Deacons, Devils Meet Wednesday Night At 9 pm
1/31/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 31, 2005
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Game 20
#7/7 Wake Forest (17-3/5-2) vs.
#4/6 Duke(16-1/6-1)
Feb. 2, 2005/ 9:00 pm/ Winston-Salem, NC/ Lawrence Joel Coliseum (14,665)/ ESPN
Television: ESPN. Mike Patrick (play-by-play), Dick Vitale (color) and Doris Burke (sidelines) call the action. Kim Belton 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.
Radio: XM Satellite Radio (nationally).
Records: Wake Forest is 17-3 overall and 5-2 in the ACC after a 94-82 win over visiting Miami on Saturday. Duke is 16-1 overall and 6-1 following a 100-65 win over visiting Virginia Tech on Sunday night.
Rankings: Wake Forest is ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press poll and No. 7 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Duke is No. 4 in the AP poll, No. 6 in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
Coaches: Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy `72) is 84-32 (.724) in his fourth season with the Demon Deacons, 249-110 (.694) in his 12th season overall. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski (Army `69) is 637-182 in 25 seasons with the Blue Devils, 710-241 in 30 seasons overall.
Series: Duke leads, 150-74.
Officials: Announced on game day.
Deacons, Devils Meet Wednesday In Battle Of Top-10 Teams
Seventh-ranked Wake Forest and second-ranked Duke meet Wednesday night at Lawrence Joel Coliseum in a battle of top-10 teams as the Demon Deacons and Blue Devils approach the halfway point of the ACC season (9:00 pm/ESPN).
Wake Forest, 17-3 overall and 5-2 in the ACC, is coming off a 94-82 win over visiting Miami on Saturday. Juniors Eric Williams (23 points, 11 rebounds) and Justin Gray (20 points) led the Deacons, who shot a season-best 61.0 percent.
Gray (16.9 ppg), Williams (16.6 ppg) and sophomore Chris Paul (15.3 ppg and 6.5 apg) lead Wake Forest, which has won 10 straight games on its home court.
Fourth-ranked Duke, 16-1 and 6-1, shares first place in the ACC standings with North Carolina. The Blue Devils began the season by winning their first 15 games before falling to Maryland last week.
The Blue Devils are coming off a 100-65 win over visiting Virginia Tech Sunday night. J.J. Redick, the ACC's leading scorer (22.0 ppg), paced the Blue Devils with 29 points while Shelden Williams, the ACC's leading rebounder (11.8 rpg), had 25 points and 17 rebounds.
Today's Tip-Off
- Wake Forest's Skip Prosser, in his 12th season overall as a head coach, is one victory away from his 250th career win.
- Over the last three seasons combined, Duke has won more ACC games (30) than any other team. Wake Forest ranks second with 27 ACC victories.
- Over his last three games, Deacon junior Eric Williams has averaged 26.3 points and 9.7 rebounds while shooting 75.0 percent (33-of-44).
Deacons Rebound To Beat `Canes, 94-82
Junior Eric Williams dominated again with 23 points and 11 rebounds, and reserve Trent Strickland added a season-high 13 points to help fifth-ranked Wake Forest beat Miami 94-82 Saturday at Lawrence Joel Coliseum.
In his past three games, the Big E has averaged 26 points while making 75 percent of his shots (33-of-44). He was at his best in this one down the stretch, scoring 17 after halftime.
Justin Gray finished with 20 points and the Demon Deacons cruised in the second half to improve to 10-0 at home less than 48 hours after a heartbreaking, overtime loss at Georgia Tech. Jamaal Levy scored 15 points.
Wake Forest's defense was cold in the first half, allowing the Hurricanes to shoot 56 percent -- including 91 percent (10-of-11) on 3-pointers -- and take a 49-48 lead at the break.
It was tied at 63 before the Deacons finally took control. Williams started a 16-4 run with a dunk in traffic, and Chris Ellis added one of his own about a minute later.
More From Saturday's Win Over Miami
- Wake's field goal percentage (.610) was the highest by a Deacon team in the Skip Prosser era.
- The Deacons were out-rebounded for just the fourth time this season.
- Miami's three-point percentage (.520) was the highest by a Deacon opponent this season.
- Eric Williams had his second straight double-double, his fourth double-double of the season and the ninth of his career.
- Trent Strickland scored a season-high 13 points.
- Chris Ellis blocked a career-high three shots.
