Wake Forest Athletics
2003-04 Deacons Will Be Young, Deep
10/17/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 17, 2003
After being projected to finish as low as seventh in the ACC last season, Wake Forest players wore T-shirts that read: TJDK. The acronym for "They Just Don't Know" became a battle cry for a team that proved the experts wrong and ultimately won the ACC regular season title by two full games -- the school's first outright crown in 41 years.
So, what will those 'experts' forecast for the Demon Deacons in 2003-04? Some will not risk underestimating a Skip Prosser-coached team. In just two seasons at Wake Forest, Prosser's teams have won 46 games overall and his 22 ACC wins are the second-most ever by a coach in his second year in the league.
Four starters and five reserves return from a team that went 25-6 overall and 13-3 in the ACC a year ago. In addition, Prosser welcomes a four-man freshmen class that is considered among the best in the nation.
Other experts, however, will be skeptical. After all, the one starter gone from last season was consensus first team All-American Josh Howard. Replacing Howard -- the theme of any preseason discussion of Wake Forest basketball -- is simply not an option for Prosser.
"We may find a substitute," Prosser said, "but not a replacement." There may not have been a player more valuable to a team than Howard was to Wake Forest last season. He led the team (and the ACC) in scoring (19.5 points per game), rebounding (8.3 rpg.), three-point field goals (53), free throws (145), blocked shots (48) and steals (64). He carried a team which was unranked in the preseason polls to its first outright ACC regular season title in 41 years. Along the way, Howard was the first unanimous ACC Player of the Year since David Thompson in 1975 and Wake's first All-American since Tim Duncan.
Without Howard, an NBA first-round draft pick, the Deacons will have a new look in 2003-04. And while Howard may be irreplaceable, Prosser is hopeful that nine returning letterwinners and four talented newcomers may compensate for his staggering statistics.
"Josh was vital to our success last season," Prosser said. "However, we were not a one-man team. We have 12 players on scholarship."
Also gone from last year's team is reserve guard Steve Lepore, who played a key role off the bench despite a lingering knee injury and served as a mentor to a roster full of young teammates. Seven-footer Dshamal Schoetz, who played sparingly after overcoming a serious knee injury, transferred to a Division III school at the conclusion of the season.
Despite the losses, Prosser is confident his team can build on the success it has enjoyed the last two seasons. The 2003 ACC Coach of the Year, Prosser has guided Wake Forest to 46 wins in two seasons in Winston-Salem and his 22 league victories are the second-most ever by a coach in his first two seasons in the ACC.
The 2003-04 Demon Deacons should be quicker, more athletic and deeper than last year's team that finished 25-6 and finished eighth in the Associated Press poll. But it will also be one of the youngest teams in college basketball. There are no senior leaders -- in fact, no scholarship seniors at all -- on the roster. The leadership role falls on the shoulders of three returning juniors -- Vytas Danelius, Taron Downey and Jamaal Levy -- who will be looked up to by five returning sophomores and four freshmen.
"In addition to being good players, Josh and Steve were veteran leaders of an otherwise young team," Prosser said. "Taron, Jamaal and Vytas, among others, are going to have to step into that role."
Last year's team became the first ACC squad ever to lead the nation in rebounding. Howard led the ACC in boards (8.3 rpg.) and was a bulldog on the offensive glass. Danelius (7.5 rpg.) and Levy (6.8 rpg.), however, give the Deacs a good foundation. Danelius and Levy are the top two returning rebounders in the ACC.
This year's team should take a step closer to the fast and furious style that Prosser eventually wants his teams to play. With his third recruiting class in place, the roster is evolving in a way Prosser likes.
"Would we like to play faster? Absolutely," Prosser said. "I hope we can this season. We'll see when practice begins. Last year we had 11 scholarship guys, and of those guys you had three guys (Howard, Lepore and Schoetz) who weren't even able to start the year practicing (because of injuries). This year we'll have, ideally, 12 scholarship guys. "I'm hoping we can do that. I'm hoping that we can extend the floor a lot more. I think that's going to be the future of our team."
And the future looks extremely bright.
Back are four starters from last year's club -- not including sophomore Justin Gray, who started the first 10 games of the season as a rookie before breaking his jaw. Gray, who can play either guard position, is Wake's leading returning scorer (12.7 ppg.) and he was named to the ACC All-Freshmen Team last season.
Gray, 6-2, sat out a solid month after breaking his jaw in the ACC opener at Duke. Despite the layoff -- and the loss of 19 pounds -- Gray returned stronger than ever. Gray is an eternally confident player who brings a needed swagger to the Deacon lineup. Gray joins Downey (10.2 ppg., 4.2 apg.) in giving Wake Forest one of the most talented -- and quickest -- one-two backcourt punches in college basketball. And while Downey handled most of the point guard duties last season, Gray and Downey give the Deacs versatility because both are comfortable at either position.
Downey, 6-2, might be one of the most underrated players in the ACC. He ranked third last season in the ACC in free throw percentage (.861), sixth in assist-turnover ratio and seventh in assists. Equally important, Downey emerged as a vocal leader for the Deacons even though he was a sophomore.
Danelius (12.3 ppg., 7.5 rpg.), a 6-9 junior forward, was a second team All-ACC selection last season and he's the league's leading returning rebounder. The Lithuanian started 30 of 31 games and played nearly 31 minutes per contest. A powerful player in the paint, Danelius has added the three-point shot to his arsenal.
Levy (7.2 ppg., 6.8 rpg.), a 6-9 junior, moved into the starting lineup in early January last season and never lost his starting job. Levy, Wake's returning leader in blocked shots (30) and steals (29), was one of the ACC's most improved players.
