Wake Forest Athletics
Deacon NCAA Tournament Notebook
3/18/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 18, 2003
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#8 Wake Forest (24-5)
2003 NCAA Tournament Quick Facts
East Region / March 21-23, 2003
Tampa, FL / St. Pete Times Forum (21,817)
NCAA Tournament Appearances: 18
Consecutive Appearances: 3
Sweet 16 Appearances: 8
Regional Final Appearances: 5
Final Four Appearances: 1 (1962)
NCAA Tournament Record: 23-17 (.545)
In First Round: 12-5
Last Year's Results: Playing as the No. 7 seed in the Midwest Regional in Sacramento, Wake Forest beat No. 10 seed Pepperdine, 83-74, then lost to No. 2 seed Oregon, 92-87.
Thursday's Practice/Interviews: Wake Forest will practice (open to the public) Thursday from 3:10-4 p.m. in the St. Pete Times Forum. The Deacon press conference will be from 2:30-3 p.m. in the interview room. The lockerroom will be open at this time.
Friday's game: Wake Forest will play Friday at approximately 2:55 p.m. against No. 15 seed East Tennessee State.
Possible Saturday Practice/Interviews: Should Wake Forest win Friday, the Deacons would hold a closed practice Saturday at 3:10 p.m. Deacon players and coaches would participate in press conferences from 2:15-2:55 p.m.
Possible Second-Round Game: Should Wake Forest win on Friday, the Deacons would play either No. 7 seed St. Joseph's or No. 10 seed Auburn Sunday at 2:15 p.m.
TV: Every NCAA Tournament game will be televised by CBS Sports. Ian Eagle (play-by-play) and former Duke standout Jim Spanarkel (color analysis) call the action. Jim Rychoff produces.
Radio: The Deacon Radio Network, produced and distributed by ISP. Stan Cotten (play-by-play) and Mark Freidinger (color analysis) call the action.
Website: wakeforestsports.com, ncaasports.com.
The Records: Wake Forest is 24-5 overall (13-3 in the ACC) after beating Florida State (69-61) Friday and losing to NC State (87-83) Saturday in the ACC Tournament. EAST TENNESSEE STATE is 22-10 overall (11-5 in Southern Conference play) after sweeping Wofford, College of Charleston and Chattanooga March 6-8 to win the Southern Conference Tournament.
The Seeds: Wake Forest is seeded No. 2 -- its highest NCAA Tournament seed since earning the No. 2 seed in 1996. EAST TENNESSEE STATE is the No. 15 seed in the East Region.
The Rankings: WAKE FOREST is ranked eight in the Associated Press poll and ninth in the ESPN/USA Today poll. EAST TENNESSEE STATE is not ranked.
WFU Coach Skip Prosser: Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy '72) is 45-18 in his second season at Wake Forest, 210-96 (.686) in 10 years overall. Prosser coached one season at Loyola (MD) and seven seasons at Xavier before coming to Wake Forest Prosser's career NCAA Tournament record is 2-5, including a 1-1 record while at Wake Forest.
East Tennessee State Coach Ed DeChellis: DeChellis (Penn State '82) is 105-92 in seven seasons with the Buccaneers, 105-92 in seven seasons overall.
Series History: Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 6-1. The Deacons and Buccaneers have never previously met in the NCAA Tournament.
Media Headquarters: Tampa Marriott Waterside -- 700 South Florida Avenue; Tampa, FL 33602. (813) 221-4900/fax (813) 221-0923.
Team Headquarters: Hyatt Regency Tampa -- Two Tampa City Center; Tampa, FL 33602. (813) 225-1234.
Media Relations Contacts: WAKE FOREST -- Assistant Athletic Director/Media Relations Dean Buchan and Assistant Media relations Director Bill Newton will be traveling with the Deacons and residing at the team hotel. Media can contact Buchan on his cell phone at (336) 287-8954. EAST TENNESSEE STATE -- Director of Media Relations Michael White will be travelling with the Buccaneers.
Wake Forest earns 18th NCAA Tournament appearance
Wake Forest will appear in the NCAA Tournament for the 18th time in school history and for the third consecutive season. The Deacons own a solid NCAA Tournament history:
- The Deacons are 23-17 all-time in NCAA Tournament play.
- Wake Forest will play in the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season.
- WFU is making its 13th consecutive postseason appearance -- the longest current streak among all ACC teams.
- The Deacons have appeared in the Final Four one time -- in 1962. That Deacon team is the last Wake Forest club prior to this year's squad to capture the ACC regular season title outright. The '62 Deacons were led by All-American Len Chappell and current CBS analyst Billy Packer. The Deacons lost in the national semifinals in Louisville to Ohio State, then beat UCLA in the consolation game.
- Wake Forest has advanced to the regional championship game five times, most recently in 1996 (a 83-63 loss to Kentucky).
- The Deacons are 12-5 in NCAA Tournament first-round games, including an 83-74 win over Pepperdine last year. WFU has won six of its last seven first-round games.
