Wake Forest Athletics
ACC's Top Two Meet Sunday At Maryland's Comcast Center
2/14/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 14, 2003
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#15 Wake Forest (17-3/7-2) at #16 Maryland (15-6/7-3)
Game #21 / February 16, 2003 Comcast Center (17,950) College Park, MD
Tip-Off: 8:00 p.m.
Television: Fox Sports Net. Thom Brennaman (play-by-play) and Mike Gminski (color analysis) call the action. Dwayne Ballen and Dan Bonner host the pre-game show. Mike Burke is the producer.
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). MARYLAND (umterps.com).
The Records: WAKE FOREST is 17-3 overall and 7-2 in the ACC after 94-80 double-overtime victory over visiting 8th-ranked Duke Thursday night. MARYLAND is 15-6 and 7-3 following a 74-72 win at Florida State Wednesday night.
The Rankings: WAKE FOREST is ranked 15th in the Associated Press poll and 17th in the ESPN/USA Today poll. MARYLAND is 16th in the AP poll, 15th in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
WFU Coach Skip Prosser: Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy '72) is 38-16 in his second season at Wake Forest, 203-94 in 10 years overall. Prosser coached one season at Loyola (MD) and seven seasons at Xavier before coming to Wake Forest
Maryland Coach Gary Williams: Williams (Maryland '68) is 289-149 in 14 seasons at his alma mater, 496-277 in 25 seasons overall.
Series History: Maryland leads the all-time series, 55-51. More series information later in this release.
Trivial Note: Wake Forest is 6-11 all-time when playing the defending NCAA champion.
The Officials: Announced on game day.
ACC's top two teams meet Sunday at Maryland's Comcast Center
For the second straight game, Wake Forest will face a nationally-ranked opponent with first place in the ACC standings on the line when the Deacons play at 16th-ranked Maryland Sunday (8:00 p.m./Fox Sports Net). The 15th-ranked Deacons, 17-3 overall and 7-2 in the ACC, hold a half-game lead over Maryland in the league standings after beating 8th-ranked Duke, 94-80 in double-overtime Thursday night in Winston-Salem. In a wild game, sophomores Vytas Danelius and Jamaal Levy had double-doubles to lead Wake Forest. Maryland, 15-6 and 7-3, stayed within a half-game of the Deacons by edging Florida State, 74-72, Wednesday night in Tallahassee. Drew Nicholas' 20 points led the Terrapins, who snapped a two-game losing skid by beating the Seminoles. Wake Forest snapped a seven-game losing streak against Maryland with an 81-72 win over the Terrapins on Jan. 15 in Winston-Salem. Senior All-American candidate Josh Howard led all scorers with 23 points in that game. Maryland leads the all-time series, 55-51. More series information later in this release. Some of Sunday's storylines: - The Wake Forest-Maryland winner takes over sole possession of first place in the highly-competitive ACC race. - The Deacons will play their third consecutive nationally-ranked opponent. - WFU's Howard returns to Maryland, where he had 18 points and 15 rebounds on a gimpy ankle last season, but called a memorable time-out that the Deacons didn't have. The result was a technical foul, allowing Juan Dixon's free throw with 1.3 seconds left in the 90-89 Terp victory.
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 14 minutes per game -- the Deacons have exceeded all expectations. WFU is 17-3 with three wins over nationally-ranked teams (No. 23 Wisconsin, No. 17 Maryland and No. 8 Duke). Statistically, Wake Forest's biggest strengths have been rebounding and free throw percentage. The Deacons lead the nation in rebound margin (+12.5) and rank 12th nationally in free throw percentage (.762). Howard (18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds per game), who leads the ACC in scoring, is one of college basketball's premier players. He is a solid candidate for All-American honors as well as the Wooden, Naismith and Robertson awards. Sophomore forward Vytas Danelius (13.0 ppg. and 7.9 rpg.) ranks fourth in the ACC in rebounding and shoots 54.6 percent. Sophomore guard Taron Downey (10.6 ppg., 3.8 apg.), leads the team and ranks eighth in the ACC in assists. Back after a month lay-off is freshman guard Justin Gray (11.2 ppg.), who broke his jaw Jan. 12 and returned to action Feb. 13 by scoring 18 points in the win over Duke. Sophomore Jamaal Levy (7.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg.), who has started the last 10 games, has 25 rebounds over the last two games. A pair of freshmen reserves -- Trent Strickland (5.6 ppg.) and Chris Ellis (3.7 ppg.) -- have been key to WFU's success. Senior guard Steve Lepore, who is recovering from a ruptured patella tendon, missed the Duke game after aggravating his knee last week. Freshman Richard Joyce is a perimeter threat off the bench.
