Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons, Wolfpack Square Off Thursday In Key ACC Battle
2/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 4, 2003
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#14 Wake Forest (15-2/5-2) vs. NC State (12-5/5-2)
Game #18 / February 6, 2003 Lawrence Joel Coliseum (14,665) Winston-Salem, NC
Tip-Off: 7:01 p.m.
Television: ESPN2. Mark Jones (play-by-play) and Brad Daugherty (color analysis) call the action. Ray Tipton 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). NC STATE (gopack.com).
The Records: WAKE FOREST is 15-2 overall and 5-2 in the ACC after a 79-75 win at North Carolina on Sunday. NC STATE is 12-5 and 5-2 following a 78-56 win over visiting Clemson on Sunday.
The Rankings: WAKE FOREST is ranked 14th in the Associated Press poll and 15th in the ESPN/USA Today poll. NC STATE is receiving votes for both polls.
WFU Coach Skip Prosser: Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy ??72) is 36-15 in his second season at Wake Forest, 201-93 in 10 years overall. Prosser coached one season at Loyola (MD) and seven seasons at Xavier before coming to Wake Forest
NC State Coach Herb Sendek: Sendek (Carnegie Mellon ??85) is 121-90 in seven seasons with the Wolfpack, 184-116 in 10 seasons overall.
Series History: NC State leads, 122-90. More series information later in this release.
Trivial Note: Both head coaches are from Pittsburgh, PA.
The Officials: Announced on game day.
Difficult stretch in schedule begins with NC State Thursday at The Joel
Fresh off an emotional 79-75 win at North Carolina on Sunday, Wake Forest embarks on the most difficult stretch in its schedule, beginning with a home game Thursday night against NC State (7:01 p.m./ESPN2). Wake Forest and NC State are tied for second place in the ACC race with identical 5-2 records, just one game behind league leader Maryland. The 14th-ranked Deacons, 15-2 overall, won their third straight game Sunday in Chapel Hill. Senior All-American candidate Josh Howard scored a career-high 32 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Deacons. Wake Forest continues to play without injured starting guard Justin Gray. The freshman broke his jaw Jan. 12 at Duke. NC State, 12-5 overall, has won three of its last four including victories against Duke, North Carolina and Clemson. Sophomore Julius Hodge led the Wolfpack with 20 points in Sunday??s 78-56 thrashing of visiting Clemson. NC State leads the all-time series, 122-90. Wake Forest has won the last six meetings and the Deacons have won five straight over the Pack in Lawrence Joel Coliseum. More series information later in this release. Some of Thursday??s storylines: - The winner of Thursday??s game will take over sole possession of second place in the ACC race. Should Maryland be upset by Virginia Thursday, the WFU-NCSU winner will share first place with the Terrapins. - Wake Forest owns a 12-game homecourt winning streak. - Thursday??s game features the top two scorers in the ACC -- NCSU??s Hodge (19.2 ppg.) and WFU??s Howard (18.9 ppg.).
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 15 minutes per game -- the Deacons have exceeded most expectations. The Deacons are 15-2 with two wins over nationally-ranked teams (Maryland and Wisconsin), road wins at North Carolina, Clemson, Richmond and Wisconsin, and home victories against Georgia Tech and St. John??s. Statistically, Wake Forest??s biggest strengths have been rebounding and free throw percentage. The Deacons lead the nation in rebound margin (+12.6) and rank 15th nationally in free throw percentage (.756). The Deacons are without freshman guard Justin Gray (10.5 points and 4.0 assists per game) for an undetermined amount of time. Gray suffered a broken jaw against Duke Jan. 12. Howard (18.9 points and 8.2 rebounds per game), is one of the most complete players in college basketball. Over his last six games, Howard has averaged 24.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.5 steals per game. Sophomore forward Vytas Danelius (13.5 ppg. and 7.8 rpg.), who has averaged 18.5 points over his last four games, is shooting 58.1 percent from the field. Freshman center Eric Williams, 6-9 and 270 pounds, is averaging 9.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. Sophomore Taron Downey (10.6 ppg., 3.8 apg.) averaged 13.5 points over his last four games while making nine three-point field goals. Sophomore Jamaal Levy (6.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg.), who has started the last seven games, ranks second on the team in blocked shots and third in rebounding. A pair of freshmen reserves -- Trent Strickland (5.7 ppg.) and Chris Ellis (4.1 ppg.) -- have been key to WFU??s success. Senior guard Steve Lepore, who is recovering from a ruptured patella tendon, is easing back into the rotation, and freshman Richard Joyce is a perimeter threat off the bench.