- Wake Forest appeared in the very first NCAA Tournament in 1939. The Deacons, one of eight teams in that inaugural tournament, lost to Ohio State in the opening round.
- In 1984, Wake Forest stunned No. 1 seed DePaul in the Midwest Regional semifinals in Ray Meyers' last game as the Blue Demon head coach. Wake went on to lose to Houston for the right to go to the Final Four.
- Coach Skip Prosser is the fifth Deacon coach to lead Wake Forest to the NCAA Tournament.
By The Numbers
1 coach -- Bill Guthridge -- won more league games in his first two years in the ACC than Skip Prosser.
4 games decided by four points or less this season and the Deacons are 3-1 in those games.
4 times, including this season, Wake Forest has won at least a share of the ACC regular season title.
7 times, including Skip Prosser this season, has a Deacon coach been named ACC Coach of the Year.
8 active Division I coaches, including Prosser, won 200 career games in less than 300 games coached.
8th is Wake Forest's ranking in the Associated Press poll -- its highest AP ranking since Jan. 8, 2001.
9 freshmen and sophomores are on the Wake Forest roster.
10 times, including Josh Howard this season, has a Wake player been named ACC Player of the Year.
13 consecutive seasons Wake Forest has earned a postseason berth -- the longest streak in the ACC.
17 consecutive homecourt victories for the Deacons, who last lost at home on Feb. 21, 2002.
18 NCAA Tournament appearances by WFU, including an appearance in the inaugural 1939 event.
21 career double-doubles by senior Josh Howard, the sixth-most in Wake Forest history.
29 games started by Eric Williams -- the third-most starts ever by a Wake Forest freshman.
75 percent of all Wake Forest student-athletes do volunteer work in the community.
87 times in his career Josh Howard has scored in double figures.
359 consecutive games Wake Forest has made at least one three-point field goal.
1,739 points have been scored by senior Josh Howard, ranking him 11th in WFU history.
Wake Forest highlights, milestones from a record-setting year
Wake Forest, picked sixth in the ACC preseason poll, exceeded all expectations in 2002-03, finishing on top of the ACC standings for the first time since 1995 and winning the regular season title outright for the first time since 1962. More on Wake's 2002-03 season:
- Wake Forest broke a school record for the most conference wins in a season (13).
- The Deacons' 24 wins tie for the third-most in school history. WFU is now two victories away from tying the record of 26 wins held by the 1995 (26-6) and 1996 (26-6) teams.
- WFU's winning percentage (.828) is the second-highest in school history, trailing only the 1926-27 team that finished 22-3 (.880). - The Deacons closed the regular season by winning 11 out of 12 ACC games -- its best run in more than 40 years.
- Wake Forest didn't crack the Associated Press top 25 until sneaking in at No. 25 on Dec. 23. The Deacons enter NCAA Tournament play ranked in the top 10 for the third straight week.
- This is the 12th year that the ACC played a 16-game conference schedule. Wake Forest is the 13th team during that span to win at least 13 games.
- Wake Forest reached the 20-win plateau 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. Prosser is one win shy of tying his personal single-season high of 25 wins posted by his 1999 Xavier team (25-11).
- Prosser was named ACC Coach of the Year -- the first Deacon coach to win that honor since Dave Odom in 1995.
- Prosser won 22 ACC games in his first two seasons in the league. Only one other coach -- UNC's Bill Guthridge -- won more games in his first two seasons in the league.
- Senior Josh Howard was named ACC Player of the Year and first team All-America. He is the first Deacon to win either honor since Tim Duncan claimed both in 1997.
- The Deacs enjoyed their best record ever (16-0) in the 14-year history of Lawrence Joel Coliseum and stretched their homecourt winning streak to 17 games.
- Wake Forest went 7-4 on the road, including a 5-3 mark on the ACC road. The last time the Deacons were above .500 on the road came in 1996-97.
- The Deacons lead the nation in rebound margin (+9.9) and are vying to be the first ACC team ever to finish the year ranked first nationally in rebounding.
Deacons earn highest tournament seed since 1997
Wake Forest will carry a No. 2 seed into the NCAA Tournament -- its highest seed since earning the No. 2 seed in 1996. More on the Deacons as a No. 2 seed:
- Since the seeding process began in 1979, Wake Forest has been the No. 2 seed two times -- this year and in 1996. - As the No. 2 seed in 1996, Wake Forest advanced all the way to the Midwest Regional championship game, where it lost to No. 1 seed Kentucky, 83-63.
- The Deacons have been seeded No. 1 once -- in 1995.
- Wake Forest will face the No. 15 seed for just the second time. In 1996, the Deacs beat No. 15 seed Northeast Louisiana in the opening round of the Midwest Regional in Milwaukee.
- Wake Forest has never lost to a team seeded 11th or lower. The lowest-seeded team to beat the Deacons was No. 10 seed Butler in 2001.
- Should Wake Forest win on Friday, it will face either the No. 7 seed (St. Joseph's) or the No. 10 seed (Auburn) in the second round. The Deacons have never played a No. 7 seed and are 3-1 all-time against No. 10 seeds. The last time Wake played a No. 10 seed came last year -- a win over Pepperdine.
