Wake Forest Athletics
2004 ACC Tournament Preview
3/9/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 9, 2004
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2004 ACC Basketball Tournament / March 11-14 / Greensboro Coliseum (23,745)
#15/14 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (19-8/9-7)
The Seed: Wake Forest is the tournament's No. 3 seed for the first time since 2002 (Wake was the No. 1 seed last season). Wake earned the No. 3 seed after winning a coin toss with Georgia Tech Sunday night.
First-Round Opponent: No. 6 seed Maryland is 16-11 overall, 7-9 in the ACC. The Deacons swept the regular season series with the Terrapins. Maryland leads the all-time series, 56-53.
Television: ESPN will carry the first-round game March 11, both semifinal games March 13 and the championship game March 14. ESPN2 will broadcast all four quarterfinal games March 12. Raycom-Jefferson Pilot Sports will televise all eight ACC Tournament games. Radio: Deacon Radio Network (ISP). Stan Cotten (play-by-play) and Mark Freidinger (color analysis) call the action for all eight tournament games.
Record: Wake Forest is 19-8 overall and 9-7 in the ACC after an 81-70 loss to NC State Saturday.
Rankings: Wake Forest is ranked 15th in the Associated Press poll and 14th in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
Head Coach: Skip Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy '72) is 65-27 in three seasons with the Deacons, 230-105 in 11 seasons overall. Prosser is 2-2 in two previous ACC Tournaments.
SID Contact: Wake Forest assistant athletic director/media relations Dean Buchan will reside at the team hotel (cell: 336.287.8954).
Last Year In The Tournament Wake Forest 69, Florida State 61 NC State 87, Wake Forest 83
Championships (4) 1996, 1995, 1962, 1961
Wake Opens Tournament vs. Maryland
Wake Forest begins pursuit of its first ACC Tournament title since 1996 when the No. 3 seed Demon Deacons take on No. 6 seed Maryland Friday in the quarterfinals of the 51st ACC Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum (approximately 9:20 p.m./ESPN2 and Raycom-JP).
The 15th-ranked Demon Deacons, 19-8 overall, enter the ACC Tournament with a two-game losing streak. Wake Forest lost at Virginia (84-82) last Tuesday, then fell at home to 16th-ranked NC State (81-70) on Saturday.
The Terrapins, 16-11, ride a two-game winning streak. Maryland won at NC State (70-69) last Wednesday, then beat rival Virginia (70-61) Sunday night.
Wake Forest and Maryland play the final of four quarterfinal games on Friday. No. 1 seed Duke plays the Clemson/Virginia winner at noon, followed by No. 4 Georgia Tech against No. 5 North Carolina, and No. 2 NC State versus No. 7 Florida State.
The last time Wake Forest met Maryland in the ACC Tournament came in the quarterfinals of the 2001 tournament in Atlanta. The No. 3 seed Terrapins whipped the No. 6 seed Demon Deacons, 71-53. Maryland went on to go to the Final Four that season.
Maryland leads the all-time series, 56-53. The Deacons swept the regular season series with Maryland for the first time since 1997-98.
The winner of the Wake Forest-Maryland game advances to Saturday's semifinal against the winner of the NC State-Florida State game. Wake has advanced to the semifinals in each of the two previous tournaments.
Coin Toss Gives Deacons No. 3 Seed
After 16 conference games and a variety of tie-breakers, Wake Forest and Georgia Tech still needed a coin toss to decide the ACC Tournament's No. 3 seed.
Wake Forest and Georgia Tech both went 9-7 in ACC play. The Deacons and Yellow Jackets had identical records against each of the other seven league schools, forcing a coin toss at the ACC office Sunday night. Wake Forest won the toss, administered by commissioner John Swofford, to earn the No. 3 seed.
A Quick Look At The Deacons
Wake Forest, facing one of the nation's most difficult schedules with one of college basketball's youngest rosters, rode a roller-coaster season to a 19-8 overall record.
The Deacons, who have no scholarship seniors on the roster, began the season with an 11-game winning streak, rising all the way to No. 4 in the Associated Press poll. Wake proceeded to lose six of its next eight games, with four of those losses coming to ranked opponents.
