Deacons Host 10-1 Marquette Saturday Afternoon
12/23/2001 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 23, 2001
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#20 Wake Forest (8-3) vs. #14 Marquette (10-1) Game #12 / Dec. 29, 2001 Lawrence Joel Coliseum (14,665) Winston-Salem, NC
Tip-Off: 1:10 p.m.
Television: Raycom/Jefferson-Pilot. Steve Martin (play-by-play) and Dan Bonner (color analysis) call the action. Beverly Rumley produces and Ken Dennis directs.
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 8-3 after a 72-60 loss to St. John's in Madison Square Garden Saturday afternoon. Marquette is 10-1 after suffering its first loss Saturday at Wisconsin, 86-73.
The Rankings: Wake Forest is ranked 20th in the Associated Press poll and 20th in the ESPN/USA Today poll. Marquette is 14th in the AP poll and 15th in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
WFU Coach Skip Prosser: Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy '72) is 8-3 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 173-81.
Marquette Coach Tom Crean: Crean (Central Michigan '89) is 40-29 in three seasons with the Golden Eagles, 40-29 in three seasons overall.
The Series History: Wake Forest leads, 5-4. More series information on page two.
The Officials: Announced on game day.
Deacons Will Host Nationally-Ranked Marquette Saturday
Wake Forest and Marquette, both coming off disappointing pre-Christmas road losses, meet Saturday afternoon at Lawrence Joel Coliseum (1:10 p.m./Raycom-JP TV). The Demon Deacons, 8-3 overall, lost to unranked St. John's 72-60 last Saturday at Madison Square Garden. Wake shot a season-low 37.7 percent and committed 20 turnovers in the loss to the Red Storm. Darius Songaila and Josh Howard were bright spots for the Deacons as both players recorded double-doubles. Fourteenth-ranked Marquette, 10-1, is coming of its first loss of the season -- 86-73 at Wisconsin. Dwayne Wade (19.0 points per game) scored 23 points in the loss to the Badgers. Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 5-4. Saturday's meeting will be the first between the two teams since Feb. 4, 1989 -- a 70-67 Deacon victory in Winston-Salem. What's at stake for Wake on Saturday: - Wake Forest is 1-2 this season against nationally-ranked teams and the Deacons will play their first game at home against a ranked team. - The Deacons are a perfect 6-0 at home this season. - Wake Forest has won 21 consecutive non-conference home games. Wake's last loss at home to a non-ACC foe came against 19th-ranked Arkansas on Dec. 23, 1998. - The Deacs have not lost back-to-back games this season.
A Quick Look At The Deacons
Wake Forest is looking to rebound from perhaps its worst performance of the year in a 72-60 loss at St. John's last Saturday. The Deacons, 8-3, shot just 37.7 percent, committed 20 turnovers and received just three points from their bench. The Deacons like an up-tempo game, averaging 80.8 points per game. Wake shoots a solid 47.6 percent from the field and 71.4 percent from the free throw line. The Deacs need to take better care of the basketball. They have the same number of turnovers as assists (179). Senior Darius Songaila (18.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game) and junior Josh Howard (13.2 ppg. and 7.5 rpg.) give Wake Forest one of the best one-two punches in the ACC. Songaila, who has scored in double figures in every game this season, ranks among the ACC leaders in field goal percentage (.545) and free throw percentage (.818). Howard leads the team in steals and has four three-point field goals over the last three games. Senior Antwan Scott (12.1 ppg. and 5.3 rpg.) leads the ACC in blocked shots (23) and ranks among the ACC leaders in field goal percentage (.586). Senior Craig Dawson (11.4 ppg.) has made 30 three-point field goals and shoots 40.5 percent from behind the arc. Senior Broderick Hicks (8.2 ppg.), who leads the team in assists (40), has started all 11 games at point guard. Freshman forward Vytas Danelius (6.2 ppg.) has been a solid sixth-man for the Deacons.
Wake Forest Struggles In 72-60 Loss To St. John's In Last Outing
Wake Forest went home for Christmas on a sour note after falling to St. John's Dec. 22 at Madison Square Garden, 72-60. The Deacons, who led 30-28 at the half, scored just 10 points in the last nine minutes of the game. The Red Storm's Marcus Hatten scored 21 of his game-high 26 points in the second half. Senior Darius Songaila (17 points, 10 rebounds) and junior Josh Howard (15 points, 10 rebounds) both recorded double-doubles to lead the Deacons. More from Saturday's loss at St. John's: n Wake Forest recorded season lows for points (60), field goals (20), field goal percentage (.377), three-point field goals (4), three-point attempts (16), assists (10) and steals (4). n The 12-point margin of defeat was Wake's largest of the season.
