Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest Travels To 'Nole Country Wednesday
2/25/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 25, 2003
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#12 Wake Forest (19-4/9-3) at Florida State (12-12/3-10)
Game #24 / February 26, 2003 Leon County Civic Center (12,200) Tallahassee, FL
Tip-Off: 9:07 p.m.
Television: Regional Sports Network. Paul Kennedy (play-by-play) and Phil Ford (color analysis) call the action. Gary Nicholas 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). FLORIDA STATE (seminoles.com).
The Records: WAKE FOREST is 19-4 overall and 9-3 in the ACC after a 75-71 win over visiting Virginia Sunday night. FLORIDA STATE is 12-12 and 3-10 following a 74-60 loss at Clemson on Saturday.
The Rankings: WAKE FOREST is ranked 12th in the Associated Press poll and 12th in the ESPN/USA Today poll. FLORIDA STATE is not ranked.
WFU Coach Skip Prosser: Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy ??72) is 40-17 in his second season at Wake Forest, 205-95 in 10 years overall. Prosser coached one season at Loyola (MD) and seven seasons at Xavier before coming to Wake Forest
Florida State Coach Leonard Hamilton: Hamilton (Tennessee-Martin ??71) is 12-12 in his first season with the Seminoles, 212-222 in 15 years overall.
Series History: Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 15-11. More series information later in this release.
Trivial Note: Wake Forest (16-0) and Florida State (10-0) are the only ACC teams undefeated when leading at halftime.
The Officials: Announced on game day.
Deacons try to keep momentum going Wednesday at Florida State
Wake Forest, vying to enter March as the ACC leader and searching for its 20th victory, faces another road test Wednesday night at Florida State (9:07 p.m./RSN). The 12th-ranked Deacons, 19-4 overall and 9-3 in the ACC, won a hard-fought 75-71 decision over visiting Virginia Sunday night. Senior All-American candidate Josh Howard poured in 28 points and sophomore Vytas Danelius tied a career-high with 21 points to lead the Deacons. Florida State, 12-12 and 3-10, has lost two straight, including a 74-60 defeat at Clemson on Saturday. The Seminoles, who are 10-4 at home, were led Saturday by Anthony Richardson??s 16 points. Wake Forest beat Florida State, 71-60, Jan. 26 in Winston-Salem. Josh Howard scored 24 points to lead the Deacons and FSU??s Tim Pickett scored 27 points to lead all scorers. The Deacons lead the all-time series, 15-11. More series information on page 11. Some of Wednesday??s storylines: - Wake Forest (9-3) likely needs a win to remain in first place in the ACC standings. Second-place Maryland (9-4) hosts Clemson Tuesday and Duke (9-4) plays at Georgia Tech Wednesday. - The Deacons are attempting to win the ACC regular season title since sharing the crown in 1995. WFU hasn??t won the title outright since 1962. - WFU coach Skip Prosser, a strong candidate for coach of the year honors, is 18-10 in two seasons of ACC play. Only one coach in ACC history (Bill Guthridge) won more league games in his first two seasons than Prosser. - Wake Forest??s Howard enters the Florida State game with an ACC-leading streak of 18 consecutive double-figure scoring games.
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 13 minutes per game -- the Deacons have exceeded all expectations. WFU leads the ACC and is 19-4 overall 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 (+10.0) and rank 10th nationally in free throw percentage (.762). Howard (19.5 points and 7.9 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 7.3 rpg.) tied a career-high with 21 points in Sunday??s win over Virginia. Sophomore guard Taron Downey (10.0 ppg., 4.2 apg.), leads the team and ranks eighth in the ACC in assists. Back after a month lay-off is freshman guard Justin Gray (11.4 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 (7.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg.), who has started the last 12 games, has led WFU in rebounding in February. A pair of freshmen reserves -- Trent Strickland (5.3 ppg.) and Chris Ellis (3.3 ppg.) -- have been key to WFU??s success. Senior guard Steve Lepore, who is recovering from a ruptured patella tendon, missed the last four games after aggravating his knee recently. Freshman Richard Joyce is a perimeter threat off the bench.
