Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons Head South To Face Clemson Tuesday
1/27/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 27, 2003
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#17 Wake Forest (13-2/3-2) at Clemson (11-4/1-4)
Game #16 / January 28, 2003 Littlejohn Coliseum (11,020) Clemson, SC
Tip-Off: 7:05 p.m.
Television: Fox Sports Net. Mike Hogewood (play-by-play) and Dan Bonner (color analysis) call the action. Darrin Woley produces.
Radio: The Deacon Radio Network, produced and distributed by ISP. Stan Cotten (play-by-play) and Mark Freidinger (color analysis) call the action.
Websites: WAKE FOREST (wakeforestsports.com). CLEMSON (clemsontigers.com).
The Records: WAKE FOREST is 13-2 overall and 3-2 in the ACC after a 71-60 win over visiting Florida State on Sunday. CLEMSON is 11-4 and 1-4 following a 52-47 loss to visiting Maryland on Saturday.
The Rankings: WAKE FOREST is ranked 17th in the Associated Press poll and 18th in the ESPN/USA Today poll. CLEMSON is not ranked.
WFU Coach Skip Prosser: Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy ??72) is 34-15 in his second season at Wake Forest, 199-93 in 10 years overall. Prosser coached one season at Loyola (MD) and seven seasons at Xavier before coming to Wake Forest
Clemson Coach Larry Shyatt: Shyatt (College of Wooster ??73) is 66-75 in five seasons with the Tigers, 85-84 in six seasons overall.
Series History: Wake Forest leads, 88-50. More series information later in this release.
Trivial Note: Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser is attempting to become the first active Division I coach since Roy Williams in 1996 to win 200 games with less than 100 losses.
The Officials: Announced on game day.
Deacons head south to face Clemson Tuesday night
Wake Forest, which has won 12 consecutive games at home dating back to last season, hits the road for three of its next four and five of its next seven games. The Demon Deacons play at Clemson Tuesday night (7:00 p.m./RSN). The 17th-ranked Deacons, 13-2 overall and 3-2 in the ACC, won in ugly fashion Sunday afternoon against visiting Florida State, 71-60. Senior All-American candidate Josh Howard scored 24 points and grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Deacs, who shot just 42.0 percent and committed 19 turnovers against the Seminoles. Wake Forest continues to play without injured starting guard Justin Gray. The freshman broke his jaw Jan. 12 at Duke. Clemson, 11-4 and 1-4, is coming off a 52-47 loss to visiting Maryland on Saturday. The Tigers, who are looking to end a two-game losing skid, were led Saturday by Edward Scott??s 16 points. Wake Forest returns to the renovated site of last year??s thriller. The Deacons fell to Clemson, 118-115 in double overtime at Littlejohn Coliseum on Feb. 13, 2002. Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 88-50. Clemson won the most recent meeting, but the Deacons have won seven of the last eight. More series information later in this release. Some of Tuesday??s storylines: - Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser, 199-93 all-time, looks for his 200th win in just his 10th season of coaching. Virginia??s Pete Gillen is the only current ACC coach who has reached 200 wins in 10 seasons. - The Deacons need a win to move into a tie for third place in the ACC standings with Duke, and just one full game behind league leader Maryland.
A quick look at the Deacons
Fielding one of the nation??s youngest rosters -- four freshmen, three sophomores and senior All-American candidate Josh Howard all average at least 15 minutes per game -- the Deacons are 13-2 with wins against then No. 17 Maryland, at No. 23 Wisconsin, at Richmond, Georgia Tech and St. John??s. Statistically, Wake Forest??s biggest strengths have been rebounding and free throw percentage. The Deacons lead the nation in rebound margin (+12.8) and rank 13th nationally in free throw percentage (.758). The Deacons are without freshman guard Justin Gray (10.5 points and 4.0 assists per game) for an undetermined amount of time. Gray suffered a broken jaw against Duke Jan. 12. Howard (18.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game), is one of the most complete players in college basketball. Over his last four games, Howard has averaged 24.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. Sophomore forward Vytas Danelius (12.9 ppg. and 7.7 rpg.), who has averaged 19.0 points over his last two games, is shooting 56.9 percent from the field. Freshman center Eric Williams, 6-9 and 270 pounds, is averaging 10.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He tied a career-high with 10 rebounds Sunday. Sophomore Taron Downey (10.4 ppg., 3.7 apg.) leads the team in assists (56) and ranks second in three-point field goals (21). Sophomore Jamaal Levy (6.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg.), who has started the last five games, had consecutive double-doubles against Maryland and Georgia Tech last week. A pair of freshmen reserves -- Trent Strickland (5.5 ppg.) and Chris Ellis (4.6 ppg.) -- have been key to WFU??s success. Senior guard Steve Lepore, who is recovering from a ruptured patella tendon, is easing back into the rotation, and freshman Richard Joyce is a perimeter threat off the bench. Both are seeing additional minutes because of Gray??s injury.