A quick look at the Wolfpack
NC State has rebounded from losing three out of four games in early January to win four of its last five, including wins against Florida State (on the road), Duke, North Carolina and Clemson. The Wolfpack, 12-5 overall and 5-2 in the ACC, are led by sophomore Julius Hodge (19.2 points and 6.4 rebounds per game), who leads the ACC in scoring. Junior Marcus Melvin (13.6 ppg., 5.7 rpg.), 6-8, ranks second on the team with 37 three-point field goals. Sophomore Josh Powell (12.3 ppg., 5.1 rpg.) is shooting 55.9 percent from the field and he leads the Wolfpack in blocked shots (21). Junior Scooter Sherrill (10.3 ppg.) has made a team-best 40 three-point field goals. Senior Clifford Crawford (9.1 ppg., 4.4 apg.) has nearly twice as many assists (75) as turnovers (39). State has been the ACC??s most prolific three-point shooting team, averaging 9.06 per game.
More from WFU??s 79-75 win at North Carolina on Sunday
- Wake Forest won its third straight over North Carolina for the first time since 1971 and the Deacons won consecutive games in Chapel Hill for the first time since 1981 and 1982. - Josh Howard??s 32 points were the most by a Deacon player since Craig Dawson scored 38 at Clemson (in double-overtime) on Feb. 13, 2002. - Howard also set Wake Forest season highs for points in one half (18) and field goal attempts (20). - Wake Forest??s second-half field goal percentage (.654) was its highest in any half in almost a year -- since shooting 76.9 percent in the first half against North Carolina on Feb. 6, 2002. - The Deacons tied season-lows for three-point field goals (3) and three-point attempts (14). - North Carolina??s 34 three-point field goal attempts were the most by an opponent since Richmond launched 34 on Jan. 2, 2002. - UNC??s eight blocked shots were the most by an opponent in the Skip Prosser era.
Deacons put homecourt streak on line
Wake Forest is one homecourt victory away from tying for the second-longest homecourt streak in school history. The Deacons enter Thursday??s game against NC State with 12 consecutive home wins. The last time the Deacons lost in Lawrence Joel Coliseum was against third-ranked Duke on Feb. 21, 2002. WFU is looking for its first 13-game home streak since Feb. 27, 2000 to Feb. 5, 2001. WFU??s current streak ties for the 12th-longest nationally. The Deacs, 11-0 at home this season, closed last season with a home win over NC State.
Wake Forest-NC State series history
- NC State leads the all-time series, 122-90. - Wake Forest has won the last six meetings, sweeping the season series in each of the previous two seasons and beating NC State in two of three meetings in 1999-00. - WFU??s current streak is its longest in the series since beating the Wolfpack seven straight from 1922 to 1925. - Three of the last five meetings have been decided by five points or less including WFU??s 82-81 win in Raleigh last season. - At home, Wake Forest holds a 35-26 advantage including an 11-2 mark in Lawrence Joel Coliseum. - The Deacons have defeated NC State five consecutive times when playing in Winston-Salem. - WFU??s worst loss (130-89) in the last 25 years came against NC State on March 5, 1983. - The Wake Forest-North Carolina series is the third-most frequently played series in the ACC (see box at right). - Wake Forest and NC State first met in 1910-11. - Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser is 2-0 all-time against NC State. - NC State coach Herb Sendek is 4-10 all-time versus Wake Forest.
