Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons Begin March With Home Date Vs. Clemson
2/27/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 27, 2003
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#12 Wake Forest (20-4/10-3) vs. Clemson (15-9/5-8)
Game #25 / March 1, 2003 Lawrence Joel Coliseum (14,665) Winston-Salem, NC
Tip-Off: 4:06 p.m.
Television: Jefferson-Pilot Sports. Tim Brant (play-by-play) and Mike Gminski (color analysis) call the action. Beverly Rumley produces.
Radio: The Deacon Radio Network, produced and distributed by ISP. Stan Cotten (play-by-play) and Mark Freidinger (color analysis) call the action.
Websites: WAKE FOREST (wakeforestsports.com). CLEMSON (clemsontigers.com).
The Records: WAKE FOREST is 20-4 overall and 10-3 in the ACC after a 60-56 victory at Florida State Wednesday night. CLEMSON is 15-9 and 5-8 following a 91-52 loss at 14th-ranked Maryland Tuesday.
The Rankings: WAKE FOREST is ranked 12th in the Associated Press poll and 12th in the ESPN/USA Today poll. CLEMSON is not ranked.
WFU Coach Skip Prosser: Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy ??72) is 41-17 in his second season at Wake Forest, 206-95 in 10 years overall. Prosser coached one season at Loyola (MD) and seven seasons at Xavier before coming to Wake Forest
Clemson Coach Larry Shyatt: Shyatt (College of Wooster ??73) is 70-80 in five seasons with the Tigers, 89-89 in six seasons overall.
Series History: Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 89-50. More series information later in this release.
Trivial Note: Wake Forest (predicted 6th/now in 1st) and Clemson (8th/tied for 5th) are the only two ACC teams higher in the league standings than what they were predicted.
The Officials: Announced on game day.
Deacons begin March with home game against Clemson on Saturday
Wake Forest, one of college basketball??s biggest surprises in 2002-03, head into March as the ACC leader. The Deacons will face Clemson, which has won three out of its last four games, Saturday at Lawrence Joel Coliseum (4:06 p.m./Jefferson-Pilot TV). The 12th-ranked Deacons, 20-4 overall and 10-3 in the ACC, won their third straight Wednesday night at Florida State, 60-56. The Deacons committed 20 turnovers, but held Florida State to 29.4 percent shooting and out-rebounded the Seminoles, 44-32. Sophomore Vytas Danelius led all scorers with 17 points and senior All-American candidate Josh Howard chipped in 14 points. Sophomore Taron Downey hit two key three-pointers down the stretch and freshman Justin Gray made four free throws in the final 36 seconds to seal the win. Clemson, 15-9 and 5-8, was on a three-game roll until running into a buzzsaw at 14th-ranked Maryland on Tuesday. The Tigers ran off recent wins against North Carolina, Virginia (on the road) and Florida State before falling at Maryland, 91-52. Sharrod Ford had 12 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 89-50, including an 81-60 win at Clemson on Jan. 28. More series information on page 11. Some of Saturday??s storylines: - Wake Forest (10-3) needs a win to remain in sole possession of first place in the ACC standings. Second-place Duke (10-4) plays a non-conference game Sunday at St. John??s and Maryland (10-4) plays at NC State. - The Deacons are attempting to win the ACC regular season title for the first time since sharing the crown in 1995. WFU hasn??t won the title outright since 1962.
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 20-4 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 (+10.1) and rank ninth nationally in free throw percentage (.765). Howard (19.3 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 (13.2 ppg. and 7.4 rpg.) has scored 38 points over the last two games. Sophomore guard Taron Downey (10.1 ppg., 4.3 apg.), sank four three-point field goals and dished out eight assists Wednesday at Florida State. Back after a month lay-off is freshman guard Justin Gray (11.3 ppg.), who broke his jaw Jan. 12 and returned to action Feb. 13. He has scored in double figures in three of five games since his return. Sophomore Jamaal Levy (7.2 ppg, 6.6 rpg.), who has started the last 14 games, has led WFU in rebounding in February. A pair of freshmen reserves -- Trent Strickland (5.0 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 five games after aggravating his knee. Freshman Richard Joyce is a perimeter threat off the bench.