Wake Forest heads to East Region for first time since 1995
Wake Forest will play in the East Region for the first time since 1995. More on the Deacons and the East Region: - Wake Forest has made six appearances in the East Region, compiling a 9-5 record.
- In 1995 -- WFU's last East Region appearance -- the Deacons advanced to the Sweet 16, where it lost to Oklahoma State.
Six Deacon opponents make NCAA field
Six Wake Forest regular season opponents -- Duke, Marquette, Maryland, NC State, SC State and Wisconsin -- will play in the NCAA Tournament.
- The Deacons went 6-4 against teams in the NCAA Tournament.
- Three WFU opponents won their regular season conference title -- Marquette (C-USA), SC State (MEAC) and Wisconsin (Big Ten).
- Two Deacon opponents won their conference postseason tournament -- Duke (ACC) and SC State (MEAC).
Senior Josh Howard is the ACC Player of the Year
Wake Forest senior Josh Howard was the unanimous selection for ACC Player of the Year, which was announced March 18. Howard is the first Deacon to receive the honor since Tim Duncan won back-to-back awards in 1996 and 1997. The Winston-Salem native, earlier in March, was a unanimous first team All-ACC selection. Howard was the first Deacon to be named first team All-ACC since Duncan. Duncan was also the last Deac to be chosen unanimously, in 1996 and 1997. Howard was second team All-ACC in 2001 and third team in 2002. Nineteen Wake Forest players, including Howard, have been named first team All-ACC a total of 31 times.
Howard is first team NABC All-America
Josh Howard, who helped lead the Demon Deacons to a first-place finish in the ACC, was named first team All-America by the National Association of Basketball Coaches March 10. Howard, 6-6, is joined on the first team by T.J. Ford (Texas), David West (Xavier), Nick Collison (Kansas) and Hollis Price (Oklahoma). "It's an honor to be selected as an All-American," Howard said. "It's nice to be recognized in the same group with some outstanding players and I give all the credit to my coaches and my teammates.?? Howard is the 11th All-American in WFU history and the first since Tim Duncan in 1996 and 1997. Other former Deacon All-Americans are in column at left. He is hopeful of winning other All-American honors by Associated Press. Other recent awards won by Howard:
- ACC All-Defense Team -- one of the ACC leaders in steals and blocked shots, Howard was the leading vote-getter for this team.
- Wooden Award Finalist -- Howard is one of 22 finalists for the nation's most outstanding player.
- Naismith Award Finalist -- Howard is one of 20 finalists for this prestigious honor.
- USBWA District 3 Player of the Year -- The basketball writers chose Howard as the best in the region.
Howard is national Player of the Year by three sources
Entering the NCAA Tournament, Josh Howard has been named National Player of the Year by three different sources -- Fox Sports, Basketball Digest and College Insider. Howard edged former prep school teammate David West for the honor for all three awards.
Danelius, Gray earn ACC honors, too
Sophomore Vytas Danelius, one of the ACC's most improved and consistent players, was named second team All-ACC. Danelius is averaging 13.0 points and 7.6 rebounds per game while shooting 52.8 percent from the field and 78.7 percent from the free throw line. Deacon guard Justin Gray, who overcame a broken jaw and emerged as a clutch performer, was named to the ACC All-Freshman team. Gray averages 12.1 points per game and has scored in double figures eight times in 10 games since returning from his one-month absence. He was joined on the All-Freshman team by Chris Bosh (Georgia Tech), Raymond Felton (North Carolina), J.J. Redick (Duke) and Rashad McCants (North Carolina).
Skip Prosser named ACC Coach of the Year Head coach Skip Prosser, who took a Wake Forest team picked to finish sixth in the ACC to the outright regular season title, was named ACC Coach of the Year. Prosser is the first Deacon coach to win the honor since Dave Odom in 1995. Prosser holds the distinction of winning Coach of the Year honors in two different leagues. While at Xavier, Prosser was the Midwestern Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year in 1995. He was a unanimous selection, winning the vote on all 92 ballots.
Publication names Prosser National Coach of the Year
Skip Prosser gained national recognition in March when he was named National Coach of the Year by Basketball Digest. Prosser helped lead Wake Forest to its first outright ACC regular season title in 41 years. Other awards Prosser has claimed in 2003:
- USBWA District 3 Coach of the Year -- The basketball writers named him best coach in the region.
- NABC District 5 Coach of the Year -- The coaches' association awarded him with this honor.
- Outstanding Achievement Award -- A national honor from College Sports Insider.
- Naismith Award finalist -- Prosser is a finalist for National Coach of the Year.