Deacon-Wolfpack connections
- Bones McKinney played one season at NC State (1942), leading the Southern Conference in scoring. McKinney went on to become one of the most successful and colorful head coaches in Wake Forest and ACC history. He led the Deacons to the 1962 Final Four. - Two members of the Wolfpack played on the high school level here in Winston-Salem -- Clifford Crawford (Parkland HS) and Ilian Evtimov (Bishop McGuinness). - NCSU??s Cameron Bennerman is from Greensboro and played at the same prep school (Hargrave Military Academy) that produced Wake Forest??s Josh Howard. Bennerman and WFU??s Trent Strickland are close friends. - Both head coaches previously worked in the state of Ohio and they split head-to-head meetings in their pre-ACC days. Skip Prosser (Xavier) went 1-1 against Herb Sendek (Miami) when those two clubs met in 1995 and 1996. - Prosser and Sendek both hail from Pittsburgh. State assistant coach Larry Harris graduated from Pittsburgh. Harris and NCSU director of basketball operations Kenya Hunter both previously served as assistant coaches at Duquesne, which is located in Pittsburgh. - Sendek was an assistant coach at Kentucky in 1993 when the Wildcats beat Wake Forest in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament. - Wolfpack associate head coach Larry Hunter was the head coach at Ohio in 2000 when his Bobcats lost to Wake Forest, 84-78 in double-overtime, at the Rainbow Classic in Honolulu. - Hunter coached against Prosser and Xavier during his time at Ohio, earning a 1-1 record. - NCSU freshman Adam Simons is the son of Elon head coach Mark Simons. Wake Forest beat Elon earlier this season, 98-56. - Wake Forest assistant women??s coach Sharon Manning is an NC State graduate and was a standout player for the Wolfpack.
On this date in WFU basketball history
Wake Forest is 10-7 all-time when playing on February 6th, including a mark of 8-3 at home. The Deacons played on Feb. 6 as recently as last season, beating visiting North Carolina, 90-66. On Feb. 6, 1954, in the first season of ACC play, the Deacons won at Clemson, 101-69. There is no record of Wake Forest and NC State ever meeting on this date.
Statistical comparison
A statistical comparison between Wake Forest and NC State: Category Deacs Pack Record 15-2 12-5 Conference Record 5-2 5-2 Scoring Average 81.4 75.9 Opponent Scoring Average 66.1 66.4 Scoring Margin +15.3 +9.4 Rebound Average 44.1 31.6 Opponent Rebound Average 31.5 31.7 Rebound Margin +12.6 - 0.1 Field Goal Percentage 46.0% 46.2% Defensive Field Goal Percentage 39.4% 43.9% Free Throw Percentage 75.6% 74.9% Three-Point Field Goals Per Game 6.3 9.1 Three-Point Field Goal Percentage 34.5% 37.6% Assists Per Game 14.8 16.4 Turnovers Per Game 15.5 13.8 Blocked Shots Per Game 4.5 3.0 Steals Per Game 6.9 9.5
Deacons climb to 14th in AP poll, 15th in ESPN/USA Today poll
After sweeping Clemson and North Carolina on the road last week, Wake Forest climbed three notches in both major polls. The Deacons moved from 17th to 14th in the Associated Press poll, and from 18th to 15th in the ESPN/USA Today poll. WFU??s No. 14 ranking in the AP poll is its highest since being tabbed No. 14 on Jan. 14, 2002. The Deacons are in the Associated Press poll for the seventh consecutive week after making their first appearance on Dec. 23. WFU has been ranked in 21 of 30 weeks under Skip Prosser and for 199 weeks in school history. In other polls, Wake Forest is ranked as high as 8th nationally in the Sagarin Ratings, and as low as 16th in The Sporting News power poll. Three Wake Forest opponents are in the AP poll -- No. 8 Maryland, No. 9 Duke and No. 15 Marquette. NC State and Wisconsin -- both WFU opponents -- are receiving votes in both major polls.
Deacs top nation in rebound margin ...
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 (+12.6). More on WFU??s rebounding: - The Deacs are the only ACC team 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 3.5 rebounds per contest. - Two of the ACC??s top four rebounders are Deacons -- Josh Howard (8.2/3rd) and Vytas Danelius (7.8 rpg./4th). - Howard, Danelius and Eric Williams all rank in the ACC??s top seven in offensive rebounds. - In ACC games, sophomore Jamaal Levy (6.6 rpg.) ranks ninth in the league.