A quick look at the Tigers
Clemson finally cooled off Tuesday at 14th-ranked Maryland (a 91-52 loss) after three impressive wins over North Carolina, Virginia and Florida State. Senior guard Edward Scott (17.9 ppg., 5.6 apg.) has been one of the ACC??s hottest players. He averaged 28.6 points during CU??s three-game win streak and was the national player of the week last week. Sophomore guard Chey Christie (11.5 ppg.) leads the team in steals (40). Sophomore forward Sharrod Ford (8.3 ppg., 7.1 rpg.) shoots 57.1 percent and is coming off a double-double at Maryland. Sophomore forward Olu Babalola (7.6 ppg.) and junior forward Chris Hobbs (6.6 ppg., 5.9 rpg.) give the Tigers a solid one-two punch in the frontcourt. Clemson out-rebounds opponents by nearly four boards per game.
More from WFU??s 60-56 victory at Florida State Wednesday night
- Jamaal Levy??s 12 defensive rebounds were the most by a Deacon this season. He led the Deacons in total rebounds for the fourth straight game. - Taron Downey tied a career-high with four three-point field goals. Downey also tied a career-high with eight assists. - Josh Howard scored in double figures for the 19th consecutive game. - WFU??s 60 points were the fewest in a victory since a 58-52 win over North Carolina on March 10, 2000. - Wake Forest improved to 3-0 in games decided by four points or less. - The Deacons out-rebounded their opponent for the 22nd time in 24 games. - WFU??s 12 free throw attempts tied for a season-low. - Florida State??s field goal percentage (.294) was the lowest by a Deacon opponent in the Skip Prosser era at Wake Forest. FSU??s second-half field goal percentage (.265) was the lowest by an opponent in any half this season. - FSU??s 14 personal fouls were the fewest by a Deacon opponent this season.
Wake Forest-Clemson series history
- Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 89-50. - The Deacons won the previous meeting, 81-60, at Clemson on Jan. 28. - The Deacons have won eight of the last nine meetings, sweeping the regular season series in 1999, 2000 and 2001. - Wake Forest holds a 48-14 advantage over the Tigers when playing at home, including a 12-1 record in Lawrence Joel Coliseum. - The Deacons have won 12 straight against Clemson in Joel Coliseum. In fact, Clemson??s only win in the facility came in the first season it was open -- 1989-90. - Wake Forest beat Clemson at Joel Coliseum, 96-55 last season. - The first meeting between the two teams came during the 1925-26 seasons -- a 40-34 WFU victory. - Wake Forest owns more all-time wins against Clemson (89) than any school, with the exception of NC State (91). - Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser is 2-2 all-time against Clemson. That mark includes a 79-76 loss to the Tigers in the semifinals of the 1999 NIT while coaching at Xavier. - Clemson??s Larry Shyatt is 1-8 all-time against Wake Forest.
Deacon-Tiger connections
- Clemson assistant coach Bobby Hussey was head coach at Davidson from 1981-89. His Wildcat teams played Wake Forest every season during his tenure. He was also head coach at Virginia Tech in 1999 when the Hokies lost to WFU in Blacksburg. - Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser and Clemson assistant Matt Driscoll were both born in Pittsburgh. - WFU??s Vytas Danelius (Kaunas) and Clemson??s Tomas Nagys (Mazeikiai) both hail from Lithuania. - WFU??s Justin Gray and T.J. Little and Clemson??s Ray Henderson all call Charlotte (NC) home. Henderson wears No. 21 because it??s the number former Deacon Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett wear. - Clemson??s Walker Holt, one of four North Carolinians on the Tiger roster, is from Greensboro. - Wake Forest strength and conditioning coach Ethan Reeve once worked as the assistant wrestling coach at Clemson. - Deacon assistant volleyball coach Heather Kahl is a 1996 Clemson graduate.
Jan. 28: WFU 81, Clemson 60
Josh Howard had 18 points and 11 rebounds and led a 17-4 second-half run to lead Wake Forest to an 81-60 win at Clemson in the first meeting of the season between the two teams, back on Jan. 28. Vytas Danelius scored a career-high 21 points and Taron Downey scored 18 points, including four three-pointers. Wake Forest shot 50 percent and held Clemson to 39.7 percent. The Deacons shot a solid 47.4 percent (9-of-19) from three-point range and committed just 10 turnovers. The win was Skip Prosser??s 200th career victory in just 10 years of coaching.
On this date in WFU basketball history
Wake Forest is 7-4 all-time on the date of March 1st, including a record of 3-1 at home. The Deacons last played on this date in 1998, defeating visiting NC State, 71-57. In 1992, Wake Forest beat visiting Temple on this date, 83-75, ultimately helping the Deacons earn an NCAA Tournament at-large bid. On March 1, 1990, Dave Odom's first WFU team won on the road at Virginia, 51-50.