A quick look at the Terrapins
The defending NCAA champions appear to be back on track after a two-game losing skid. The Terrapins won a key road game, 74-72, Wednesday night at Florida State. Senior guard Drew Nicholas (17.9 ppg.), who scored 20 points Wednesday night, is one of the ACC's top players. Senior post player Ryan Randle (13.2 ppg., 7.5 rpg.) leads the Terrapins in rebounding. Senior guard Steve Blake (11.8 ppg., 6.8 apg.) is on the midseason list of 30 candidates for the John Wooden Award (joining WFU's Josh Howard). Senior Tahj Holden (8.3 ppg., 4.4 ppg.) leads the Terrapins in blocked shots (36). Freshman Nik Caner-Medley (6.0 ppg., 4.0 rpg.) is enjoying a solid rookie campaign and junior Jamar Smith (5.4 ppg., 4.1 rpg.) has been a surprising newcomer. Senior Calvin McCall (4.9 ppg.) has started 11 games. The Terrapins lead the ACC in scoring margin (+14.5), three-point field goal percentage (.387), blocked shots (6.81), assists (18.52), steals (11.14), and turnover margin.
Strange game: Notes from WFU's 94-80 double-OT win over No. 8 Duke
Wake Forest's 94-80 double-overtime victory over visiting and 8th-ranked Duke may go down as a classic, but it was also one of the strangest games of the year. Consider: - Exactly one year ago to the day, Wake Forest played a double-overtime game against Clemson (a 118-115 loss). That was also the last time Wake Forest was involved in an overtime game. It was the first double-overtime game in Joel Coliseum history. - The game lasted two hours, 58 minutes. - A total of 64 personal fouls were called as eight players fouled out (five Duke players, three Deacons). While WFU committed a season-high 27 fouls, Duke set a Lawrence Joel Coliseum record with 37 personal fouls. - Freshman Justin Gray played for the first time since breaking his jaw against Duke on Jan. 12. Expected to see limited action, Gray was pressed into more duty because Steve Lepore sat out nursing a sore knee. Gray, wearing a mask, scored 18 points. - Both team's leading scorers -- WFU's Josh Howard and Duke's Dahntay Jones -- combined for just 20 points and six rebounds. Jones was 0-for-12 from the field while Howard, plagued with foul trouble, played his fewest minutes (27) since a Dec. 28 blowout of Bethune-Cookman. - The two teams combined for 57 free throws made and 76 free throws attempted. Every Deacon player who played more than one minute attempted at least two free throws. - Freshman Trent Strickland scored 10 of his 12 points in the second overtime. - Wake Forest committed its most turnovers (24) in two seasons under Skip Prosser and had its fewest steals (1) in two seasons under Prosser. - Duke's field goal percentage (.315) was the lowest by a Deacon opponent since Richmond shot 30.3 percent on Jan. 2, 2002. The Blue Devils had just four assists. - Wake Forest broke a 14-game losing streak to Duke and stretched its homecourt winning streak to 14 games. - WFU's 14-point margin of victory tied for the 17th-largest by the Deacons against a ranked team. It was the largest margin over a top-10 team since beating 8th-ranked Virginia, 96-73 on Jan. 2, 2001. - The Deacons played in front of a capacity home crowd for the first time this season. - Vytas Danelius tied a career-high with 14 rebounds and Jamaal Levy pulled down a career-high 13 boards.
