Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest's NCAA Tournament Notes
3/11/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 11, 2002
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2002 NCAA MIDWEST REGIONAL
{7} Wake Forest (20-12) vs. {10} Pepperdine (22-8)
Game #33 / March 14, 2002 ARCO Arena (17,317) Sacramento, CA
Tip-Off: 11:42 a.m. (Pacific)/2:42 p.m. (Eastern).
Television: CBS. Talent to be determined.
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 20-12 overall after going 1-1 last week at the ACC Tournament in Charlotte. Pepperdine is 22-8 after losing to Gonzaga in the championship game of the West Coast Conference Tournament, 96-90, on March 4.
The Rankings: Wake Forest fell out of the national polls last week for the first time in 15 weeks. The Deacons received votes in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls. Pepperdine received votes in the AP poll.
WFU Coach Skip Prosser: Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy '72) is 20-12 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 185-90.
Pepperdine Coach Paul Westphal: Westphal (Southern California '72) is 22-8 in his first season with the Waves, 106-35 in four seasons overall as a college head coach.
The Series History: First meeting. More series information on page three.
The Officials: Announced on game day.
12th Straight Postseason Begins Thursday In Sacramento vs. Waves
Wake Forest, making its 12th consecutive postseason appearance, opens NCAA Tournament play Thursday in Sacramento against the Pepperdine Waves (2:42 ET/CBS). The Demon Deacons, 20-12, are making their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance and their 17th NCAA Tournament appearance overall. Last year Wake lost to Butler, 79-63, in the first round. Thursday's game between the 7th-seeded Deacons and 10th-seeded Waves is a first-round Midwest Regional game. The winner plays either 2nd-seeded Oregon or 15th-seeded Montana in Saturday's second round. The winner of that game advances to the Midwest Regional semifinals in Madison, Wis. Wake Forest enters NCAA Tournament play having lost six of its last nine games. However, the Deacons played three of those games without junior starter Josh Howard, who was out with a high ankle sprain, and four of those six losses came against Duke (twice), Maryland and Cincinnati. The Deacons went 1-1 at the ACC Tournament in Charlotte last week, beating Georgia Tech (92-83) last Friday before losing to third-ranked Duke (79-64) in last Saturday's semifinals. The Waves, 22-8, have won 17 of their last 19 games with both losses coming against Gonzaga (Pepperdine also beat Gonzaga during that stretch). Pepperdine lost to Gonzaga March 4 in the championship game of the West Coast Conference Tournament March 4. Wake Forest owns one Final Four appearance (1962).
A Quick Look At The Deacons
Wake Forest, 20-12, enters the NCAA Tournament with an experienced roster, which includes four senior starters and a rising star in junior Josh Howard. The seventh-seeded Deacons are led by a pair of All-ACC selections -- senior forward Darius Songaila (2nd team) and Howard (3rd team). Three freshmen and a senior round out the nine-man rotation for Wake, which was ranked in the national polls 14 consecutive weeks during the regular season. Songaila (17.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game), who has averaged 21.1 points since late January, is playing the best basketball of his four-year career. The Lithuanian senior has 13 double-doubles this season and he has scored in every game but one. Howard (14.5 ppg. and 8.1 rpg.), who continues to nurse a high ankle sprain suffered in early February, had 23 points, 12 rebounds, four assists and four steals in last Friday's ACC Tournament win over Georgia Tech. Senior Craig Dawson (11.9 ppg.) is one of the most prolific three-point shooters in ACC history (245 career three-point field goals). He has made at least one three-point field goal in 30 of 32 games this season. Senior Antwan Scott (9.9 ppg. and 4.8 rpg.) ranks among the ACC leaders with 46 blocked shots and he shoots 55.7 percent from the field. Senior Broderick Hicks (9.6 ppg.), who re-gained his starting point guard job March 2, has scored in double figures in nine of his last 11 games, including 14 points against Duke last Saturday. Freshman Taron Downey (4.6 ppg.), who has started 10 games at point guard, emerged as one of the ACC's top rookies. Freshman forward Vytas Danelius (6.7 ppg. and 4.1 rpg.) has been a solid sixth-man all season. He scored 11 points and grabbed five rebounds in the ACC Tournament loss to Duke and he shoots a team-best 57.4 percent. Freshman forward Jamaal Levy and senior guard Ervin Murray round out the rotation. The Deacons will be without junior guard Steve Lepore (4.5 ppg.), who suffered a season-ending knee injury last Friday against Georgia Tech.