Statistical comparison
A statistical comparison between Wake Forest and Clemson: Category Deacs Tigers Record 20-4 15-9 Conference Record 10-3 5-8 Scoring Average 78.7 69.6 Opponent Scoring Average 67.2 67.8 Scoring Margin +11.5 +1.8 Rebound Average 42.2 36.2 Opponent Rebound Average 32.1 32.4 Rebound Margin +10.1 +3.8 Field Goal Percentage 45.6% 45.8% Defensive Field Goal Percentage 39.2% 43.1% Free Throw Percentage 76.5% 65.4% Three-Point Field Goals Per Game 5.9 4.8 Three-Point Field Goal Percentage 33.1% 35.2% Assists Per Game 14.6 12.6 Turnovers Per Game 15.5 14.1 Blocked Shots Per Game 4.5 2.7 Steals Per Game 6.5 7.1
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 last Thursday's win at Georgia Tech, the Charlotte, N.C. product scored 20 points and handed out two assists in a 75-67 win. His late three-pointer against Virginia helped the Deacons win that game, 75-71.
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 (+10.1). 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 3.5 rebounds per contest. - Three of the ACC??s top eight rebounders are Deacons -- Josh Howard (7.9/3rd), Vytas Danelius (7.4/5th) and Jamaal Levy (6.6/8th). - Howard, Danelius and Jamaal Levy all rank in the ACC??s top eight in offensive rebounds. - In ACC games, the 180-pound Levy (7.5 rpg.) ranks fifth in the league in rebounding.
Wake Forest sizzling from the line
Wake Forest is second in the ACC and ranks ninth nationally in free throw percentage (.765): - 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 third-highest in school history and the highest since 1969-70. - 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 (5th/.850) and Vytas Danelius (7th/.814). - Howard and Justin Gray each own current streaks of 12 straight made free throws. - Downey would have the fifth-highest single-season free throw percentage in school history if the season ended today. - The Deacs shot 78.8 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
Wake Forest getting it done with defense
Wake Forest is holding opponents to just 39.2 percent shooting. That ranks the Deacons 16th nationally in field goal percentage defense. The Deacons have held eight of their last 10 opponents to less than 40 percent shooting. Only one opponent (Virginia, twice) shot better than 50 percent against Wake Forest this season. On Wednesday, Wake Forest held Florida State to just 29.4 percent shooting (the lowest by a Deacon opponent over the last two years), including just 26.5 percent in the second half. WFU??s field goal percentage defense is its lowest since the 1996-97 season.
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 WFU??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, Prosser are 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. Deacon head coach Skip Prosser is a finalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year Award.
WFU??s Prosser among ACC leaders in second-year wins
Only one coach in ACC history -- North Carolina??s Bill Guthridge (23-9 in 1998 and 1999) -- won more conference games in his first two seasons in the league than Skip Prosser has over the last two years. Prosser is 19-10 in two seasons at WFU.
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, 206-95 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 (.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 has won 19 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 41-17. - Prosser has a chance to become WFU??s first ACC Coach of the Year in eight seasons. The last Deacon coach to win the honor was Dave Odom in 1995. - He is a finalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year.
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 five in eight of them. Consider what Howard has achieved in 2002-03: - In the month of February, he averaged 21.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.1 steals, 1.4 blocks and 1.8 assists per game. - He has scored at least 20 points in nine of the last 12 games. - Despite being plagued with shin splints, Howard averages 31.8 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 (19.3 ppg.) and in conference games (21.5 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 (3.25) overall and first in conference games only. - He??s got a good chance of being named the ACC??s top defensive player. Howard ranks third in the ACC in steals (2.29), third in blocks (1.50) 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 37.5 percent from behind the arc. - He ranks fourth in the ACC in field goal percentage (.478) and fifth in the ACC in free throw percentage (.850). - Howard seems to play his best on the road, where he averages 21.3 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 (1,621 points) ranks 14th in Wake Forest career scoring history and will move into 13th place with 17 more points. - Howard??s 206 career steals ranks second in WFU history. Only Tyrone ??Muggsy?? Bogues (275 steals) has more career steals. - He ranks 22nd in ACC history for career steals. - Howard (769 rebounds) ranks ninth in WFU career rebounding history. - Howard leads the team that leads the nation in rebounding. - With 131 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 120 career games -- the 11th-most games played in WFU history. - With 112 games started, Howard is fourth in Wake Forest history behind only Tim Duncan, Darius Songaila and Frank Johnson.
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.