Deacon Streaks
n The Deacons have a six-game homecourt winning streak with a perfect 6-0 record this season. Wake has wins over UNC-Wilmington, Elon, Minnesota, SC State, Florida State and St. Francis (PA). The Deacs' final two home games last season were losses to Final Four-bound Duke and Maryland. n Wake Forest has won 21 consecutive non-conference home games. Wake's last non-conference loss at home came against 19th-ranked Arkansas on Dec. 23, 1998. n Wake Forest has lost its last two road games -- at Kansas and at St. John's. n Wake Forest has made at least one three-point field goal in 266 consecutive games. n The Deacons are 4-0 this season in games decided by five points or less. n Wake Forest is 5-0 when scoring 80 points or more. n Wake has used the same starting lineup -- Broderick Hicks, Craig Dawson, Antwan Scott, Darius Songaila and Josh Howard -- in all 11 games. n Songaila has scored in double figures in 12 straight games dating back to last season. n 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 22 straight games.
Wake-Marquette Series History
n Wake Forest leads, 5-4. n The Deacons and Golden Eagles will meet for the first time since the 1988-89 season when Wake Forest beat Marquette, 70-67, in Winston-Salem. n Wake Forest is 2-0 all-time against Marquette at home, not including a 78-65 win over the then-Warriors in 1982-83 in Greensboro. n The Deacons are 1-2 all-time versus Marquette in Milwaukee. n Marquette beat Wake Forest in the finals of the 1977 Midwest Regional in Oklahoma City, 82-68. Coach Al McGuire's team went on to win the NCAA championship that season at The Omni in Atlanta. n The first meeting between the two teams came in the old Dixie Classic in Raleigh in 1960-61. Marquette won that game, 91-83. n Two of the nine meetings have been decided in overtime -- a 71-65 Deacon win in 1983-84 and a 68-65 WFU victory in 1981-82. n Wake Forest is 21-13 all-time against teams from Conference USA and the Deacons will host another C-USA team, Cincinnati, later this season (Feb. 9). n Wake's last meeting with a C-USA team was a 78-72 overtime loss at Cincinnati last season. The previous meeting with a C-USA club was a 60-59 win over Louisville in the third round of the 1996 NCAA Tournament in Milwaukee. n Wake's Skip Prosser is 2-1 all-time against Marquette. His Xavier team beat Marquette at home last season, 75-59. The Musketeers split a pair of meetings with the Golden Eagles in 1999-00, including a 67-63 win in the opening round of the postseason NIT. n Marquette's Tom Crean has never coached against Wake Forest.
Deacons Find Comfort Zone In Lawrence Joel Coliseum
Wake Forest is making Lawrence Joel Coliseum an unfriendly place for visitors. The Deacons own a six-game homecourt winning streak and are putting up big numbers within the friendly confines. Wake is averaging more than 91 points per game and is shooting nearly 53 percent at home.
Comparing Wake At Home And On Road
Category Home Non-Home Record 6-0 2-3 Scoring Average 91.3 68.2 Opponent Scoring Average 71.8 71.6 Scoring Margin +19.5 - 3.4 Field Goal Percentage 52.7 41.3 3-Point Field Goal Percentage 35.5 30.4 Free Throw Percentage 74.5 66.3 Assists Average 18.2 14.0 Blocks Average 6.2 5.0
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 four games, Songaila has averaged 21.8 points and 3.8 assists and 2.3 steals while shooting 59.5 percent from the floor and 87.9 percent from the free throw line. More on Songaila: n He leads the team and ranks fourth in the ACC in scoring (18.2 points per game). n His scoring average is the highest by a Wake Forest player since Tim Duncan averaged 20.8 points as a senior in 1997. n Songaila is the only Deacon to score in double figures in every game this season. He has scored in double figures 84 times in his career. n He ranks seventh in the ACC in free throw percentage (.818) and he has shot 89.7 percent (44-of-49) from the line over the last six games combined. n His career free throw percentage (.820) is the sixth-highest in Wake Forest history. n Songaila is tied for the team lead (with Josh Howard) and ranks ninth in the ACC in rebounding (7.5 rpg.). n He ranks 18th in Wake Forest history with 620 career rebounds. n He ranks ninth in Wake Forest history with 81 career blocked shots. n He has played in 107 career games and has started 97 times. n Songaila has five double-doubles this season and he owns 14 career double-doubles. n He ranks 11th in the ACC in field goal percentage (.545). n He ranks 16th in Wake Forest career scoring history with 1,452 points. He will move into the top 15 with just two more points and he is 48 points shy of becoming just the 15th Deacon to score 1,500 points. n Songaila is just the 11th player in Wake history with 1,400 points and 600 rebounds. n Only six players in school history have made more free throws than Songaila (445). n He has scored 20 or more points in a game 14 times, including four times this season. n 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 4th (18.32) Free Throw Percentage 7th (.817) Rebounding 9th (7.5) Field Goal Percentage 11th (.545) Offensive Rebounds 11th (2.40) Josh Howard Ranks Among The ACC Leaders In Four Categories Junior Josh Howard's statistics demonstrate just how versatile he can be: n He ranks 15th in the ACC in scoring (13.2 points per game). n Howard ranks ninth in the ACC in rebounding (7.5 rpg.). n He ranks second in the ACC in offensive rebounds per game (3.60). n He ranks 10th in the ACC in field goal percentage (.549). n He is 11th in the ACC in steals (1.55 spg.). n He has scored in double figures seven times and has two double-doubles. n Just a junior, Howard is 27 points shy of his 900th career point.
