Four-Game Homestand Begins Dec. 30
12/23/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 23, 2003
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Game #8
#8/6 Wake Forest Deacons (7-0) vs. NC A&T Aggies (0-7)
Tuesday, Dec. 30 / 7:05 p.m. / Lawrence Joel Coliseum (14,665) / Winston-Salem, NC / No TV
Tip-Off: 7:05 p.m.
Television: None.
Radio: Deacon Radio Network (ISP). Stan Cotten (play-by-play) and Mark Freidinger (color analysis) call the action.
Records: Wake Forest is 7-0 after a memorable, three-overtime, 119-114 thriller at fourth-ranked North Carolina Dec. 20. North Carolina A&T is 0-7 after an 81-62 loss at Miami (FL). The Aggies play at High Point Saturday.
Rankings: Wake Forest is ranked 8th in the Associated Press poll and 6th in the ESPN/USA Today poll. North Carolina A&T is not ranked.
Coaches: Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy '72) is 53-19 in three seasons with the Deacons, 218-97 in 11 seasons overall. North Carolina A&T coach Jerry Eaves (Louisville '83) is 0-7 in his first season with the Aggies, 0-7 overall.
SID Contacts: Wake Forest assistant athletic director/media relations Dean Buchan; North Carolina A&T basketball SID Jim McNally.
Websites: Wake Forest -- WakeForestSports.com; North Carolina A&T -- www.ncat.edu/~athletic/.
The Series: Wake Forest leads 2-0.
Officials: Announced on game day.
On Deck: Wake Forest hosts New Mexico Jan. 3 in Joel Coliseum. North Carolina A&T plays at Norfolk State Jan. 3.
Four-Game Homestand Starts Dec. 30
Wake Forest, coming off a win at fourth-ranked North Carolina Dec. 20 in one of the most memorable games in ACC history, has the week off before hosting North Carolina A&T Dec. 30 at Joel Coliseum (7:05 p.m./No TV).
The 8th-ranked Demon Deacons, 7-0 overall and 1-0 in the ACC, could use a break after playing the second-longest game in school history. Seven different Wake players scored in double figures in the Deacons' thrilling victory at Chapel Hill.
North Carolina A&T, 0-7, is rebuilding its program under first-year coach Jerry Eaves. The Aggies, who lost 81-62 at Miami (FL) Monday, play at High Point Dec. 27 before playing at Wake Forest.
Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 2-0.
Noteworthy
- Wake Forest will put its 20-game homecourt winning streak on the line four times between Dec. 30 and Jan. 10. The Deacons host North Carolina A&T (Dec. 30), New Mexico (Jan. 3), Brown (Jan. 6) and Clemson (Jan. 10).
- The 10-day break could help junior forward Vytas Danelius, who sat out the Dec. 20 North Carolina game with a sprained right ankle.
- The North Carolina A&T game could possibly mark the return of sophomore forward Chris Ellis, who has not played this season after breaking a bone in his foot on the first day of practice.
- Following the four-game homestand, the Deacons will play eight consecutive games against teams that are ranked or are receiving poll votes.
Instant Classic: Wake Forest 119, North Carolina (114) 3ot / Dec. 20, 2003
The first game of the 51st season of ACC basketball was one for the books. An attempt to put the Dec. 20 Wake Forest-North Carolina, triple-overtime game into statistical perspective:
233 Combined Points
- Tied for the second-most in ACC history.
- Wake's Skip Prosser has been involved in two of the three highest combined scoring ACC games in league history. Wake Forest (115) and Clemson (118) combined for 233 points on Feb. 13, 2002.
- Tied a Wake Forest record for most combined points in a game.
- Broke a North Carolina record for the most combined points.
Wake Forest's 119 Points
- The most points ever scored by a team against North Carolina.
- Wake Forest record for most points scored on the road (previously 115).
- Wake Forest record for most points scored against a ranked team (previously 103).
- The fourth-most single-game points in school history.
North Carolina's 114 Points
- The first time North Carolina has ever lost a game while scoring 100 points.
- One point shy of tying the ACC record for most points scored by a losing team.
- Wake Forest record for most points allowed in a win.
Three Overtimes
- Only one other game in ACC history included more overtime periods. The Wake Forest-NC State game on March 4, 1989 is the only four-overtime league game in ACC history.
- Was the second-longest game in Wake Forest history. Only the previously mentioned WFU-NCSU game was longer.
