Gold Rush: The Smiling Assassin
1/16/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 15, 2003
By Jay Reddick
Does it surprise anyone that Justin Gray's high-school nickname was "The Smiling Assassin"? Has a moniker ever fit anyone so well, so soon?
Gray's freshman season has been marked by solid play, big shots at key times, not a whole lot of recognition, but a whole lot of smiles.
As Wake Forest enters the bulk of its ACC season, Gray continues to find the fun side of his hard work.
Gray is averaging 11.4 points per game, fourth on the team through 10 games. His scoring average ranks sixth among all freshmen in the ACC. He is also third among league freshmen in assists, and second in assist/turnover ratio. That mistake-free game is a big reason why the Deacons started the season 10-0.
But Gray hasn't gotten the press of Duke's highly touted J.J. Redick or North Carolina's Rashad McCants.
That's mostly OK with Gray, though. He played on the same AAU team with McCants for three years, and he chides his fellow newcomer about his sudden star status.
"He can get all that, as long as we're 8-0, and they're whatever they are," Gray said before WFU's win over Richmond on Jan. 4. "He keeps saying, 'I lead the ACC in whatever.' You can do all that, but we lead them in wins! That's all that matters. You can have the points, I'll take the W's.
"It comes and it goes. He knows that, and I know it. I'm proud for him, but when we go up there to Chapel Hill, we're trying to come out with a W."
Gray is an alumnus of Oak Hill Academy, so he played with and against most of the best players his age from around the country. His roommate at Oak Hill was Carmelo Anthony, now considered one of the nation's top freshmen at Syracuse, and he's played against Redick and the rest of Duke's top-rated class.
"At Oak Hill, you get to know each other so well, because it's nobody but us," Gray said. "Carmelo's one of my boys. I have so many friends that are freshmen playing at different colleges. I talk to them a lot, and the competition, you just feel it. It's going to be a great year in the ACC."
Gray learned plenty from his time at Oak Hill, but he still admits to needing a lot of improvement when he came to Wake Forest this summer. He's on the way to correcting those faults.
"I think (a weakness) was my strength, and also knowing when to do stuff," Gray said. "In high school, I got away with a lot of bad shots. Knowing when to take it and when not to, that's what I'm learning now. It's a whole process. Coach tells me when I'm making plays and definitely when I'm not making plays. You have to take criticism, and it's coming more naturally now."
Some criticism came Gray's way at the end of the first half against Elon on Jan. 7. He was typically solid, with eight points and his share of assists, but an ill-advised 3-pointer just before halftime brought some harsh words from Prosser. By postgame, after WFU's victory, Prosser was more complimentary.
"He's got a chance to be really good," Prosser said. "He played an absolutely splendid first half and did not make an absolutely splendid decision at the end of the half. But for so many of our kids, it was the first time they've done any of this stuff at the collegiate level. Sometimes you learn by doing."
Gray said Wake Forest's quick start came about as a result of the team's game at Wisconsin. The date was Dec. 4, it was the team's first road trip, and Wisconsin was ranked No. 23 in the country.
"The biggest test so far was Wisconsin. We're on the road, in a hectic arena, 17,000 yelling against us. We came in, and we stuck together. If anybody makes a play, everybody (on the bench) is up and cheering for them," Gray said. "That's what we need when we go on the road, because no one will be cheering for us but us. That's why we're going to be good."
The sense of togetherness is rare for a team that's so young. But the freshmen, including Gray, have bonded quickly with the upperclassmen.
"It started in conditioning," Gray said. "If anybody was slacking back, everybody will pick them up. Nobody's going to be left behind. We stuck together getting up at 6 in the morning, running two miles (in preseason). If anybody's lagging behind, we pick them up. That's where it started, and every day in practice, it's the same thing."
So as the games get tougher, Gray will keep playing good team ball, keep smiling and keep winning. And maybe, one day, he'll get noticed.
"I like getting publicity, because that brings more attention to your team," Gray said. "People get to see you more. I don't mind it, but if we don't get it, we'll play just as hard every game."