Wake then won six straight, including three straight over ranked teams, to end the month of February. The Deacons lost their final two regular season games, including an 81-70 home loss to 16th-ranked NC State in the regular season finale.
More on the 2003-04 Deacons:
- The Wake Forest schedule is rated as the third-toughest nationally by Jeff Sagarin. The Deacons' final 17 regular season games included 15 ACC games and dates with nationally-ranked non-conference foes Texas and Cincinnati.
- The Deacons are one of the nation's most proficient offensive teams. They lead the ACC and rank second nationally in scoring (83.7 ppg.) and the Deacons lead the ACC in field goal percentage (47.3 percent).
- On the flipside, Wake ranks ninth in the ACC in field goal percentage defense (44.4 percent). Over the last eight games, Deacon opponents have shot 49.4 percent.
- Wake has out-rebounded each of its last eight opponents.
- For the most part, Wake Forest uses an eight-man rotation that includes three juniors, three sophomores and two freshmen.
- The Deacons often use a three-guard lineup of freshman Chris Paul, sophomore Justin Gray and junior Taron Downey.
- Gray has emerged as one of the ACC's best players and one of the nation's top three-point shooters. Over the last 10 games, Gray has averaged 21.8 points and 3.7 three-point field goals per game.
- Paul, one of the nation's top freshmen, leads the ACC and ranks among the NCAA leaders in steals. Paul, who is re-writing the Wake freshman record book, is shooting 47.3 percent from three-point range.
Deacon-Terrapin Series History
- Maryland leads the all-time series, 56-53.
- Wake Forest swept the regular season series with the Terrapins for the first time since 1997-98. Wake won 93-85 in Winston-Salem on Jan. 29, and 91-83 in College Park on Feb. 28.
- While Wake has won three of the last four meetings, Maryland has won eight of the last 11 meetings.
- The Wake Forest-Maryland series is one of the closest in the ACC currently (see box below).
- The first meeting between the two teams came in the 1953 Southern Conference Tournament, won by Wake Forest.
- Wake coach Skip Prosser is 3-4 all-time against Maryland, including a loss while at Loyola (MD).
- Maryland coach Gary Williams is 18-17 all-time against Wake Forest, including a 16-15 record while coaching the Terrapins.
Deacs-Terps In The ACC Tournament
- Wake Forest is 3-3 all-time against Maryland in ACC Tournament play.
- The Deacons won the first three ACC Tournament meetings with Maryland. The Terrapins have won the last three meetings (2001, 1984, 1973).
- The two teams last met in the 2001 ACC Tournament when No. 3 seed Maryland beat No. 6 seed Wake Forest, 71-53, in Atlanta. The Terrapins went on to the Final Four that season.
- The Deacons and Terrapins have split two quarterfinal meetings. Maryland won the above mentioned game in 2001. The only other quarterfinal meeting was an 80-41 Deacon victory in 1963.
- Wake and Maryland have met four times in the semifinals, with each team winning twice. The two schools have never met in the championship game.
- Friday will mark just the third ACC Tournament meeting since 1984.
- Wake Forest and Maryland met in the semifinals of the very first ACC Tournament in 1954. The Deacons won the game, 64-56, in overtime. The Deacons played three different overtime games in the inaugural tournament, losing in the championship game to NC State.
Wake Forest-Maryland Connections
- Maryland's Jamar Smith and Travis Garrison are the only scholarship senior on either roster.
- Maryland coach Gary Williams went 4-2 against Wake Forest while playing for Maryland from 1965-67.
- Wake Forest's Trent Strickland and Maryland's Andre Collins and Hassan Fofana all played previously at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia.
- Wake's Chris Paul and Maryland's Mike Jones both played in the McDonald's All-America Game last spring.
- Deacon junior Taron Downey played on the same AAU team with former Terrapin Chris Wilcox.
- Wake sophomore Eric Williams played on the same team in the 2002 McDonald's High School All-American game with Maryland's Travis Garrison.
- Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser's first college head coaching job was at Loyola (MD) in 1993-94. Deacon assistant coach Dino Gaudio was the head coach at Loyola (MD) from 1998-2000.
