No. 6 Demon Deacons Host Elon Wednesday At Joel Coliseum
12/14/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 14, 2004
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Game 9
#6/#5 Wake Forest (7-1) vs. Elon (2-6)
Dec. 15, 2004 / 7:06 pm / Winston-Salem, NC / Lawrence Joel Coliseum (14,665) / no TV
Television: None.
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 7-1 following a 67-64 win at Temple Monday night. Elon is 2-6 and the Phoenix have not played since a 70-63 overtime loss to visiting Buffalo on Dec. 7.
Rankings: Wake Forest is ranked No. 6 in the Associated Press poll and No. 5 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Elon is not ranked.
Coaches: Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy `72) is 74-30 (.712) in his fourth season with the Demon Deacons, 239-108 (.689) in his 12th season overall. Elon coach Ernie Nestor (Alderson-Broaddus `68) is 14-24 in two seasons at Elon, 82-105 in seven seasons overall.
Series: Wake Forest leads, 32-6.
Officials: Announced on game day.
No. 6 Demon Deacons Host Elon, Nestor Wednesday Night
Sixth-ranked Wake Forest, with victories over Atlantic 10 Conference teams Richmond and Temple bookending a week of final exams, hosts Elon Wednesday night at Lawrence Joel Coliseum (7:06 pm/no TV).
The Demon Deacons, 7-1, are coming off a hard-fought 67-64 win against Temple in Philadelphia Monday night. Juniors Eric Williams (17 points) and Justin Gray (15 points) combined to lead the Deacons over the Owls.
Elon, 2-6, has not played since a Dec. 7 70-63 overtime loss to visiting Buffalo. Montrell Watson scored 19 points and Scottie Rice 14 points for the Phoenix in a losing effort.
Wake Forest and Elon share a number of connections.
Elon is coached by Ernie Nestor, who spent two separate terms as a Wake Forest assistant coach. Former Deacon Jim Fitzpatrick is an assistant coach under Nestor at Elon. Wake Forest director of basketball operations Tim Fuller served the last two years as an assistant coach at Elon. More connections are on page three of this release.
Wake Forest leads the all-time series with Elon, 32-6. Wednesday's game marks the fourth consecutive season the two teams have met in Joel Coliseum.
Today's Tip-Off
- Wake Forest director of basketball operations Tim Fuller served the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at Elon. Fuller and wife, La'Kicia, celebrated the birth of their baby boy on Tuesday.
- The Demon Deacons are 7-0 this season when they out-rebound their opponent and Wake is also 7-0 when holding opponents to less than 50 percent shooting.
- Wake Forest is embarking on a difficult stretch in the schedule. The Deacons host 12th-ranked Texas on Saturday, then play at 8-1 New Mexico on Wednesday.
Deacs Hold On For 67-64 Win At Temple
Trent Strickland scored all nine of his points in the final nine minutes and No. 6 Wake Forest went 5-for-6 from the free throw line over the final two minutes to hold off Temple 67-64 Monday night in Philadelphia. Eric Williams, who along with fellow starter Chris Paul, were disciplined for five minutes for being late for the team bus on the way to the game, had 17 points for the Demon Deacons (7-1), while Justin Gray added 15.
Paul, the leading vote-getter on the AP's preseason All-America team, and Williams were held out of the starting lineup for being two minutes late for the bus. Paul finished with nine points and eight assists for the Demon Deacons, who were coming off a 9-day break for exams.
Mardy Collins had a season-high 25 points for Temple (3-5), which had a chance at tying the game but freshman Dustin Salisbery's 3-pointer hit the rim with one second to play.
There were six lead changes and two ties in the opening 10 minutes of the second half and Wake Forest seemed to take control behind Strickland, a reserve junior forward who came in averaging 6.3 points.
Strickland had six points in a 15-6 run that gave the Demon Deacons a 58-49 lead with 5:40 left. Collins scored on a drive to make it 59-57 with 2:51 left and he and Strickland exchanged 3-pointers to make it 62-60 with 2:07 left.
More From Monday's Win At Temple
- Chris Paul's eight assists were a season-high and marked the most by a Deacon player this season. It also marked the 11th time in his career that he has dished out eight or more assists.
- Mardy Collins' 25 points were the most by a Deacon opponent this season.