Wake 5-2 vs. Nationally-Ranked Teams
- Wake Forest is 5-2 this season against nationally-ranked teams with wins over then No. 18 Arizona, No. 14 Texas, No. 25 Virginia, No. 3 North Carolina and No. 20 Cincinnati, and losses on the road at No. 5 Illinois and No. 22 Georgia Tech.
- Wake's wins against ranked teams have come at home (Texas and North Carolina), on the road (Virginia and Cincinnati) and at a neutral site (Arizona).
- Wake Forest also defeated George Washington, which was not ranked at game time, but was later ranked. The Deacons also beat Maryland, which had been ranked all season until the day before playing Wake Forest.
- The Deacons have their most wins against ranked teams since going 6-4 in 1996-97 -- the last season Wake posted a winning record against ranked clubs.
- The Deacons defeated two ranked teams before Christmas for the first time in school history.
Deacs, Devils, Rankings, Etc.
- Wednesday's game marks Wake Forest's third game this season involving two teams ranked in the top 10. On Dec. 1, then-No. 5 Illinois beat No. 1 Wake Forest, 91-73 in Champaign. On Jan. 15, No. 4 Wake Forest beat No. 3 North Carolina, 95-82, in Winston-Salem.
- Wednesday's game will mark the sixth Wake Forest-Duke game involving two top-10 teams. The Deacons are 2-3 in the five previous meetings.
- In Skip Prosser's four seasons at Wake Forest, the Deacons have defeated four teams ranked in the top 10.
Deacons 4-1 In The Close Ones
Wake has already played its share of barn-burners:
- Wake Forest has played five games decided by four points or less and the Deacons are 4-1 in those games.
- Wake Forest has won nail-biters at home (89-88 over No. 14 Texas), on the road (67-64 at Temple and 74-70 at Cincinnati) and at neutral sites (63-60 vs. No. 18 Arizona).
- In Skip Prosser's four years, the Deacs are 10-5 in games decided by three points or less, 20-10 in games decided by five points or less and 37-19 in games decided by 10 points or less.
Next "The Season" Airs Tuesday At 7:30
ESPN's award-winning "The Season" began following the Deacons Jan. 17 and will continue for another week. The second of three Wake Forest shows air Tuesday (2/1) at 7:30 pm on ESPN2.
Wake Forest-Duke Series History
- Duke leads the all-time series, 150-74.
- The two teams split the regular season series in each of the last two years.
- The Blue Devils have dominated the series since the end of the Tim Duncan era, winning 15 of the last 17 meetings.
- From 1993 to 1997, Wake Forest beat Duke nine consecutive times.
- Wake Forest has won the last two meetings at Lawrence Joel Coliseum, including an 80-74 victory last season, but the Blue Devils have won eight of the 15 meetings at The Joel.
- The Demon Deacons have not won in Cameron Indoor Stadium since 1997.
- The Wake Forest-Duke series ties for the most frequently-played series in the ACC with 224 meetings.
- The Deacons and Blue Devils first met in 1906.
- Wake coach Skip Prosser is 2-5 all-time against Duke.
- Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is 31-20 all-time versus Wake Forest.
Deacon-Blue Devil Connections
- Deacons Chris Paul and Justin Gray and Blue Devil junior J.J. Redick were teammates last summer on the USA Under-20 Team, which won a gold medal in the World Championship Qualifying Tournament in Nova Scotia.
- Wake Forest's Justin Gray and Duke's Reggie Love and Tom Novick all hail from Charlotte.
- Wake's Cameron Stanley (Millbrook) and Duke's Shavlik Randolph (Broughton) played for rival high schools in Raleigh.
- Duke media relations assistant Will Shapiro is a Wake Forest grad and worked in the Deacon media relations office.
Similar Pattern In Wake's Three Losses
In Wake Forest's 17 wins this season, the Deacons have been dominant on the boards and stubborn on defense. In three losses, the Deacons have done neither well.
In all three losses -- road defeats at Illinois, Florida State and Georgia Tech -- the Deacons allowed at least 91 points. Opponents average 94.7 points in the Deacons' three losses.
In all three, Wake Forest found itself down by double-figures in the first half. At Florida State and Georgia Tech, Wake erased the double-digit deficits and sent those games into overtimes.
The most glaring indicator of Wake Forest's success is field goal percentage defense. Deacon opponents shot better than 50 percent against Wake three times this season -- all losses. In 17 wins, the Deacons have held foes to less than 50 percent.