- Former Deacon Darius Songaila and former Terrapin Tony Massenburg are teammates on the Sacramento Kings.
Jan. 29 At WFU: Wake 93, Maryland 85
Chris Paul scored 25 points, including the pivotal 3-pointer with 2:23 to play, to lead Wake Forest to 93-85 victory over Maryland on Jan. 29. Paul let out a sigh of relief as the ball sailed through the hoop for an 82-75 lead.
The Demon Deacons had struggled mightily with their scoring during their losing streak as Paul and fellow guard Justin Gray had not been able to find an offensive rhythm.
But the two snapped out of it against Maryland and helped Wake Forest overcome a 10-point halftime deficit.
Nik Caner-Medley led Maryland with 15 points.
Wake Forest had seemingly wrapped the game up on Paul's 3-pointer, but a flurry of late Maryland 3-pointers - two from Gilchrist and one from Jones - made it a close final margin.
Feb. 28 At Maryland: Wake 91, Terps 83
Vytas Danelius scored a career-high 23 points, and No. 11 Wake Forest held off a spirited Maryland comeback in a 91-83 victory at College Park.
It was the sixth straight win for the Demon Deacons, who clinched at least a tie for third place in the Atlantic Coast Conference by winning at Maryland for the first time in six tries since 1998.
John Gilchrist led Maryland with 26 points, Nik Caner-Medley scored 20 and Chris McCray added 18.
"I think Maryland played well and is an NCAA level team," Prosser said. "Look at who they beat and who they've lost to. When you play teams of this caliber in our conference, they're going to bring out the best in you."
Justin Gray scored 22 points and Jamaal Levy had 14 points and 15 rebounds for Wake Forest, which held on after letting a 16-point lead shrink to two.
Wake vs. Maryland: A Statistical Look
- Wake Forest leads the ACC and ranks second nationally in scoring offense (83.7 ppg.), while Maryland is limiting opponents to 70.3 points per game.
- The Deacons lead the ACC in field goal percentage (.473) while the Terrapins rank second in field goal percentage defense, holding foes to just 39.4 percent.
- Maryland leads the ACC in offensive rebounds (16.19 rpg.). Wake has out-rebounded its last eight opponents.
- Maryland's Jamar Smith (9.0 rpg.) and Wake's Jamaal Levy (8.5 rpg.) rank second and third, respectively, in ACC rebounding.
- Wake Forest has two of ACC's top three leaders in free throw percentage -- Chris Paul (.832) and Justin Gray (.827). Maryland ranks last in the ACC as a team in free throw percentage (.608).
Deac-Terrapin Tid-Bits
- Maryland Governor Robert L. Ehrlich graduated from Wake Forest University's Law School in 1982.
- There are just two scholarship seniors -- Maryland's Jamar Smith and Travis Garrison -- on the two rosters.
Deacons Looking For 20th Win
Wake Forest, 19-8 entering the ACC Tournament, is looking for its third consecutive 20-win season. One more win would also give the Deacons 20 or more wins for the ninth time in the last 12 years.
One more Wake win would also give the Deacons 66 wins in three seasons under coach Skip Prosser. That would tie for the fourth-most wins in a three-year span in Wake Forest history.
Wake 2nd In The Nation In Scoring
- Wake Forest leads the ACC and ranks second in the nation in scoring offense (83.7 points per game).
- The Deacons could finish first in the ACC in scoring for the first time since 1981 and for just the fifth time in the 51-year history of the conference. Duke has led the league in scoring each of the last seven years.
- Wake is averaging more points per game than any Deacon team since 1976.
- The Deacons have scored 90 or more points in a game nine times this season.
Magic Number: 83
Wake Forest is undefeated (13-0) when it scores at least 83 points. The Deacons are averaging 83.7 points per game this season. The Deacons are also undefeated (9-0) when they shoot 50 percent or better.
Justin Gray: First Team All-ACC
Wake Forest sophomore guard Justin Gray, the ACC's third-leading scorer and one of only two league players to average more than three three-point field goals per game, was named first team All-ACC March 8th.
