIT at Madison Square Garden.
... And As A Great Passer
In each of the last two games, 6-9 post player Darius Songaila has led Wake Forest in assists. He matched a career-high with five assists Dec. 7 against South Carolina State, then reached the five-assists mark again Sunday night against Florida State. Songaila ranks third on the team in assists (2.6 apg.).
Scott Has Emerged As A Leader
Senior Antwan Scott, in his first year as a starter, is making the most of his senior season: - He leads the ACC in blocked shots (2.11). - Scott leads the team in minutes played (30.0). - He ranks fourth in the ACC in field goal percentage (.616). Over his last four games Scott is shooting 72.7 percent (24-of-33). - He ranks 15th in the ACC in scoring (12.6 ppg.) and 18th in rebounding (5.7 rpg.). - With 112 career blocked shots, Scott ranks sixth in Wake Forest history and is closing in on Rod Griffin (113 blocks) for fifth place. - He has scored in double figures in six straight games and in eight of nine games this season. - Throw out the Elon game, when he scored just two points, Scott would be averaging 13.9 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.
Antwan Scott This Season Last Season Minutes Per Game 30.0 16.2 Points Per Game 12.6 6.8 Rebounds Per Game 5.7 3.6 Field Goal Percentage 61.6 48.7 Blocks Per Game 2.1 1.3
Josh Howard Ranks Among The ACC Leaders In Four Categories
Junior Josh Howard's statistics demonstrate just how versatile he can be: - He ranks 16th in the ACC in scoring (12.1 points per game). - Howard ranks ninth in the ACC in rebounding (7.4 rpg.). - He ranks 12th in the ACC in field goal percentage (.522). - He is eighth in the ACC in steals (1.89 spg.). - He has scored in double figures five times and has one double-double.
Freshman Trio Making Immediate Impact For The Deacons
Wake Forest's three freshmen -- forwards Vytas Danelius and Jamaal Levy and guard Taron Downey -- are becoming more and more a part of the regular rotation. Danelius leads all non-starters in scoring (6.7 ppg.) while averaging nearly 15 minutes of action per game. He is shooting a lofty 65.7 percent from the field and 77.8 percent from the free throw line. Over his last three games, Danelius is averaging nearly nine points per contest. Levy showed a glimpse of his potential Sunday night against Florida State when he scored a career-high 15 points, grabbed seven rebounds and made two three-point field goals. Levy is becoming more a part of the regular rotation after missing a week of practice earlier in the season when he returned home to Panama for a family emergency. Downey was 2-of-2 from three-point range Dec. 7 against SC State, but his biggest asset this season has been running the point guard position in a dependable fashion. He has played in every game, averaging nearly eight minutes of action.
Deacons In National Polls For Fourth Straight Week
Wake Forest's only game last week was a 21-point victory over Florida State Sunday night, but the win wasn't good enough to move the Deacons up in the national polls. Wake, in fact, fell from 19th to 20th in the Associated Press poll and remained 20th in the ESPN/USA Today poll. Wake Forest has been ranked in both polls for four consecutive weeks and the Deacons have been in the AP poll in 23 of the last 24 weeks. Using the AP poll as an indicator, Wake Forest is facing one of the nation's most difficult schedules this season. Four of the nation's top five-ranked teams -- No. 1 Duke, No. 2 Maryland, No. 3 Kansas and No. 5 Virginia -- are on the Wake Forest schedule. Three other ranked teams -- No. 14 Marquette, No. 18 Syracuse and No. 25 Cincinnati -- are on the Deacon slate. More on Wake Forest and the national polls: - The Deacons' win over No. 23 Fresno State Nov. 21 snapped an eight-game losing streak against nationally-ranked teams. Wake Forest went 2-8 against ranked teams last season. - Wake is 1-2 against ranked foes this year -- a win over No. 23 Fresno State and losses to No. 18 Syracuse and No. 4 Kansas. - Wake Forest is ranked 15th by CBS Sportsline, 22nd by The Sporting News, 29th by CollegeRPI.com and 26th in the Sagarin ratings. - Wake's next ranked opponent will be undefeated and 14th-ranked Marquette on Dec. 29 in Lawrence Joel Coliseum. - If the rankings hold up, Wake would play consecutive games against No. 5 Virginia (Jan. 15), No. 1 Duke (Jan. 19) and No. 2 Maryland (Jan. 23).