... and the Deacs rank nationally in four other statistical categories
Wake Forest ranks among the national leaders in other categories: - Skip Prosser has made the Deacons one of the nation??s highest-scoring teams. WFU ranks 12th nationally in scoring offense (81.6 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. - Wake Forest, which hasn??t led the ACC in scoring since 1980-81, ranks second in the league. - The Deacons rank second in the ACC and seventh nationally in scoring margin (+15.3). 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. - Wake Forest??s team free throw percentage (.756) leads the ACC and ranks 15th nationally. The Deacs haven??t led the ACC in free throw percentage since 1994-95. - The Deacons?? free throw percentage is the fourth-highest in school history and the highest since 1994-95. The school record for free throw percentage in a season is 77.1 percent, set in 1968-69. - Three Deacons ranks among the top eight in the ACC in free throw percentage -- Taron Downey (.871/3rd), Vytas Danelius (.833) and Josh Howard (.833) are tied for seventh. - WFU ranks seventh nationally in win percentage.
Howard takes home more hardware, named midseason Wooden finalist
Monday was a good day for senior All-American candidate Josh Howard. He was named ACC Player of the Week for the third time this season; Dick Vitale named him his national player of the week; and Howard was one of 30 midseason finalists for the John R. Wooden Award. Monday, however, may not have been as good as Sunday when Howard scored a career-high 32 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, blocked three shots and led Wake Forest to a road win at rival North Carolina. Howard has emerged as Wake Forest??s first legitimate All-America candidate since Tim Duncan in 1997. He is a candidate for the Wooden, Naismith and Robertson awards, all of which go to the nation??s top players. Howard, a leading candidate for ACC Player of the Year, has earned national player of the week honors three times this season.
Skip Prosser earns 200th career win
Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser earned his 200th career victory Jan. 28 at Clemson. Prosser, 201-93 in his 10th season of coaching, won his 200th game quicker than all but seven active Division I coaches. Prosser is just the second active coach in the ACC -- joining Virginia??s Pete Gillen -- to win 200 games or more in his first 10 seasons as a Division I head coach. He is just the eighth active coach to earn win No. 200 before coaching in 300 overall games (see chart above right). More on Prosser: - Prosser is starting to be mentioned as a leading candidate for various coach of the year honors. His Deacons were picked to finish sixth in the ACC this season. - Prosser??s career winning percentage (.684) ranks 20th among all active Division I coaches. - Last season, Prosser became just the fourth coach in ACC history to win nine games in his rookie year. - He is three ACC wins shy of becoming the 10th coach to win 17 or more league games in his first two seasons. - 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 36-15. - Prosser??s next ACC win will mark his 100th career conference victory. He has a 99-48 record coaching in four different leagues.
Deacon trends, streaks & notes
- Wake Forest??s 15-2 record is its best through 17 games since starting the 1996-97 season 16-1. - The Deacons have not blown a lead this season when leading with 10 minutes remaining. WFU is 14-0 when leading at the 10:00 mark. WFU is 15-0 this season when leading with 5:00 remaining. - Conversely, Wake Forest is 0-2 this season when trailing at the half. - Wake Forest is undefeated (14-0) when it shoots a higher field goal percentage than its opponent. - The Deacons are unbeaten (13-0) when they shoot at least 70 percent from the free throw line. - Wake Forest is undefeated (10-0) when it scores at least 76 points. The Deacs are also unbeaten (12-0) when holding opponents to less than 74 points. - WFU has secured a winning season for the 13th consecutive year. - Wake Forest enjoyed its most successful January (6-2) since 1997, when the Deacs went 8-1.