A quick look at the Seminoles
Florida State, 12-12 and 3-10 in the ACC, has lost four of its last five games. The Seminoles, however, have been dangerous at home (10-4 at the Leon County Civic Center). FSU has beaten Iowa, Miami, Duke and Georgia Tech at home. Junior Tim Pickett (16.5 ppg., 5.4 rpg.) has proven to be one of the ACC??s top and most versatile players. He ranks among the ACC leaders in three-point field goals (68) and steals (69). Sophomore Anthony Richardson (12.6 ppg., 5.1 rpg.), a Raleigh (NC) native, scored 16 points Saturday at Clemson. The balanced Seminoles have four players averaging at least 7.8 points per game -- junior Michael Joiner (8.8), senior Trevor Harvey (8.5), sophomore Andrew Wilson (7.8) and freshman Todd Galloway (7.8). FSU holds opponents to 39.1 percent shooting.
More from WFU??s 75-71 win over Virginia Sunday night
- Sophomore Vytas Danelius tied a career-high with 21 points. - Senior Josh Howard scored in double figures for the 18th consecutive game. In the process, he scored his 1,600th career point and moved into 14th place on WFU??s all-time career scoring list. - Wake Forest was out-rebounded (31-28) for just the second time all season. - Wake Forest??s second-half field goal percentage (.696) was its highest percentage in any half this season. - The Deacons pulled down a season-low nine offensive rebounds. - Virginia??s Todd Billet enjoyed the best three-point shooting performance by a Deacon opponent this season, going 5-of-8 from beyond the arc. - The Cavaliers?? field goal percentage (.520) was the highest by a Deacon opponent this season. Virginia, in fact, has produced the two highest single-game field goal percentages against Wake Forest this season (.508 on Jan. 23). - Virginia??s three-point field goal percentage (.529) was the highest by a WFU opponent this season.
WFU-Florida State series history
- Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 15-11. - The Deacons have won the last five meetings, beating the Seminoles 71-60 on Jan. 26 in Winston-Salem and sweeping the regular season series in each of the previous two years. - The two teams have not met in the ACC Tournament since 1997. - Florida State leads the series in Tallahassee, 7-4, with all 11 meetings coming in the Leon County Civic Center. - The Deacons have won the last two meetings in Tallahassee. - Each of the last four meetings in Tallahassee have been decided by less than 10 points. - The Deacs and Seminoles met twice prior to Florida State joining the ACC -- 1958-59 in Winston-Salem and 1973-74 in St. Petersburg, FL. - Wake Forest??s Skip Prosser is 3-0 lifetime versus Florida State. - Florida State??s Leonard Hamilton is 0-2 all-time against Wake Forest. In his first season as the head coach at Miami (FL), Hamilton??s Hurricanes lost on the road to Wake Forest, 72-66, on Jan. 28, 1991.
Deacon-Seminole connections
- Florida State has three North Carolinians on its roster -- Michael Joiner (Fayetteville), Anthony Richardson (Raleigh) and Oren Fells (Winston-Salem). - Fells is a walk-on who played at Winston-Salem??s Carver High School. - Wake Forest??s Taron Downey and FSU??s Mike Mathews both played previously at Fork Union Military Academy. - WFU sophomore Jamaal Levy will be returning to the Sunshine State, where he played his high school basketball at Berkshire Academy. - Wake Forest associate media relations director Joanna Sparkman is a Florida State graduate. - Deacon assistant athletic director/finance Dave Marmion is a 1993 FSU graduate and worked five years as coordinator of accounting with the Seminoles. - WFU associate athletic director Craig Keilitz began his career as an intern in the FSU athletic department. - Wake Forest??s Josh Howard, FSU??s Tim Pickett and NC State??s Clifford Crawford are the only ACC players averaging two steals per game.
Jan. 26: WFU 71, FSU 60
Josh Howard hit big buckets and key free throws down the stretch to lead Wake Forest to a 71-60 win over Florida State in Winston-Salem back on Jan. 26. Florida State??s Tim Pickett scored a game-high 27 points -- the most points by a Deacon opponent this season. Vytas Danelius, who came off the bench for the only time this season, scored 18 points. The Deacons won the rebounding battle, 41-30, paced by Eric Williams?? 10 boards. Wake Forest held the Seminoles to 39.7 percent shooting.
On this date in WFU basketball history
Wake Forest is 7-8 all-time when playing on the date of February 26th, including a 4-5 mark on the road. The Deacons last played on Feb. 26 in 1995, defeating 11th-ranked Virginia, 66-63 in Winston-Salem. On Feb. 26, 1966, the Deacons lost at NC State, 121-100. At the time, it was the most points scored by a WFU opponent. On Feb. 26, 1953, Wake Forest beat Richmond, 85-70 in the opening round of the Southern Conference Tournament, which the Deacons went on to win.