A quick look at the Tigers
After a 9-0 start, Clemson has gone 2-4 since Jan. 5. The Tigers, however, have been tough at home, beating Cincinnati and Virginia. The Tigers are led by senior guard Edward Scott (17.1 ppg. and 6.4 apg.), who ranks among the ACC leaders in assists and scored 16 points in Saturday??s loss to Maryland. Sophomore guard Chey Christie (10.9 ppg., 2.7 apg.) leads the team in steals (26). Sophomore center Sharrod Ford (9.7 ppg., 7.6 rpg.) shot at least 50 percent in 23 straight games until that streak ended Saturday. Sophomore forward Olu Babalola (8.3 ppg., 4.1 rpg.) is coming off back-to-back 12-point games. Junior forward Chris Hobbs (8.0 ppg., 5.5 rpg.) shoots 60 percent from the floor. The Tigers are out-rebounding opponents by 6.5 boards per game.
More from WFU??s 85-75 loss at Virginia Thursday night
- Taron Downey??s 40 minutes played were the most by a Deacon this season. In fact, Downey is the first Deac to play every minute of a game since Tim Duncan played all 40 minutes against Stanford on March 16, 1994, in the NCAA Tournament. - Downey??s 10 three-point field goal attempts were the most by a Deacon this season. - Wake Forest tied season-lows for field goals made (21) and blocked shots (1). - The Deacons out-rebounded their opponent for the 15th straight game. - Florida State??s Tim Pickett set several highs by a Wake Forest opponent this season -- points (27), points in one half (22), field goals (11) and field goal attempts (21).
Skip Prosser approaching 200th career victory
Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser is one win shy of his 200th career victory. Prosser, in his 10th season as a head coach, has a career record of 199-93. Prosser??s career winning percentage (.682) ranks 20th among all active Division I coaches. Last season Prosser won more games than any first-year Deacon head coach since 1927. Prosser is attempting to become just the second active coach in the ACC -- joining Virginia??s Pete Gillen -- to win 200 games or more in his first 10 seasons as a Division I head coach. He will become just the eighth active coach to earn win No. 200 before coaching in 300 overall games (see chart above). In two seasons at Wake Forest, Prosser has compiled a record of 34-15. The 19th coach in WFU history, he reached the 25-win mark quicker than any coach at the school since 1925. Last season, Prosser became just the fourth coach in ACC history to win nine games in his rookie year.
Wake Forest-Clemson series history
- Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 88-50. - Clemson won the last meeting -- a 118-115 double-overtime thriller at Littlejohn Coliseum on Feb. 13, 2002. - The Deacons have won seven of the last eight meetings, sweeping the regular season series in 1999, 2000 and 2001. - Clemson leads the series when playing at home, 33-31, including a 19-15 advantage in Littlejohn Coliseum. - The Deacons have won five of the last eight meetings in Littlejohn. - The first meeting between the two teams came during the 1925-26 seasons -- a 40-34 WFU victory. - Four of the last six meetings in Littlejohn have been decided by four points or less. - Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser is 1-2 all-time against Clemson. That mark includes a 79-76 loss to the Tigers in the semifinals of the 1999 NIT while coaching at Xavier. - Clemson??s Larry Shyatt is 1-7 all-time against Wake Forest.