Versatile Josh Howard vying to become WFU??s 11th All-American
Senior All-American candidate Josh Howard, who missed much of preseason drills because of severe shin splints, is enjoying an outstanding senior year. He??s a legitimate 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 11 in nine of them. Consider what Howard has achieved in 2002-03: - Over his last six games, Howard has averaged 24.5 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.3 blocks and 1.5 steals. - He is coming off a career-high 32 points in the Feb. 2 win at North Carolina. - 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 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 six double-doubles on the season, ranking third in the ACC. - At 6-6, he is one of the best offensive rebounders in the country. He ranks third in the ACC in offensive boards and third in overall rebounding. - Howard ranks third in the ACC in steals (2.24). - He is second in the ACC in scoring (18.9 ppg.). - Defensively, he is often asked to defend the opponent??s top scorer, ranging from point guards to power forwards. - Through 17 games, he has 33 three-pointers, compared to 26 three-point field goals he made all of last season. - Howard ranks third in the ACC in blocked shots, rejecting nearly 1.5 shots per game. - He ranks seventh in the ACC in free throw percentage (.833). - Howard??s three-point field goal percentage (.418) would rank fourth in the ACC, but he is one trey shy from qualifying for the rankings. - He ranks eighth in the ACC in field goal percentage (.469). - Against nationally-ranked teams, Howard averages 22.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 3.0 steals and 1.7 blocked shots per game.
Howard Season-by-Season
Season PPG RPG 3FG/G 3PT% FT% Freshman 9.3 4.7 0.3 .286 .583 Sophomore 13.6 5.9 0.6 .391 .685 Junior 13.9 7.7 0.8 .329 .657 Senior 18.9 8.2 1.94 .418 .833 Just one other player 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 one other player in college basketball -- Virginia Tech??s Bryant Mathews -- matches Howard??s overall statistics. Howard and Mathews are the only players in the Division I ranks averaging at least 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and one blocked shot 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 11 steals away from joining that group (see chart at top of page). - Howard (1,481 points) ranks 16th in Wake Forest career scoring history. He is 19 points away from his 1,500th career point. - Howard (719 rebounds) ranks 11th in WFU career rebounding history. He will move into the top 10, passing former teammate Rafael Vidaurreta, with nine more. - Howard leads the team that leads the nation in rebounding. - With 123 career blocked shots, he ranks sixth all-time in the WFU record books. - He is on pace to become just the 10th player in school history to make 100 career three-point field goals. He has 89 currently. - Howard??s 189 career steals ranks fifth in WFU history. He needs seven steals to pass both Danny Young and Skip Brown and take over third place. He needs nine steals to take over 25th place in ACC history. He is 11 pilfers away from 200 for his career. - Howard (18 career double-doubles) ranks sixth in WFU history for career double-doubles. - Howard has played in 113 career games. - With 105 games started, Howard ranks tied for seventh in Wake Forest history.
Howard in WFU??s Biggest Wins
Opponent (Date) Stats at North Carolina 32 pts, 10 reb, 2 ast, 3 bs Georgia Tech (Jan. 20) 30 pts, 6 reb, 5 bs, 3 ast #17 Maryland (Jan. 15) 23 pts, 8 reb, 4 bs, 3 stl at Richmond (Jan. 4) 21 pts, 9 reb, 3 ast, 5 stl St. John??s (Dec. 21) 14 pts, 11 reb, 3 ast, 4 bs at #23 Wisconsin (Dec. 4) 31 pts, 11 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl
Howard on Defense
Player (School) Stats vs. Howard Quinton Ross (SMU) 3-15 FGs, 1-6 3Pt FGs, 4 TO Mike Skrocki (Richmond) 3-13 FGs, 0-6 3Pt FGs Scottie Rice (Elon) 3-11 FGs, 5 Tos
Road warriors? Deacs 4-2 on the road
Road wins in the ACC have been rare this season. The visiting team has won just seven of 32 games (.218) in league play. Six of the league??s nine teams are undefeated on their homecourt. Wake Forest enjoyed a successful road trip last week, winning twice on the road -- at Clemson and at North Carolina. And at home, the Deacons are the only team that has beaten league-leading Maryland. The road gets tougher for the Deacons, whose next three road trips are at 15th-ranked Marquette (Sunday), 8th-ranked Maryland (Feb. 16) and Georgia Tech (Feb. 20). In all games, Wake Forest is a solid 4-2 on the road. The Deacons haven??t enjoyed a winning road record since 1996-97, when Tim Duncan??s team went 10-2.
