No. 1 Deacons Take On Providence Wednesday Night
11/23/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 23, 2004
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Game 4
#1 Wake Forest (3-0) vs. Providence (3-0)
Nov. 24, 2004 / 7:00 p.m. / New York, NY / Madison Square Garden / Preseason NIT Semifinals
Television: ESPN2. Dave O'Brien (play-by-play), Len Elmore (color analysis) and Stacey Dales-Schuman (sidelines) call the action. Ray Tipton produces.
Radio: Wake Forest/ISP Radio Network. Stan Cotten (play-by-play) and Mark Freidinger (color analysis) call the action. Chris Ferris is the producer/engineer.
Records: Wake Forest is 3-0 after beating visiting Yale, 99-72, Monday night. Providence is 3-0 with wins over Niagara (83-78), Penn (89-52) and St. Thomas Aquinas (79-48).
Rankings: Wake Forest is ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press poll and No. 1 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Providence is receiving votes for both polls.
Coaches: Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy) is 70-29 (.707) in his fourth season with the Demon Deacons, 235-107 (.687) in his 12th season overall. Providence coach Tim Welsh (Potsdam State `84) is 104-82 in seven seasons with the Friars, 174-104 in nine seasons overall.
Series: First meeting.
Officials: Announced on game day.
No. 1 Wake Forest Takes On Providence Wednesday At Madison Square Garden
Wake Forest, ranked No. 1 nationally for the first time in the 99-year history of the program, takes on undefeated Providence Wednesday night in the first of two Preseason NIT semifinal games at Madison Square Garden in New York (7 pm/ESPN2).
Arizona plays Michigan in Wednesday's nightcap. The two winners meet Friday at 7 pm (ESPN2) in the championship game, while the losers battle Friday at 4:30 (no TV) in the consolation game.
Wake Forest, 3-0, beat George Washington (97-76) and Virginia Commonwealth (81-67) to advance to New York. The Demon Deacons also beat Yale, 99-72, Monday night in a home regular season game.
The Demon Deacons are averaging 92.3 points per game and are shooting 52.0 percent as a team.
Providence, 3-0, beat Niagara (83-78) and Penn (89-52) to advance to New York. The Friars beat St. Thomas Aquinas, 79-48, Saturday in a regular season home game.
Providence's Dwight Brewington (18.0 ppg) and Ryan Gomes (17.0 ppg) are combining for 35 points per game.
Wednesday's game will be the first meeting ever between the two teams.
Today's Tip-Off
- Wednesday's game against Providence will mark Skip Prosser's 100th game at Wake Forest (70-29 record).
- Wake Forest is 5-1 all-time in Preseason NIT play. The Deacons lost in the finals back in 2001.
- The Demon Deacons are in the middle of a hectic week. Wake beat Yale Monday, plays Providence Wednesday, then plays Arizona or Michigan on Friday.
- The already-difficult WFU schedule gets even tougher in the next 10 days. After playing Providence and Arizona or Michigan, Wake travels to 5th-ranked Illinois Dec. 1.
Wake Forest No. 1 For First Time Ever
For the first time in the 99-season history of Wake Forest basketball, the Demon Deacons are ranked No. 1 nationally.
Wake Forest is ranked No. 1 in both major polls -- Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today -- released Nov. 22. The Demon Deacons, who were ranked No. 2 in the preseason edition of both polls, took over the top spot from Kansas.
"I am proud for our players and happy for our fans and students to be part of something that has never occurred previously in the long and storied history of Wake Forest basketball," Deacon head coach Skip Prosser said.
"Having said that, I know how fickle a No. 1 ranking can be. I witnessed first-hand on Nov. 26, 1996 No. 1-ranked Cincinnati not making it through Thanksgiving weekend.
As the head coach at Xavier, Prosser's teams actually beat a No. 1-ranked Cincinnati team twice -- Dec. 18, 1999 and Nov. 26, 1996.
"Because of the strength of the ACC in particular," Prosser continued, "and the country in general, this is a season in which many schools will likely have the opportunity to be in this position."
A few notes on Wake Forest and the national polls:
- Wake Forest has been ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press poll 11 times, but until today, never No. 1. The Demon Deacons were ranked No. 2 10 weeks (non-consecutive) during the 1996-97 season and Wake was No. 2 in this year's AP preseason poll.
- Only Maryland (23 weeks at No. 2) and Louisville (16 weeks at No. 2) had been ranked No. 2 more often than Wake Forest without ever obtaining the No. 1 spot.