Statistical comparison
A statistical comparison between Wake Forest and Florida State: Category Deacs Noles Record 19-4 12-12 Conference Record 9-3 3-10 Scoring Average 79.5 69.0 Opponent Scoring Average 67.7 67.0 Scoring Margin +11.8 +2.0 Rebound Average 42.1 35.5 Opponent Rebound Average 32.1 36.3 Rebound Margin +10.0 - 0.8 Field Goal Percentage 45.9% 43.7% Defensive Field Goal Percentage 39.7% 39.1% Free Throw Percentage 76.2% 66.8% Three-Point Field Goals Per Game 5.8 6.2 Three-Point Field Goal Percentage 33.1% 33.0% Assists Per Game 14.6 13.8 Turnovers Per Game 15.3 14.8 Blocked Shots Per Game 4.4 4.5 Steals Per Game 6.6 9.4
Gray is ACC Rookie of the Week
Justin Gray, who averaged 15.0 points and 2.0 assists in three games last week, was tabbed ACC Rookie of the Week on Monday. In Thursday's win at Georgia Tech, the Charlotte, N.C., product scored 20 points and handed out two assists in a 75-67 win.
Deacons earn #12 ranking in both major polls
Wake Forest, which lost at Maryland, won at Georgia Tech and beat visiting Virginia last week, is ranked No. 12 in the Associated Press poll and in the ESPN/USA Today poll. The Deacons dropped from 10th in the AP poll and from 11th in the ESPN/USA Today poll. The Deacons are in the Associated Press poll for the 10th consecutive week after making their first appearance on Dec. 23. WFU has been ranked in 24 of 33 weeks under Skip Prosser. Wake Forest is in the AP poll for the 202nd time. Three Wake Forest opponents are in the AP poll -- No. 6 Duke, No. 10 Marquette and No. 14 Maryland. Wisconsin, also a WFU opponent, received votes for both polls. In other polls, Wake Forest is ranked as high as ninth nationally by Fox Sports and the Sagarin ratings and as low as 13th by CBS Sportsline.
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 (+10.0). 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 but two (Maryland on Feb. 17 and Virginia on Feb. 23) this season. - 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 3.4 rebounds per contest. - Three of the ACC??s top eight rebounders are Deacons -- Josh Howard (7.9/3rd), Vytas Danelius (7.3/5th) and Jamaal Levy (6.4/8th). - Howard, Danelius and Jamaal Levy all rank in the ACC??s top seven in offensive rebounds. - In ACC games, sophomore Jamaal Levy (7.2 rpg.) ranks fifth in the league in rebounding.
Wake Forest sizzling from the line
Wake Forest leads the ACC and ranks 10th 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. - Three of WFU??s top four scorers are all shooting at least 81 percent from the line and all rank among the top seven in the ACC -- Taron Downey (2nd/.872), Josh Howard (6th/.845) and Vytas Danelius (7th/.817). - Downey would have the fifth-highest single-season free throw percentage in school history if the season ended today. - The Deacs have shot 77.9 percent from the line in February. - One key has been consistency. The Deacons have shot less than 70 percent in a game just four times this season with the last time coming more than a month ago (Jan. 23 at Virginia).
Highest Season FT Percentage/WFU History 1. Charlie Davis 88.2 1969 2. Jackie Murdock 87.5 1957 Charlie Davis 87.5 1970 4. Skip Brown 87.4 1976 5. Taron Downey 87.2 2003 6. Paul Long 86.9 1966
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 David West (Xavier) and Nick Collison (Kansas). Note: Howard and West are good friends and former teammates at Hargrave Military Academy. West was recruited to Xavier by Skip Prosser.
Howard one of 20 Naismith finalists
Wake Forest senior Josh Howard is one of 20 finalists for the Naismith Award, which goes to the nation??s top college player. The list of 20 candidates was released last Wednesday. Howard and Duke??s Chris Duhon are the only ACC players on the list.
WFU??s Prosser among ACC leaders in second-year wins
Only one coach in ACC history -- North Carolina??s Bill Guthridge -- won more conference games in his first two seasons in the league than Skip Prosser has over the last two years. Guthridge earned a 23-9 record at UNC in 1998 and 1999. Prosser is 18-10 in two seasons at WFU with five games remaining in the regular season. Prosser has Deacons in first place 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 earned his 200th career victory Jan. 28 at Clemson. Prosser, 205-95 in his 10th season, 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 (.683) 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 has won 18 conference games in his first two seasons at WFU. Only Bill Guthridge won more games in his first two seasons in the league (see box bottom left). - 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 40-17. - He coached his 300th career game Sunday. - Prosser has a chance to become Wake Forest??s first ACC Coach of the Year in eight seasons. The last Deacon coach to win the honor was Dave Odom in 1995.