- While Wake Forest has played one four overtime game and several double-OT games, it was the first triple-overtime game in school history.
- The first multiple-overtime game in the history of the Smith Center.
Miscellaneous
- Wake's 46 field goals were its most in a game since Nov. 29, 1984 vs. Rollins and its most in an ACC game since Jan. 22, 1975 vs. Duke.
- Wake's 90 field goal attempts were its most since Feb. 25, 1976 vs. Maryland and tied for the fourth-most in school history.
- Wake's 30 three-point field goal attempts tied for the fifth-most in Wake Forest history.
- Thirteen players scored in double figures including seven by Wake Forest players.
Ellis Cleared; Danelius Nursing Ankle
Wake Forest has seen four key members of the roster miss games this year with a variety of injuries and illnesses.
Sophomore Chris Ellis broke a bone in his right foot during Wake's first practice of the season on Oct. 18. He was available to play in each of Wake's last two games, but did not play.
Junior Vytas Danelius has missed two games this season with ankle injuries. He missed the Nov. 22 Elon game with a twisted left ankle and foot. He missed the Dec. 20 North Carolina game with a sprained right ankle.
Previous injuries that sidelined Deacon players:
Freshman Kyle Visser (twisted his left ankle) did not play against Indiana.
Freshman Todd Hendley (stomach virus) did not play in the Nov. 29 game at Yale.
Deacons Jump Into Top 10 In Both Polls
With road wins at SMU and then-4th-ranked North Carolina last week, Wake Forest is now ranked in the top 10 of both major polls.
The Demon Deacons leaped to 8th (from 14th) in the Associated Press poll and to 6th (from 9th) in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
The No. 8 ranking is Wake's highest ranking since the final poll of the 2002-03 season when the Deacons were also ranked 8th. The Deacons haven't been ranked higher than 8th in the AP poll since Jan. 8, 2001 when they were ranked 6th.
Wake Forest has been ranked in the AP top 10 72 times in its history and 11 times since the Tim Duncan era ended in 1996-97.
The Deacons have been ranked in the AP poll for 20 consecutive weeks dating back to last season. Wake has been ranked in the AP poll 34 times in 41 weeks under Skip Prosser.
At this same point last year, Wake Forest made its season debut in the AP poll at No. 25. The Deacons went on to remain in the poll the rest of the season.
Wake is ranked 1st in the Sagarin Ratings, 2nd in CollegeRPI.com and 7th by CBS Sportsline.
Deacon-Aggie Series History
- Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 2-0.
- The Deacons beat the Aggies last season in Winston-Salem, 104-64.
- The first meeting between the two teams came in the opening round of the 1995 NCAA Tournament in Baltimore. Wake Forest, behind then-sophomore Tim Duncan, beat A&T 79-47.
- North Carolina A&T is the third in-state opponent Wake Forest will have faced this season -- also Elon (Nov. 22) and North Carolina (Dec. 20).
- Wake Forest is 11-0 all-time against teams from the MEAC, including wins last season against A&T and Bethune-Cookman.
- Deacon head coach Skip Prosser is 1-0 all-time against the Aggies.
Wake Forest-A&T Connections
- North Carolina A&T's Michael Dubose and Wake Forest's Chris Paul are both freshmen guards from West Forsyth High School.
- Aggie freshman Greg Roberts attended West Charlotte High School -- the same high school Wake's Justin Gray attended before transferring to Oak Hill Academy.
- Wake Forest assistant football coach Keith Henry previously served as an assistant football coach at A&T and he also was head coach of the Aggie baseball team.
Deacons Are A Balanced Bunch So Far
- Five different Deacons average scoring in double figures. Seven Deacs scored in double figures Dec. 20 at North Carolina.
- Eight different players have scored in double figures at least twice and four different Deacs have scored 20 or more points in a game.
- Ten different Deacons have made at least one three-point field goal.
- Nine different Wake Forest players are averaging at least 10 minutes of action per game.
Deacons Take ACC Opener
The ACC schedule-makers haven't been kind to Wake Forest. In each of the last two seasons, the Deacons have opened the season on the road against teams ranked in the top five nationally.
Last season Wake opened ACC play with a loss at No. 1 Duke.
On Dec. 20, Wake Forest opened ACC play on the road against No. 4 North Carolina and came away with a 119-114 triple-overtime victory.
What the win meant:
- The win was just Wake Forest's third victory in an ACC opener over the last nine years.