Demon Deacons earn highest ranking since Jan. 8, 2001
Wake Forest moved up to No. 8 in the Associated Press poll this week, earning the school's highest ranking since being ranked sixth on Jan. 8, 2001. The Demon Deacons, who were not ranked until Dec. 23, are in the AP top 10 for the fourth time in the last five weeks and in the top 25 for the 13th straight week. WFU is in the ESPN/USA Today top 10 for the third consecutive week. Wake Forest has been ranked in 27 of 36 weeks under second-year coach Skip Prosser. Wake is in the AP poll for the 205th time. Four Wake Forest opponents are in the AP poll -- No. 7 Duke, No. 9 Marquette, No. 17 Maryland and No. 21 Wisconsin. The Deacons went 3-3 against those four teams this season. NC State is receiving votes for both major polls. In other polls, Wake Forest is ranked in the top 10 by Fox Sports, Sagarin, The Sporting News, College RPI and 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 (+9.9). More on WFU's rebounding: - The Deacons are attempting to be the first ACC team ever to lead the nation in rebounding.
- The Deacons have out-rebounded every opponent but two (Maryland on Feb. 17 and Virginia on Feb. 23) this season.
- Wake Forest has out-rebounded its opponent by 10 boards or more 18 times 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 bookend 6-2 guards Taron Downey and Justin Gray combine for 7.0 boards per game.
- WFU averages more rebounds per game (41.7) than any Deacon team since 1968-69 (46.7).
- Three of the ACC's top eight rebounders are Deacons -- Josh Howard (8.1/3rd), Vytas Danelius (7.6/4th) and Jamaal Levy (6.8/8th). - Howard leads the ACC in offensive rebounds while Danelius and Jamaal Levy rank in the ACC's top nine. - In ACC games only, three of the league's top six rebounders are Deacons -- Howard (3rd), Levy (4th) and Danelius (tied for 5th). - Howard, Levy and Danelius are WFU's most productive rebounding trio since Tim Duncan, Loren Woods and Ricky Peral in 1997.
Versatile Josh Howard a national Player of the Year Candidate
Senior Josh Howard, who missed much of preseason drills because of severe shin splints, is a candidate for national Player of the Year honors. Howard has already been named first team All-America by the NABC, becoming the 11th player in Wake Forest history to earn All-America honors and the first since Tim Duncan in 1997. He is a finalist for the Wooden and Naismith awards and the Robertson trophy, all of which go to the nation's top player. Consider what Howard has achieved in 2002-03: - Howard has been named National Player of the Year by Fox Sports, Basketball Digest and College Insider. - In the month of March, Howard has averaged 23.6 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. - He has scored in double figures in 24 straight games and he has scored at least 20 points in 13 of the last 16 games. - Howard is the only player in the country averaging at least 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two steals and one blocked shot per game. - The ACC posts 12 individual statistics. He ranks in the top five in seven of them. - He was named ACC Player of the Week a league-high four times this season. He was named national player of the week by three different sources. - Howard leads the ACC in scoring overall (20.0 ppg.) and in conference games (22.5 ppg.). - His scoring average is WFU's highest since Tim Duncan averaged 20.8 points in 1996-97. - Over the last five years, only North Carolina's Joseph Forte (23.7 ppg.) averaged more points in ACC games. - Howard scored 30-plus points three times this season including 32 at North Carolina, 31 at Wisconsin and 30 against Georgia Tech. - He is 20 points shy of scoring his 600th point this season. - He has single-game highs of 14 rebounds (at Duke), six steals (at Georgia Tech), five blocked shots (vs. Georgia Tech) and six three-point field goals (vs. Clemson). - He has nine double-doubles on the season, ranking third in the ACC. - At 6-6, he's one of the nation's best rebounders. He ranks third in the ACC in rebounding (8.1 rpg.). - Howard has been especially impressive on the offensive boards, where he leads the ACC (3.34). - A member of the ACC's All-Defensive Team, Howard ranks third in the ACC in steals (2.03), fourth in blocks (1.45) and he is often asked to defend the opponent's top scorer, ranging from point guards to power forwards. - His 59 steals this season are the most by a Deacon in one season since Tyrone ??Muggsy?? Bogues had 70 pilfers in 1987. - Howard's 42 blocked shots are the most by a Deacon since Loren Wood had 50 rejections in 1998. - He has 53 three-pointers, compared to 56 three-point field goals he made in his first three seasons combined. Howard shoots a solid 39.3 percent from behind the arc. - He ranks fifth in the ACC in field goal percentage (.482), sixth in free throw percentage (.823).
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). - Howard joins Battier as the only players in ACC history to record the career statistics above, plus 100 three-point field goals. - Howard (1,739 points) ranks 11th in Wake Forest career scoring history. With just 11 more points, Howard will pass Frank Johnson and move into 10th place on the scoring list. - Howard's 210 career steals ranks second in WFU history. Only Tyrone ??Muggsy?? Bogues (275 steals) has more career steals. - He ranks 21st in ACC history for career steals and can move into the top 20 with eight more pilfers. - Howard (815 rebounds) ranks eighth in WFU career rebounding history. - Howard leads the team that leads the nation in rebounding. - With 137 career blocked shots, he ranks sixth all-time in the WFU record books. He is four blocks away from taking over fifth place. - He is the 10th player in school history to make 100 career three-point field goals. He has 109 career treys, which ranks 10th in WFU history. - Howard (21 career double-doubles) ranks sixth in WFU history for career double-doubles. - He has played in 125 career games -- the eighth-most games played in WFU history. - With 117 games started, he is third in Wake history behind Tim Duncan and, Darius Songaila.