Wake Forest-Maryland series history
- Maryland leads the all-time series, 55-51. - Wake Forest's 81-72 win on Jan. 15 in Winston-Salem snapped a seven-game losing streak to the Terrapins. Josh Howard's 23 points led the Deacons in that win. - Maryland won last year's meeting in College Park -- WFU's final game in Cole Field House -- 90-89. Juan Dixon's free throw with 1.3 seconds remaining gave Maryland the win. - Wake Forest will play in the new Comcast Center for the first time. The Deacons were 15-31 all-time in Cole Field House (WFU is 16-32 all-time in College Park). - The Deacons have not won in College Park since an 83-79 win over 25th-ranked Maryland on Feb. 19, 1998. - Sunday's game marks the 12th consecutive time that Maryland will bring a national ranking into the Wake Forest game. It will be the seventh straight meeting when both teams are ranked. - The two teams first met in 1952-53, one year prior to the beginning of the ACC. - WFU's Skip Prosser is 1-3 all-time against Maryland, including one loss while coaching at Loyola (MD). - Maryland's Gary Williams is 17-15 all-time versus Wake Forest including a 15-13 record with the Terps, 2-0 while at Boston College and 0-2 while at American.
Deacon-Terrapin connections
- Wake Forest's Justin Gray and Richard Joyce, and Maryland's Steve Blake, are all graduates of Oak Hill Academy in Virginia. - Wake Forest alum Billy Packer and Maryland grad Bonnie Bernstein are both prominent members of CBS's college basketball broadcast team.
Miscellaneous WFU-Maryland notes
- Maryland coach Gary Williams is one of three WFU opposing coaches currently serving his alma mater (North Carolina's Matt Doherty and Bethune-Cookman's Clifford Reed are the others). - Williams went 3-5 against Wake Forest while playing for the Terrapins from 1964-67. - Sunday's game could be high-scoring. Both teams are averaging more than 80 points per game (Maryland 80.8, Wake Forest 80.6).
On this date in WFU basketball history
Wake Forest is 8-9 all-time on the date of February 16th, including a 2-7 mark when playing on the road. The Deacons last played on Feb. 16th in 1999, beating visiting Georgia Tech, 67-58. Wake Forest and Maryland met on this date in 1994, with the Terrapins coming away with an 81-58 win in College Park. On Feb. 16, 1991, Wake Forest beat 5th-ranked Duke, 86-77.
Statistical comparison
A statistical comparison between Wake Forest and Maryland: Category Deacs Terps Record 17-3 15-6 Conference Record 7-2 7-3 Scoring Average 80.6 80.8 Opponent Scoring Average 66.4 66.3 Scoring Margin +14.2 +14.5 Rebound Average 44.1 41.2 Opponent Rebound Average 31.6 34.9 Rebound Margin +12.5 +3.2 Field Goal Percentage 46.0% 45.4% Defensive Field Goal Percentage 38.8% 38.0% Free Throw Percentage 76.2% 70.4% Three-Point Field Goals Per Game 5.9 6.5 Three-Point Field Goal Percentage 33.5% 38.7% Assists Per Game 14.7 18.5 Turnovers Per Game 15.9 14.4 Blocked Shots Per Game 4.4 6.8 Steals Per Game 6.4 11.1
Deacs break streaks to Devils, Terps
Wake Forest entered the season with a pair of ugly losing streaks -- 14 straight losses to Duke and seven to Maryland. With victories over both teams this season, WFU's longest current losing streak in the ACC is one game -- to Virginia. Wake Forest has beaten both Maryland and Duke at home in the same season for the first time since 1995-96. WFU's longest current winning streak in the ACC is seven (vs. NC State).
Howard featured on Fox Sunday
Wake Forest senior Josh Howard will be profiled Sunday on the Fox Sports Net pre-game show, which begins at 7:30 p.m.
Deacons in AP poll for 200th time at #15; WFU ranked 17th in coaches poll
Wake Forest reached a milestone of sorts on Monday when it was ranked in the Associated Press poll for the 200th time in school history. The Deacons are ranked 15th in the AP poll (down from 14th) and 17th in the ESPN/USA Today poll (down from 15th). The Deacons are in the Associated Press poll for the eighth consecutive week after making their first appearance on Dec. 23. WFU has been ranked in 22 of 31 weeks under Skip Prosser. In other polls, Wake Forest is ranked as high as 6th nationally in the Sagarin Ratings, and as low as 14th by CBS Sportsline. Three Wake Forest opponents are in the AP poll -- No. 8 Duke, No. 11 Marquette and No. 16 Maryland. Wisconsin and Virginia -- both WFU opponents -- are receiving votes for the AP poll.