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 15 in nine of them. Consider what Howard has achieved in 2002-03: - In the month of February, he has averaged 22.6 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.2 steals, 1.4 blocks and 143 assists per game. He has scored 52 points over his last two games. - Despite being plagued with shin splints, Howard averages 31.6 minutes per game. - He has been named ACC Player of the Week three times this season. - 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 (19.5 ppg.) and in conference games (22.2 ppg.) - Howard scored 31 points in the Dec. 4 win at nationally-ranked Wisconsin. He erupted for a career-high 32 points in the win at North Carolina. - 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 (7.9 rpg.) and in ACC games (7.9 rpg.). - Howard has been especially impressive on the offensive boards, where he ranks second in the ACC (3.22). - He??s got a good chance of being named the ACC??s top defensive player. Howard ranks third in the ACC in steals (2.30), third in blocks (1.52) and he is often asked to defend the opponent??s top scorer, ranging from point guards to power forwards. - He has 39 three-pointers, compared to 26 three-point field goals he made all of last season and he shoots a solid 39.4 percent from behind the arc. - He ranks fourth in the ACC in field goal percentage (.485) and sixth in the ACC in free throw percentage (.845). - Howard seems to play his best on the road, where he averages 22.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.3 blocked shots per game. - Howard has already been named a finalist for the Naismith Award and he is expected to be named a finalist for the Wooden Award this week.
Howard will leave name throughout record books
Senior Josh Howard will leave his name etched throughout the Wake Forest record books: - Only four players in ACC history -- Howard, Duke??s Shane Battier, Christian Laettner and Grant Hill -- accumulated 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 200 steals and 100 blocks (see chart above). - With five more three-point field goals, Howard will join Battier as the only players in ACC history to record the career statistics above, plus 100 three-point field goals. - Howard (1,607 points) ranks 14th in Wake Forest career scoring history and will move into 13th place with 31 more points. - Howard??s 204 career steals ties for second with Frank Johnson in WFU history. Only Tyrone ??Muggsy?? Bogues (275 steals) has more career steals. - He ranks tied for 22nd in ACC history for career steals. - Howard (760 rebounds) ranks ninth in WFU career rebounding history. - Howard leads the team that leads the nation in rebounding. - With 130 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 95 currently. - Howard (20 career double-doubles) ranks sixth in WFU history for career double-doubles. - He has played in 119 career games -- the 14th-most games played in WFU history. - With 111 games started, Howard is fourth in Wake Forest history behind only Tim Duncan, Darius Songaila and Frank Johnson.
Howard??s Biggest Games In 2002-03
Opponent (Date) Points Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks at North Carolina (Feb. 2) 32 10 2 0 3 at #23 Wisconsin (Dec. 4) 31 11 3 2 0 Georgia Tech (Jan. 20) 30 6 3 1 5 Virginia (Feb. 23) 28 6 2 3 0 at Georgia Tech (Feb. 20) 24 7 1 6 1 NC State (Feb. 6) 24 12 3 2 1
Wake getting it done with defense
Wake Forest is holding opponents to just 39.7 percent shooting. That ranks the Deacons 13th nationally in field goal percentage defense. The Deacons have held seven of their last nine opponents to less than 40 percent shooting. Only one opponent (Virginia, twice) shot better than 50 percent against Wake Forest this season. WFU??s field goal percentage defense is its lowest since the 1996-97 season.
Consecutive home streak now at 15
Wake Forest has won 15 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 14th-longest nationally. The Deacs are 14-0 at home this season. WFU has two remaining home games -- Clemson (Saturday) and North Carolina (March 5). The Deacons haven??t finished a season unbeaten at home since 1995-96. Deacons the only ACC team with a winning record on the road Road wins in the ACC have been rare this season. The visiting team has won just 12 of 56 games (.214) in league play. Wake Forest, Duke and NC State have not lost an ACC game on their homecourt. Wake Forest is one of just three ACC teams that own more than one league road win. The Deacons join Maryland as the only two ACC teams with .500 records on the road in conference play. In all games, Wake Forest is 5-4 on the road as the Deacs are trying to earn a winning road record for the first time since going 10-2 in 1996-97. The Deacons are the only ACC team with a winning record on the road overall.