Looking back at last year??s meetings
In the first meeting between Wake Forest and Clemson last season (Jan. 12, 2002), the Deacons came away with a 96-55 win in Winston-Salem. The 41-point margin of victory was WFU??s largest over an ACC opponent in more than 25 years. But it was the second meeting (Feb. 13, 2002), a 118-115 double-overtime Clemson victory in Littlejohn, that will long be remembered. Some of the notable statistics and records from that game: - It was the second-highest scoring game in ACC history. - The game featured five players who scored at least 24 points and three players who scored at least 30 points. Wake Forest??s Craig Dawson led all scorers with 38 points. - Dawson tied an ACC record with 11 three-point field goals and tied a Wake Forest record with 19 attempts. - Wake Forest made 19-of-42 three-point field goals, breaking the ACC record for three-pointers in one game. - WFU??s 115 points were the most ever for a losing team in an ACC game. - Clemson shot 55.8 percent for the game.
Deacon-Tiger connections
- Clemson assistant coach Bobby Hussey was head coach at Davidson from 1981-89. His Wildcat teams played Wake Forest every season during his tenure. He was also head coach at Virginia Tech in 1999 when the Hokies lost to WFU in Blacksburg. - Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser and Clemson assistant Matt Driscoll were both born in Pittsburgh. - WFU??s Vytas Danelius (Kaunas) and Clemson??s Tomas Nagys (Mazeikiai) both hail from Lithuania. - WFU??s Justin Gray and T.J. Little and Clemson??s Ray Henderson all call Charlotte (NC) home. Henderson wears No. 21 because it??s the number former Deacon Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett wear. - Clemson??s Walker Holt, one of four North Carolinians on the Tiger roster, is from Greensboro. - Wake Forest strength and conditioning coach Ethan Reeve once worked as the assistant wrestling coach at Clemson. - Deacon assistant volleyball coach Heather Kahl is a 1996 Clemson graduate.
On this date in WFU basketball history
Wake Forest is 9-7 all-time on January 28th, including a 1-4 record on the road. The Deacons last played on Jan. 28 in 1999, losing at NC State, 70-59. One of WFU's biggest wins came on Jan. 28, 1988, when the Deacons beat third-ranked North Carolina, 83-80. Nearly 50 years ago on this date - Jan. 28, 1956 - the Deacons won at Clemson, 104-103.
Statistical comparison
A statistical comparison between Wake Forest and Clemson: Category Deacs Tigers Record 13-2 11-4 Conference Record 3-2 1-4 Scoring Average 81.6 72.9 Opponent Scoring Average 65.9 64.5 Scoring Margin +15.7 +8.4 Rebound Average 44.3 37.5 Opponent Rebound Average 31.5 31.0 Rebound Margin +12.8 +6.5 Field Goal Percentage 45.6% 48.2% Defensive Field Goal Percentage 39.5% 41.6% Free Throw Percentage 75.8% 64.5% Three-Point Field Goals Per Game 6.3 4.3 Three-Point Field Goal Percentage 34.3% 34.0% Assists Per Game 14.9 13.5 Turnovers Per Game 15.5 13.4 Blocked Shots Per Game 4.5 3.1 Steals Per Game 7.2 7.1
Deacons jump up a couple notches to #17 in Associated Press poll
With wins over then-17th-ranked Maryland and Georgia Tech last week, Wake Forest moved up from 19th to 17th this week in the Associated Press top 25. The Deacons are in the Associated Press poll for the fifth consecutive week. WFU moved up from 20th to 18th in the ESPN/USA Today poll. The Demon Deacons were not ranked in the preseason poll and did not make an appearance in the top 25 until Dec. 23. WFU has been ranked in 19 of 28 weeks under Skip Prosser. In other polls, Wake Forest is ranked as high as 12th nationally in the Sagarin Ratings and 16th in The Sporting News Power Poll and as low as No. 17 by CBS Sportsline and No. 25 in the RPI ratings. Three Wake Forest opponents are in the AP poll -- No. 3 Duke, No. 12 Maryland and No. 20 Marquette. North Carolina, Virginia and Wisconsin -- all WFU opponents -- are receiving votes in the AP poll.