Deacs lead the nation in rebounding
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 (+12.5). More on WFU's rebounding: - The Deacs are the only team nationally 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 six 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 and their leading rebounder standing 6-6. It helps that 6-2 guard Taron Downey averages 3.6 rebounds per contest. - Two of the ACC's top four rebounders are Deacons -- Josh Howard (8.2/3rd) and Vytas Danelius (7.9 rpg./4th). - Howard, Danelius, Eric Williams and Jamaal Levy all rank in the ACC's top nine in offensive rebounds. - In ACC games, sophomore Jamaal Levy (7.2 rpg.) ranks sixth in the league in rebounding.
Wake Forest sizzling from the line
Wake Forest leads the ACC and ranks 12th nationally in free throw percentage (.762): - The Deacons are attempting to finish first in the ACC in free throw percentage for the first time since 1994-95. - WFU's free throw percentage is the fourth-highest in school history and the highest since 1994-95. - Wake Forest has a history of good free throw shooting. The Deacons led the nation in 1954 and 1955 and former Deac Dickie Hemric is the NCAA all-time leader in free throws made and attempted. - WFU's top three scorers are all shooting at least 84 percent from the line and all rank among the top seven in the ACC -- Taron Downey (2nd/.889), Josh Howard (6th/.841) and Vytas Danelius (7th/.824). - Downey, who has made 27 of his last 28 free throw attempts, would have the highest single-season free throw percentage in school history if the season ended today.
Highest Season FT Percentage/WFU History
1. Taron Downey 88.9 2003 2. Charlie Davis 88.2 1969 3. Jackie Murdock 87.5 1957 Charlie Davis 87.5 1970 5. Skip Brown 87.4 1976 6. Paul Long 86.9 1966
WFU among nation's top-scoring clubs
- Skip Prosser has made the Deacons one of the nation's highest-scoring teams. WFU ranks 14th nationally in scoring offense (80.6 ppg.). 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. - The Deacons rank second in the ACC and eighth nationally in scoring margin (+14.2). - The Deacons have played just one game this year decided by five points or less. - WFU's scoring margin is the highest in school history. The school record for scoring margin is +12.2 in 1980-81. The Deacons have led the ACC in scoring margin just once -- in 1995-96.
Howard moves up to No. 3 in Fox Sports' Wooden Award rankings
Close to home, senior Josh Howard has emerged as a leading candidate for ACC Player of the Year honors. On the national level, Howard is emerging as a strong candidate for All-American honors. Howard is Wake's first legitimate All-America candidate since Tim Duncan in 1997 and he is a candidate for the Wooden, Naismith and Robertson awards, all of which go to the nation's top players. In the latest unofficial rankings for the Wooden Award, Fox Sports rates Howard No. 3 behind Nick Collison (Kansas) and Dwayne Wade (Marquette).
Prosser has Deacons in first after being tabbed to finish sixth
Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser is starting to be mentioned as a strong candidate for coach of the year honors. After being picked to finish sixth in the ACC race, Prosser has the Deacons in first place. Prosser recently earned his 200th career victory, Jan. 28 at Clemson. Prosser, 203-94 in his 10th season of coaching, won his 200th game quicker than all but seven active Division I coaches. He is one of just two current ACC coaches -- joining Virginia's Pete Gillen -- to win 200 games or more in his first 10 seasons as a Division I head coach. More on Prosser: - Prosser's career winning percentage (.684) ranks 20th among all active Division I coaches. - Last season he became just the fourth coach in ACC history to win nine games in his rookie year. - He is one ACC win shy of becoming the 10th coach to win 17 league games in his first two years. - Last season Prosser won more games than any first-year Deacon head coach since 1927. - In two seasons at Wake Forest, Prosser has compiled a record of 38-16. - He will coach in his 300th career game Feb. 23 against Virginia.
Did You Know?
No ACC team has ever finished a season leading the nation in rebounding, as Wake Forest is attempting to do this season.
Since 1981, only Michigan State in 2001 maintained a rebound margin of +12 or greater for an entire season. If Wake Forest continues its current pace, the Deacons will become just the second team in 22 years to achieve that feat. To put that in perspective, WFU would be only the second team of the past 6,557 Division I clubs to own a +12 or higher rebound margin.
WFU has finished first in the NCAA statistics twice -- in free throw percentage in 1954 and 1955.