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 22-10 in ACC games in two seasons at WFU.
Prosser led Deacons to first place after being tabbed to finish sixth
Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser, the ACC Coach of the Year, is starting to be mentioned as a strong candidate for National Coach of the Year honors. After being picked to finish sixth in the ACC race, Prosser led the Deacons to a first-place finish in the ACC. Prosser, 210-96 in his 10th season, earned his 200th career victory (Jan. 28 at Clemson) 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 is Wake Forest's first ACC Coach of the Year since Dave Odom in 1995. - Basketball Digest named him the National Coach of the Year. - Prosser's career winning percentage (.686) ranks in the top 20 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 won 22 conference games in his first two seasons at WFU. Only Bill Guthridge won more games in his first two seasons in the league. - 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 45-18. - He is a finalist for the Naismith National Coach of the Year. - Prosser has won regular season championships in three different conferences.
Out of more than 4,000 players, J-Ho stands alone statistically
Some players rebound more than Josh Howard, others get more rebounds and still others dish out more assists. But consider this: there are approximately 4,250 Division I basketball players (327 teams x conservative estimate of 13 per roster), and Howard is the only player who averages at least 15.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.0 blocked shots per game.
Deacons among nation's best free throw shooting teams
One of Wake Forest's strengths all season has been its accurate free throw shooting: - Wake ranks second in the ACC and 18th nationally in free throw percentage (.753): - WFU's free throw percentage is the sixth-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. - The Deacons have made more free throws (581) than their opponents have attempted (541) for the first time since 1993. - Three of the ACC's top nine in free throw percentage are Deacs -- Taron Downey (3rd/.861), Josh Howard (6th/.823) and Vytas Danelius (9th/.787).
- Trent Strickland (.780), Justin Gray (.787) and Steve Lepore (.750) give the Deacons six regulars shooting at least 75 percent from the line.
- One key has been consistency. The Deacons have shot less than 70 percent from the line in a game just seven times in 29 games.
Deacons get it done on defense
Wake Forest is holding opponents to just 39.6 percent shooting. That ranks the Deacons 10th nationally in field goal percentage defense. The Deacons, who have held 10 of their last 15 opponents to less than 40 percent shooting, own their best field goal percentage defense since 1997. Wake Forest maintains its solid field goal percentage defense despite seeing two of its last three opponents shoot 50 percent or better.
WFU 18th nationally in scoring margin
Wake Forest's scoring margin (+10.8) ranks third in the ACC and 18th nationally and is its highest since outscoring opponents by 11.7 points per game in 1996-97.
Deacons turn it up a notch in 2nd half
Wake Forest has become a second-half team:
- In the March 8 game at NC State, the Deacons trailed by 11 points at halftime before rallying for a six-point victory.
- The win at NC State marked Wake's largest halftime deficit erased for a win since rallying from an 11-point deficit against Evansville on Dec. 7, 1988.
- WFU led North Carolina by four at half on March 5, then outscored the Tar Heels by 11 in the second stanza.
- On Feb. 23 against Virginia, the Deacons trailed by five points at half, but rallied for a four-point win.
- In the March 14 ACC Tournament win over Florida State, the Deacons trailed by one at halftime and won by eight points.v - Over the last five games, Wake Forest outscored opponents by an average of just 1.6 points in the first half. In the second half, however, WFU has outscored foes by an average of 6.4 points.
- All season long, Wake has shot better in the second half (.461) than the first half (.446).
- Over the last five games, the Deacons have shot 48.1 percent in the second half, compared to just 43.7 percent in the first half.
Deacons streaks & trends
1-0 when playing on Friday.
1-1 in neutral site games.
3-0 in WFU's last three road games.
3-1 in games decided by five points or less.
6-2 when playing on Sunday.
11-1 when scoring at least 80 points.
11-1 in WFU's last 12 ACC regular season games.
12-1 when Josh Howard scores more than 20 points.
13-0 when Josh Howard shoots at least 50 percent.
15-1 when Eric Williams scores more than six points.
16-0 at home this season (17-game homecourt win streak overall).
16-1 when Jamaal Levy shoots at least 40 percent.
20-0 when leading with 10:00 remaining.
22-0 when shooting a higher percentage than the opponent.
23-0 when leading with 5:00 remaining.
Howard has led Deacons to an average of more than 21 wins per season
Josh Howard, the only fourth-year senior on the roster (Steve Lepore, a Northwestern transfer, is the only other senior), has helped Wake Forest to one of its best four-year runs ever. Here are a few of Wake Forest's accomplishments over the last four years:
- Eighty-six wins (86-42, .669) -- tying for the fourth-most wins over a four-year period in Wake Forest history and an average of 21.5 wins per season.
- A winning record (37-27) in ACC play.