Rebounding is another concern. Wake Forest is 14-0 when out-rebounding the opponent and just 2-2 when the Deacons have less boards than the opponent.
The Deacons took considerably more three-point attempts in the three losses. That statistic is skewed as Wake attempted to erase big deficits and twice the game went into overtime.
Skip Prosser Eyes 250th Career Victory
- Wake is one victory away from giving head coach Skip Prosser his 250th career win. Prosser owns a career record of 249-110 (.694) in 12 seasons.
- Wake Forest's 17-3 record ties for the sixth-best start in school history -- impressive when considering the Deacons' difficult schedule.
- The Demon Deacons are three wins away from their fourth consecutive 20-win season.
- Wake Forest has already clinched a winning season for the 15th consecutive year.
- The Deacons have won 84 games over the last four seasons combined -- all under coach Skip Prosser -- to average 21.0 wins per season.
- Wake Forest is six wins away from its 90th victory in a four-year span. That has happened only three times previously in Deacon history.
Deacons Slip To No. 7 In Both Major Polls
Wake Forest fell to No. 7 (from No. 5) in the Associated Press poll and and to No. 7 (from No. 5) in the ESPN/USA Today poll this week.
The Deacons have been in the AP top 25 for 45 consecutive weeks. The school record for consecutive weeks ranked is 54, set from the start of the 1994-95 season through March 10, 1997. The Deacons have been ranked in the top 10 for 12 consecutive weeks. The school record is 19 weeks, from March of 1996 to March of 1997.
Wake Forest was ranked No. 1 earlier this season for the first time in school history.
Arguably Nation's Toughest Schedule
Wake Forest's schedule is proving to be one of the strongest in the nation:
- Wake Forest, according to the Sagarin Ratings, has the nation's second-toughest schedule.
- Eight of the 25 teams in the Associated Press poll are Wake Forest opponents -- #1 Illinois, #2 North Carolina, #4 Duke, #14 Arizona, #18 Cincinnati, #20 Texas, #22 Maryland and #25 Georgia Tech. New Mexico, also a Wake opponent, is receiving votes for the ESPN/USA Today poll.
- ACC teams played 14 non-conference games against ranked opponents, including a league-high four by Wake Forest.
- The Deacons have already played seven teams that were ranked at tip-off -- Illinois, Arizona, Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, Cincinnati and Georgia Tech.
Lighting Up The Scoreboard
- Wake Forest ranks third nationally in scoring (86.1 points per game) -- the Deacons' highest scoring average since 1976 and the third-highest scoring average in school history.
- In ACC games, the Deacons lead the league in scoring at 92.3 points per game.
- The Deacons scored 80 points or more in nine consecutive games at one point and Wake has scored less than 80 points just five times in 20 games.
- Wake Forest has scored at least 81 points in all seven ACC games.
- Wake has scored at least 100 points twice this season and eight times in the Skip Prosser era.
Wake Forest Undefeated When...
... (17-0) when holding opponents below 50 percent shooting.
... (17-0) when holding opponents to less than 90 points.
... (16-0) when leading with 5:00 remaining.
... (14-0) when Wake has more rebounds than its opponent.
Paul Playing Like An All-American
For Chris Paul, there is no sophomore jinx.
The second-year point guard is putting up All-American-like numbers, disappointing no one who voted him the preseason national and ACC player of the year.
- Since Dec. 13, Paul has led the team in scoring (17.6 ppg) while averaging 7.5 assists and 3.9 steals per game.
- In ACC play, Paul ranks 10th in the league in scoring (17.1 ppg).
- He scored in double figures in 10 straight games from Dec. 15-Jan. 22.
- He made 27 consecutive free throws without a miss from Jan. 11-Jan. 22.
- Paul's free throw percentage (.837) ranks sixth in the ACC.
- His career free throw percentage (.841) is the fifth-highest in school history.
- He leads the team in free throws made (103).
- Paul shoots a sizzling 54.4 percent (31-of-57) from three-point range, which leads the ACC and ranks sixth nationally. Since Dec. 13, Paul is shooting a remarkable 60.0 percent (26-of-43) from behind the arc.
- He ranks second in the ACC and 18th nationally in assists per game (6.55).
- In ACC games, Paul leads the league in assists (7.0 apg).
- He had a career-high 12 assists Dec. 18 against Texas.