- Wake improved to 22-29 in ACC openers all-time.
- The Deacons opened the ACC season with a road win for the first time since 1996.
- The Deacs improved to 3-15 when opening ACC play against nationally-ranked teams and beat a ranked team in the opener for the first time since 2001.
Williams, Paul Sweep ACC Honors
Sophomore Eric Williams and freshman Chris Paul, both of whom played vital roles in Wake Forest road wins at SMU and North Carolina last week, were named the ACC Player of the Week and ACC Rookie of the Week, respectively, Dec. 22.
Williams wins an ACC individual weekly honor for the first time. Paul was named ACC Rookie of the Week for the second time this season. He is the first Deacon to win the honor twice in a season since Darius Songaila in 1999.
Wake Forest beat SMU 78-66 in Dallas Dec. 15, then topped fourth-ranked North Carolina, 119-114, in triple-overtime, in the Dec. 20 ACC opener.
Williams scored a team-high 24 points in the win at North Carolina. The Wake Forest, N.C., native hit on 11 of 18 from the floor and pulled down eight rebounds and blocked one shot against the Tar Heels. The 6-9, 275-pound sophomore was also instrumental in the Dec. 15 victory at SMU with 22 points, 10 rebounds and a steal. For the week, Williams scored 46 points, grabbed 18 rebounds, made 19-of-30 field goal attempts, 8-of-10 free throw attempts had two steals and one blocked shot.
Paul, a Lewisville, N.C., product, averaged 15.5 points, 8.0 assists, 5.5 steals and 4.5 rebounds in the two wins. The 6-0, 168-pound freshman played 46 minutes in the victory at North Carolina, scoring 18 points, dishing out eight assists and recording five steals against the 4th-ranked Tar Heels.
Remaining Schedule Is Loaded
Using this week's Associated Press poll as a guide, Wake Forest's remaining regular season schedule is surely one of the nation's most difficult.
Three ACC opponents -- (3) Duke, (4) Georgia Tech and (9) North Carolina -- are ranked in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll. Three other Deacon opponents -- (14) Cincinnati, (18) Texas and (24) Maryland -- are also in the top 25. And four more opponents -- Florida State, NC State, Virginia and past opponent SMU -- are receiving votes for the poll.
What this means is that nine of Wake Forest's remaining 21 games come against teams currently in the AP top 25. It also means that 15 of the final 16 games on the schedule come against teams that are ranked or are receiving votes for the poll.
Beginning Jan. 13 at Texas, Wake Forest plays three straight ranked teams (Texas, Duke and Georgia Tech) and eight straight games against teams that are at least receiving votes.
Wake Vs. Nationally-Ranked Opponents
- Wake Forest is 1-0 against ranked teams this season -- a win at 4th-ranked North Carolina on Dec. 20.
- The Deacons are 4-3 in their last seven games against ranked teams.
Deacons Lead The Nation In Scoring
Wake Forest has been lighting up the scoreboard this season, averaging a lofty 92.3 points per game.
- The Demon Deacons lead the nation in scoring, just ahead of ACC rival North Carolina (92.0).
- Wake already has two 100-point games this season and has scored at least 80 points in all but one game.
- Here's an indication of the offensive impact Skip Prosser has had on Wake Forest. In his three years with the Deacons, Wake has scored 100-plus points six times. Before his arrival, the Deacons reached the century mark just five times in the previous 13 seasons.
- With one more 100-point game this season, Wake Forest will have more 100-point games in a season than any Deacon team since the 1982-83 team reached the century mark three times.
- While Wake's scoring average will certainly go down, the Deacons are currently averaging 4.5 more points per game than the school record of 87.8 set in 1975-76.
Wake Forest ranks among the national and ACC leaders in other categories:
- The Deacons rank 10th nationally in scoring margin (+20.2).
- Wake is one of 16 remaining undefeated Division I teams.
- The Deacs lead the ACC in three categories -- scoring offense, steals and turnover margin. Wake ranks second in the ACC in field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, assists, and scoring margin.
1,300 In Sight
With 1,290 all-time victories, Wake Forest is 10 wins shy of reaching the 1,300-win milestone. The Deacons are 1,290-991 all-time.
Homecourt Streak At 20
Wake Forest has not lost a home game since Feb. 21, 2002 -- a streak of 20 consecutive wins. The Deacons went 16-0 at home last season and are 3-0 this year.