Deacons Want To Erase Memories Of Last Year's NCAA Tournament
Wake Forest's joy of reaching the NCAA Tournament last season for the first time since 1997 did not last very long. Butler jumped out to a 41-10 halftime lead and cruised to a 79-63 win over 23rd-ranked Wake Forest in the first round in Kansas City. The Deacons played the Bulldogs without then-junior sharpshooter Craig Dawson, who injured his shoulder the previous week against Maryland in the ACC Tournament. Wake Forest shot just 39 percent from the field. Robert O'Kelley, who was 2-of-11 from three-point range, led the Deacons with 20 points. Darius Songaila added 13 points and eight rebounds.
Dawson Gets First Crack At NCAA Tournament
Senior Craig Dawson has waited four years to play in an NCAA Tournament. As a freshman and sophomore, he played in the NIT, including Wake's 2000 NIT championship. Last season, when the Deacons played in the NCAA Tournament, Dawson sat out with a shoulder he injured the previous week in the ACC Tournament.
A Quick Look At Pepperdine
Pepperdine enters the NCAA Tournament having won 17 of its last 19 games, with both of the losses in that stretch coming against Gonzaga, which finished the regular season ranked sixth in both major polls. The Waves lost to the Bulldogs in the finals of the West Coast Conference tournament, 96-90 on March 4. On Feb. 16, Pepperdine lost at Gonzaga, 91-78, snapping a 13-game win streak. The Waves did, however, hand the Zags one of their three losses this year with an 88-79 win on Jan. 18 in Malibu. Pepperdine's Paul Westphal was named District 15 co-Coach of the Year by the NABC. Wave forwards Boomer Brazzle and Jimmy Miggins were named to the 10-man all-West Coast Conference team. Senior center Cedric Suitt was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year and guard Terrance Johnson was named Freshman of the Year. This season, the Waves are 3-7 against teams in the NCAA Tournament field and are 1-5 against teams that finished the season in the Top 25. Thursday's game will be Pepperdine's first in 10 days.
Wake-Pepperdine Series History
- Thursday's game will be the first meeting between Wake Forest and Pepperdine. - The Deacons are 2-1 all-time against teams in the West Coast Conference. - The last time Wake played a WCC team was a 68-46 win over St. Mary's (CA) in the opening round of the 1997 NCAA Tournament in Tucson. - Wake's other two games against WCC teams came against Santa Clara. Both games with the Broncos -- in 1981 and 1987 -- came in the Cable Car Classic. - Wake's Skip Prosser has never coached against Pepperdine. Prosser is 5-1 all-time against WCC teams with all six of those games coming while coaching at Xavier. - WFU last played a California team on March 24, 2000 -- a 76-59 win over the Cal Bears.
Deacons, Waves Should Produce High-Scoring Game
When Wake Forest and Pepperdine meet on Thursday, it will pit two of the highest-scoring teams in the nation. Wake Forest ranks eighth nationally in scoring offense (81.8 points per game) and Pepperdine ranks 10th (81.5 ppg.). The Deacons scored at least 90 points in five of their last 10 games. The Waves reached the 90-point mark in three of their last five contests. Oregon, the nation's third-highest scoring team (86.9 ppg.), potentially awaits the winner of Thursday's game. The Deacons have scored more points this season (2,619) than any team in school history.