- Collins' seven steals were the most by a Wake opponent since Zakee Wadood of East Tennessee State had seven pilfers on March 21, 2003.
- Wake Forest earned its second three-point victory of the season. The Deacons beat Arizona, 63-60, in November.
- The Deacons had season-lows for field goals made (22) and attempted (42). Wake's 42 field goal attempts were the fewest attempts by a Deacon team in the Skip Prosser era.
- Wake Forest had a season-low four offensive rebounds and Temple also had just four offensive boards, a season-low by a Deacon opponent. Wake's four offensive rebounds tied for the sixth-fewest in school history and were its fewest since Feb. 27, 2002 at Georgia Tech.
- Wake's 31 total rebounds were a season-low and Temple's 21 rebounds were the fewest by a Deacon foe this season. The Owls' 21 rebounds were the fewest by a Wake opponent in the Prosser era.
- The Deacons easily had season-lows for steals (1) and blocked shots (0). The one steal tied for the seventh-fewest in a game in Wake Forest history (there have been six Deacon games when WFU failed to record a steal).
- Wake Forest had just two double-figure scorers for the first time since Jan. 13, 2004 at Texas.
The Last Wake Forest-Elon Meeting
Eric Williams scored 16 points to lead No. 19 Wake Forest past overwhelmed Elon 97-55 Nov. 22, 2003 at Joel Coliseum.
Jamaal Levy and Justin Gray added 13 points each for the Demon Deacons, who won their 15th consecutive home opener. Jackson Atoyebi scored 11 for Elon, and Carlos Moeira added 10.
It was a homecoming of sorts for the Elon staff. Head coach Ernie Nestor spent 14 seasons as an assistant at Wake Forest. Two of his assistants, Tim Fuller and Jim Fitzpatrick, played for the Demon Deacons.
But their return got off to a rocky start when the Phoenix missed 10 of their first 11 shots and committed 10 turnovers while falling behind 16-2.
Elon had difficulty handling Wake Forest's up-tempo style and finished with 29 turnovers.
Nestor Returns To Old Stomping Ground
Elon head coach Ernie Nestor spent two separate terms (1979-1985, 1993-2001) at Wake Forest as an assistant coach. He spent his last eight campaigns on the Demon Deacons staff under Dave Odom, helping the team to postseason appearances in all eight of his years there. In his time from 1993-2001, Wake Forest captured the 1995 and 1996 ACC championships, advanced to the 1996 NCAA regional final and claimed the 2000 NIT championship.
Whom Will She Cheer For?
Wake Forest basketball administrative assistant Mary Ann Justus faces a dilemma when the Deacons host Elon Wednesday.
Does she cheer for Wake Forest, the school which she has served for nine years? Or, does she cheer for Elon, where her son Joel is an assistant coach?
Mary Ann has been in this position before. Three years ago Joel played for UNC-Wilmington when the Seahawks played Wake Forest in the first round of the Preseason NIT.
The Justus family has many ties to Wake Forest. John Justus -- Mary Ann's husband and Joel's father -- was the sports information director at WFU from 1983 to 1999 and he currently works for ISP, Wake Forest's marketing partner. Joel Justus was one of several kids on the cover of the 1986-87 Wake Forest media guide featuring Muggsy Bogues.
More Deacon-Phoenix Connections
- Wake Forest director of basketball operations Tim Fuller, a former Deacon player, was an assistant coach at Elon the last two seasons (2002-03 and 2003-04).
- Elon assistant coach Jim Fitzpatrick played two seasons at Wake Forest (1998-99 and 1999-00), helping the Deacons win the 2000 NIT championship. Fitzpatrick and Fuller were teammates at Wake Forest.
- Elon assistant coach Mike Preston previously served four years on the coaching staff at Hargrave Military Academy. Wake Forest junior Trent Strickland previously played at Hargrave, as did Elon sophomore Ryan Jones.
- Wake Forest freshman Cameron Stanley and Elon freshmen Simon Harris and Josh Haymond were all teammates last year at Raleigh Millbrook High School.
Wake Forest-Elon Series History
- Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 32-6.
- The Deacons and Phoenix will meet for the fourth straight season. Prior to meeting in 2001-02, the two teams had not met since the 1950-51 season.