The 20-game streak is the sixth-longest current streak in Division I. The Wake Forest school record for consecutive home court wins is 25 from 1995-97.
Gray Streaks
Guard Justin Gray may be a sophomore, but remember, he has played in just 30 career games. And the sophomore is enjoying an outstanding second season:
- After missing 10 games last season with a broken jaw, Gray has made at least one three-point field goal in 19 consecutive games.
- He has scored in double figures in 15 straight games.
- Over his last eight games, dating back to last season, Gray has made 25 three-point field goals. Only Florida State's Tim Pickett is averaging more three-point field goals per game in the ACC than Gray (2.86).
- His six three-point field goals at SMU (Dec. 15) are the most by any ACC player this season.
- Gray ranks ninth in the ACC in scoring (15.0), second in three-point field goals per game (2.86), fifth in three-point percentage (.400) and 15th in field goal percentage (.430).
"Mayor" One Of Nation's Top Rookies
Chris Paul is quickly establishing himself as one of the nation's top freshmen and one of the top point guards in a conference loaded with talented players at that position. Consider:
- Paul leads the nation in steals per game (4.29).
- He ranks third in the ACC and 13th nationally in assists per game (6.57).
- He ranks second in the ACC in assist-turnover ratio (2.71) and is the only freshman in the league to rank in the top 10. He has 46 assists and just 17 turnovers in 232 minutes.
- Paul has been named ACC Rookie of the Week twice (Dec. 8 and Dec. 22).
- His six steals at SMU tied a Wake Forest freshman record held by Rodney Rogers. The six steals tied for the ninth-most every by a Deacon, regardless of class.
- His nine assists at SMU were one short of tying Wake Forest freshman single-game records.
- Over his last four games, Paul has averaged 16.8 points, 8.2 assists and 5.2 steals per game.
- After making the first 14 free throw attempts of his career, Paul is now shooting 78.6 percent from the line, ranking fifth in the ACC and first among ACC freshmen.
- He has started every game and leads the team in minutes played (33.1 mpg.).
- The Wake Forest freshmen records for assists (147) and steals (53) are in jeopardy. Paul already has 46 assists and 30 steals.
- The shortest player on the roster, Paul ranks second on the team with five blocked shots.
- Among all ACC freshmen, Paul ranks first in assists, steals and minutes played. He ranks third in scoring and third in rebounding.
- He has six three-pointers over the last five games.
Most Steals By A Deacon Freshman
6, Chris Paul Dec. 15, 2002 at SMU 6, Rodney Rogers Feb. 24, 1991 vs. Clemson 5, Chris Paul Dec. 6, 2003 vs. Richmond 5, Chris Paul Dec. 2, 2003 vs. Indiana 5, Taron Downey Feb. 6, 2002 vs. North Carolina 5, Six other times
Most Assists By A Wake Forest Freshman
10, Derrick McQueen Dec. 28, 1988 vs. New Mexico 9, Chris Paul Dec. 15, 2002 at SMU 9, Randolph Childress Feb. 4, 1991 vs. William & Mary 9, Derrick McQueen Jan. 2, 1989 vs. UNCW 8, Chris Paul Dec. 20 at North Carolina 8, Chris Paul Dec. 6, 2003 vs. Richmond 8, Chris Paul Dec. 6, 2003 vs. Indiana 8, Justin Gray March 21, 2003 vs. ETSU 8, Derrick McQueen Feb. 25, 1989 vs. Maryland
Downey Climbs In Record Books
Junior guard Taron Downey, at his current pace, will have his name in the Wake Forest record books.
Downey's career free throw percentage (.841) is the fourth-highest in Wake Forest history. He is shooting 85.7 percent from the stripe this season.
He is eight three-point field goals away from becoming the 11th player in school history to make 100 career three-pointers.
With 220 career assists, Downey will eventually become just the eighth player in Wake Forest history to record 300 career assists.
Big E Making Some Noise
Sophomore center Eric Williams, at least in the early going, is one of the ACC's most improved players.
- The 6-9, 275-pound Williams has more than doubled his scoring average from last season (from 8.7 ppg. to a team-high 18.1 ppg.).
- Williams ranks fourth in the ACC in scoring.
- He ranks second in the ACC in field goal percentage (.593).
- Williams ranks 15th in the ACC in rebounds per game (6.3).
- He ranks ninth in the ACC in offensive rebounds per game (3.00).
