100% Cotten
2/17/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 17, 2004
by Stan Cotten
(This writing comes the day following Wake Forest's win on the road at Clemson - the Deacs' second ACC road win of the season. Wake Forest sits in fourth place for the time being behind Duke, North Carolina State and Georgia Tech with Cincinnati and Duke looming on the near horizon.)
I have a special interest in Chris Ellis - selfish, really. I attended the University of Tennessee at the same time as his father Dale Ellis, a standout player for Don Devoe's Volunteers in the early 1980's and a former NBA star. I want Chris to do well as a Deacon, and I believe he'll be just fine.
Last night's game at Clemson was one that Wake Forest just simply had to have. At first glance, one might have thought that the deck was stacked against the Deacs as they made their way to refurbished Littlejohn Coliseum on the Clemson campus to face a Tiger team that couldn't possibly have been shouldering the same pressure as Wake Forest in the context of future NCAA Tournament scenarios.
When you have to win and you know it, and when you have to win on the road - that's pressure. And Wake Forest had left Trent Strickland at home and needed somebody to pick up his minutes and help alleviate any extra weight to the shoulders of those already expected to play significant roles.
Enter Ellis, a bulky 6-9 forward on his journey back from playing in all 31 games as a freshman a year ago to this season, one that began with a broken foot one hour into the first practice costing him the first seven games. Ellis has spurted along this season with no comfort of consistent playing time, relegated to the bench to wait on the call that sometimes comes and sometimes does not.
But at Clemson it came, and it came early. And Ellis was ready. Somebody was going to get extra minutes because of Strickland's absence. Ellis was happy to give it a go.
Wake Forest was having trouble getting the ball in the basket in the first half, but the Deacs were playing pretty solid defense. Ellis gave the Deacs a little offensive lift - hitting his three field goal attempts for six points, a season high.
"I just wanted to come in and do my part," said Ellis after the game.
That he did. He hit his only two free throw tries in the second half and finished with season highs of eight points and five rebounds and dished out an assist in 11 minutes on the floor.
Chris Ellis wears zero on his jersey. But in time, I think he will be something.
Cotten Briefs
- The Deacs have the Tigers chasing their tales. Wake Forest has won 11 of the last 12 games with Clemson and has stolen five of the last six games on the Tigers' home court. Did I mention this past season's football game?
- With the win over Clemson, the Deacs are assured of averaging at least 20 wins a season over Skip Prosser's three-year tenure.
- The victory over the Tigers was Coach Prosser's 225th career win.
- The win over the Tigers was the Deacs' first in the month of February after losses at N.C. State and at home to North Carolina. The Deacs have not lost three in a row to begin February since 1973.
- Last season, Wake Forest lost two of three February games to Marquette and Maryland before running the table to win the ACC regular season title.