Prosser's NCAA Tournament Debut Came In Sacramento's ARCO Arena
In 1993-94, Skip Prosser made his debut as a college head coach at Loyola (MD). He led the Greyhounds, 2-25 the previous season, to one of college basketball's greatest turnarounds and the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance. Prosser's 15th-seed Greyhounds were sent out west, to Sacramento's ARCO Arena, where they lost to 2nd-seeded Arizona, 81-55 in the first round.
Wake Forest Owns Solid NCAA Tournament History
Wake Forest, appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the 17th time, has a solid tournament history: - Wake Forest is 22-16 all-time in NCAA Tournament play. - The Deacons are making their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance. - Wake is appearing in the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time since 1991. - The Deacons are making their 12th consecutive postseason appearance, which includes NIT competition in 1998, 1999 and 2000. Wake has the longest current streak of postseason appearances in the ACC. - Wake Forest has one Final Four appearance -- in 1962. That Deacon team was led by Len Chappell and current CBS commentator Billy Packer. The Deacons lost in the national semifinals in Louisville to Ohio State, then beat UCLA in the consolation game. - Wake has advanced to the regional championship game five times, most recently in 1996 (a 83-63 loss to Kentucky). - The Deacons are 11-5 all-time in first-round games. Wake lost in the first round last year to Butler. Prior to the loss to the Bulldogs, the Deacons had won five consecutive opening-round contests. - Wake Forest appeared in the very first NCAA Tournament in 1939. The Deacons, one of eight teams in the field, lost to Ohio State in the opening round. - In 1984, Wake Forest stunned No. 1 seed DePaul in the Midwest Regional semifinals in Ray Meyers' last game as the Blue Demon head coach. Wake went on to lose to Houston for the right to go to the Final Four. - Wake's Skip Prosser is the fifth Wake Forest coach to lead the Deacons to the NCAA Tournament. Murray Greason had two appearances, Bones McKinney two (1961 and 1962), Carl Tacy four and Dave Odom eight.
Wake's Midwest Regional History
- Wake Forest will participate in the NCAA Midwest Regional for the fifth time in school history. The Deacons have appeared in only the East Regional more often (six). - This year marks the third time in Wake's last four NCAA Tournament appearances that the Deacons have been sent to the Midwest Region. Wake lost in the first round of the Midwest Region last season to Butler, 79-63. - Three of Wake's five regional championship appearances have come in the Midwest. The Deacons lost in Midwest Regional finals in 1977 (to Marquette), 1984 (to Houston) and 1996 (to Kentucky). - The Deacons are 7-4 all-time when playing in the Midwest Regional.
Wake Makes Rare Trip To California
Wake Forest has played NCAA Tournament games in 16 different states, but never before in California. The Deacons will travel to the Golden State for the first time since Dec. 22, 1992 when Wake Forest lost to California, 81-65, at the Oakland Coliseum. Wake has lost its last three games played in California. Wake Forest is 2-3 all-time when playing in California. Wake has never played in Sacramento.