Deacs top nation in rebound margin ...
With two of its top rebounders off of last year??s team gone via graduation, rebounding was a big concern for Skip Prosser heading into 2002-03. So, you might say it??s been a pleasant surprise that Wake Forest leads the nation in rebound margin (+12.8). More on WFU??s rebounding: - The Deacs are the only ACC team with a double-figure rebound margin. - The Deacons have out-rebounded every opponent this season and they have out-rebounded all but one opponent by at least seven boards. - WFU??s largest rebound margin in the last 10 seasons was +6.2 in 1997 -- Tim Duncan??s senior year. - The Deacs aren??t exactly a group of giants with no starter taller than 6-9. It helps that 6-2 guards Taron Downey and Justin Gray are both averaging more than three rebounds per game. - WFU??s freshman class is combining to average 16.1 boards per contest. - Two Deacons rank among the top five in the ACC in rebounding -- Josh Howard (7.9 rpg./4th) and Vytas Danelius (7.7 rpg./5th). - Howard, Danelius and Eric Williams all rank in the ACC??s top seven in offensive rebounds.
Game-By-Game Rebounding Opponent Rebounds Opponent Difference Yale 40 31 +9 Temple 51 36 +15 Wisconsin 37 27 +10 SMU 48 26 +22 SC State 59 31 +28 St. John??s 49 31 +18 N. Carolina A&T 43 33 +10 Bethune-Cookman 44 28 +16 Richmond 38 31 +7 Elon 39 32 +7 Duke 45 31 +14 Maryland 49 36 +13 Georgia Tech 48 38 +10 Virginia 34 32 +2 Florida State 41 30 +11 AVERAGE 44.3 31.5 +12.8
... and rank highly in other statistics
In addition to leading the nation in rebound margin, Wake Forest ranks among the ACC and national leaders in other categories: - Since arriving at Wake Forest last season, Skip Prosser has made the Deacons one of the nation??s highest-scoring teams. Wake Forest ranks 12th nationally in scoring offense (81.6 points per game). Last year, the Deacons finished eighth nationally in scoring. - Since Prosser??s arrival, WFU has scored 100 points or more four times. Before his arrival, the Deacons reached 100 points just once in the eight previous seasons. Wake Forest has scored 90 points or more five times this season. - The Deacons rank second in the ACC and ninth nationally in scoring margin, outscoring opponents by an average of 15.7 points per game. The Deacons have not played in a game this year decided by five points or less. - Wake Forest??s team free throw percentage (.758) leads the ACC and ranks 11th nationally. It is the highest percentage by a Deacon team since 1994-95. - The Deacons?? free throw percentage is the fourth-highest in school history. Wake Forest hasn??t led the ACC in free throw percentage since 1994-95. The school record for free throw percentage in a season is 77.1 percent, set in 1968-69. - Three Deacons ranks among the top seven in the ACC in free throw percentage -- Taron Downey (.875), Vytas Danelius (.867) and Josh Howard (.845). - Wake Forest ranks 10th nationally in win percentage.
No other player in college basketball matches Howard??s statistics
Some players score more, others rebound more and yet others dish out more assists than Josh Howard. No player in college basketball, however, can match Howard??s overall statistics. He is the only player in the Division I ranks averaging at least 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and one blocked shot per game.