- Wake Forest is ranked in the AP top 25 for the 35th consecutive week and for the 226th week overall.
- This marks the 30th different week that Wake Forest has been ranked in the AP top five.
- Last year at this time Wake Forest was ranked 19th.
- Since the start of the 2001-02 season, Duke is the only other ACC team to earn a No. 1 ranking, which the Blue Devils have done often. North Carolina, in February of 2001, is the most recent other ACC team to be No. 1.
Deacons Beat Yale Monday, 99-72
Wake Forest celebrated its first appearance at No. 1 with an easy victory. Chris Paul, Eric Williams and Kyle Visser each scored 15 points to lead the Demon Deacons past Yale 99-72 Monday night.
Chris Ellis added 14 points for Wake Forest (3-0), which had five players in double figures. The Deacons had little trouble on offense in the first half and maintained a comfortable lead throughout against the Bulldogs.
Their debut at No. 1 was marked by a solid offensive first half that helped them to a 17-point lead at the break. Nine players scored in the first 14 minutes, with the Demon Deacons scoring 58 points and shooting 48 percent from the floor.
They did it from everywhere on the court. Paul and Justin Gray combined to hit six 3-pointers. Trent Strickland completed two three-point plays late in the half, including a hanging reverse layup off an offensive rebound.
The Demon Deacons also made their free throws, something they had trouble doing in their first two games. After missing 25 foul shots in two games, they went 16-for-18 in the first half and 23-of-30 for the game.
Wake Forest-Yale Series History
- Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 4-1.
- The Deacons and Bulldogs will meet for the third consecutive season.
- Wake Forest has won the last two meetings -- 86-61 last season in Bridgeport, CT and 73-61 in Joel Coliseum on Nov. 27, 2002 to open the 2002-03 season.
- Yale's only victory in the series came in Winston-Salem in Memorial Coliseum on Dec. 21, 1971 -- an 85-75 Bulldog win.
More From Monday Night's Win Vs. Yale
- The Deacons scored a season-high 99 points (previous high 97 vs. George Washington).
- Wake's 58 first-half points were the most by the Deacons in any half since scoring 60 in the second half at Clemson on Feb. 13, 2002.
- Wake's 58 first-half points were the most in a first half in Skip Prosser's four seasons at Wake Forest.
- The Demon Deacons have out-rebounded all three opponents this season.
- Wake Forest has used the same starting lineup in all three games this season (Gray-Paul-Levy-Danelius-Williams).
- Justin Gray and Chris Paul combined to make their first six three-point field goal attempts.
- Wake Forest has won all three games by a minimum of 14 points.
- The Deacons attempted a season-high number of three-point field goals (20).
- Wake Forest shot better than 70 percent from the free throw line for the first time this season.
- Wake Forest had a season-high for offensive rebounds (19).
- The Deacs had a season-high number of assists (20).
- Wake Forest has made at least one three-point field goal in 395 consecutive games.
Wake's Preseason NIT History
Wake Forest is 5-1 in two Preseason NIT appearances.
Wake Forest has played in the Preseason NIT just once before -- the 2001-02 season, which was Skip Prosser's first year in Winston-Salem.
The Demon Deacons barely made it out of the first round that year. A last-second Darius Songaila field goal gave Wake Forest a 79-78 win over visiting UNC-Wilmington, which was threatening to spoil Prosser's debut.
Following the win over UNCW, Wake Forest won on the road at Arkansas, 76-71. In the semifinals at Madison Square Garden, the Deacons held on for a 62-61 win over 23rd-ranked Fresno State, then lost in the championship game two nights later to Syracuse, 74-67.
Wake is 2-0 in this year's edition of the Preseason NIT.
Wake Forest Familiar With The Big Apple
Wednesday's game will mark Wake Forest's ninth game in Madison Square Garden over the last seven seasons. A quick look at Wake's history in the Garden:
2003-04 -- Wake Forest opened the season with a 85-76 win over Memphis in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. Taron Downey, one week removed from an emergency appendectomy, scored a career-high 20 points. Downey's illness allowed Chris Paul to start the opener and Paul has been in the starting five since.
2001-02 -- Playing in the Preseason NIT, the Deacons edged 23rd-ranked Fresno State 62-61 in the semifinals, then lost to 18th-ranked Syracuse 74-67 in the finals. Later that season (Dec. 22), Wake Forest lost in the Garden to St. John's, 70-62.