- Wake Forest has won the last 20 meetings. The last time Elon beat the Deacons came during the 1921-22 season.
- The Deacons and Phoenix first met in the 1912-13 season.
- Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser is 3-0 all-time versus Elon with all of those games coming while coaching the Deacons.
- Wake Forest was once a member of the Southern Conference. While membership in that league has changed many times over the years, the Deacons have played 201 games against current SoCon teams, earning a 161-40 record.
Rebounding Key For The Deacs
Two years ago Wake Forest won the ACC regular season championship. It was no coincidence that the Demon Deacons led the nation that season in rebounding. Dominating the boards is vital to WFU's success.
While it may be a stretch to say that Wake has dominated the boards this season, it is fair to say that the Deacons have been very good on the glass. Consider:
- Wake Forest owns a +6.5 rebound margin. Only Georgia Tech (+11.7) and Duke (+7.8) own better rebound margins in the ACC.
- The Deacons are 7-0 when out-rebounding opponents this season and 64-13 in Skip Prosser's four seasons at WFU.
- The Deacons have not been out-rebounded in any game this season. In Wake's only loss, the Deacons tied Illinois with 37 rebounds each. WFU has out-rebounded its other seven opponents.
- Although it's early, Wake's current rebound margin would be the fifth-highest in school history.
- Wake Forest's rebounding this season has been a team effort. Senior Jamaal Levy (9.0 rpg) ranks fifth in the ACC, junior Eric Williams (5.6) is 17th and Wake's smallest player -- 6-0 sophomore Chris Paul -- is pulling down 4.8 rebounds per game.
Wake Forest Winning The Close Ones
- Wake Forest is 2-0 this season in games decided by three points or less including a 63-60 win over 18th-ranked Arizona and a 67-64 road win at Temple.
- In Skip Prosser's four years at Wake Forest, the Deacons are 9-5 in games decided by three points or less, 18-9 in games decided by five points or less and 35-17 in games decided by 10 points or less.
Deacons Rise To No. 5 In ESPN Poll
Wake Forest did not play a game last week because of exams, but the Demon Deacons moved up two spots in the ESPN/USA Today Poll this week after Connecticut and Syracuse each lost.
The Deacons remained at No. 6 in the Associated Press poll. North Carolina leapfrogged Wake Forest to No. 5 following the Tar Heels' win over Kentucky.
Wake Forest has been in the AP top 25 for 38 consecutive weeks and in the top 10 for five straight weeks.
12 Deacon Opponents In Top 25
Could this be the most difficult schedule in Wake Forest history? Yes, if you consider this week's national polls:
- Twelve of the 25 teams in both national polls are Wake Forest opponents -- (AP ranking) #1 Illinois, #3 Georgia Tech, #5 North Carolina, #7 Duke, #12 NC State, #14 Texas, #15 Arizona, #19 George Washington, #23 Maryland, #24 Virginia and #25 Cincinnati.
- Seven ACC teams, including Wake Forest, are ranked in both polls.
- Two other Deacon opponents -- New Mexico and Miami -- are receiving votes for one or both polls.
- Wake Forest has 22 regular season games remaining. Fifteen of those will come against teams either ranked in the top 25 or receiving votes for one of the polls.
- According to Collegerpi.com, 15 Wake Forest opponents are ranked in the top 50.
- Wake Forest has had the nation's sixth-toughest schedule thus far, according to CollegeRPI.com.
- Four of Wake's final 12 regular season games come against two 2004 Final Four teams -- Duke and Georgia Tech.
Deacons, Longhorns Tangle Saturday
Sixth-ranked Wake Forest and 12th-ranked Texas meet Saturday afternoon at Joel Coliseum in a re-match of last year's meeting in Austin (2 pm/ESPN).
Both the Deacons and Longhorns have home games Wednesday night. Wake Forest hosts Elon and Texas entertains Texas-Arlington.
Last season (Jan. 13, 2004), 18th-ranked Texas handed 4th-ranked Wake Forest its first loss of the season, 94-81. The loss snapped WFU's 11-game winning streak to begin the season.
Wake Forest-Texas Series History
- Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 2-1.
- Last year (Jan. 13, 2004), 18th-ranked Texas beat 4th-ranked Wake Forest, 94-81 in Austin. The loss was Wake's first of the season, snapping an 11-game winning streak.