- He has already accumulated 314 career assists, which ranks ninth in Wake Forest history.
- With 131 assists and just 55 turnovers this season, Paul leads the ACC in assist-turnover ratio (2.38).
- Paul ranks fifth in the ACC in steals per game (2.00).
- He has 124 career steals in just two seasons.
- The 6-footer had nine rebounds Jan. 18 at Florida State and he's averaging 4.5 rebounds per game this season.
- He leads the team and ranks eighth in the ACC in minutes played (33.15 mpg).
Paul In Line For Several Awards
- Chris Paul is a midseason finalist for the John R. Wooden Award.
- He is a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award, which goes to the nation's top college point guard.
- Paul has been named ACC Player of the Week twice this season.
- He was the ESPN.com National Player of the Week and ESPN's Big Man On Campus Jan. 17.
- Dick Vitale named Paul his mid-season National Player of the Year.
- Paul was named the co-Male Athlete of the Year by USA Basketball, an award he shares with North Carolina's Sean May.
- He was the leading vote-getter for the Associated Press Preseason All-America team.
- Paul edged NC State's Julius Hodge for pre-season ACC Player of the Year honors by a 38-to-35 count. Paul and Hodge joined North Carolina's Rashad McCants and Sean May and Duke's J.J. Redick on the preseason All-ACC team.
Death, Taxes And Paul's 3-Point Shooting
Chris Paul is known for speed in transition, his ability to quarterback the offense, his assists, his steals and more. But is it any wonder why the Deacon coaches wouldn't mind if Paul shot more often from the perimeter?
Paul is shooting 54.4 percent (31-of-57) from three-point range, which leads the ACC and ranks sixth nationally. Since Dec. 13, Paul has shot a remarkable 60.0 percent (26-of-43) from behind the arc. He made seven straight without a miss during one stretch.
This is not just a recent hot streak. For his career, Paul is shooting 49.7 percent (71-of-143) from three-point range, which is the highest percentage in Wake Forest history.
Big E In Line For 1,000th Point
Junior Eric Williams (985 career points) and senior Taron Downey (963) are closing in on becoming the 43rd and 44th players in Wake Forest history to score 1,000 career points.
Junior Justin Gray eclipsed 1,000 career points earlier this season (Dec. 30 against North Carolina A&T). With 1,156 career points currently, Gray needs 10 points to pass Mike Helms for 30th place on Wake's all-time scoring list.
Gray is the first Deacon since Josh Howard to reach 1,000 points and he reached the mark in just 66 career games.
Senior Vytas Danelius has scored 883 career points.
With 42 all-time 1,000-point scorers, Wake Forest ties Notre Dame and Marshall for the seventh-most in Division I.
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 a team-high 16.9 points per game and he scored his 1,000th career point in just his 66th career game.
But it is Gray's toughness that is well-known. 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. Two nights later against Arizona, he took an elbow to the same spot above his eye, but bounced back to score 21 points.
Dec. 22 at New Mexico, he came back from a twisted knee to score 17 points. In the ACC opener at Virginia, Gray overcame a stomach virus to score 17 points.
As a freshman, 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 Justin Gray
- Gray has made at least one three-point field goal in 40 consecutive games and he has 50 threes in the last 14 games.
- He has 42 points and nine three-point field goals over his last two games.
- He ranks second in the ACC in three-point goals per game (3.25) behind Duke's J.J. Redick. In ACC games only, he averages 3.86 three-pointers per game.
- He ranks ninth in the ACC in 3-point percentage (.422).
- Jan. 11 against Maryland, Gray made a season-high six three-pointers on just nine attempts.
- At Clemson Jan. 8, Gray made his first five 3-point attempts and scored 25 points in the first half -- the most points in any half by a Deacon player since Tim Duncan in 1997.
- With 197 career three-point field goals, he ranks fifth in Wake Forest history. When he reaches 211 three-pointers, he will become the 27th player in ACC history to do so.
- He ranks 15th in the ACC in field goal percentage (.435) and 10th in free throw percentage (.746).
- Gray has more than 200 career assists and is closing in on 100 career steals.
- He was named The Sporting News National Player of the Week Jan. 8.
- He was named MVP of the Preseason NIT.
- Gray was the ACC Player of the Week Nov. 29.
"E-Rex" A Solid All-ACC Candidate
Junior center Eric Williams, who has battled inconsistency during his career, has been Wake Forest's most consistent player thus far this season while establishing himself as a legitimate All-ACC candidate. More on "E-Rex":
- Williams has scored more than 20 points in each of the last three games.