"He's the best player in our league. He's a beautiful player to watch on both ends of the court. Everyone talks about his offense, but he'll guard whoever is hot on the other team. He's a great college-basketball player and hopefully he will get the recognition nationally that he deserves." n Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski
Versatile Josh Howard vying to become WFU's 11th All-American
Senior Josh Howard, who missed much of preseason drills because of severe shin splints, is a strong 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 12 in nine of them. Consider what Howard has achieved in 2002-03: - Over his last five games, Howard has averaged 20.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per game while posting four double-doubles. - Despite being plagued with shin splints, Howard averages 31.1 minutes per game. - He has been named ACC Player of the Week a league-high three times this season (Dec. 9, Jan. 20 and Feb. 3). - He was named national player of the week Jan. 20 by both ESPN.com and Foxsports.com and by Dick Vitale on Feb. 3. Howard was named the Paine-Webber Senior Athlete of the Week Feb. 9. - Howard leads the ACC in scoring overall (18.8 ppg.) and in conference games (21.6 ppg.) - Howard scored 31 points in the Dec. 4 win at nationally-ranked Wisconsin. - Versus Georgia Tech Jan. 19, Howard had 30 points and a career-high five blocked shots. - He has eight double-doubles on the season, ranking third in the ACC. - At 6-6, he is one of the best rebounders in the country. He ranks third in the ACC in rebounding (8.2 rpg.) and in ACC games, he ranks second (8.7 rpg.). - Howard has been especially impressive on the offensive boards, where he ranks second in the ACC overall and he leads the league in conference games with 3.33 per game. - Howard ranks third in the ACC in steals (2.15). - Defensively, he is often asked to defend the opponent's top scorer, ranging from point guards to power forwards. - He has 34 three-pointers, compared to 26 three-point field goals he made all of last season and he shoots a solid 38.2 percent from behind the arc. - Howard ranks third in the ACC in blocked shots, rejecting 1.6 shots per game. - He ranks sixth in the ACC in free throw percentage (.841) and has made 23 of his last 26 attempts. - He ranks sixth in the ACC in field goal percentage (.470). - Howard seems to play his best on the road, where he averages 22.1 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.6 blocked shots per game.
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 six steals away from joining that group (see chart at top of page). - Howard (1,535 points) ranks 16th in Wake Forest career scoring history and will take over 15th place with 17 more points. - Howard (743 rebounds) ranks 10th in WFU career rebounding history and will move into ninth place with nine more boards. - Howard leads the team that leads the nation in rebounding. - With 126 career blocked shots, he ranks sixth all-time in the WFU record books. - He is on pace to become the 10th player in school history to make 100 career three-point field goals. He has 90 currently. - Howard's 194 career steals ties for fourth in WFU history with Danny Young. He needs two steals to pass Skip Brown for third place, four steals to take over 25th place in ACC history and six pilfers to reach 200 for his career. - Howard (20 career double-doubles) ranks sixth in WFU history for career double-doubles. - Howard has played in 116 career games. - With 108 games started, Howard is fourth in Wake Forest history behind only Tim Duncan, Darius Songaila and Frank Johnson.
Just two others in college basketball matches Howard's statistics
Some players score more, others rebound more and yet others dish out more assists than Josh Howard. However, just two players in college basketball -- Virginia Tech's Bryant Mathews and East Tennessee State's Zakee Wadood -- match Howard's overall statistics. Howard, Mathews and Wadood are the only players in Division I averaging at least 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and one blocked shot per game.
Deacons in middle of most difficult stretch in the schedule
March may seem easy compared to February for Wake Forest. The Deacons are in the middle of a four-game February stretch that is as difficult as they come. Sunday's game at 16th-ranked Maryland will be Wake Forest's third of three consecutive games against nationally-ranked teams. The Deacons are also in the middle of a stretch where they'll play three of four games on the road. It started last Sunday with a loss at 15th-ranked Marquette, followed by a win Thursday over 8th-ranked Duke. Following Sunday's game at Maryland, the Deacons travel to Georgia Tech on Thursday. The Yellow Jackets are unbeaten at home. Even though Wake Forest played three consecutive ranked opponents on two occasions last season, it's still relatively uncommon. Prior to last season, the last time the Deacs played three straight ranked foes came on Jan. 11-17, 1995.