- The previous meeting between the Demon Deacons and Longhorns came in the 1996 NCAA Tournament in Milwaukee. Wake Forest won the game, 65-62, earning the Deacons a spot in the Sweet 16.
- The first meeting between the two teams came on Dec. 18, 1954 in the consolation game of the Birmingham Classic. Wake Forest won the game 95-71.
- Although they didn't meet, the Deacons and Longhorns were two of the eight teams in the very first NCAA Tournament in 1939.
- Wake Forest is 8-5 all-time against teams from the Big 12. The last time a Big 12 team came to Lawrence Joel Coliseum -- Dec. 7, 2000 -- Wake Forest beat 3rd-ranked Kansas, 84-53.
- Deacon coach Skip Prosser is 0-1 all-time against Texas.
Deacon-Longhorn Connections
- Texas coach Rick Barnes is from North Carolina and graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne in 1977. Barnes is familiar with the ACC after previously coaching at Clemson.
- Longhorn sophomore P.J. Tucker is from Raleigh, NC, where he attended Enloe High School. Deacon freshman Cameron Stanley is also from Raleigh (Broughton HS).
- Tucker played in the North Carolina East-West Game along with Wake Forest's Chris Paul and former Deacons Todd Hendley and Jeremy Ingram.
Deacons Tough At The Joel
Wake Forest has always enjoyed success within the friendly confines of Lawrence Joel Coliseum, winning at an 81.9 percent clip. In recent years, that percentage is even higher. In Skip Prosser's four seasons with the Deacons, Wake is 45-6 (.882), 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 season with the Deacons. Under Prosser, Wake is 26-1 at home against non-ACC competition.
Wake Forest has won 42 of its last 43 home games against non-conference opponents.
WFU's all-time record in Joel Coliseum is 190-42.
No Gray Area: Justin Is Tough
Two things that are certain about junior guard Justin Gray -- he's tough and he can score.
Gray (16.4 ppg) leads Wake Forest in scoring for the second straight year and he 51 points shy of becoming WFU's 42nd 1,000-point scorer.
But it is Gray's toughness that is becoming well-known. On Nov. 24 against Providence, Gray took an elbow to the head, opening up a gash just below the eyebrow. He received five stitches and returned to the game to make 5-of-8 three-point field goals en route to 21 points.
In his freshman season, an elbow from Duke's Dahntay Jones broke Gray's jaw. He sat out a month, had his jaw wired shut and lost 19 pounds on a diet of soup and milkshakes. When he returned to action 30 days later wearing a protective mask, he scored 18 points in a win over 8th-ranked Duke in a gutty performance.
More on Gray:
- He has made at least one three-point field goal in 28 consecutive games.
- With 155 career three-point field goals, he ranks fifth in Wake Forest history.
- Gray ranks among the ACC leaders in five different categories. He ranks sixth in the ACC in three-point field goals made, eighth in three-point field goal percentage, ninth in scoring, 10th in steals and 11th in free throw percentage.
- He was named MVP of the Preseason NIT.
- Gray was the ACC Player of the Week Jan. 29.
All Big Four Teams Ranked In Top 12
The Big Four -- #5 North Carolina, #6 Wake Forest, #7 Duke and #12 NC State -- are all ranked in the Associated Press top 12 this week. Since the AP poll originated in 1948-49, this marks the second week -- and second consecutive week -- that all four teams have been in the top 12.
This is the 19th week in the history of the poll that all four teams have been in the top 25. This also marks the 21st time that three of the Big Four teams have been in the top 10 simultaneously.
Seven ACC teams are ranked in the AP top 25 this week -- #3 Georgia Tech, #5 North Carolina, #6 Wake Forest, #7 Duke, #12 NC State, #23 Maryland and #24 Virginia - for the second straight week.
"E-Rex" Consistently Good So Far
Junior center Eric Williams, who has battled inconsistency during his career, has arguably been Wake Forest's most consistent player thus far this season. More on "E-Rex":
- Williams is the only Deacon to score in double figures in every game this season.
- He has scored in double digits in nine straight games dating back to last season. That ties for the fifth-longest current streak in the ACC.