1999-00 -- Wake Forest captured the Postseason NIT championship in New York by beating ACC rival NC State in an overtime semifinal, then topped Matt Doherty's Notre Dame team, 71-61, in the championship game.
1998-99 -- The Deacs opened the season by splitting a pair of games in the Garden as part of the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. Wake beat Illinois, 75-73, in the opener, then fell to 7th-ranked Temple, 59-48, one night later.
More on the Deacons in the Garden:
- Prior to 1998, Wake Forest went more than 15 years without a trip to MSG.
- In 1982-83, the Deacons played three games in the Garden, beating St. Joseph's and losing to St. John's in the Holiday Festival, then falling to Fresno State later that season in the semifinals of the postseason NIT.
- During the 1960-61 season, Wake lost to NYU (70-61) in a regular season game at the Garden, then came back in March to beat St. John's (97-74) in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
Deacons Hope For Different Results
Back in Skip Prosser's first season at Wake Forest (2001-02), Wake Forest played two games in Madison Square Garden against Big East teams. Both resulted in losses.
On Nov. 23, 2001, Wake Forest lost to 18th-ranked Syracuse, 74-67, in the championship game of the Preseason NIT. On Dec. 22, 2001, the Deacons lost in the Garden to St. John's, 70-62.
Coaches Have Something In Common
Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser and Providence coach Tim Welsh share a common bond -- they both have replaced Pete Gillen as a head coach.
When Gillen left Xavier for Providence prior to the 1994-95 season, it was Prosser who replaced him at Xavier. When Gillen bolted Providence for Virginia in 1998, it was Welsh who took over as head coach of the Friars.
Wake Forest-Providence Series History
- First meeting.
- Wake Forest has struggled historically against teams from the Big East Conference. The Deacons are 13-26 all-time against current Big East teams.
- The last time the Demon Deacons faced a Big East team was a 84-72 win over visiting St. John's on Dec. 21, 2002.
- The last time Wake played a Big East team in Madison Square Garden came on Dec. 22, 2001 -- a 70-62 loss to St. John's. A few weeks earlier, the Deacs fell to Syracuse, 74-64, at the Garden in the finals of the Preseason NIT.
- While Wake Forest has never played Providence, it has played a school from Providence -- Brown University. The Deacons are 2-0 all-time against Brown.
- Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser has never coached against Providence.
Deacon-Friar Connections
- Wake Forest senior Taron Downey and Providence sophomore Gerald Brown both attended Hargrave Military Academy.
- Providence sophomore Herbert Hill attended Kinston High School in North Carolina. That's the same high school that produced former Deacons Craig Dawson and Jeremy Ingram.
- Wake's Chris Ellis and PC's Elliott McCray are both from Atlanta.
- WFU will play against two former Providence coaches this season -- Pete Gillen (Virginia) and Rick Barnes (Texas).
- Providence Director of Basketball Operations Vince Cautero was on the staff at Florida State in 1991 when the Seminoles originally joined the ACC.
- The Wake Forest women's basketball team hosts Providence Dec. 4.
The Buck Stops There
One Wake Forest player -- junior walk-on John Buck -- will be close to home for the Thanksgiving holiday. Buck is from Westbury, NY, and attended Long Island Lutheran High School.
Deacons On Target
Wake Forest has shot at least 50 percent from the field in all three games this season. The Deacons, in fact, have shot 50 percent or better in every half but one -- the first half of the Yale game. Wake Forest, which led the ACC in field goal percentage last season, is shooting 52.0 percent as a team.
Deacs 26-1 In Last 27 November Games
Wake Forest is 26-1 in games played in November since 1999. The Demon Deacons have won eight straight November games with their last loss coming in the finals of the 2001 Preseason NIT against Syracuse on Nov. 23, 2001.
ACC Off To Huge Start
Entering Tuesday night's games, the expanded ACC is a combined 18-2. The ACC's biggest win thus far was Virginia's victory over 11th-ranked Arizona on Sunday.
Deacs Play With 10 Scholarship Players
Sophomore Jeremy Ingram will transfer at the end of the semester and Cameron Stanley, Wake Forest's only freshman, will likely redshirt this season. That leaves the Deacons with 10 scholarship players and three walk-ons.
Experimental Rules In Play
Wake Forest and its opponents will be using experimental rules in every game throughout the Preseason NIT.