Sophomore Eric Williams (8.7 ppg., 4.1 rpg.) started from Day One, providing the Deacons with much-needed muscle in the middle. Williams shot a team-best 54.7 percent and at times, the 6-9, 275-pounder was dominating. Foul trouble (he fouled out five times last season) and a lack of consistency kept his minutes to just over 20 per game.
Williams?? foul trouble last season paved the way for rising sophomore Chris Ellis (2.8 ppg., 2.5 rpg.) to see valuable minutes. Ellis, who played in all 31 games, was key to Wake's success last season.
Sophomore Trent Strickland (4.3 ppg., 1.9 rpg.) learned a great deal last season playing behind Howard. An outstanding athlete, Strickland is one of the ACC's better defenders and he has potential to excel in Wake's fullcourt attack.
Sophomore Richard Joyce (1.8 ppg.) showed potential last season. Also a good athlete, Joyce can shoot from the perimeter.
The four-man freshman class filled much of Wake Forest's needs. The Deacons signed point guard Chris Paul (Winston-Salem, NC), wing man Jeremy Ingram (Kinston, NC), forward Todd Hendley (Sanford, NC) and post player Kyle Visser (Grand Rapids, MI). Paul, 6-0, is the most heralded of the newcomers. A local product, Paul played in the McDonald's High School All-American Game. He joins Downey and Gray to give Wake Forest three lightning-quick guards, all of whom can play either guard position. Ingram, 6-3, was also a heavily-recruited prospect. An exceptional athlete, Ingram should compete immediately for playing time on the wing.
Hendley, 6-9, raised his stock significantly in the summer of 2002, getting notice from some of the nation's top programs. By that time, however, Hendley had been courted heavily by the Deacons and signed on with Prosser.
Visser, 6-11, enjoyed an outstanding prep career in Michigan. With his height and agility, the Deacon coaching staff feel he has great potential for the future.
"There aren't many better athletes in my opinion, than Jeremy Ingram," Prosser said. "Chris Paul is a good athlete. Todd Hendley can really run the floor. And Kyle Visser, for a kid who is 6-11, can really run the floor. But they will still be freshmen competing in the ACC." Freshmen have been known to make immediate impacts for Prosser-coached teams. The Deacons began last season with two freshmen in the starting lineup and in the previous season, Downey emerged as a starter in his rookie campaign.
"I think on the perimeter we should be more athletic. Taron will have to improve, as will Jamaal. But I think we can have the components of a really athletic, quick team. And like I've said many times, I think quickness trumps just about everything else in basketball."
Sophomore Eric Williams and his 6-9, 275-pound frame returns in the post. Williams, clearly one of the strongest players in the ACC, was dominating at times in his rookie season. He shot a team-best 54.7 percent, scored in double figures 13 times and had a pair of double-doubles. Williams needs to be better on two fronts as a sophomore. He needs to stay out of foul trouble and he needs to become more consistent. After scoring in double figures in 10 of his first 12 collegiate games, he reached double digits just three times in the final 19 games of the season.
Sophomore Chris Ellis, 6-9, was a pleasant surprise last season. While his numbers were modest (2.8 points and 2.5 rebounds per game), he was rarely a liability on either end of the floor. At a combined weight of 540 pounds, Ellis and Williams give Wake two bruising bullies in the paint.
Freshman Kyle Visser, 6-11, runs the floor well for a player his size. He averaged 16.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game last season at Forest Hills Central High School.
Junior Vytas Danelius played his rookie season behind Darius Songaila and he played last year in the shadows of Howard. Now that both of those players are in the NBA, this could be the year that Danelius emerges as one of the ACC's best frontcourt players. Danelius (12.7 ppg.) is Wake's leading returning scorer and he was named second team All-ACC last season. Ellis and junior Jamaal Levy could slide into this position if needed and freshman Todd Hendley, 6-9, will compete for minutes.
Levy, with his lanky 6-9, 180-pound frame, returns after making great strides last season. Levy's main duties are defending, blocking shots and rebounding (he is WFU's returning leader in blocks and steals), but he can score as well. He scored in double figures 10 times including a career-high 15 points in a home win over nationally-ranked Duke. At least three others players will compete with Levy for playing time. Sophomore Trent Strickland (4.3 ppg., 1.9 rpg.) was a key reserve last season, often subbing for Howard. Very athletic, Strickland, 6-5, is an outstanding perimeter defender. Sophomore Richard Joyce, 6-5, is a good athlete who saw limited playing time as a rookie. Freshman Jeremy Ingram, 6-3, is athletic enough to play the No. 3 position in a small Deacon lineup.
Coach Skip Prosser faces a pleasant dilemma. He has three exceptionally talented, quick guards who can play either guard position. All three can score as well as distribute the ball. Don??t be surprised to see all three -- junior Taron Downey, sophomore Justin Gray and freshman Chris Paul -- in the lineup at the same time.
Downey, 6-2, has started most of the past two seasons at point guard, where the southpaw has developed into one of the ACC's best quarterbacks. Downey (10.2 ppg., 4.1 apg., 50 three-point field goals), who may be the vocal leader of this year's team, possesses a smooth stroke from three-point range and he has improved in taking care of the basketball (he ranked sixth in 2003 in the ACC in assist-turnover ratio).
Gray, 6-2, is an enthusiastic leader despite his sophomore status. Gray (12.7 ppg.) spent most of his time last season at the two-guard after playing the point the previous year at Oak Hill Academy. Gray finished up his rookie season on a strong note, scoring 26 points in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against Auburn.
Paul, 6-0, was arguably the nation's best high school point guard a year ago. The McDonald's, Parade and USA Today High School All-American is Wake's most heralded recruit in years. The lightning-quick Paul will compete right away for playing time, perhaps even a starting job. Ingram, Strickland and Joyce are also candidates to play the big guard spot.
