Deacons Try To Avoid Pitfall At New Mexico Wednesday
12/19/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 19, 2004
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Game 11
No. 6/5 Wake Forest (9-1) at New Mexico (10-1)
Dec. 22, 2004 n 9:00 pm n Albuquerque, NM n The Pit (18,018) n RSN
Television: RSN (Fox Sports South and other regional networks). Mike Goldberg (play-by-play) and Dan Bonner (color) call the action. Joe Vencius is the producer.
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. Also available on XM Satellite Radio.
Records: Wake Forest is 9-1 after beating visiting 14th-ranked Texas, 89-88, Saturday. New Mexico is 10-1 following a 77-58 win over visiting Tennessee Saturday.
Rankings: Wake Forest is ranked No. 6 in the Associated Press poll and No. 5 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. New Mexico is receiving votes for the AP poll.
Coaches: Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy `72) is 76-30 (.717) in his fourth season with the Demon Deacons, 241-108 (.691) in his 12th season overall. New Mexico coach Ritchie McKay (Seattle Pacific `87) is 34-33 in three seasons with the Lobos, 117-122 in nine seasons overall.
Series: Wake Forest leads, 2-1.
Officials: Announced on game day.
Deacons Try To Avoid Pitfall Wednesday Night At 10-1 New Mexico
Wake Forest, riding a four-game winning streak including a 89-88 win over 14th-ranked Texas on Saturday, travels to Albuquerque (NM) Wednesday night to face a red-hot New Mexico team at The Pit (9 pm ET/RSN).
The Demon Deacons, 9-1, are ranked 6th in the Associated Press poll and 5th in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
Sophomore Chris Paul earned his second straight double-double (23 points, 12 assists) and junior Eric Williams scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half to lead Wake past Texas Saturday afternoon in Winston-Salem.
New Mexico, 10-1, owns a six-game winning streak and the Lobos are a perfect 9-0 at home. New Mexico is coming off a 77-58 win over visiting Tennessee Saturday night. Danny Granger led New Mexico with 20 points. The Lobos rank fifth nationally in field goal percentage (.527) and 14th nationally in scoring (83.8 ppg).
Wake Forest leads the all-time series with New Mexico 2-1, including a 70-61 victory last season (Jan. 3, 2004) in Winston-Salem. The Deacons have not played at The Pit since a 76-71 loss to the Lobos on Dec. 28, 1988.
Today's Tip-Off
- Wake Forest has won four of its last six road games dating back to last season. The Deacons are 1-1 on the road this season with a loss at Illinois and a win at Temple.
- It's been more than a year -- Dec. 6, 2003 -- since New Mexico lost a non-conference game at The Pit, to Texas Tech, 67-58.
- While Chris Paul has been Wake Forest's hottest player (37 points, 23 assists, 10 steals in his last two games), Eric Williams has been Wake's most consistent performer (11 straight double-figure scoring games).
Deacons Top #14 Texas, 89-88, Saturday
Chris Paul had 23 points and a career-high 12 assists and Eric Williams added 19 points for No. 6 Wake Forest in an 89-88 win over No. 14 Texas Saturday in Winston-Salem.
Kenton Paulino missed an 18-foot jumper just before the buzzer that would have won it for the Longhorns.
Vytas Danelius, banished to the bench in the previous game, gave the Demon Deacons (9-1) the lead for good with a reverse layup in traffic with about three minutes left. The Deacons went 6-of-8 on free throws down the stretch to seal it.
P.J. Tucker tied a career high with 27 points and added 14 rebounds for the Longhorns (7-2), and Brad Buckman finished with 17 points. This was a rematch of a game last season won by Texas 94-81 behind 21 points from then-freshman Tucker.
Against the zone, the Longhorns struggled. They went four straight possessions without scoring, and three of them ended in long 3-pointers after only a couple of passes. Tucker didn't touch the ball.
Paul set a new best for assists for the second straight game, topping the 11 he had last Wednesday against Elon. Justin Gray had 15 points for the Deacons.