Gray is joined on the first team by Rashad McCants (North Carolina), Julius Hodge (NC State), Tim Pickett (Florida State) and Chris Duhon (Duke). More on Gray's All-ACC selection.
- Gray gives Wake Forest first team selections in back-to-back years (Josh Howard was a unanimous first team selection last season) for the first time since 1996-97.
- Gray and McCants are the only two sophomores on the team. Hodge is a junior and Pickett and Duhon are seniors.
- Gray is the first Wake Forest sophomore to earn All-ACC first team honors since Tim Duncan in 1995.
- Twenty-one Wake Forest players have earned first team honors a total of 33 times.
Chris Paul Earns Three ACC Honors
Chris Paul became the first Wake Forest freshman to earn All-ACC honors since Rodney Rogers in 1991 when he was named third team All-ACC March 8.
Paul was also named to the ACC's All-Freshman and All-Defensive Teams. More on Paul's ACC awards:
- Paul and Duke's Luol Deng, also a third team selection, were the only freshmen to earn All-ACC honors.
- Paul and Deng were unanimous selections for the All-Freshman Team.
- The ACC leader in steals per game, Paul was the only freshman named to the All-Defensive Team.
- Paul gives Wake Forest a member of the All-Freshman Team for the second straight year. Justin Gray was on the team last year.
- Paul is the sixth Deacon to earn All-Freshman honors since the team originated in 1993. He joins Tim Duncan (1994), Loren Woods (1997), Robert O'Kelley (1998), Darius Songaila (1999) and Gray (2003).
Gray And Paul Named All-District
Justin Gray was named first team USBWA All-District III and Chris Paul was named second team March 8.
Gray was joined on the first team by Chris Duhon (Duke), Julius Hodge (NC State), Rashad McCants (North Carolina) and J.J. Redick (Duke).
Paul Earns National Recognition
Chris Paul has been named the National Freshman of the Year by two different sources.
Paul was named "Diaper Dandy" of the Year by ESPN/ABC analyst Dick Vitale. He is also named the nation's top freshman by CollegeInsider.com.
Rivals.com named Paul first team All-Freshman. He joins Minnesota's Kris Humphries, Duke's Luol Deng, Memphis' Sean Banks and Iowa State's Curtis Stinson.
Paul A Finalist For Wooden, Cousy Awards
Deacon freshman Chris Paul is a finalist for two of college basketball's most prestigious individual awards -- the John R. Wooden Award and the Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard Award.
He is one of 30 finalists for the Wooden Award and Wooden All-America Team
Paul is one of just two freshmen on the Wooden list, joining Minnesota's Kris Humphries. He is one of five ACC players on the list, joining Duke's Chris Duhon, Georgia Tech's B.J. Elder, NC State's Julius Hodge and UNC's Sean May.
Paul is one of 16 finalists for the Cousy Award and he is the only freshman on the list of candidates. North Carolina's Raymond Felton is the other ACC player on the list of candidates.
Levy Recognized For Defense
Junior Jamaal Levy was named to the Fans' Guide ACC All-Defensive Team March 8th.
Levy was also named honorable mention All-Defensive by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association.
Deacons 15th, 14th In National Polls
Wake Forest dropped four spots to 15th in the Associated Press poll and three spots to 14th in the ESPN/USA Today poll this week. More on Wake in the polls:
- The Deacons have been ranked in the polls all season -- as high as fourth and as low as 20th.
- Four other ACC teams are in the AP poll -- (5) Duke, (14) Georgia Tech, (16) North Carolina and (17) NC State.
- The Deacons have been ranked in the AP poll for 31 consecutive weeks dating back to last season. Duke is the only ACC team with a longer current streak.
- Wake has been ranked in the AP poll 45 times in 52 weeks under Skip Prosser.
- Wake is ranked 11th in the Sagarin Ratings, 12th by Blue Ribbon Yearbook, 16th by CollegeRPI.com and 17th by CBS Sportsline.
One Of The Nation's Toughest Schedules
Wake Forest has faced one of the nation's most difficult schedules this season:
- The Wake schedule is ranked as the third-toughest by Sagarin and the 10th-most difficult by CollegeRPI.