WFU's History As The No. 7 Seed
- Wake Forest enters the NCAA Tournament as a No. 7 seed for the second straight year and for the third time overall. The Deacons were also seeded seventh in 1982. - The Deacons are just 1-2 all-time as the No. 7 seed, losing in the first round last year to Butler and going 1-1 in 1982. - Wake has been seeded lower than seventh just once. The Deacons were the No. 9 seed in 1992. - Wake Forest will be playing a No. 10 seed for the fourth time. The Deacons are 2-1 all-time against No. 10 seeds, including last year's loss to Butler and wins over Texas in 1996 and Old Dominion in 1982. - Wake Forest has earned the No. 1 seed just once -- in 1995 -- since the seeding process began in 1979. The Deacons went 2-1 as the top seed in '95, losing to Oklahoma State in the East Regional semifinals. - The Deacons are 2-7 all-time against seeds 1-4. Wake's wins over its highest-seeded opponents were a victory over No. 1 seed DePaul in 1984 and a win against No. 4 Iowa in 1993. - No. 2 seed Oregon could potentially await the winner of Thursday's Wake-Pepperdine game. The Deacons haven't played the No. 2 seed since losing to Houston in the 1984 Midwest Regional semifinals. - Wake has never been seeded sixth, eighth, or lower than ninth. Wake-Oregon Series History - Oregon leads the all-time series, 2-0. - The Ducks won the most recent meeting, 67-66, in the opening round of the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu on Dec. 28, 1999. - Oregon won the first meeting, 76-58, on Dec. 22, 1967, at the Vanderbilt Invitational in Nashville. - Wake's Skip Prosser is 1-0 all-time against Oregon. His Xavier team beat the Ducks, 106-75, in the third-place game of the 1999 NIT. - Wake Forest is an even 7-7 all-time against Pac 10 teams. The Deacons last played a Pac 10 team on March 24, 2000 when they defeated California, 76-59, in the Greensboro Coliseum.
Wake-Montana Series History
- Wake Forest and Montana have never met on the hardwood. - Surprisingly, the Deacons have never played any of the eight teams in the Big Sky Conference -- Cal State Sacramento, Eastern Washington, Idaho State, Montana, Montana State, Northern Arizona, Portland State and Weber State. - Wake's Skip Prosser has never coached against a Big Sky team.
Wake Vs. The Midwest Region
- Wake Forest played just one of the 15 other Midwest Regional teams this season -- No. 1 seed Kansas. Wake lost, 83-76, at KU on Dec. 4. - Wake has previously played five Midwest Regional teams in past NCAA Tournaments -- Boston College (1981), Holy Cross (1953), Kansas (twice), Stanford (1997) and Texas (1996).
Deacons Travel 2,685 Miles For Geographical-Friendly NCAA Tourney
The new NCAA Tournament format, designed to keep some teams closer to home for first- and second-round games, sent Wake Forest 2,685 miles from Winston-Salem. Only Hawaii (3,794 miles from Dallas) and UNC-Wilmington (2,919 miles from Sacramento) will travel longer distances this week for NCAA Tournament games. Of teams seeded ninth or higher, Wake Forest will travel the most miles. The Deacons have never traveled so far for an NCAA Tournament game. Wake, in fact, has been sent west of the central time zone for an NCAA Tournament game twice -- to Tempe (AZ) in 1992 and Tucson (AZ) in 1997. This will be Wake's longest road trip since the 1999 Rainbow Classic in Honolulu.
Wake Forest/Midwest Regional/ NCAA Tournament Notebook
- Pepperdine's Paul Westphal once coached former Deacon standout Frank Johnson on the Phoenix Suns. Johnson is currently serving as the Suns' head coach. - Wake Forest senior associate athletic director Barbara Walker and associate athletic director Dwight Lewis both previously worked in the Oregon athletics department. - Oregon assistant coach Scott Duncan coached in the ACC at Clemson under Larry Shyatt in 2000. - Wake Forest has several connections with UNC-Wilmington, which is also playing in Sacramento this week. UNCW's Joel Justus is the son of Wake Forest basketball secretary Mary Ann and former Deacon SID John Justus. Seahawk head coach Jerry Wainwright is a former Wake Forest assistant coach. - Wainwright is one of two former Wake Forest assistant coaches currently serving as a head coach of an NCAA Tournament team. Former Deacon aid Dennis Wolff has his Boston University team in the field of 65. - Six teams from the state of North Carolina -- Wake Forest, Duke, NC State, UNC-Wilmington, Charlotte and Davidson -- are in the NCAA Tournament. - Seven of the 16 teams in the Midwest Regional captured their conference tournament. Thirteen of the 16 teams won at