There will be three experimental rules in place:
- Moving the three-point line nine inches behind the current three-point line to create a distance of 20 feet, six inches.
- Widening the free throw lane by 1 1/2 feet on each side.
- Placing a restricted area arc which is two feet from the center of the basket ring.
Deacons Tough At The Joel
Wake Forest has always enjoyed success within the friendly confines of Lawrence Joel Coliseum, winning at an 81.8 percent clip. In recent years, that percentage is even higher. In Skip Prosser's four seasons with the Deacons, Wake is 44-6 (.880), including a perfect 16-0 mark in 2002-03.
The Deacons have not lost a home non-conference game since Feb. 9, 2002 -- a 103-94 loss to sixth-ranked Cincinnati in Prosser's first seasons with the Deacons. Under Prosser, Wake is 25-1 at home against non-ACC competition.
Wake Forest has won 41 of its last 42 home games against non-conference opponents.
WFU's all-time record in Joel Coliseum is 189-42.
Closing In On A Grand
Seniors Taron Downey (805 career points), Vytas Danelius (786) and Jamaal Levy (645) are all within reach of 1,000 career points. But a junior -- Justin Gray (859 points) -- will likely beat them to the punch. With 41 1,000-point scorers in its history, Wake Forest ranks ninth among all Division I schools.
Chris Paul Preseason All-America
Wake Forest sophomore Chris Paul was the leading vote-getter for the Associated Press preseason All-American Team announced Nov. 9. Paul was joined on the first team by Kansas' Wayne Simien, NC State's Julius Hodge, Syracuse's Hakim Warrick and Mississippi State's Lawrence Roberts.
Chris Paul ACC Preseason Player Of Year
Wake Forest sophomore Chris Paul edged out NC State's Julius Hodge for pre-season ACC Player of the Year honors by a 38-to-35 count. North Carolina's Marvin Williams was the media's clear cut choice as the preseason ACC Rookie of the Year, receiving 60 of 87 ballots cast. Paul and Hodge joined North Carolina's Rashad McCants and Sean May and Duke's J.J. Redick on the preseason All-ACC team.
Deacons First In ACC Preseason Poll
Wake Forest was the top pick in the media's preseason poll conducted Oct. 31 at the 43rd annual Atlantic Coast Conference Operation Basketball. The Deacons received 65 of a possible 91 votes for 965 points. North Carolina was second with 13 first place votes and 866 points, followed by Georgia Tech with 836 points and Duke with 746.
Ingram Will Transfer
Jeremy Ingram, a sophomore guard on the Wake Forest basketball team, will transfer to another school at the end of the fall semester, head coach Skip Prosser announced Nov. 2.
Ingram, a 6-3 Kinston (NC) native, played in eight games last season. He averaged 1.6 points and 0.8 rebounds per game. "Jeremy Ingram is a very good basketball player and more importantly, an outstanding young man," Prosser said. "He will be an asset to whatever school he chooses and we wish him the very best."
Ingram will remain in school until the end of the fall semester. He has not indicated where he will transfer.
Chris Ellis Back From Suspension
Chris Ellis played just two minutes in last Thursday's win over VCU, but the junior forward received one of the loudest ovations of the night. For Ellis, 6-9, Thursday's game marked his first action of the season after being suspended for both exhibition games and the season opener for a violation of team rules.
Ellis Comes Up Big Vs. Yale
Junior Chris Ellis matched a career high with 14 points Monday night against Yale and he did so in just 18 minutes. Ellis also made the first two three-point field goals of his career and attempted his first three-pointers since his freshman season.
Ellis has a ways to go to catch his father, Dale Ellis, who made more than 1,100 three-pointers in the NBA.
Visser Has Career-High, Too
Sophomore Kyle Visser came off the bench for a career-high 15 points Monday night against Yale, including a 9-of-12 effort from the free throw line. Prosser's previous career high of 13 points came on Dec. 20, 2003 at North Carolina.
Senior Class Is A Diverse Group
Wake Forest's three seniors hail from three different countries. Vytas Danelius (Lithuania), Jamaal Levy (Panama) and Taron Downey (Oxford, NC) form a diverse trio that probably doesn't receive the recognition it deserves.