Paul Has Record Night vs. The Longhorns
Wake Forest sophomore guard Chris Paul scored 23 points and dished out a career-high 12 assists in the Deacons' 89-88 win over 14th-ranked Texas Saturday. It was a record-breaking, milestone-reaching night for Paul:
- Paul's 12 assists were the most by a Deacon player in 17 years, since Muggsy Bogues had 14 assists against Charlotte on Feb. 14, 1987.
- His 12 assists, a career-high, tie for the ninth-most single-game assists in Wake Forest history.
- His 12 assists, which came four days after dishing out 11 assists against Elon, broke the Lawrence Joel Coliseum record. The old Joel Coliseum record was 11 assists, shared by North Carolina's Derrick Phelps and Richmond's Eugene Burroughs.
- Paul is the first Deacon to have 20 points and 10 assists in a game since Randolph Childress on March 12, 1994 against North Carolina.
More From Saturday's Win Over Texas
- Wake Forest's 25 three-point field goal attempts were a season-high.
- The Deacons' 21 defensive rebounds were a season-low.
- Wake Forest was out-rebounded (40-37) for the first time all season.
- Eric Williams, who scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half, made nine field goals -- the most by a Deacon player this season.
- Texas sophomore P.J. Tucker had a big day against Wake Forest. His 27 points, 11 field goals, 10 offensive rebounds and 14 rebounds were the most by a Deacon opponent this season. Tucker's 11 field goals tied for the most by a Wake opponent in the Skip Prosser era.
Wake Forest Undefeated When...
... (9-0) when holding opponents to less than 90 points.
... (6-0) when Wake has less turnovers than its opponent.
... (7-0) when Wake has more rebounds than its opponent.
... (8-0) when leading with 5:00 remaining.
Wake Forest-New Mexico Series History
- Wake Forest leads, 2-1.
- The Demon Deacons have won the last two meetings -- both at home -- including a 70-61 win over the Lobos last season (Jan. 3, 2004).
- The previous meeting between the Deacons and Lobos came in the second round of the 2000 postseason NIT on March 21, 2000. Wake Forest won that game, 72-65.
- The first WFU-New Mexico meeting came on Dec. 28, 1988 in the championship game of the Lobo Classic in Albuquerque. The Lobos won that game, 76-71.
- All three games in the series have been decided by nine points or less.
- Wake's win over Fairfield in the opening round of the 1988 Lobo Classic gives the Deacons a 1-1 record at The Pit.
- The Demon Deacons are 9-4 all-time against teams currently in the Mountain West Conference.
- Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser is 1-0 all-time versus New Mexico.
The Last Wake-New Mexico Meeting
Sixth-ranked Wake Forest, the nation's highest-scoring team at the time, turned to its defense to beat New Mexico Jan. 3, 2004 to remain unbeaten. The Deacons overcame a miserable start, getting 18 points from Chris Paul and forcing 19 turnovers in a 70-61 win over New Mexico in Winston-Salem.
The Demon Deacons extended their home winning streak to 22 and got strong play from Taron Downey, who scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half. Eric Williams added 14 and Justin Gray 11 for the Demon Deacons, who shot 58 percent in the second period. However, Wake Forest's offense struggled for the first half.
Meanwhile, the Lobos saw their five-game winning streak end and their road losing streak reach 19 games.
Danny Granger had 19 points to lead New Mexico. Troy DeVries, who had 12 in the opening 8½ minutes of the second half to keep his team close, finished with 17.
Deacon-Lobo Connections
- Wake Forest basketball signee Harvey Hale is from Albuquerque, where he plays at Rio Grande High School.
- Deacon senior forward Jamaal Levy considered New Mexico before signing with Wake Forest.
- Lobo basketball SID Jay Blackman is a North Carolina graduate and was a Tar Heel student-manager.
Miscellaneous Items
- The Pit, New Mexico's home court, has a place in ACC basketball history. NC State, in 1983, won the NCAA championship on that court.
- Albuquerque is called the "Duke City" but that nickname has nothing to do with the school in Durham.
A Statistical Look At Wednesday's Game
- Wednesday's game could be a high-scoring affair. New Mexico (83.8 ppg) ranks 14th nationally in scoring and Wake Forest (82.3 ppg) ranks 23rd.