- Four consecutive postseason appearances, including three straight NCAA Tournament appearances.
- Ten wins over nationally-ranked teams including four wins over top 10 teams.
Lepore's knee acting up again
Senior Steve Lepore aggravated his knee Feb. 9 at Marquette and has missed all but two minutes of the last 10 games. Lepore, who suffered a ruptured patella tendon last March in the ACC Tournament, is questionable for the NCAA Tournament. It was more than one year ago (March 8, 2002) when Lepore originally suffered the knee injury against Georgia Tech.
Vytas Danelius has played a key role in Wake Forest's success
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 24-5. Consider: - Danelius was named second team All-ACC.
- He has played perhaps his best basketball over the last month. Danelius had 26 points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots in two ACC Tournament games last week.
- Danelius had a double-double (15 points, 10 rebounds) in the regular season finale at NC State.
- He had a double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) in the March 1 win over Clemson.
- Danelius scored a career-high-tying 21 points in the Feb. 23 win over Virginia.
- He is shooting better than 50 percent (.528).
- He ranks ninth in the ACC in free throw percentage (.787).
- Danelius ranks fourth in the ACC in rebounding (7.6), fourth in offensive rebounds and third in defensive rebounds.
- 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 18-of-43 (.419) from behind the arc.
Panamania: Jamaal 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 and has been one of the Deacons' hottest and most consistent players ever since: - He has three career double-doubles and they have all come since Jan. 15.
- Levy has developed into one of the ACC's best rebounders. The 180-pounder ranks eighth in the ACC in rebounds (6.8 rpg.).
- In March, he averages 7.4 rebounds per game.
- He pulled down 18 rebounds in two ACC Tournament games.
- He has seven double-figure rebound games.
- He has 26 blocked shots this season, compared to six all of last season. He ranks 13th in the ACC in blocks per game.
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. - Over his last nine games, Downey has dished out 53 assists while committing just 18 turnovers in 312 minutes.
- Downey has a knack for hitting the big shot. He hit a three-pointer at the buzzer last season to send the Clemson game into overtime. On Feb. 26 at Florida State, he hit two key three-pointers late in the game. Coach Skip Prosser called Downey's late-game treys, ??stone, cold-blooded threes.??
- He had 26 points, nine assists and just two turnovers in two ACC Tournament games.
- He ranks sixth in the ACC in assists (4.41 apg.).
- He ranks fourth in the ACC in assist-turnover ratio.
- 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 and ranks fifth in the ACC in minutes played (34.2).
- He ranks third in the ACC in free throw percentage (.861), giving him one of the highest single-season percentages in Wake Forest history.
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. More on Gray:
- Gray has been red-hot since returning from injury. He has scored in double figures in eight of his last 10 games.
- He was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team.
- He 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 that led to Deacon wins.
- Gray has made 29 three-point field goals -- the fifth-most ever by a Wake Forest freshman, despite missing eight games with the broken jaw.
- After a slow start, he has upped his free throw percentage to 78.7 percent. That's the eighth-highest percentage ever by a Deacon freshman.
- Gray goes to the free throw line more often than any Deacon except for Josh Howard.
- 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 since gained 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, limited to running and shooting drills with assistant coach Dino Gaudio.
Deacons earn best home record ever, stretch homecourt streak to 17 games
Wake Forest has won 17 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. Wake Forest's streak ties for the sixth-longest nationally. Wake Forest completed its home season 16-0 -- the best record in the 14-year history of Lawrence Joel Coliseum. The Deacons earned just their second unbeaten season in Lawrence Joel Coliseum -- the other coming in 1995-96 when the Deacons went 14-0 in LJVMC. The Deacons averaged 83.3 points at home, compared to 71.7 points on the road. WFU's scoring margin at home this season was +19.3.
Road warriors: Deacons the only ACC team with a winning road record
Road wins in the ACC were rare this season. The visiting team won just 19 of 72 games (.264) in league play. Wake Forest, however, enjoyed its share of road success in 2002-03. The Deacons went 7-4 on the road overall and 5-3 on the ACC road. The Deacons were the only ACC team to finish above .500 on the road this season. The Deacons own a winning overall road record for the first time since 1996-97 and for just the fourth time in the last 20 years.
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 win at Wisconsin was WFU's first victory against a ranked team on the road since 1998-99.
- 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.
Deacons making 13th consecutive postseason appearance
Wake Forest is appearing in postseason play for the 13th consecutive year -- the longest current streak among all teams in the ACC. Maryland, with 10 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 is making its third straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Coach Skip Prosser has led his teams to postseason play every season but one in his 10-year coaching career. Prosser has led three different teams to the NCAA Tournament.
Wake Forest-East Tennessee State series history
- Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 6-1.
- Friday's game will be the first meeting between the two teams since the 1998-99 season when the Deacons beat the Buccaneers, 77-53 in Winston-Salem.
- Friday's game will be the first ever neutral site meeting between the two teams. The home team has won six of the last seven meetings.
- Wake Forest won the first meeting on Dec. 1, 1976 in Winston-Salem, 94-63.