- The big guy even ranks 15th in the ACC in free throw percentage (.655).
- Williams has started all 38 games of his career.
Williams' Statistics Last Season This Season Points Per Game 8.7 18.1 Rebounds Per Game 4.1 6.3 FG Percentage .547 .593 FT Percentage .621 .655 Steals Per Game 0.7 1.6
Levy Defies His Lanky Frame
At 6-9 and just 180 pounds, Jamaal Levy is a good example of one of Skip Prosser's favorite sayings: "It's now how big you are, it's how big you play."
Levy uses his thin frame and quickness to his advantage to become one of the ACC's best rebounders:
- Levy leads the team and ranks third in the ACC in rebounding at 9.4 boards per game.
- He ranks second in the ACC in offensive rebounds per game (3.57).
- Levy currently averages more total rebounds per game than any Deacon since Tim Duncan in 1997. Throw out Duncan, and Levy averages more boards per game than any Wake Forest player since Anthony Teachey in 1984.
- He also ranks 13th in the ACC in steals per game (1.71).
Visser, Strickland Provide Huge Spark
Freshman Kyle Visser and sophomore Trent Strickland were unlikely heros in Wake Forest's Dec. 20 win at 4th-ranked North Carolina.
Visser had career highs of 13 points and eight rebounds in 20 minutes. Strickland scored a career-best 15 points, made both of his three-point field goal attempts and added four rebounds.
Visser was a huge surprise. In Wake's previous game at SMU (Dec. 15), he did not get off the bench. Against Richmond (Dec. 6), he failed to score or grab a rebound. He did not play against Indiana (Dec. 2) because of an ankle injury. In fact, Visser had more rebounds (8) against UNC than he had in the first month of his career combined.
Strickland entered the UNC game after scoring just two points in Wake's previous two games combined. Strickland, however, was also a star in last year's double-overtime win against Duke.
Comparing This Season To Last Season
The biggest question surrounding this year's edition of the Wake Forest basketball team was: How will the Deacons be without Josh Howard?
Certainly, Wake Forest has a different look without the 2003 unanimous ACC Player of the Year. The biggest differences:
Balance -- five players average scoring at least 11 points per game, seven players average at least 6.2 points and the Deacons no longer have just one person to look to during crunch time.
Turnovers -- this year's team takes better care of the basketball, ranking first in the ACC in turnover margin. Last year's team ranked eighth in turnover margin.
Rebounding -- last year's team led the nation, and while this year's team has a +4.7 rebound margin, it hasn't dominated the boards like the 2002-03 squad.
Accuracy -- so far the Deacons are shooting their highest field goal percentage (.496) since 1984.
Defense -- Wake Forest is blocking fewer shots since last season, but is recording nearly five more steals per game.
Deacs One Of ACC's Youngest Teams
Wake Forest may have lost just one starter from last year's 25-6 team, but youth still rules the Deacons.
- There are no scholarship seniors on the Wake Forest roster and the Deacons have just three juniors. Nine of the 12 scholarship players are either freshmen or sophomores.
- Wake Forest is the only ACC team with no scholarship seniors on the roster.
- The oldest players on the team are 22-year olds Vytas Danelius and Taron Downey.
- Wake Forest will likely not start a senior this season. The last time the Deacons did not start a senior all season came in 1987-88.
Not Used To Trailing
Wake Forest has trailed in the second half just once this season -- Dec. 20 at 4th-ranked North Carolina. In wins over Elon, Yale and Indiana, the Deacons led wire-to-wire.
The Deacons trailed briefly in the first half of wins against Memphis, Richmond and SMU. Wake's largest deficit of the season was 11 points (8-19) early in the first half of the North Carolina game.
If They Play Like Dad...
Wake Forest has played against the sons of several great players this season:
On Dec. 20, Wake Forest played North Carolina and sophomore center Sean May, the son of former Indiana All-American and Olympian Scott May.
On Dec. 2, Wake Forest hosted Indiana and Hoosier freshman Patrick Ewing, Jr. Ewing, of course, is the son of the former Georgetown and New York Knicks great. The younger Ewing was a teammate of Wake Forest's Chris Ellis back in Marietta, Ga.
On Nov. 29, Wake Forest played Yale and Bulldog guard John Shumate. Shumate is the son of the former Notre Dame and NBA standout by the same name.
Wake Forest's own Chris Ellis is the son of former Tennessee and NBA standout Dale Ellis.