- New Mexico has the nation's fifth-highest field goal percentage (.527). The Demon Deacons (.496) have shot well too, ranking second in the ACC.
- The Deacons rank last in the ACC in field goal percentage defense (.429) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.385).
- Through Saturday's games, 15 Division I schools remained unbeaten. New Mexico (10-1) and Wake Forest (9-1) are among a group of schools with one loss.
Deacons Winning The Close Ones
If playing close games is good for television ratings, Wake Forest may be one of the networks' favorite teams.
- Wake Forest has played three games decided by three points or less -- all on ESPN or ESPN2 -- and the Deacons have walked away winners each time.
- Wake Forest has won nail-biters at home (89-88 over No. 14 Texas), on the road (67-64 at Temple) and at neutral sites (63-60 vs. No. 18 Arizona).
- In Skip Prosser's four years at Wake Forest, the Deacons are 10-4 in games decided by three points or less, 19-9 in games decided by five points or less and 36-17 in games decided by 10 points or less.
Good Shooting Usually Equals Win
It sounds obvious, but Wake Forest is hard to beat when the Deacons shoot well -- and they've shot very well so far this season:
- Wake Forest has shot 50 percent or better in six of 10 games this season. - The Deacs' field goal percentage (49.6) ranks second in the ACC.
- Wake is 8-0 when it shoots a higher field goal percentage than its opponent.
- The Deacons are 9-0 when holding opponents to less than 50 percent shooting (only Illinois shot better than 50 percent against Wake Forest).
Deacons Rise To No. 5 In ESPN Poll
Wake Forest did not play a game, 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 20 regular season games remaining. Fourteen 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.
Wake 2-1 vs. Nationally-Ranked Teams
- Wake Forest is 2-1 this season against nationally-ranked teams with wins over then No. 18 Arizona and No. 14 Texas and a loss on the road to No. 5 Illinois.
- Wake's three games against ranked teams have come at home (Texas), on the road (Illinois) and at a neutral site (Arizona).
- The Deacons have played three nationally-ranked teams before Christmas just three times previously in school history -- in 2001-02, 1988-89 and in 1953-54.
- This marks the first time ever that Wake Forest has beaten two ranked teams before Christmas.
- The Deacons are 7-6 under Skip Prosser in home games against ranked clubs including wins in three of their last four.
- With seven ACC teams ranked in the top 25, Wake Forest could break a school record for games played against ranked teams (13 in 1994-95).
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.
No Gray Area: Justin Is Tough
Two things that are certain about junior guard Justin Gray -- he's tough and he can score.
Gray averages 15.3 points per game and he is 29 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 30 consecutive games. - With 159 career three-point field goals, he ranks fifth in Wake Forest history.
- Gray is one of the most prolific three-point shooters in the country. He ranks fourth in the ACC in three-point field goals per game (2.70).
- He is also among the ACC leaders in free throw percentage (11th), scoring (12th) and three-point percentage (12th).
- He was named MVP of the Preseason NIT.
- Gray was the ACC Player of the Week Jan. 29.
"E-Rex" Consistently Good So Far
Junior center Eric Williams, who has battled inconsistency during his career, has 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 11 straight games dating back to last season. That ties for the fourth-longest current streak in the ACC.
- Williams leads the ACC in field goal percentage at 63.2 percent (60-of-95).
- He leads the team and ranks 11th in the ACC in scoring (15.4 ppg).
- His rebound average (5.5 rpg) ranks 16th in the ACC.
- Williams led Wake Forest with 17 points in the Dec. 13 win at Temple and he scored 17 of his 19 points in the second half of last Saturday's win over Texas.
- 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.
- He scored his 800th career point Saturday and now has 807 career points.
Closing In On A Grand
Four Wake Forest players have a shot at reaching 1,000 career points this season -- Justin Gray (971 career points), Taron Downey (864), Vytas Danelius (819) and Eric Williams (807).
With 41 1,000-point scorers in its history, Wake Forest ranks ninth among all Division I schools.
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 7.9 rebounds per game, which ranks sixth in the ACC.