- Wake Forest is 146-38 all-time against teams currently in the Southern conference (84 of those meetings have come against Davidson).
- The Deacons lost their last meeting with a Southern Conference team, 54-49 in overtime at Davidson on Feb. 2, 2000.
- Wake Forest is 2-0 all-time in NCAA Tournament play against Southern Conference teams. The Deacons beat Chattanooga in the first round in 1993 and Charleston in the 1994 first round.
- WFU's Skip Prosser is 1-0 all-time against East Tennessee State. His Xavier team beat the Bucs, 80-55 on Dec. 4, 1999 in Cincinnati.
Deacon-Buccaneer connections
- Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser and East Tennessee State coach Ed DeChellis, both Pennsylvania natives, are close friends from the recruiting trail when both were assistant coaches.
- Deacon freshman Trent Strickland and Buccaneer freshman Tim Smith were teammates last year at Hargrave Military Academy.
- WFU's Taron Downey and ETSU's Michael Tolliver both played previously at Fork Union Academy.
- The Buccaneers have two North Carolinians on their roster -- Shannon Huffstetler (Mount Holly) and Howard Bridgers (Wilson).
Worth noting
- Wake Forest was once a member of the Southern Conference -- from 1937 to 1954.
- Wake Forest and East Tennessee State shared just one common opponent this season. Both teams lost at Virginia. The Deacons lost to the Wahoos, 85-75, while the Bucs fell to the Cavs, 84-76.
- East Tennessee State beat Wofford, 81-61, on Jan. 25. Wofford's assistant coach is Mark Prosser, son of WFU head coach Skip Prosser.
- The Buccaneers rank second in the nation in steals per game (11.4). Wake Forest ranks 211th in the same category (6.4).
- ETSU ranks fifth nationally in scoring (82.3), while Wake Forest ranks 25th (78.4).
- Wake Forest leads the nation in rebound margin (+9.9) while East Tennessee ranks 78th (+3.0).
- WFU ranks 10th nationally in field goal percentage defense (.396). The Bucs rank 149th (.433).
Wake Forest-St. Joseph's series history
- Even though Wake Forest and St. Joseph's have not met on the hardwood in 20 years, the two schools have a long series history. The Hawks lead the all-time series, 11-6.
- WFU and St. Joe's have split two NCAA Tournament meetings. The Hawks beat the Deacons in the 1961 regional finals in Charlotte, 95-86. Wake Forest beat St. Joseph's, 96-85 in overtime, in the second round of the 1962 NCAA Tournament. The Deacs went on to play in the Final Four.
- Wake Forest won the last meeting, 88-65, on Dec. 27, 1982 in the Holiday Festival at New York's Madison Square Garden.
- The Deacons and Hawks have had one meeting in Florida. Wake Forest beat St. Joe's, 107-83, on Dec. 26, 1975 at the Gator Bowl Classic in Jacksonville.
- Wake Forest is 72-57 all-time against teams currently in the Atlantic 10, including wins over Richmond and Temple this season.
- WFU's Skip Prosser was the head coach in the Atlantic 10 for seven seasons, compiling a 5-4 record against St. Joseph's.
Wake Forest-Auburn series history
- Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 3-2.
- The last meeting between the two teams came in the state of Florida nearly 20 years ago -- a 76-67 Wake Forest win on Dec. 27, 1983 in the Gator Bowl Classic in Jacksonville.
- The first meeting between the two teams -- a 54-48 WFU victory -- came on Dec. 19, 1956 in Charlotte. That game was part of the three-day Carrousel Tournament.
- The two teams met on Dec. 7, 1957 in Columbus, Georgia -- a 78-66 Auburn victory.
- Wake Forest is 75-52 all-time against teams from the Southeastern Conference. WFU's last game against an SEC team was a 76-71 win at Arkansas last season in the second round of the Preseason NIT.
- The Deacons are 1-3 all-time in NCAA Tournament play against SEC teams, including a 1-0 record against Arkansas, an 0-1 mark versus Alabama and an 0-2 record against Kentucky.
- Auburn coach Cliff Ellis was the head coach at Clemson for 10 seasons. He posted a 13-9 record against Wake Forest during his tenure with the Tigers.
WFU's history in the Sunshine State
Wake Forest will play in the state of Florida for the 28th time on Friday:
- The Deacons are 15-12 all-time when playing in Florida, including a streak of three straight wins.
- Wake Forest has played in Florida in each of the last 12 years against ACC rival Florida State.
- WFU has never played an NCAA Tournament game in Florida.
- The Deacons are 0-1 all-time in Tampa, losing to South Florida, 77-66 on March 14, 1985 in the opening round of the NIT.
More Florida tid-bits
- Deacon sophomore Jamaal Levy played on the high school level in Florida at Berkshire Academy.
- Deacon radio analyst Mark Freidinger is very familiar with the Sunshine State. He's a former head coach at Rollins College in Winter Park.
- The Tampa/St. Petersburg area is hosting NCAA Tournament games for the fifth time. Tropicana Field was site of the 1999 Final Four.