- Williams leads the ACC in field goal percentage at 64.4 percent (47-of-73).
- He ranks second on the team and 10th in the ACC in scoring (15.6 ppg).
- His rebound average (5.6 rpg) ranks 17th in the ACC.
- Williams led Wake Forest with 17 points in Monday's win at Temple.
- Williams' free throw shooting has improved. He is shooting 64.6 percent from the line, ranking him 13th in the ACC.
- Plagued with foul trouble his entire career, Williams has not fouled out of a game this season and is averaging just 2.6 fouls per game.
- Williams' career field goal percentage (.559) would rank as the fifth-highest in Wake Forest history.
- His next field goal will be the 300th of his career.
Levy: One Of Nation's Best Defenders
Senior forward Jamaal Levy will not lead the team in scoring and he will not grab the majority of headlines. But the 6-9 Panama native is vital to Wake Forest's success.
- Levy is averaging a team-best 9.0 rebounds per game, which ranks fifth in the ACC.
- He ranks among the ACC leaders in steals (1.88 spg) and in blocked shots (1.13 bpg).
- Levy ranks second in the ACC in offensive rebounds (4.13 pg) and ranks eighth in defensive rebounds (4.88).
- Only four players in the ACC -- Miami's Guillermo Diaz and Robert Hite, Duke's J.J. Redick and WFU's Chris Paul -- average more minutes per game than Levy (31.6).
- Levy, who earned a spot on the Preseason NIT All-Tournament team, is widely considered one of the nation's best defenders and one of the ACC's top rebounders.
- On Dec. 4, Levy tied a school record with 10 offensive rebounds against Richmond.
- With 604 career rebounds, Levy ranks 21st in Wake Forest history.
- Levy is three blocked shots away from his 75th career rejection, which will rank him 11th in school history.
Levy Reaches Two Milestones
Senior Jamaal Levy reached two career milestones when Wake Forest played at Temple Monday.
He played in his 100th career game and Levy's fourth rebound was the 600th carom of his career. He is the 22nd player in WFU history to reach 600 career rebounds.
Levy also made his 60th consecutive start against Temple.
Closing In On A Grand
Five Wake Forest players have a shot at reaching 1,000 career points this season -- Justin Gray (949 career points), Taron Downey (851), Vytas Danelius (805), Eric Williams (778) and Jamaal Levy (687).
With 41 1,000-point scorers in its history, Wake Forest ranks ninth among all Division I schools.
Small Enrollment, Huge Crowds
Wake Forest has an undergraduate enrollment of just 4,037 (6,444 when graduate students are added to the mix), so one might think there would be plenty of empty seats in the 14,665-seat Lawrence Joel Coliseum for Deacon home games.
However, near-capacity crowds are the norm at Wake Forest home games.
Last year an average of 13,197 fans attended Deacon home games and that number should be even higher this year based on season ticket sales. Based on last year's numbers, Wake Forest's attendance was 204.8 percent of its total enrollment last year. No other ACC school had a percentage higher than 80.1 percent last year.
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.
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.
Senior Class 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 302 games. Wake Forest has won 74 games during their careers.
Stanley Will Redshirt In 2004-05
Cameron Stanley, the only freshman on the Demon Deacon roster, is recovering from a torn ACL suffered last December and will redshirt this season. Stanley has practiced with the team all season, but is still trying to get completely comfortable with the knee.
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."
Miscellaneous Notes
- Wake Forest is facing three coaches this season who have won more than 700 career games -- Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, Arizona's Lute Olson and Temple's John Chaney.
- Wake Forest, after capturing the Preseason NIT title in November, is 7-1 all-time in that tournament.
- The Deacons are 28-1 in their last 29 games played in the month of November, including a streak of 10 straight wins.
- 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.
Levy Ties Record For Offensive Rebounds
Wake Forest senior Jamaal Levy tied a Wake Forest school record Dec. 4 against Richmond by grabbing 10 offensive rebounds. Offensive rebounds have been a part of game statistics since 1986-87. Loren Woods, who grabbed 10 offensive boards against Richmond on Nov. 29, 1997, is the only other Deacon to reach double digits.
One unusual thing about Levy's performance is that while he had 10 offensive rebounds, he had zero boards on the defensive end.
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 NC State.
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.
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."
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.