The Skip Prosser Era In Full Swing At Wake Forest
Skip Prosser, who previously served as the head coach at Loyola (MD) and Xavier, is beginning his first season at Wake Forest. His record at Wake Forest is 7-2. His career record, in nine seasons, is 172-80. 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 are 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
Media Shootout Is Wednesday
Several members of the media will participate in a halftime shootout Wednesday. Among the participants will be Frank Fraboni (WFMY), defending champion Dave Goren (WXII), Josh Klaff (WXII) and Lee Goldberg (WXLV). Representatives from Hot 102 Jamz and Rock 92 will also participate.
Darius Songaila Enjoying An All-ACC-Type Season So Far
Perhaps senior Darius Songaila is motivated because he was left off the preseason All-ACC team, or maybe he's flourishing in coach Skip Prosser's system. Regardless, Songaila is enjoying his finest season as a Deacon. Over his last two games, Songaila has scored 54 points, including a career-high 29 points against Florida State Sunday night. More on Songaila: - He leads the team and ranks third in the ACC in scoring (18.6 points per game). - His scoring average is the highest by a Wake Forest player since Tim Duncan averaged 20.8 points as a senior in 1997. - Songaila is the only Deacon to score in double figures in every game this season. He has scored in double figures 82 times in his career. - His 29 points against Florida State Sunday night are the second-most in a game this season by any ACC player. Jason Williams of Duke scored 35 against Michigan. - He ranks sixth in the ACC in free throw percentage (.813) and he has shot 91.7 percent (33-of-36) from the line over the last four games combined. - His career free throw percentage (.817) is the eighth-highest in Wake Forest history. - Songaila leads the team and ranks eighth in the ACC in rebounding (7.6 rpg.). - He ranks 19th in Wake Forest history with 605 career rebounds. - In each of his last two games Songaila has matched a career high with five assists. - He ranks 15th in the ACC in steals (1.33 spg.). - Songaila ranks 15th in the ACC in blocked shots (0.89 bspg.). - He ranks ninth in Wake Forest history with 77 career blocked shots. - He has played in 105 career games and has started 95 times. - Songaila has four double-doubles this season and he owns 13 career double-doubles. - He ranks ninth in the ACC in field goal percentage (.549). - He ranks 17th in Wake Forest career scoring history with 1,419 points. He will pass Alvis Rogers (1,441 points from 1979-83) for 16th place with 23 more points. - Songaila is just the 11th player in Wake history with 1,400 points and 600 rebounds. - Only seven players in school history have made more free throws than Songaila (434). - He has scored 20 or more points in a game 14 times, including four times this season. - Songaila was named to the Preseason NIT All-Tournament team after his performances against Fresno State and Syracuse.
Where Songaila Ranks In The ACC Scoring 3rd (18.6) Free Throw Percentage 6th (.815) Rebounding 8th (7.6) Field Goal Percentage 9th (.549) Offensive Rebounds 9th (2.56) Steals 15th (1.33) Blocked Shots 15th (0.89)
Downtown Dawson
Senior Craig Dawson is proving to be one of the most prolific and accurate perimeter shooters in the ACC. Dawson leads Wake Forest and ranks fourth in the ACC for three-point field goals made (2.78 per game) and he is shooting 41.0 percent (25-of-61) from behind the arc, which ranks sixth in the ACC. More on Dawson: - He has made at least one three-point field goal in every game this season and he has made at least two three-pointers in every game but one. - Dawson has made three or more three-pointers in a game four times this season, 24 times in his career. - He ranks fourth in Wake Forest history with 180 career three-point field goals. - With six more three-point field goals, Dawson will rank 25th in ACC history for career three-point field goals.