Team Overall Pct. ACC Pct. Clemson 1-3 .250 0-3 .000 Duke 4-3 .571 1-3 .250 Florida State 1-4 .200 0-4 .000 Georgia Tech 0-6 .000 0-3 .000 Maryland 2-1 .667 2-1 .667 NC State 1-3 .250 1-2 .333 North Carolina 2-4 .333 1-3 .250 Wake Forest 4-2 .667 2-2 .500 Virginia 1-6 .167 0-4 .000 Thru Feb. 3
Gray out with a broken jaw
Freshman Justin Gray suffered a fractured jaw Jan. 12 at Duke and is out for an undetermined amount of time. He underwent surgery Jan. 13. Gray, whose mouth is wired shut, is averaging 10.5 points, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game. He ranks eighth in the ACC in assists per game (4.0). Among ACC freshmen, Gray ranks sixth in scoring.
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 15-2. Consider: - Over his last six games, Danelius has averaged 17.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. - He is shooting 83.3 percent from the free throw line, ranking seventh in the ACC. - Danelius ranks second on the team in rebounding. Wake Forest leads the nation in rebound margin. - He ranks fourth in the ACC in rebounds, fourth in offensive rebounds, sixth in defensive boards. - Danelius already has as many double-doubles this season (2) as he did all of last season. - He is shooting 58.1 percent from the field for the season, and 65.1 percent over the last four games. - 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 11-of-20 (.550) from behind the arc. He has five three-point field goals over his last four games.
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 four games, Downey has averaged 13.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game. - With Justin Gray out with an injury, Downey has taken sole responsibility for directing the offense as point guard. He played all 40 minutes in the Jan. 26 win over Florida State -- the first time since Tim Duncan in 1997 that a Deacon player has played every minute of a game. - He ranks third in the ACC in free throw percentage (.871). If the season ended today, Downey would have the fifth-highest single-season free throw percentage in WFU history. - Downey ranks ninth in the ACC in assists, 10th in assist/turnover ratio and 15th in three-point field goals made. - In ACC games, the 6-2 Downey ranks 24th in the league in rebounding. - He ranks second on the team in three-point field goals made (26). He has eight three-point field goals over his last three games.
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 is averaging 33.1 points per game, making it the fourth-highest-scoring group in Wake Forest history (see box at top). The ??Baby Deacs?? have shown great poise this season, winning on the road four times and holding off St. John??s, Georgia Tech and Maryland at home. 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. More on this year??s freshman class: - Eric Williams (9.8 ppg. and 5.4 rpg.) has started every game. Among all ACC freshmen, Williams ranks third in rebounding and fifth in scoring. - Justin Gray (10.5 ppg. and 4.0 apg.) started the first 10 games of the season and has missed the last six games with a broken jaw. - Trent Strickland (5.7 ppg.) is often the first player off the bench. He has emerged as one of WFU??s top defenders. - Chris Ellis (4.1 ppg. and 3.1 rpg.) has been solid off the bench, shooting nearly 48 percent and playing well in the post. - Richard Joyce (3.0 ppg.) is an outstanding perimeter shooter who is trying to work his way into the rotation.
Lepore and Schoetz waited a long time to get back on the court
Senior guard Steve Lepore, who ruptured a patella tendon last March in the ACC Tournament, was finally cleared to play Dec. 15. Lepore played just one minute against SMU and missed his only field goal attempt, but was happy to just be on the court after nearly 10 months of rehabilitating his knee. A former two-year starter at Northwestern, Lepore is averaging 8.5 minutes of action per game. Lepore??s 10 months of sitting out pales in comparison to junior center Dshamal Schoetz. The seven-footer redshirted the 2000-01 season, then suffered a severe knee injury prior to the start of the 2001-02 season and sat out the entire year. Schoetz played in his first regular season game -- his first organized game since high school in 1999-00 -- Dec. 15 against SMU. He played two minutes, grabbed a rebound and recorded a steal.
On deck: 15th-ranked Marquette on the road Sunday
Wake Forest hits the road again Sunday to play at 15th-ranked Marquette (1:30 ET/ABC). The Golden Eagles are 15-3 overall and own a 26-game homecourt winning streak. The Deacons won last year??s meeting in Winston-Salem, 65-59.