- Tampa will serve as host of the 2007 ACC Tournament.
- WFU grad Danny Borrell is in the New York Yankees organization, which is holding its camp in Tampa. Former Deacon Dave Bush is in the Toronto organization, which is holding its camp in nearby Dunedin.
East Region/NCAA notebook
- Eight of the 16 teams in the East Region won their conference's regular season championship -- Wake Forest, Syracuse, Penn, Butler, Austin Peay, Manhattan, East Tennessee State and SC State. Only the Midwest Region, with nine, has more conference regular season champions in its bracket.
- Six East Region teams won their conference postseason tournament (Penn, in the Ivy League, does not participate in a conference tournament) -- Oklahoma, Louisville, Austin Peay, Manhattan, East Tennessee State and SC State.
- East Region teams combine for a record 354-119 (.748). Only teams from the Midwest Region (.754) own a higher combined winning percentage.
- Wake Forest basketball office secretary Mary Ann Justus will be in Nashville this week watching her son, Joel, a junior forward at UNC-Wilmington.
- The late Bones McKinney, a former coach at Wake Forest and player at North Carolina, is one of just six men who have played and coached in a Final Four game.
- A No. 2 seed has gone to the Final Four in each of the last two years -- Maryland in 2001 and Oklahoma in 2002. Eight No. 2 seeds have gone to the Final Four over the last 10 NCAA Tournaments.
- The No. 2 seed has won the NCAA title five times since the seeding process began in 1979 -- Michigan State in 1979, Louisville in 1980, Louisville in 1986, Duke in 1991, and Kentucky in 1998.
- Three No. 2 seeds advanced to the Sweet 16 last year. The last time all four No. 2 seeds made it to the Sweet 16 came in 1996.
- No. 2 seeds went a combined 11-4 in the NCAA Tournament last year.
- A No. 15 seed has beaten a No. 2 seed four times -- Richmond in 1991, Santa Clara in 1993, Coppin State in 1997 and Hampton in 2001.
- No. 2 seeds are 68-4 all-time in first-round games, 47-21 in second-round contests.
- Who are the only two coaches to take two different schools to the NCAA Tournament in their first two years as a head coach? -- Skip Prosser (Loyola in 1994 and Xavier in 1995); and Thad Matta (Butler in 2001, Xavier in 2002).
- Len Chappell and Billy Packer both made the All-East Regional team in 1962 when the Deacons advanced out of the East to the Final Four.
- WFU was one of eight teams to play in the very first NCAA Tournament in 1939. Five of those eight teams are in this year's tournament -- Wake Forest, Oklahoma, Oregon, Utah State and Texas.
Deacon player notebook
- Steve Lepore's older brother, Chris, is currently on an aircraft carrier near Japan, preparing for a potential conflict with Iraq. Chris was a football standout at the Naval Academy in the late 1990s.
- Lepore's best off-the-court skill may be his imitations of his coaches, teammates and Howard Cosell.
- 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' mother, Debra, once pulled down 31 rebounds in a game. The former Livingstone College standout has a wager with her son that he'll never reach that 31-board mark.
- 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.
- Howard and Xavier's David West were teammates in 1998-99 at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, VA.
- Freshman Justin Gray and Syracuse freshman standout Carmelo Anthony were teammates last season at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.
- Sophomore Vytas Danelius can speak four different languages -- English, Lithuanian, Russian and German.
- Freshman Chris Ellis is the son of former Tennessee All-American and former NBA standout Dale Ellis.
- Freshman Richard Joyce hails from Mount Airy, NC. Mayberry, the fictional town from the Andy Griffith Show, is based on Mount Airy.
- Four walk-ons are on the WFU roster: Scott Benken, Alan Williams, T.J. Little and John Buck.
- 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.
On this date in WFU basketball history
March 21 -- Wake Forest has never lost a game on March 21st, earning a 4-0 record. Wake Forest beat New Mexico, 72-65 on March 21, 2000 in the second round of the NIT in Winston-Salem. On March 21, 1996, Wake Forest beat Louisville, 60-59, in the Midwest Regional semifinals. On this date in 1993, the Deacons beat Iowa, 84-78, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Nashville. On March 21, 1983, WFU beat Vanderbilt, 75-68, in the second round of the NIT, also in Nashville.
March 23 -- Wake Forest is 1-2 all-time when playing on March 23rd. The Deacons last played on March 23rd in 1996, losing to second-ranked Kentucky, 83-63, in the Midwest Regional championship game. One of Wake Forest's biggest wins ever came on March 23, 1984 when the Deacons stunned DePaul in Ray Meyers' last game as the Blue Demon head coach. Wake Forest's only Final Four game came on this date in 1962 when the Deacs lost to Ohio State, 84-68 in the national semifinals.
"TJDK"
"TJDK" is what was printed on T-shirts for each member of the Wake Forest basketball team last October. TJDK stands for, "They Just Don't Know." It was a rallying cry after the experts predicted the Deacons to finish sixth in the ACC this season.