least 20 games. - The late Bones McKinney, a former coach at Wake Forest and player at North Carolina, is one of just six men who have played and coached in a Final Four game. - Sacramento's ARCO Arena will be hosting an NCAA regional for the third time. The facility was host to West Regional first and second rounds in 1994 and 1998. ARCO was built in 1981. - The Midwest Region has produced the NCAA champion 13 times in the 47 years that the tournament has been in a four-region format. - The No. 7 seed has been to the Final Four once previously -- by Virginia in 1984. - While the No. 7 seed has gone to the Final four just once since the seeding process began in 1979, two No. 8 seeds (North Carolina and Wisconsin) were both in the 2000 Final Four. In fact, teams seeded eighth or higher have advanced to the Final Four six times including No. 11 seed LSU in 1986. - One No. 7 seed -- Penn State -- advanced to the Sweet 16 last year. The previous year, No. 7 seed Tulsa advanced to a regional championship game. - No. 7 seeds are 40-28 all-time in first-round games and 11-29 in second-round contests. - Ironically, three of the eight schools that played in the first NCAA Tournament are in this year's Midwest Regional -- Wake Forest, Oregon and Texas. - Xavier, the team current Deacon head coach Skip Prosser coached for seven seasons, is in the NCAA Tournament as a No. 7 seed in the West Regional.
Deacs Finish In Top Five For 10th Straight Season
Since 1993, Wake Forest has finished fifth or better in the ACC standings -- a streak of 10 consecutive years. The Deacons are the only team to achieve that feat. The Deacons reached other impressive ACC marks in 2001-02: - Wake finished above .500 (9-7) in the ACC for the first time since going 11-5 in 1996-97. - The Deacs earned their highest ACC Tournament seed (third) since 1996-97. - Wake Forest produced its 12th consecutive winning season.
Prosser Goes To The NCAA Tournament For The Sixth Time
Wake Forest first-year coach Skip Prosser will take his third different team to the NCAA Tournament. Prosser, who will coach in the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time, took Loyola (MD) to the tournament in 1994 and he guided Xavier to the tournament in 1995, 1997, 1998 and 2001. Prosser is the 29th coach in NCAA history to take three different teams to the NCAA Tournament. Of those 26 coaches, seven -- Prosser, Pete Gillen, Rick Barnes, Cliff Ellis, Pat Kennedy, Frank McGuire and Gary Williams -- coached in the ACC.
Prosser In The NCAA Tournament Year Seed School Opponent Result 1994 15 Loyola Arizona L, 55-81 1995 11 Xavier Georgetown L, 63-68 1997 7 Xavier Vanderbilt W, 80-68 Xavier UCLA L, 83-96 1998 6 Xavier Washington L, 68-69 2001 11 Xavier Notre Dame L, 71-83
Prosser A Finalist For Naismith National Coach Of The Year
Skip Prosser, in his first season as the Wake Forest head coach, is one of 20 finalists for the prestigious Naismith College Coach of the Year award. The announcement was made in Atlanta, home of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. Prosser is one of four ACC coaches on the list of finalists, joining Virginia's Pete Gillen, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and Maryland's Gary Williams. The award will be presented April 5.
Skip Prosser Already In Select ACC Coaching Fraternity
Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser produced a 9-7 record in his first ACC season. Only three first-year coaches in the 49-year history of the league won more ACC games in their rookie season. North Carolina's Matt Doherty (2001) and Bill Guthridge (1998) share the record for most wins by a first-year ACC coach with 13. NC State's Press Maravich, in 1965, earned a 10-3 record. More on Prosser's first season at Wake Forest: - Prosser accomplished what no other first-year coach in Deacon history has done since 1927 -- produce a winning season. Prosser is the first rookie coach at Wake Forest to earn a winning record since James Baldwin led the Deacons to a 22-3 record in his first season in 1927. Prosser, in fact, has earned more wins in his initial season than any other first-year Deacon coach, with the exception of Baldwin. - Prosser is the first rookie WFU coach ever to win on the road against UNC and NC State in the same season. - In Prosser's first season, Wake Forest has broken school single-season records for scoring and three-point field goal attempts. Wake Forest broke the ACC single-game record for three-point field goals with 19 at Clemson on Feb. 13. - He is a candidate for the Naismith National Coach of the Year Award.