All three were recruited by then-coach Dave Odom, and re-recruited by current head coach Skip Prosser. Danelius, Downey and Levy have combined to play in 284 games. Wake Forest has won 69 games during their careers. Only Danelius, a second team All-ACC selection in 2003, has earned all-league honors. That could change this year. After an injury-plagued junior season, Danelius appears ready for his best year yet. Levy is one of the top defensive players in college basketball and one of the ACC's leading returning rebounders. Downey ranks among Wake's all-time leaders in assists and three-point field goals.
Stanley May Redshirt In 2004-05
Cameron Stanley, the only freshman on the Demon Deacon roster, is recovering from a torn ACL suffered last December and may redshirt this season. Stanley has practiced with the team all season, but is still trying to get completely comfortable with the knee.
Three Sign National Letters Of Intent
Three talented high school seniors - two from North Carolina and one from New Mexico - signed letters of intent to play basketball at Wake Forest beginning next season, head coach Skip Prosser announced.
Harvey Hale (Albuquerque, NM/Rio Grande HS), Kevin Swinton (Greensboro, NC/Dudley HS) and David Weaver (Black Mountain, NC/Owen HS) will make up the Deacon freshman class. The three signees, all highly-rated nationally, will give Wake Forest help in at least three positions.
"We really think this is a solid class that will help us compete at the highest level," Prosser said. "Every school in the ACC has outstanding recruiting classes almost every season and again, this class will help us compete within the league. All three young men are potentially terrific basketball players, they are outstanding students, good people and come from quality high school programs."
Hale, 6-3 and 190 pounds, is considered the top prep prospect in New Mexico and is rated in the top 150 nationally by Rivals.com. He averaged 19.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 6.8 assists per game as a junior. Hale, who also plays for the Arizona/New Mexico Pump n' Run AAU team, chose the Deacons over Arkansas, Arizona State, DePaul, SMU and Stanford. He is coached at Rio Grande High School by Ron Garcia.
"Harvey (Hale) is a combo guard who we feel will help fill the void created by the impending loss of Taron Downey," Prosser said. "Harvey is not the pure shooter that Taron is, but he is longer and is potentially an even better defender. He has a knack for scoring and he leads one of the best high school teams in New Mexico.
Swinton, 6-7 and 230 pounds, is one of the top forwards in the nation. He averaged 22.0 points and 11.3 rebounds per game as a junior at Dudley. Swinton is ranked as the 20th-best power forward nationally by Rivals and the 47th-best prospect overall by Hoopmasters. A member of the 2004 USA South Team at the Olympic sports festival, Swinton also plays for the North Carolina Gaters AAU team. Swinton plays for coach David Price at Dudley. "Kevin is a product of one of the most prestigious high school programs in North Carolina," Prosser said. "He is strong, very athletic and he is a winner."
Weaver, 6-10 and 210 pounds, is ranked No. 27 among power forwards nationally by Rivals and in the top 85 overall by Hoopmasters. Hoop Scoop ranked Weaver as the fifth-best post player at the Nike camp. Weaver averaged 12.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. He also produced a lofty grade-point-average of 3.93. Weaver, who also runs track at Owen, is teammates with Swinton on the North Carolina Gaters AAU team. Weaver played for coach Roger Schnepp at Owen.
"David Weaver has great length and good ball skills for a young man of his size," Prosser said. "We feel that he has a bright, bright future at Wake Forest."
Brutal Schedule
Notes on the 2004-05 Demon Deacon schedule:
- Seven Wake Forest opponents are ranked this week in the Associated Press top 25 -- (3) Georgia Tech, (5) Illinois, (9) Duke, (11) North Carolina, (13) Maryland, (15) Texas) and (17) NC State.
- Five other Deacon opponents are receiving votes for the AP poll -- Virginia, Providence, Cincinnati, New Mexico and George Washington.
- Four of Wake Forest's final 12 regular season games come against two 2004 Final Four teams -- Duke and Georgia Tech.
Paul Has Huge Night From The Line
Sophomore Chris Paul led Wake Forest in scoring Nov. 18 against VCU with 16 points on just one field goal. Paul scored 14 of his points at the free throw line, going 14-of-15 from the stripe. More on Paul's effort:
- Paul's 14 free throws were the most by a Deacon player in the Skip Prosser era -- the most since Darius Songaila made 14 against Virginia on March 2, 2000.
- The 14 free throws tie for the 13th-most in Wake Forest history.
- Paul came within one free throw made of tying for the most free throws by a Wake Forest player in Lawrence Joel Coliseum. Tim Duncan made 15 free throws against Florida State on Feb. 7, 1996.