Wake Forest earns the 17th 20-win season in school history
Wake Forest, with Wednesday??s victory at Florida State, reached the 20-win mark for the 17th time in school history. The Deacons have won 20-plus games in each of the last two seasons and in eight of the last 11 seasons. For coach Skip Prosser, winning 20 games has become commonplace. Prosser??s teams have won 20 games or more in seven consecutive seasons. 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 (.833) is their highest since 1926-27. The Deacons have also reached double-digit wins in ACC play for the first time since going 11-5 in 1996-97 -- Tim Duncan??s senior year. In fact, the Deacons are just two wins away from tying the school single-season record for ACC victories.
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 15 of 60 games (.250) in league play. Wake Forest, Duke and NC State have not lost an ACC game on their homecourt. Wake Forest is the only ACC team with a winning record -- overall (6-4) and in conference play (4-3). The Deacons have one road game remaining (March 8 at NC State), meaning they have secured a winning overall road record for the first time since 1996-97 and for just the fourth time in the last 20 years.
On The Road Overall Pct. ACC Pct. Clemson 2-6 .250 1-5 .167 Duke 3-4 .429 3-4 .429 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 2-7 .222 2-5 .286 North Carolina 2-7 .222 1-6 .143 Virginia 2-9 .182 1-6 .143 Wake Forest 6-4 .600 4-3 .571
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 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
Howard stands alone nationally
Some players score more than Josh Howard, others get more rebound and still others have more assists. Howard, however, is the only player in Division I (approximately 3,924 players) who averages at least 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and one blocked shot per game.
Danelius making case for second team All-ACC
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 20-4. Consider: - He has played perhaps his best basketball over the last two games. He scored a career-high-tying 21 points in Sunday??s win over Virginia, then had 17 points, nine rebounds, three blocked shots and two steals in Wednesday??s win at Florida State. Five of his 15 blocked shots this season have come in the last two games. - He leads the team in field goal percentage (.541). In conference games, he ranks first in the ACC at 50.7 percent. - He ranks seventh in the ACC in free throw percentage (.814). - Danelius ranks fifth in the ACC in rebounding (7.4), and he also ranks among the league leaders in offensive rebounds (2.71) and defensive rebounds (4.67). - 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-33 (.424) from behind the arc.
Downey, Gray form clutch-shooting backcourt duo
Sophomore Taron Downey demonstrated last year that he??s not afraid to take the big shot when he canned a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the Clemson game into overtime. He showed that ability again on Wednesday at Florida State when he hit two key three-point field goals late in the game. Coach Skip Prosser called Downey??s late-game treys, ??stone, cold-blooded threes.?? Downey??s backcourt mate, freshman Justin Gray, also enjoys the ball in his hands at crunch time. In home wins over Duke and Virginia, he nailed late-game, off-balance three-point field goals.
Panamania: Levy one of the ACC??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 averaged a team-best 8.8 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 blocked shots per game. - In Wednesday??s win at Florida State, Levy grabbed 12 rebounds. - 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, a 180-pounder, is emerging as one of the ACC??s best rebounders. He ranks eighth in the ACC in rebounds (6.6 rpg.). In ACC games only, he ranks fifth (7.5 rpg.).
JAMAAL LEVY 1st 10 Games Last 14 Games Minutes Per Game 18.1 34.0 Points Per Game 5.1 8.6 Rebounds Per Game 4.9 7.9 Blocks Per Game 0.5 1.1 Steals Per Game 0.6 1.0
Downey leads team in minutes, assists, free throw percentage
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 four games, Downey has dished out 29 assists while committing just eight turnovers in 137 minutes. - He has tied his career-high for assists (8) twice in his last three games. - Downey went over the 100-assist mark for the season on Wednesday. He ranks sixth in the ACC in assists per game (4.3). - He ranks sixth in the ACC in assist-turnover ratio. - 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 (34.0). - 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. - He ranks second on the team in three-point field goals made (36) and first in three-point attempts (117).
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 13.0 points, 2.0 assists and 1.6 three-pointers per game while shooting a team-best 89.5 percent (17-of-19) from the free throw line. 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.
Lepore??s knee acting up again
Senior Steve Lepore aggravated his knee Feb. 9 at Marquette and has missed the last five games. Lepore, who suffered a ruptured patella tendon last March in the ACC Tournament, is questionable for Saturday??s game against Clemson.
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 10-3 ACC record is its best through 13 league games since the 1995-96 team started 10-3. The 1994-95 squad, the last Deacon team to win (or share) an ACC regular season title, was 9-4 through 13 games. - The Deacons have not blown many leads this season. WFU is 17-0 when leading at the 10:00 mark and 18-0 this season when leading with 5:00 remaining. - Wake is undefeated (18-0) 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. The ??Baby Deacs?? have shown great poise this season, winning on the road five times and beating three nationally-ranked teams. Center Eric Williams, WFU??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.