Versatile Josh Howard vying to become WFU??s 11th All-American
Senior All-American candidate Josh Howard, who missed much of preseason drills because of severe shin splints, is enjoying an outstanding senior year. He??s a legitimate candidate to become the 11th player in Wake Forest history to earn All-American honors and the first since Tim Duncan in 1997. Howard is a candidate for the John R. Wooden and Naismith awards and Oscar Robertson trophy, all of which go to the nation??s top player. Without question, Howard is one of the most versatile players in college basketball. The ACC posts 12 individual statistics. He ranks in the top 11 in nine of them. Consider what Howard has achieved in 2002-03: - Over his last four games, Howard has averaged 24.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. - Despite being plagued with shin splints, Howard averages 30.4 minutes per game and he has averaged nearly 36 minutes over his last four games. - He has twice been named ACC Player of the Week (Dec. 9 and Jan. 20). - He was named national player of the week Jan. 20 by both ESPN.com and Foxsports.com. - In WFU??s 90-80 win at 23rd-ranked Wisconsin, Howard carried the team with a career-high 31 points, nine rebounds, three assists and two steals. - Versus Georgia Tech Jan. 19, Howard had 30 points and a career-high five blocked shots. - He has four double-doubles on the season, ranking fourth in the ACC. - At 6-6, he is one of the best offensive rebounders in the country. He ranks third in the ACC in offensive boards and fourth in overall rebounding. - Howard ranks third in the ACC in steals (2.33). - He ranks third in the ACC in scoring (18.1 ppg.). - Defensively, he is often asked to defend the opponent??s top scorer. SMU??s Quinton Ross entered the Dec. 15 game averaging 27 points per game, but was held to 3-of-15 shooting by Howard. Howard held Richmond??s leading scorer, Mike Skrocki, to 3-of-13 shooting Jan. 4. He limited Elon??s top scorer, Scottie Rice, to 3-of-11 shooting Jan. 7. - Through 15 games, he has 28 three-pointers. He made 26 three-point field goals all of last season. - Howard ranks fifth in the ACC in blocked shots. He blocked a career-high five shots against Georgia Tech Jan. 19. - He ranks seventh in the ACC in free throw percentage (.845) and has made 33-of-37 (.892) from the line over his last four games. - Howard??s three-point field goal percentage (.418) would rank among the ACC leaders, but he is two treys away from qualifying for the rankings. - He??s shooting 51 percent in the month of January and he ranks eighth overall in the ACC in field goal percentage (.472).
Howard Season-by-Season
Season PPG RPG 3FG/G 3PT% FT% Freshman 9.3 4.7 0.3 .286 .583 Sophomore 13.6 5.9 0.6 .391 .685 Junior 13.9 7.7 0.8 .329 .657 Senior 18.1 7.9 1.87 .418 .845
Howard in WFU??s Biggest Wins
Opponent (Date) Stats Georgia Tech (Jan. 20) 30 pts, 6 reb, 5 bs, 3 ast #17 Maryland (Jan. 15) 23 pts, 8 reb, 4 bs, 3 stl at Richmond (Jan. 4) 21 pts, 9 reb, 3 ast, 5 stl St. John??s (Dec. 21) 14 pts, 11 reb, 3 ast, 4 bs at #23 Wisconsin (Dec. 4) 31 pts, 11 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl
Howard on Defense
Player (School) Stats vs. Howard Quinton Ross (SMU) 3-15 FGs, 1-6 3Pt FGs, 4 TO Mike Skrocki (Richmond) 3-13 FGs, 0-6 3Pt FGs Scottie Rice (Elon) 3-11 FGs, 5 Tos
Howard closing in on very elite company in the ACC
Senior Josh Howard will leave his name etched throughout the Wake Forest record books: - Only three players in ACC history -- Duke??s Shane Battier, Christian Laettner and Grant Hill -- accumulated 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 200 steals and 100 blocks. Howard is 14 steals away from joining that group (see chart on page five). - Howard (1,431 points) ranks 18th in Wake Forest career scoring history. He is 11 points away from passing Alvis Rogers for 17th place. - Howard (698 rebounds) needs two rebounds to reach 700 for his career, and he needs eight boards to pass both Guy Morgan and Rodney Rogers for 12th place in Wake Forest history. - With 118 career blocked shots, he ranks sixth all-time in the WFU record books. - He is on pace to become just the 10th player in school history to make 100 career three-point field goals. He has 84 currently. - Howard??s 186 career steals ranks fifth in WFU history. He needs nine steals to pass both Danny Young and Skip Brown to take over third place. He needs 12 steals to take over 25th place in ACC history. And, he is 14 pilfers away from 200 for his career. - Howard (16 career double-doubles) ranks sixth in WFU history for career double-doubles. - Howard has played in 111 career games. - With 103 games started, Howard ranks eighth in Wake Forest history.