- Seven Wake Forest opponents are in the AP top 20 -- (5) Duke, (11) Texas, (13) Cincinnati, (14) Georgia Tech, (16) North Carolina, (17) NC State) and (23) Memphis.
- Ten Wake opponents have an RPI of 49 or better.
- Wake's final 17 games of the regular season included 15 ACC games, plus dates with nationally-ranked Texas and Cincinnati.
Deacs Have Faced Nine Ranked Teams
Wake Forest has already faced nine nationally-ranked teams this season:
- Wake Forest, 4-5 against ranked teams this season, played just six ranked teams all of last season.
- Wake has defeated four ranked teams for the first time since beating six ranked teams in 1996-97.
- The Deacs have beaten two teams ranked in the top five -- No. 4 North Carolina and No. 3 Duke -- for the first time since 1994-95.
- Wake has two road wins this season against ranked teams -- at then-No. 4 North Carolina on Dec. 20 and at No. 18 Georgia Tech Feb. 22 -- for the first time since 1996-97.
- The Deacs beat three ranked teams -- No. 13 Cincinnati, No. 3 Duke and No. 18 Georgia Tech -- in consecutive games for the first time in school history.
- Five nationally-ranked teams will be in action in Friday's ACC Tournament quarterfinals.
Wake's ACC Tournament History
- Wake Forest owns four ACC Tournament championships -- 1961, 1962, 1995, 1996.
- The Deacons have advanced to the championship game 10 times, most recently in 1996.
- Wake is 25-24 in quarterfinal games and has won their quarterfinal game in each of the last two years. The Deacons had one first-round bye (1961), giving them 26 all-time appearances in the semifinals.
- WFU is 37-46 all-time in ACC Tournament play.
- The Deacons are 2-2 in ACC Tournament play under coach Skip Prosser, losing in the semifinals in 2002 and 2003.
- Prosser is trying to become just the second Wake coach, joining Bones McKinney, to lead the Deacons to the championship game in his third season as coach.
- Wake Forest is 14-17 all-time in ACC Tournament games played in Greensboro. The Deacons won the ACC Tournament in Greensboro in both 1995 and 1996.
- Greensboro, specifically the old Greensboro Coliseum, once served as Wake Forest's home court.
- A Wake Forest player has been named first team All-Tournament 29 times.
- Two Deacons -- Randolph Childress in 1995 and Tim Duncan in 1996 -- won the Everett Case award as the tournament MVP.
Wake's Seed History
- Wake Forest is the ACC Tournament's No. 3 seed for the second time in three years and for the ninth time in the 51-year history of the event.
- The Deacons are 9-8 all-time as the No. 3 seed, including a 7-1 mark against the No. 6 seed. The only time Wake Forest has lost to the No. 6 seed in the quarterfinals came in 1991 when Virginia upset the Deacons.
- Wake has never won an ACC Tournament crown when carrying the No. 3 seed. The Deacons, however, have advanced to the championship game twice as the No. 3 seed -- in the inaugural tournament in 1954 and two years later in 1956.
- The Deacs were last the No. 3 seed in 2002. That year Wake beat No. 6 Georgia Tech in the quarterfinals, then lost to No. 2 Duke in the semifinals.
- Three of Wake Forest's four ACC Tournament titles have come when the Deacons were the No. 1 seed. In 1996, Wake captured the tournament championship as the No. 2 seed.
Individual Milestones On The Horizon
- Taron Downey (124 career three-point field goals) or Justin Gray (120) could pass Steven Goolsby (127) for sixth place on Wake's career three-point field goals list.
- Downey (274 career assists) needs 10 assists to pass Delaney Rudd (283) for 10th place on Wake's all-time assists chart.
- Gray (85 three-point field goals this season) needs nine three-pointers to tie Randolph Childress (94 three-pointers in 1995) for the third-most single-season three-pointers in Wake Forest history.
- Chris Paul (76 steals this season), is nine steals away from tying for the second-most single-season steals in Wake history. With 13 steals, Paul will tie Muggsy Bogues (89 steals in 1986) for the most single-season steals in school history.
- Paul (153 assists this season) should move up Wake's single-season assists chart. Danny Young (154 assists) ranks ninth and Young also ranks eighth with 157.