- Levy ranks fourth in the ACC in offensive rebounds (3.60 pg) and ranks 10th in defensive rebounds (4.30).
- He ranks second on the team and 14th in the ACC in steals per game (1.80).
- One of two Deacons to start every game this season, Levy is playing an average of 30.8 minutes per game.
- 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 611 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.
Ellis Shooting Like Ol' Dad... Sort Of
At 6-9, 261 pounds, Chris Ellis may not look like a three-point shooter, but he is shooting 80 percent from behind the arc. OK, so Ellis is just 4-of-5 from three-point range, but he was 0-for-2 entering his third season.
To match the number of three-point field goals Ellis' dad, Dale Ellis, made in the NBA, Chris only needs to make 1,714 more three-pointers.
On a more serious note, Ellis has been a solid performer off the bench for the Deacons. Over his last three games he has averaged 6.3 points per game while shooting a perfect 7-of-7 from the field. Ellis has not missed a shot since Dec. 4.
Ellis is one of at least six famous father-son combinations where the son is a current player on the college level:
Father (College) Son (College)
Patrick Ewing (Georgetown) Patrick Ewing Jr. (Indiana) John Lucas (Maryland) John Lucas III (Oklahoma State) Scott May (Indiana) Sean May (North Carolina) Ernie Grunfeld (Tennessee) Dan Grunfeld (Stanford) Dale Ellis (Tennessee) Chris Ellis (Wake Forest) Ron Brewer (Arkansas) Ronnie Brewer (Arkansas)
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 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 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.
Wake Forest In December
Wake Forest is 4-1 in December this season and 20-3 in December in four seasons under Skip Prosser. Wake hasn't lost a December game to an unranked team since Dec. 22, 2001.
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 47-6 (.887), including a 6-0 record so far this season.
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 28-1 at home against non-ACC competition.
Wake Forest has won 44 of its last 45 home games against non-conference opponents.
WFU's all-time record in Joel Coliseum is 192-42.
Deacs Play With 10 Scholarship Players
With sophomore Jeremy Ingram transferring to East Carolina and freshman Cameron Stanley redshirting, Wake Forest is left with 10 scholarship players and five walk-ons.
Two Walk-Ons Added To Deacon Roster
Wake Forest officially added two non-scholarship players -- Graeme Keith III and Brian Jessen -- to the 2004-05 basketball roster on Dec. 15.
Keith (Graeme is pronounced as if spelled Graham), 6-2, 170 pounds, is a Charlotte (NC) native and attended high school at McCallie High School in Chattanooga (TN). The freshman will wear No. 20.
Jessen, 6-2, 190 pounds, is a junior from Kenilworth (IL), where he attended North Shore Country Day School. The Communication major will wear jersey No. 43.
Graeme and Jessen join Scott Feather, John Buck and Michael Drum to give the Deacons five walk-ons. Drum is not eligible to play this season.
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 308 games. Wake Forest has won 76 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 Transfers
Jeremy Ingram, a sophomore guard, transferred to East Carolina at the end of the fall semester.
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.
Wake's Holiday Plans
Wake Forest players will fly directly home Dec. 23 from Albuquerque and the Deacons will assemble Dec. 27 for practice at 5 p.m.
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.
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.
Deacons Close Out 2004 vs. A&T Dec. 30
Wake Forest will play its final game of 2004 before embarking on ACC play with a home game Dec. 30 against North Carolina A&T (7 pm/no TV).
North Carolina A&T, 1-9, plays at Tulane Dec. 21 in its final game prior to playing the Deacons.
Wake-A&T Series History
- Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 3-0.
- The Demon Deacons and Aggies will meet for the third consecutive year in Joel Coliseum.
- Wake Forest won last year's meeting (Dec. 30, 2003) 91-67.
- The previous meeting (Dec. 28, 2002) saw the Deacons beat the Aggies, 104-64.
- The first meeting between the two teams was a 79-47 Wake Forest victory in the opening round of the 1995 NCAA Tournament in Baltimore.
- Wake Forest is 12-0 all-time against teams from the MEAC.
- Deacon head coach Skip Prosser is 2-0 all-time against the Aggies.