Doing it with defense
Wake Forest has limited opponents to less than 40 percent shooting in each of the last six games, helping the Deacons to a 5-1 record. The last team to shoot better than 40 percent against WFU was Virginia on Jan. 23. On Thursday night, the Deacons held Duke to a season-low 31.5 percent shooting.
Consecutive home streak now at 14
Wake Forest has won 14 consecutive home games dating back to last season -- the second-longest homecourt streak in school history. The last time the Deacons lost in Lawrence Joel Coliseum was against third-ranked Duke on Feb. 21, 2002. WFU's streak ties for the 11th-longest nationally. The Deacs are 13-0 at home this season.
Deacs set to take on sixth nationally-ranked opponent
- Wake Forest is 3-2 this season against nationally-ranked teams including victories at No. 23 Wisconsin and at home against No. 17 Maryland and No. 8 Duke. The Deacons lost at No. 1 Duke on Jan. 12 and at No. 15 Marquette on Feb. 9. - The win at Wisconsin was WFU's first victory against a ranked team on the road since 1998-99. The Deacons are attempting to beat more than one ranked team on the road for the first time since 1996-97. - The Deacons have already tied last year's total of three wins against ranked teams. WFU went 3-10 last season versus ranked clubs. The last time Wake Forest beat more than three ranked clubs in one season came in 199-97 when it went 6-4 against ranked teams.
WFU Wins Vs. Ranked Teams - Last 3 Seasons Feb. 13, 2003 vs. #8 Duke W, 94-80 (2ot) 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 chasing first ACC regular season crown since 1995
Wake Forest is attempting to finish first in the ACC standings for the first time since 1995. That season, the Deacons were one of four teams who shared the regular season crown with identical 12-4 records. The Demon Deacons have not won the regular season title outright since 1962. That Wake Forest team finished 12-2, won the ACC Tournament and earned the school's only Final Four berth. Wake is the only team to finish fifth or higher in the league standings each of the past 10 years.
Road warriors? Deacs 4-2 on the road
Road wins in the ACC have been rare this season. The visiting team has won just nine of 44 games (.205) in league play. Five of the league's nine teams are undefeated on their homecourt. Wake Forest owns a two-game win streak on the ACC road, making the Deacons one of just two teams with .500 records. The road gets tougher for the Deacons, who play at 16th-ranked Maryland (Sunday) and Georgia Tech (Thursday). In all games, Wake Forest is a solid 4-3 on the road. The Deacs haven't had a winning road record since 1996-97, when Tim Duncan's team went 10-2.
On The Road Overall Pct. ACC Pct. Clemson 0-5 .000 0-4 .000 Duke 1-4 .200 1-4 .200 Florida State 1-5 .167 0-5 .000 Georgia Tech 0-8 .000 0-5 .000 Maryland 3-2 .600 3-2 .600 NC State 1-5 .167 1-4 .200 North Carolina 2-5 .286 1-4 .200 Wake Forest 4-3 .571 2-2 .500 Virginia 2-7 .222 1-5 .167
Deacon trends, streaks & notes
- The Demon Deacons' own a five-game ACC winning streak -- their longest since starting the 1996-97 season 5-0. With another win, WFU will have its longest ACC win streak since 1994-95 when the Deacs reeled off seven straight victories to end the regular season and claim a share of the ACC regular season crown. - Wake Forest's 17-3 record is its best through 20 games since starting the 1996-97 season 18-2. The Deacons' 7-2 ACC record is their best through nine games since starting 8-1 in 1996-97. - WFU hasn't had consecutive losses since Feb. 24-27, 2002. - Wake's last four opponents -- and six of the last seven opponents -- all shot less than 30 percent from three-point range. - The Deacons have not blown a lead this season when leading with 10 minutes remaining. WFU is 15-0 when leading at the 10:00 mark. WFU is 17-0 this season when leading with 5:00 remaining. - Wake is undefeated (16-0) when it shoots a higher field goal percentage than its opponent. - The Deacons are 15-1 when they shoot at least 70 percent from the free throw line. - WFU is 5-0 when it shoots at least 40 percent from three-point range. - Wake Forest is undefeated (11-0) when it scores at least 76 points - For a team that leads the nation in rebounding, the Deacons aren't great at jump balls. Wake Forest has won the opening tip just five times in 21 attempts. - An ACC player has scored 30-plus points in a game seven times this season. Three have been by Josh Howard. - WFU has secured a winning season for the 13th consecutive year.