- Paul (367 points) is 33 points away from becoming the fifth freshman in Wake Forest history to score 400 single-season points.
- Paul (114 free throws) is nine free throws away from tying Darius Songaila (123 free throws in 1999) for the most single-season free throws ever by a Deacon freshman.
- Paul needs three more starts to become just the fourth freshman in Wake history to start 30 games.
Deacons Reach Victory Milestones
- Wake Forest earned all-time win No. 1,300 Feb. 22 at Georgia Tech.
- Wake's win at Maryland Feb. 28 was its ninth ACC win of the season, securing a winning record in league play for the third straight year.
- The win at Maryland also guaranteed Wake Forest at least tied for third place in the ACC standings for the third straight year and the eighth time in the last 12 years.
"Grandpa Dinger"
Mark Freidinger, the color analyst on the Deacon Radio Network and former Wake Forest assistant coach, is now a grandfather. William James Freidinger, the son of Brad and Molly, was born March 4th. Congrats Dinger!
Beating A Team Three Times Is Difficult
Wake Forest will attempt the difficult task of beating Maryland for a third time this season when the teams meet Friday night in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.
The Deacons beat Florida State three times last season, but they have achieved the "hat trick" just three times in the last 10 years and just 15 times in the 50-year history of the ACC. Wake Forest has defeated Maryland three times in one season twice -- in 1961 and 1963.
Wake Forest has swept a regular season series, only to lose to that team in the ACC Tournament, four times, including last season against NC State.
Wake has been on the wrong end of a three-game sweep 24 times, including an 0-3 record against Maryland in 2001.
Five times Wake Forest was swept during the regular season, then beat that team in the ACC Tournament. The Deacons were swept during the regular season this year by NC State.
The "Big Four"
- The four North Carolina ACC schools -- the "Big Four" -- have all enjoyed great seasons. Wake Forest, Duke, North Carolina and NC State are all ranked in the top 20 of both major polls.
- Prior to this season, all four teams were ranked in the AP top 25 at the same time for one week in 1999-00. In that particular poll (Dec. 20, 1999), Wake was ranked 23rd and NC State 25th. The last time all four were in the top 20 at the same time came on Dec. 20, 1960.
- Duke (1st), NC State (2nd), Wake Forest (3rd) and North Carolina (5th) all finished in the top five of the ACC standings for the first time since 1999.
Wake Forest 2-0 In Extra Minutes
Wake Forest is 2-0 this season in overtime games this season after it beat visiting Florida State, 90-87, Feb. 25. The Deacons beat North Carolina in triple-overtime back on Dec. 20, 119-114. Oddly, the Florida State game was Wake's first overtime game that didn't go to at least a second overtime since Jan. 31, 2001.
Wake Forest and Maryland haven't played an overtime game since Feb. 8, 1984 when the 14th-ranked Deacons beat the 13th-ranked Terrapins, 90-87, in a double-overtime game at the old Greensboro Coliseum.
Wake One Of Nation's Youngest Teams
- With no scholarship seniors on the roster, Wake Forest is one of college basketball's youngest teams. In fact, the Deacons are one of just six Division I schools with no scholarship seniors on the roster.
- Walk-on Alan Williams is the only senior on the Deacon roster.
- Wake Forest has just three juniors on the roster to go with five sophomores and four freshmen.
- Wake's top three scorers are all freshmen or sophomores. In fact, freshmen and sophomores have combined to produce 69.5 percent of the Deacons' point total (1,572 of 2,261points).
- Two juniors, two sophomores and one freshman made up the starting five last time out.
Last Hurrah For Senior Walk-Ons
Wake Forest had "Senior Night" Feb. 25 to honor two Deacon players and two student-managers.
Walk-on Alan Williams is the only true senior and the only fourth-year player on the Deacon roster. Williams' career began as a walk-on under coach Dave Odom in the 2000-01 season. He has been a part of one of the best four-year runs in Wake Forest history as the Deacons have won 83 games in the last four seasons combined.
Scott Benken, who earned a spot on the roster with his remarkable work ethic, is in his second year with the Deacons. He will graduate in the spring and enroll in pharmacy school.