Last season Wake played against Moses Malone, Jr., who scored 18 points for South Carolina State.
Wake Will Retire Howard's Jersey Jan. 29
Wake Forest will retire the jersey of former consensus All-American Josh Howard during a ceremony at the Jan. 29 game against Maryland.
Howard, currently a rookie with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, has confirmed that he will attend the ceremony at Lawrence Joel Coliseum.
In 2003, Howard enjoyed a remarkable senior season. He was the first unanimous selection for ACC Player of the Year since NC State's David Thompson in 1975. Howard, a consensus first team All-American last season, is one of just five players in the history of the ACC to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 200 steals and 100 blocked shots. He led Wake Forest to a 25-6 record in 2003 and the Deacons won the ACC regular season title for the first time in more than 40 years.
"I am thrilled for Josh and his family," Prosser said. "This is a wonderful tribute and especially noteworthy as Josh is from Winston-Salem. For Josh to accomplish all of the terrific things he did on the basketball court as well as to earn his diploma is an honor not only for Josh but for Wake Forest University. His leadership and example of courage in his senior season, as he led his teammates to the ACC regular season championship, should always be remembered by those who love Deacon basketball."
Howard's jersey will be the 10th to be retired at Wake Forest and the first since Tim Duncan in 1997. Other Deacons to have their jerseys retired: Tyrone Bogues, Skip Brown, Len Chappell, Randolph Childress, Charlie Davis, Rod Griffin, Dickie Hemric and Rodney Rogers.
The jersey retirement ceremony will take place at halftime of the Jan. 29 Wake Forest-Maryland game, scheduled for 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
December Streak
Wake Forest has won 12 consecutive games played in the month of December, with its last loss coming at St. John's on Dec. 22, 2001.
Wake Signs One In Early Signing Period
Cameron Stanley, a 6-7 senior at Raleigh Millbrook High School, signed a letter-of-intent to play basketball at Wake Forest, Demon Deacon head coach Skip Prosser confirmed November 19.
Stanley averaged 21.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game as a junior in 2002-03 while leading Millbrook to a 26-5 record. He was a finalist for North Carolina's Mr. Basketball, he earned a spot on the all-conference team and he emerged as one of the nation's top prospects at the ABCD camp in Teaneck, N.J.. Stanley was also invited to USA Basketball's Youth Development Festival in Colorado Springs, Colo. As a sophomore, Stanley averaged 19.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
The current Wake Forest roster includes no scholarship seniors. Assuming the roster remains intact, Stanley will be one of nine North Carolina natives on the 2004-05 Deacon roster.
Three Captains Named
Juniors Taron Downey and Jamaal Levy and sophomore Justin Gray were named team captains by head coach Skip Prosser.
With no scholarship seniors on the roster, Downey, Levy and junior Vytas Danelius bring the most experience to the team. The trio has helped the Deacons post 46 wins over the last two seasons and have played in four NCAA Tournament games.
Downey Made Remarkable Recovery To Lead Deacons To Season-Opening Win
Junior guard Taron Downey was expected to play sparingly -- if at all -- in Wake Forest's season opener Nov. 13 against Memphis in Madison Square Garden.
After all, just eight days earlier, Gray had an emergency appendectomy. He took part in just one practice and avoided all contact drills prior to the team's departure to New York. Freshman Chris Paul started in Downey's spot at point guard.
When sophomore guard Justin Gray got into foul trouble, Downey was inserted into the game. Coach Skip Prosser continually consulted with Downey on his condition and the junior ended up playing 29 minutes.
Downey scored a career-high 20 points, made 4-of-7 three-point field goals and he added five assists, five rebounds and a blocked shot. For his efforts, he was named Coaches vs. Classic game MVP.
A chronological look at Downey's week:
Nov. 4 -- Downey began feeling poorly and had difficulty sleeping.
Nov. 5 -- After consulting with head trainer Greg Collins, Downey's blood was tested. Later that night, an appendectomy was performed.
Nov. 6 -- Downey was released from the hospital.
Nov. 10 -- Downey dressed out for practice but limited only to shooting.
Nov. 11 -- Downey went through a full practice, although he avoided contact drills.
Nov. 12 -- Team takes a turbulent flight to New York.
Nov. 13 -- Downey comes off the bench to play 29 minutes, score a career-high 20 points, make four three-point field goals, dish out five assists, grab five rebounds and block one shot.