Prosser Ranks Among Winningest Active Division I Coaches
Skip Prosser, who previously served as the head coach at Loyola (MD) and Xavier, is in his first season at Wake Forest. His record at Wake Forest is 20-12. His career record, in nine seasons, is 185-90. 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 21st-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 Team Yrs W L Pct. 1 Roy Williams Kansas 14 382 91 .808 2 John Kresse Charleston 22 560 143 .797 3 Jerry Tarkanian Fresno St. 31 777 200 .795 4 Rick Majerus Utah 18 381 132 .743 5 Jim Boeheim Syracuse 26 620 218 .740 6 Lute Olson Arizona 29 657 235 .737 7 Rick Pitino Louisville 16 369 135 .732 8 Tom Izzo Michigan St. 7 167 63 .726 9 Bob Huggins Cincinnati 21 496 171 .744 10 Mike Krzyzewski Duke 27 632 226 .737 11 John Chaney Temple 30 671 251 .728 12 Bob Knight Texas Tech 36 785 296 .726 13 Eddie Sutton Oklahoma St. 32 702 276 .718 14 John Calipari Memphis 10 232 93 .714 15 Tubby Smith Kentucky 11 254 103 .711 16 Steve Lavin UCLA 6 133 57 .700 17 Jim Calhoun UConn 30 618 285 .684 18 Mike Montgomery Stanford 24 492 231 .680 18 John Giannini Maine 13 259 122 .680 18 Bill Carmody Northwestern 6 119 56 .680 21 Skip Prosser Wake Forest 9 184 89 .674 22 Mark Gottfried Alabama 7 147 72 .671 23 Lefty Driesell Georgia St. 40 782 387 .669 24 Billy Tubbs TCU 28 595 296 .668 * Includes the 2001-02 regular season.
Prosser Has Two Wins Vs. No. 1
Wake Forest's Skip Prosser has coached against the nation's No. 1-ranked team four 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 losses to a No. 1-ranked team was an overtime decision to No. 1 Massachusetts in 1995-96 and the loss at No. 1 Duke on Jan. 19. 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.
Wake's Schedule One Of The Nation's Most Difficult Slates
Wake Forest is facing one of the most difficult schedules in the nation. Consider: - No other team in the country can claim to have played all four NCAA Tournament No. 1 seeds -- Kansas, Duke, Maryland and Cincinnati. In fact, those four teams combined for seven of Wake's 12 losses this season. - In all, five of the 13 highest-ranked teams in the country, including No. 13 Marquette, are on the Deacon schedule. - Eight Deacon opponents earned bids to the NCAA Tournament. Four others are in the NIT. - Earlier this season Wake played three consecutive teams ranked in the top 10. - In February, Wake played consecutive games vs. No. 3 Duke and No. 2 Maryland. - Wake Forest has played 14 games against teams currently ranked 50th or better in the RPI ratings. - The Deacons have played 12 nationally-ranked opponents this season. The only time in WFU history that the Deacons faced more nationally-ranked opponents in one season was 13 in 1994-95. - The Deacs are 3-9 against ranked teams this season. The last time Wake had more wins in one season against ranked teams came in 1996-97. - Eight of Wake's 12 losses have come against teams ranked in the top 10.