Also honored were managers Tom Norton and Adam Ampuja.
Deacons Have Had Their Share Of Injuries
Wake Forest head trainer, assistant athletic director Greg Collins, has been one of the most active people on the Deacon staff this season as Wake has suffered more than its share of injuries.
Four different Deacons have missed a combined 14 games. Junior Vytas Danelius (high ankle sprain) missed five straight games before returning to action Jan. 13 at Texas. Sophomore Chris Ellis is back in the fold after breaking a bone in his foot on the first day of practice. Freshmen Kyle Visser and Todd Hendley missed one game each.
Home Court Streak Ends At 24
Wake Forest's home loss to Georgia Tech Jan. 20 ended a 24-game home court win streak and marked the Deacons' first loss at Joel Coliseum since Feb. 21, 2002, against Duke. The 24-game streak fell one short of tying the school record for consecutive home court wins.
Wake Signs One In Early Signing Period
Cameron Stanley, a 6-7 senior at Raleigh Millbrook High School, signed a letter-of-intent to play basketball at Wake Forest, Demon Deacon head coach Skip Prosser confirmed November 19.
Stanley averaged 21.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 2.0 steals per game as a junior in 2002-03 while leading Millbrook to a 26-5 record.
He was a finalist for North Carolina's Mr. Basketball, he earned a spot on the all-conference team and he emerged as one of the nation's top prospects at the ABCD camp in Teaneck, N.J..
Stanley was also invited to USA Basketball's Youth Development Festival in Colorado Springs, Colo.
As a sophomore, Stanley averaged 19.2 points and 6.7 rebounds per game.
The current Wake Forest roster includes no scholarship seniors. Assuming the roster remains intact, Stanley will be one of nine North Carolina natives on the 2004-05 Deacon roster.
Wake Forest Retires Howard's Jersey
Wake Forest retired the jersey of former consensus All-American Josh Howard during a ceremony at halftime of Wake's Jan. 29 game against Maryland.
Howard, currently a rookie with the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, attended the ceremony.
In 2003, Howard enjoyed a remarkable season. He was the first unanimous selection for ACC Player of the Year since NC State's David Thompson in 1975. Howard, a consensus first team All-American last season, is one of five players in the history of the ACC to record 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 200 steals and 100 blocked shots. He led Wake Forest to a 25-6 record in 2003 and the Deacons won the ACC regular season title for the first time in more than 40 years. Howard's jersey is the 10th to be retired at Wake Forest and the first since Tim Duncan in 1997. Other Deacons to have their jerseys retired: Tyrone Bogues, Skip Brown, Len Chappell, Randolph Childress, Charlie Davis, Rod Griffin, Dickie Hemric and Rodney Rogers.
Miscellaneous
- Several members of the Deacon basketball team took part in Santa's Helpers Dec. 12-13. Some 60 Deacon student-athletes from all sports helped purchase gifts for area needy families. They wrapped the gifts and delivered them personally to the families. Wake's Chris Paul dressed as Santa Claus.
- The Wake-Texas game on Jan. 13 drew the largest crowd (16,837) in the history of UT's Erwin Center.
- Apparently, the basket is bigger in Texas -- at least for sophomore Justin Gray. In two games this season in the Lone Star State (vs. SMU and Texas), Gray made 14 three-point field goals (6 vs. SMU, 8 vs. Texas).
- Sophomore Trent Strickland is wearing jersey No. 33 this year after wearing No. 34 last season.
- Wake Forest has played against the sons of some pretty famous dads this season -- North Carolina's Sean May (Scott May), Indiana's Patrick Ewing, Jr., and Yale's John Shumate. Last season the Deacons played SC State's Moses Malone, Jr.. Of course, Wake's own Chris Ellis is the son of Dale Ellis.
- Wake Forest is 26-23 all-time against the three teams that will soon join the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Deacons are 24-20 all-time against Virginia Tech and last played the Hokies in 1999. Wake is 2-0 versus Miami with the last meeting in 1991. The Deacs are 0-3 all-time against Boston College with the last meeting coming in 1986.