Gray out with a broken jaw
Freshman Justin Gray suffered a fractured jaw Jan. 12 at Duke and is out for an undetermined amount of time. Gray underwent surgery Jan. 13. Gray, whose mouth is wired shut, is averaging 10.5 points, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He ranks eighth in the ACC in assists per game (4.0). Among ACC freshmen, Gray ranks sixth in scoring.
Danelius relishing blue-collar role
Sophomore forward Vytas Danelius isn??t flashy and he rarely makes SportsCenter highlights on ESPN. But the 6-8 Lithuanian is a big reason that Wake Forest is currently 13-2. Consider: - Danelius?? stats over his last two games: 38 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, four steals and three three-point field goals. - He is shooting 86.7 percent from the free throw line, ranking fifth in the ACC. - Danelius ranks second on the team in rebounding. Wake Forest leads the nation in rebound margin. - He ranks fifth in the ACC in rebounds, fourth in offensive rebounds, seventh in defensive boards. - Danelius already has as many double-doubles this season (2) as he did all of last season. - He is shooting 56.9 percent from the field. - Danelius has added three-point shooting to his game, making him more difficult to defend. Last season he was 0-for-3 from three-point range. This year he is 9-of-16 (.563) from behind the arc. - Among all ACC sophomores, he ranks first in free throw percentage, rebounding, offensive rebounds and defensive rebounds.
Sophomore Taron Downey emerges as a vocal leader for the Deacons With five seniors gone off of last year??s team, sophomore guard Taron Downey has taken over the role as a vocal leader. That??s a big change for a player who rarely talked last season as a rookie. And Downey is letting his play do his talking as well. - Over his last two games, Downey had 30 points, nine rebounds, six assists, four three-point field goals, two steals and a blocked shot. - With Justin Gray out with an injury, Downey has taken sole responsibility for directing the offense as point guard. He played all 40 minutes in Sunday??s win over Florida State -- the first time since Tim Duncan in 1997 that a Deacon player has played every minute of a game. - He ranks among the ACC leaders in free throw percentage (.875/3rd), assist-turnover ratio (1.36/9th) and assists (3.73/8th). - Downey has made 12 consecutive free throws entering the Clemson game. - He ranks second on the team in three-point field goals made (21).
Baby Deacs making a huge impact
Time will tell, but the Wake Forest five-man freshman class has a chance to be one of the top overall groups in school history. Combined, the freshman class is averaging 34.2 points per game, making it the fourth-highest-scoring group in Wake Forest history (see box at bottom). The ??Baby Deacs?? have shown great poise this season, winning on the road at Wisconsin and Richmond and holding off St. John??s, Georgia Tech and Maryland at home. Center Eric Williams, Wake??s first McDonald??s All-American since Loren Woods, and point guard Justin Gray, are both starters (until Gray??s recent injury). Swingman Trent Strickland and Chris Ellis are key parts of the rotation. And guard Richard Joyce has shown glimpses of his outstanding potential. Next year??s Deacon team will be even younger. There is just one scholarship junior on this year??s roster and four freshmen come on board in 2003-04. More on this year??s freshman class: - Eric Williams (10.3 ppg. and 5.8 rpg.) has started every game. Among all ACC freshmen, Williams ranks second in rebounding and fifth in scoring. - Justin Gray (10.5 ppg. and 4.0 apg.) started the first 10 games of the season and has missed the last three games with a broken jaw. Among ACC freshmen, he ranks third in assists. - Trent Strickland (5.5 ppg.) is often the first player off the bench. He has emerged as one of WFU??s top defenders. - Chris Ellis (4.6 ppg. and 3.3 rpg.) has been solid off the bench, shooting nearly 49 percent and playing -well in the post. - Richard Joyce (3.3 ppg.) is an outstanding perimeter shooter who is trying to work his way into the rotation.
Deacons juggle starting lineup
Wake Forest has used three different starting lineups this season. Each combination has included just one senior and at least one freshman. The Deacons used the same starting five through the first 10 games of the season -- Taron Downey, Justin Gray, Josh Howard, Vytas Danelius and Eric Williams. But after Gray suffered a broken jaw, Jan. 12, the Deacons have used two lineups over the last five games. Howard, Williams and Downey have started all 15 games for the Deacons.