A Closer Look At The Deac Numbers
- Wake Forest is averaging a lofty 81.8 points per game. That's the highest scoring average by a Wake Forest team since 1977-78. - The Deacons rank third in the ACC and eighth nationally in scoring. - Over the last 10 games, Wake has averaged 85.7 points per contest. - Wake has gone over the 100-point mark twice this season. Prior to coach Skip Prosser's arrival, the Deacons scored 100 points just once between Feb. 10, 1993 and the end of the 2000-01 season -- a string of 267 games. - The Deacons' free throw percentage (.738) ranks second in the ACC and is Wake's highest percentage since the 1994-95 season. - Wake's field goal percentage (.476) is its highest since the 1992-93 season and it ranks third in the ACC. - The Deacs' rebound average (38.8) is their highest since the 1977-78 season. - Wake averages more assists per game (16.2) than any Deacon team since the 1992-93 season.
Deacons Get 20th Victory
Wake Forest earned its 20th victory of the season last Friday in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament, defeating Georgia Tech 92-83. The Deacons reach the 20-win plateau for the first time since 2000, just their third 20-win season since 1997 and the 16th 20-win season in school history. More notes about Wake and 20-win seasons: - With another win, Wake would tie for the 11th-most single-season wins in school history. Two more victories would tie for the fifth-most in one season by a Deacon team. - Skip Prosser is just the second Deacon coach to win 20 games in his first season. - Prosser owns six consecutive 20-win seasons and seven 20-win seasons overall. - On Thursday, Wake Forest will play its 33rd game of the season, tying for the second-most games played in school history. The school record for games played in one season is 36 by the 1999-2000 team, which won the postseason NIT.
Darius Songaila One Of The ACC's Premiere Players
Senior Darius Songaila, a second team All-ACC selection, is flourishing in coach Skip Prosser's system. He is enjoying his best season in a remarkable four-year career. Songaila ranks among the ACC leaders in 11 different statistical categories. More on Songaila: - Over his last nine games, Songaila has averaged 21.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 53.7 percent. - In the regular season finale March 2 against NC State, he pulled down a career-high 18 rebounds, tying for the most by an ACC player this season. - He leads the team and ranks sixth in the ACC in scoring (17.8 points per game). - Songaila has scored in double figures in every game but one this season and he has scored in double figures 104 times in his career. - He ranks third in the ACC in free throw percentage (.854). In ACC games only, he ranks second at 87.0 percent. - His career free throw percentage (.829) is the sixth-highest in Wake history. - Songaila ranks seventh in the ACC in rebounding (8.1 rpg.). - He ranks eighth in Wake Forest history with 795 career rebounds. - He ranks tied for eighth in Wake history with 95 career blocks. - He ranks 14th in the ACC in blocked shots (0.81). - Songaila has 13 double-doubles this season. Only Virginia's Travis Watson (16) has as many in the ACC. Only five different players in WFU history had more single-season double-doubles. - Songaila owns 22 career double-doubles, which ranks fifth in school history. - He ranks fourth in the ACC in field goal percentage (.525). - He ranks ninth in Wake Forest career scoring history with 1,822 points. - Songaila is just the fifth player in Wake Forest history to accumulate 1,800 points and 700 boards. - Only four players in school history have made more free throws than Songaila (569) and only five players have attempted more free throws (685). - He has scored 20 or more points in a game 23 times, including 13 times this season and nine times in his last 12 games. - In ACC games, Songaila ranks 10th in the league in assists (3.06), 13th in steals (1.38) and 10th in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.86).
Songaila's Last Five Games Opponent PTS REB FT-A AST ST vs. Duke 16 4 4-4 4 2 vs. Georgia Tech 22 9 7-8 1 0 vs. NC State 20 *18 8-14 4 3 at Georgia Tech 24 4 6-6 2 1 at Maryland 20 6 6-6 *6 1 * career high
Most Rebounds In The ACC This Season 18, Darius Songaila (WF) vs. NC State, March 2, 2002 18, Carlos Boozer (DU) vs. Wake Forest, Jan. 19, 2002 17, Travis Watson (VA) vs. Wake Forest, Jan. 17, 2002