Gray's return a big boost for Deacons
Freshman Justin Gray, who suffered a fractured jaw Jan. 12 at Duke and underwent surgery the next day, sat out for exactly one month before making a dramatic return Feb. 13. Wearing a protective mask and not expected to see many minutes, Gray scored 18 points and played 29 minutes in WFU's 94-80 double-overtime win against 8th-ranked Duke. From Jan. 13-Feb. 6, Gray's mouth was wired shut. His diet of up to 10 milkshakes per day could not prevent him from losing 19 pounds (he has gained most of the weight back). He took part in just two practice sessions prior to the Feb. 13 Duke game. Prior to getting his jaw un-wired, Gray spent two weeks doing individual workouts, including limited running and shooting drills with assistant coach Dino Gaudio.
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 17-3. Consider: - He is coming off his third double-double of the season with 20 points and a career-high tying 14 rebounds against Duke on Thursday. - He ranks second on the team and fourth in the ACC in rebounding (7.9 rpg.). Danelius ranks fourth in the league in offensive rebounds and third in defensive rebounds. - He is shooting a team-best 54.6 percent from the field for the season. - Danelius ranks seventh in the ACC in free throw percentage (.824). - 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 12-of-24 (.500) from behind the arc.
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. n He has scored in double figures in six out of his last seven games. n With Justin Gray's one-month absence, Downey became an ironman of sorts. He played all 40 minutes in the Jan. 26 win over Florida State -- the first time since Tim Duncan in 1997 that a Deacon has played every minute of a game. He played 45 minutes in the Feb. 13 double-overtime win over Duke. He leads the team in minutes played (34.0). - He ranks second in the ACC in free throw percentage (.889) and has converted 27 of his last 28 attempts. If the season ended today, Downey would have the highest single-season free throw percentage in WFU history. - Downey ranks eighth in the ACC in assists, ninth in assist/turnover ratio and 15th in three-point field goals made. - In ACC games, the 6-2 Downey averages 4.1 rebounds per game. - He ranks second on the team in three-point field goals made (30). He has 12 three-point field goals over his last six games.
Panamania: Levy one of Wake Forest's hottest players
Sophomore Jamaal Levy is a long way from his home in Central America, but he's close to becoming a star in the ACC. Levy moved into the starting lineup Jan. 12 at Duke after Justin Gray was late earlier in the week for a team meeting. Since then, Levy has been one of the Deacons' hottest and most consistent players: - He has three career double-doubles and they have all come since Jan. 15. - Over his last two games, Levy has averaged 11.5 points and 12.5 rebounds per game. - In ACC games, he is shooting 52.5 percent. - He has three times as many blocked shots this season (18) than he had all of last season (6). - In ACC games, Levy ranks sixth in the league in rebounding (7.2 rpg.) and third in offensive rebounds (3.00).
JAMAAL LEVY 1st 10 Games Last 10 Games Minutes Per Game 18.1 34.7 Points Per Game 5.1 9.6 Rebounds Per Game 4.9 7.7 Blocks Per Game 0.5 1.3 Steals Per Game 0.6 1.0
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 averages 32.6 points per game, making it the fourth-highest-scoring group in school history (see box at top of page). The "Baby Deacs" have shown great poise this season, winning on the road four times and beating three nationally-ranked teams. 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.
Lepore's knee acting up again
Senior Steve Lepore aggravated his knee last Sunday at Marquette and has not practiced since then. Lepore, who suffered a ruptured patella tendon last March in the ACC Tournament, sat out the Feb. 13 Duke game and is questionable for Sunday's game at Maryland.
Miscellaneous notes
- Paul Cluxton of Northern Kentucky holds the NCAA record (all divisions) for consecutive free throws made with 94 in 1996-97. Who is Paul Cluxton? He is the brother-in-law of Wake Forest director of basketball operations Pat Kelsey. - When freshman Eric Williams came to campus last summer, he reported in at 320 pounds. Now, the 6-9 center is a svelte 270 pounds. - Williams' hobby is drawing cartoons. Some of his work is expected to be published soon in the Raleigh News & Observer.