Senior Class' Accomplishments Continue To Grow
With five fourth-year seniors on its roster, including four seniors in the starting lineup, Wake Forest has one of the ACC's most experienced groups. Four of Wake's top five scorers -- Darius Songaila (18.6 ppg.), Antwan Scott (12.6 ppg.), Craig Dawson (11.6 ppg.) and Broderick Hicks (9.1 ppg.) -- are all seniors. Seniors lead Wake in every statistical category except for steals, which junior Josh Howard leads. Those five seniors -- Songaila, Dawson, Hicks, Ervin Murray and Scott -- have enjoyed much success over the last four years. Consider: - Wake's senior class has appeared in postseason play every season, including an NCAA Tournament appearance last season. - Over the last four seasons, Wake Forest is a combined 65-41 (.613). - The seniors have been a part of three wins over teams ranked in the top 10. - In 2001, Wake Forest won the postseason NIT championship. - The five seniors have combined to play in 520 career games.
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- ) 106 Darius Songaila (1998- ) 105 Antwan Scott (1998- ) 104 Craig Dawson (1998- ) 103 Ervin Murray (1998- ) 102
Prosser Has No. 1's Number
Wake Forest's Skip Prosser has coached against the nation's No. 1-ranked team three times and he has come away a winner twice. Prosser's Xavier teams beat No. 1 Cincinnati in 1999-00 and in 1996-97. His only loss to a No. 1-ranked team was an overtime decision to No. 1 Massachusetts in 1995-96. Prosser, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and Maryland's Gary Williams are the only current Atlantic Coast Conference coaches to own more than one victory against a No. 1-ranked team.
Beating The Highly-Ranked
Over the last eight seasons, Wake Forest has defeated 12 teams ranked in the top 10. That includes wins last season over No. 3 Kansas and No. 8 Virginia.
Recent Wake Wins Vs.Top 10 Teams
Opponent Site Date Result No. 8 Virginia H Jan. 2, 2001 W, 96-73 No. 3 Kansas H Dec. 7, 2000 W, 84-53 No. 4 Maryland H Jan. 31, 1999 W, 85-72 No. 7 Clemson H Feb. 12, 1997 W, 55-49 No. 7 Maryland A Feb. 1, 1997 W, 74-69 No. 2 Clemson A Jan. 23, 1997 W, 65-62 No. 10 Duke A Jan. 11, 1997 W, 81-69 No. 7 Utah A Dec. 31, 1996 W, 70-59 No. 4 N. Carolina N March 12, 1995 W, 82-80ot No. 2 N. Carolina A Feb. 28, 1995 W, 79-70 No. 7 Maryland H Feb. 15, 1995 W, 63-54 No. 5 N. Carolina H March 2, 1994 W, 68-61
Miscellaneous Deacon Items
- Antwan Scott is just the sixth player in WFU history to block 100 career shots. He has 112 career rejections. - Seniors Broderick Hicks and Darius Songaila are serving as team co-captains in 2001-02. - With a 79-78 win over UNC-Wilmington on Nov. 12, Wake Forest is 69-28 all-time in season openers. The Deacons haven't lost a season opener since losing at Alaska-Anchorage in the opening round of the 1993 Great Alaska Shootout. - Wake Forest added three walk-ons to the roster in October: Alan Williams (6-3), Brett Hickman (6-6) and Walt Chancellor (6-1). On Dec. 7, football player R.D. Montgomery (6-7) was added to the roster. - In Wake's Oct. 26 Black/Gold scrimmage game, Craig Dawson canned a remarkable 11 consecutive shots, including nine from three-point range, without a miss. Dawson scored 43 points in the game.