On The Road Overall Pct. ACC Pct. Clemson 2-5 .286 1-4 .200 Duke 2-4 .333 2-4 .333 Florida State 1-7 .125 0-7 .000 Georgia Tech 0-9 .000 0-6 .000 Maryland 3-3 .500 3-3 .500 NC State 1-7 .125 1-5 .167 North Carolina 2-7 .222 1-6 .143 Virginia 2-8 .200 1-6 .143 Wake Forest 5-4 .555 3-3 .500
Deacs have played six ranked foes
- Wake Forest is 3-3 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, at No. 15 Marquette on Feb. 9 and at No. 13 Maryland on Feb. 17. - 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 1996-97 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
Wake Forest in search of 20 wins
Wake Forest, 19-4, is one victory away from the 17th 20-win season in school history. The Deacons are looking for their second straight 20-win season, and their eighth over the last 11 seasons. For coach Skip Prosser, winning 20 games has become commonplace. Prosser is looking for his eighth 20-win season in just 10 years of coaching. This would be Prosser??s seventh consecutive 20-win season. The Wake Forest single-season record for wins is 26 by both the 1995-96 and 1994-95 teams. Prosser??s personal-best season came in 1998-99 when Xavier went 25-11. The Deacons?? current win percentage (.826) is their highest since 1926-27.
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. Since his return, Gray has averaged 13.3 points, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steals per game. Two of his four highest-scoring games of the season -- 18 points vs. Duke and 20 points at Georgia Tech -- have come since returning. 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 19-4. Consider: - Danelius is coming off a career-high-tying 21 points in Sunday??s win over Virginia. - He leads the team in field goal percentage (.536). In conference games, he ranks second in the ACC at 49.6 percent. - He ranks seventh in the ACC in free throw percentage (.817). - Danelius ranks fifth in the ACC in rebounding (7.3), and he also ranks among the league leaders in offensive rebounds (2.70) and defensive rebounds (4.61). - 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 14-of-32 (.438) 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. - Over his last three games, Downey has dished out 21 assists while committing just four turnovers in 100 minutes. - 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 42 minutes in the Feb. 13 double-overtime win over Duke. He leads the team in minutes played (33.9). - He ranks second in the ACC in free throw percentage (.872). If the season ended today, Downey would have the fifth-highest single-season free throw percentage in WFU history. - Downey ranks eighth in the ACC in assists (4.17) and eighth in assist/turnover ratio (1.60). - He ranks second on the team in three-point field goals made (32) and first in three-point attempts (109).
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. - In the month of February, Levy has averaged 9.6 points, a team-best 8.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 blocked shots per game. - He has 20 blocked shots this season, compared to six all of last season. In conference games, he ranks seventh in the ACC in blocked shots. - Levy is emerging as one of the ACC??s best rebounders. He ranks eighth in the ACC n rebounds (6.4). In ACC games only, he ranks fifth (7.2).
JAMAAL LEVY 1st 10 Games Last 13 Games Minutes Per Game 18.1 33.8 Points Per Game 5.1 9.1 Rebounds Per Game 4.9 7.5 Blocks Per Game 0.5 1.2 Steals Per Game 0.6 1.0
Lepore??s knee acting up again
Senior Steve Lepore aggravated his knee Feb. 9 at Marquette and has missed the last four games. Lepore, who suffered a ruptured patella tendon last March in the ACC Tournament, is questionable for Wednesday??s game at Florida State.
Deacons eye 13th consecutive postseason appearance
Wake Forest entered 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.
Deacon trends, streaks & notes
- Wake Forest??s 9-3 ACC record is its best through 12 league games since the 1996-97 team started 9-3. The 1994-95 squad, the last Deacon team to win (or share) an ACC regular season title, was 8-4 through 12 games. - The Deacons have not blown a lead this season when leading with 10 minutes remaining. WFU is 17-0 when leading at the 10:00 mark. WFU is 18-0 this season when leading with 5:00 remaining. - Wake is undefeated (17-0) when it shoots a higher field goal percentage than its opponent. - 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. - WFU has secured a winning season for the 13th consecutive year.
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 31.2 points per game, making it the fifth-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 five 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 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.
Miscellaneous notes
- When freshman Eric Williams came to campus last summer, he reported in at 320 pounds. Now, the 6-9 center is a smooth 270 pounds. - Williams?? hobby is drawing cartoons. Some of his work was published Feb. 23 in the Raleigh News & Observer. - Following the events of Sept. 11, Josh Howard changed his major. His major now is sociology with an emphasis on religion. - 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.