Rehabilitation over, Lepore and Schoetz back in action
Senior guard Steve Lepore, who ruptured a patella tendon last March in the ACC Tournament, was finally cleared to play Dec. 15. Lepore played just one minute against SMU and missed his only field goal attempt, but was happy to just be on the court after nearly 10 months of rehabilitating his knee. A former two-year starter at Northwestern, Lepore could provide a huge lift to the Deacons if he can fully recover from the injury. Lepore is on his way to that recovery. He is averaging 8.3 minutes per game. Lepore??s 10 months of sitting out pales in comparison to junior center Dshamal Schoetz. The seven-footer redshirted the 2000-01 season, then suffered a severe knee injury prior to the start of the 2001-02 season and sat out the entire year. Schoetz played in his first regular season game -- his first organized game since high school in 1999-00 -- Dec. 15 against SMU. He played two minutes, grabbed a rebound and recorded a steal. Senior All-American candidate Josh Howard has been plagued throughout the preseason with severe shin splints. Despite playing with pain, he is seeing more than 30 minutes of action per game.
Wake Forest 2-1 vs. ranked teams
- Wake Forest is 2-1 this season against nationally-ranked teams including a victory at No. 23 Wisconsin and at home against No. 17 Maryland. The Deacons lost at No. 1 Duke on Jan. 12. - The win at Wisconsin was WFU??s first victory against a ranked team on the road since 1998-99. - The Deacons are one win shy of tying last year??s total of three wins against ranked teams. WFU went 3-10 last season versus ranked clubs. WFU Wins Vs. Ranked Teams - Last 3 Seasons Jan. 15, 2003 vs. #17 Maryland W, 81-72 Dec. 4, 2002 at #23 Wisconsin W, 90-80 Feb. 17, 2002 vs. #15 Virginia W, 92-70 Dec. 19, 2001 vs. #19 Marquette W, 65-59 Nov. 21, 2001 vs. #23 Fresno State W, 62-61 Jan. 2, 2001 vs. #8 Virginia W, 96-73 Dec. 7, 2000 vs. #3 Kansas W, 84-53
Deacons approaching 200
Since the Associated Press began ranking college basketball teams in 1948-49, Wake Forest has been ranked 197 weeks.
Prosser has two wins vs. No. 1
Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser is 2-3 all-time against No. 1-ranked teams, including this year??s loss at Duke. Prosser??s Xavier teams beat No. 1 Cincinnati in 1999-00 and in 1996-97. Prosser, Duke??s Mike Krzyzewski and Maryland??s Gary Williams are the only current ACC coaches to own more than one victory against a No. 1-ranked team.
Deacons eye 13th consecutive postseason appearance
Wake Forest enters the 2002-03 season having appeared in postseason play 12 consecutive seasons. That??s the longest current streak among all teams in the ACC. Maryland, with nine straight postseason appearances, is second. The Deacons earned NCAA Tournament bids every year from 1991 to 1997, then played three straight years in the NIT. In 2000, WFU won the NIT title. WFU went back to the NCAAs in 2001 and 2002.
Wake Forest is ranked No. 5 in the NACDA Director??s Cup standings
Through all fall sports, Stanford, an eight-time champion, leads the NACDA Directors' Cup Division I standings and Wake Forest is ranked fifth. Wake Forest enjoyed a remarkable fall. The Deacons won the field hockey NCAA championship -- WFU??s first national title since the men??s golf team in 1986 and the first by a Deacon women??s team. The men??s soccer team was ranked No. 1 nationally and advanced to the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. The women??s cross country team won the ACC championship and finished ninth in the NCAA championships. The football team finished 7-6 after beating Oregon, 38-17 in the Seattle Bowl. Wake Forest is one of three ACC schools represented in the Director??s Cup top 10.
Wake Forest??s record under Skip
In two seasons under coach Skip Prosser, Wake Forest is: 33-1 when leading with five minutes remaining. The only loss came against Syracuse last season in the Preseason NIT championship game. 29-5 when Wake out-rebounds its opponent. 26-2 when the Deacons have more free throw attempts than their opponent.