- The 15 free throw attempts tied for the most by a Deacon in the Prosser era. Ironically, the last time a WFU player attempted 15 free throws was by Paul against the very same VCU team on March 18, 2004, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament.
New Floor, New Uniforms
Lawrence Joel Coliseum, the home of Demon Deacon basketball, has a new playing floor this season. The new floor replaces the original surface, which had been in place since the facility opened in 1989.
Also new this year are the Wake Forest uniforms. The Deacons will sport new Nike Elite uniforms with versions in white, gold and black.
The First And The Last
Wake Forest played the first game this season involving an ACC school -- Nov. 15 vs. George Washington -- and will play in the last game of the ACC regular season -- March 6 at 8 p.m. at NC State.
A New Era In The ACC
Miami and Virginia Tech join the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2004-05, giving the league 11 teams. The regular season ACC schedule will still consist of 16 games. The Deacons are 2-0 all-time against Miami with the last meeting coming in 1990-91. Wake Forest is 24-20 all-time against Virginia Tech with the last meeting coming in 1998-99.
Bringing Home The Gold
Junior Justin Gray and sophomore Chris Paul were two of 12 college all-stars who led the United States to a gold medal this summer at the World U-20 Championship Qualifying Tournament in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The two Deacons started every game and helped the USA to a perfect 5-0 record. If not for a case of extreme dehydration, which sent Wake's Eric Williams to the hospital during the trials, the USA team would have likely included three Demon Deacons.
Miscellaneous Notes
- Wake Forest has won 11 straight season openers and the Deacons are 71-28 all-time in season openers.
- The Deacons have won 16 consecutive home openers. The last time the Deacons lost their first home game of the season came on Nov. 28, 1988 -- the last season WFU played in old Memorial Coliseum. That loss came against Richmond, 74-61.
Deacons Topple VCU, 81-67
Chris Paul scored 16 points despite taking just three shots from the field Nov. 18 to help the No. 2 Demon Deacons beat Virginia Commonwealth 81-67 in the Preseason NIT.
Paul hit 14 of 15 free throws and had five assists for the Demon Deacons (2-0). Justin Gray added 14 points and was one of five Wake Forest players in double figures. Alexander Harper had 17 points to lead the Rams (1-1).
As in their season opener against George Washington, the Demon Deacons shot 50 percent and had some brilliant offensive spurts.
Deacons Rally For 97-76 Win In Opener
Wake Forest outscored George Washington 22-6 down the stretch to win its opener, 97-76, Monday at Joel Coliseum.
Sophomore Chris Paul scored 25 points and six assists to lead the Demon Deacons. Justin Gray had 18 points and seven steals and Vytas Danelius chipped in with 17 points.
George Washington tried several halfcourt and fullcourt trapping defenses, hoping to force Paul - the leading vote-getter on The AP preseason All-America team - to give the ball up. When they failed, Paul made them pay by spinning through double teams, penetrating into the lane and finding open teammates.
Deacs Post Big Numbers In Exhibitions
Wake Forest put up big numbers in two exhibition victories, averaging 96.0 points per game and winning by an average of 37 points.
The Deacons also shot well overall with a field goal percentage of .553. Wake Forest out-rebounded its two Division II opponents by an average of 29 boards per game.
However, Wake Forest averaged 24 turnovers per game and the Deacons shot poorly from three-point range (.226) and from the free throw line (.619).
Deacons Sloppy But Win Exhibition By 28
Wake Forest sophomore guard Chris Paul led six players in double figures with 15 points as the Demon Deacons closed the exhibition season with a 89-61 victory over inter-city rival Winston-Salem State Nov. 11.
Paul went 6-for-10 from the floor and added four rebounds, five assists and seven steals. Junior Eric Williams added a double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Williams went 5-for-7 from the field and 4-of-7 from the free-throw line.
Wake Trounces USC-Upstate, 103-57
Wake Forest sophomore Chris Paul earned bragging rights from older brother C.J., a senior guard at USC-Upstate, as the Demon Deacons whipped the Division II Spartans 103-57 Nov. 4 in Wake's first exhibition game.
The elder Paul got into early foul trouble, limiting the amount of time the two brothers actually guarded one another. Chris Paul finished with 11 points, 9 assists and 6 steals. C.J. scored seven points and grabbed 6 rebounds. Six Deacons scored in double figures, paced by junior Justin Gray's 20 points.