Deacons Return To Madison Square Garden Saturday To Play St. John's
Wake Forest will play its third game of the young season at Madison Square Garden Saturday when the Deacons take on St. John's (ESPN/12:05 p.m.). The Deacons are 1-1 at The Garden this year with a 62-61 win over No. 23 Fresno State and a loss to No. 18 Syracuse 74-67 Nov. 21 and Nov. 23 at the Preseason NIT. More on Wake at Madison Square Garden: - The Deacons claimed the 2000 postseason NIT at The Garden with wins over NC State and Notre Dame. - Wake Forest opened the 1998-99 season at Madison Square Garden in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. The Deacons beat Illinois in the first round before losing to seventh-ranked Temple in the championship game. - Deacon coach Skip Prosser led Xavier to the postseason NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden in 1999. Prosser's Musketeers lost to Clemson in the semifinals, then beat Oregon in the consolation game.
Wake-St. John's Series History
- The series is tied, 1-1. - Saturday's game will mark the third meeting between the two teams with all three meetings coming in New York. - The Deacons and Red Storm will meet for the first time since Dec. 29, 1982 when St. John's beat WFU 72-65 at the ECAC Holiday Festival at Madison Square Garden. - The first meeting between the two teams was a 97-74 Wake Forest victory in New York in the first round of the 1961 NCAA Tournament. - Saturday's game will be Wake's second game against a Big East opponent this season and its third game in Madison Square Garden. The Deacons fell to the Big East's Syracuse in the championship game of the Preseason NIT. Two nights earlier, also The Garden, the Deacons beat Fresno State, 62-61. - Wake Forest is 38-44 all-time against teams from the Big East including the loss to Syracuse earlier this season. - Wake's Skip Prosser has never coached against St. John's. The Red Storm's Mike Jarvis has never coached against Wake Forest.
Deacon Linebacker Joins Roster
R.D. Montgomery, a 6-6, 231-pound redshirt freshman linebacker on the Deacon football team, joined Wake's basketball squad Dec. 6. Montgomery, who was a standout basketball and football player at Wilmington's Laney High School, practiced with the Deacons for the first time last Thursday. He dressed out for the Dec. 7 game against South Carolina State and promptly saw three minutes of action. He scored one point and had one rebound.
Deacons Win For Third Straight Year In ACC/Big Ten Challenge
The ACC/Big Ten Challenge, now in its third year, has been an enjoyable event for Wake Forest. The Deacons beat Minnesota Nov. 27 to improve to 3-0 all-time in the event. In 1999-00, Wake Forest beat visiting and eventual Final Four participant Wisconsin in the inaugural event. Last year, the Deacons traveled to Ann Arbor to beat Michigan. Wake Forest and Duke are the only teams that have won three games in the Challenge.
Josh Howard Is Second Team Preseason All-ACC
Junior 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. He received 11 first team votes. The preseason All-ACC first team includes Jason Williams (Duke), Mike Dunleavy (Duke), Carlos Boozer (Duke), Juan Dixon (Maryland) and Lonny Baxter (Maryland).
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
Hicks Serving On Student Basketball Council
For the second year now, Broderick Hicks will voice his opinions about college basketball and being a student-athlete to a group that truly cares. Hicks is part of the National Association of Basketball Coach's Student Basketball Council. The Council is comprised of 40 student-athletes from all over the country. The group meets periodically throughout the year via teleconference to discuss issues such as monthly stipends for student-athletes. Hicks is the only ACC player on the Council.
Postseason Streak At 11
Wake Forest enters the 2001-02 season with a streak of 11 consecutive postseason tournament appearances. The last time the Deacons failed to play in the postseason came in 1989-90. In fact, Deacon freshman Jamaal Levy was seven years old the last time Wake Forest didn't play past the ACC Tournament. Wake's streak of 11 consecutive postseason appearances ranks second among ACC schools. Only North Carolina, which has a streak of 35 straight postseason appearances, owns a longer streak.
Good Bloodlines
Deacon senior Craig Dawson is the nephew of NBA standout Jerry Stackhouse. Dawson spent part of last year's Christmas break at "Uncle Jerry's" wedding. Wake Forest senior guard Ervin Murray has a sister, Nicole, who is a junior guard on the UNC Greensboro women's team. Wake junior Steve Lepore's brother, Chris, was an All-American football player at Navy last year.