Scott One Of The ACC's Most Improved Players
Senior Antwan Scott, in his first year as a starter, is making the most of his senior season. He has nearly doubled his statistics from a year ago, easily making him one of the ACC's most improved players. Consider: n He leads the ACC in blocked shots (2.09). n Scott leads the team in minutes played (29.9). n He ranks third in the ACC in field goal percentage (.586). n He ranks 16th in the ACC in scoring (12.1 ppg.) and 20th in rebounding (5.3 rpg.). n Scott now ranks fifth on Wake Forest's all-time blocked shots list after recently passing Rod Griffin (113 blocks from 1975-78). Scott has 116 career rejections. n He has scored in double figures in seven of his last eight games and in nine of 11 games this season.
Antwan Scott This Season Last Season Minutes Per Game 29.9 16.2 Points Per Game 12.1 6.8 Rebounds Per Game 5.3 3.6 Field Goal Percentage 58.6 48.7 Blocks Per Game 2.1 1.3
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 (6.2 ppg.) while averaging nearly 14 minutes of action per game. He is shooting a lofty 64.3 percent from the field and 70.0 percent from the free throw line. Levy showed a glimpse of his potential Dec. 16 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 seven minutes of action.
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 (2.73 per game) and he is shooting 40.5 percent (30-of-74) from behind the arc, which ranks seventh in the ACC. More on Dawson: n 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. n Dawson has made three or more three-pointers in a game five times this season, 25 times in his career. n He ranks fourth in Wake Forest history with 185 career three-point field goals. n With one more three-point field goal, Dawson will rank 25th in ACC history for career three-point field goals. n Dawson ranks 22nd in the ACC in scoring (11.4 ppg.). n He ranks 34th in Wake Forest career scoring history with 1,046 points. n Dawson has played in 105 career games.
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. 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.
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 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: n 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. n 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. n Wake Forest is ranked 15th by CBS Sportsline, 22nd by The Sporting News, 33rd by CollegeRPI.com and 27th in the Sagarin ratings. n Wake's next ranked opponent will be 14th-ranked Marquette Saturday in Lawrence Joel Coliseum. n 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 8-3. His career record, in nine seasons, is 173-81. 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
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.
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.
It's The Last Game Of 2001
In the final game of the calendar year, Wake Forest has gone 1-2 over the previous three seasons including a win over Navy last year. 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
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 (18.2 ppg.), Antwan Scott (12.1 ppg.), Craig Dawson (11.4 ppg.) and Broderick Hicks (8.2 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: n Wake's senior class has appeared in postseason play every season, including an NCAA Tournament appearance last season. n Over the last four seasons, Wake Forest is a combined 66-42 (.611). n The seniors have been a part of three wins over teams ranked in the top 10. n In 2001, Wake Forest won the postseason NIT championship. n The five seniors have combined to play in 530 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- ) 107 Darius Songaila (1998- ) 106 Antwan Scott (1998- ) 105 Craig Dawson (1998- ) 104 Ervin Murray (1998- ) 103
WFMY's Greg Kerr Wins Shootout
Greg Kerr, sports anchor at WFMY-TV, swished five three-pointers in 30 seconds to win the second annual Wake Forest Media Halftime Shootout Dec. 19. Kerr easily defeated Rock 92's Chris Dimm in the finals.
Strange But True
n The Deacons enter the game against Marquette after playing consecutive games against the Red Flash (St. Francis) and Red Storm (St. John's). n Wake's last game and its upcoming game -- at St. John's and vs. Marquette -- come against schools that have recently changed nicknames. Marquette switched from Warriors to Golden Eagles and St. John's from Redmen to Red Storm.
Miscellaneous Deacon Items
n Antwan Scott is just the sixth player in WFU history to block 100 career shots. He has 114 career rejections. n Wake Forest has played three games this season at New York's Madison Square Garden. The Deacons beat Fresno State before losing to Syracuse in the Preseason NIT finals on Nov. 21 and Nov. 23. Wake lost to St. John's on Dec. 22. n Seniors Broderick Hicks and Darius Songaila are serving as team co-captains in 2001-02. n 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. n 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. n 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.