- He has earned double-doubles in each of the last two games.
- Williams has scored in double-figures a team-high 18 times in 20 games.
- He has scored 79 points over his last three games combined, including a career-high 29 points Jan. 22 at Cincinnati.
- He ranks first in the ACC and second nationally in field goal percentage at 65.3 percent. His percentage in ACC games (.657) is even higher.
- Williams' field goal percentage would be the highest single-season percentage in Wake Forest history.
- Williams' career field goal percentage (.578) would rank as the third-highest in Wake Forest history.
- Over his last four games, Williams has shot 75.4 percent (43-of-57).
- He has shot less than 50 percent in a game just three times this season.
- He ranks eighth in the ACC in scoring (16.6 ppg).
- His 13 field goals at Cincinnati Jan. 22 are the most by a Deacon in the Skip Prosser era.
- His rebound average (6.8 rpg) ranks 13th in the ACC.
- Williams ranks 12th in the ACC in blocks (1.05 bpg).
- Plagued with foul trouble his entire career, Williams has fouled out of just one game this season.
- With 985 career points, Williams is closing in on becoming Wake's 43rd 1,000-point scorer.
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 averages a team-best 7.4 rebounds per game, which ranks eighth in the ACC.
- Levy ranks 10th in the ACC in offensive rebounds (2.65 pg) and ranks 10th in defensive rebounds (4.70).
- He is one steal away from the 100th steal of his career.
- One of two Deacons to start every game this season, Levy ranks third on the team in minutes played (28.3 mpg).
- 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 679 career rebounds, Levy ranks 17th in Wake history. With four more boards, he will pass Dave Budd for 16th place.
- Levy has 79 career blocked shots, which ranks 11th in Wake Forest history.
Downey Plays Best On Biggest Stages
Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser calls senior Taron Downey the most unselfish player he has ever coached. Downey may also be one of the best clutch players Prosser has coached.
Downey does not start, but he averages 23.5 minutes per game and is always on the floor at crunch time. More on Downey's clutch performances:
- Jan. 27 at Georgia Tech, Downey hit two free throws with 19 seconds left to erase a 17-point deficit and send the game into overtime.
- Jan. 22 at Cincinnati, Downey sank two free throws with two seconds remaining to secure a 74-70 Deacon victory.
- At Florida State Jan. 18, Downey's three-pointer with 4.6 seconds sent the game into overtime. He finished the game with a career-high 21 points, including 5-of-7 from three-point range.
- Against third-ranked North Carolina Jan. 15, Downey scored 18 points including three 3-point field goals.
- Against 18th-ranked Arizona, Downey recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.
- On the road at New Mexico, Downey scored 16 points.
- Downey averages more points per game in ACC games (10.6) than in non-league games (7.5).
- Perhaps the most important statistic related to Downey is that the Deacons have won 84 games in his four-year career with 10 regular season games remaining.
- Downey ranks 8th in Wake history with 332 career assists.
Deacons Rank High In ACC, NCAA Stats
- Scoring (86.1) -- Wake Forest ranks third nationally, second in the ACC and first in the ACC in league games.
- Field Goal Percentage (.494) -- The Deacs rank second in the ACC, second in the ACC in league games and 15th nationally.
- Three-Point Percentage (.404) -- Wake ranks second in the ACC and 15th nationally.
- Free Throw Percentage -- In ACC games, Wake Forest ranks first in the ACC.
- Rebound Margin -- The Deacons rank second in the ACC and second in the ACC in league games.
- Assist-Turnover Ratio -- Wake Forest, in ACC games only, ranks first.
- Three-Point Field Goals -- In ACC games, Wake Forest ranks first in the league.
- Eric Williams -- ranks second nationally in field goal percentage.
- Chris Paul -- ranks sixth nationally in three-point percentage, 18th nationally in assists per game.
Senior Class A Diverse, Successful 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 338 games.
Wake Forest has won 84 games during their careers. Only six senior classes in Deacon history won more games over a four-year period. The Deacons have won 72.4 percent of their games over the last four years -- the eighth-highest percentage over a four-year period in Wake Forest history.
Deacons Tough At The Joel
Wake Forest has always enjoyed success within the friendly confines of Lawrence Joel Coliseum, winning at an 82.4 percent clip. In recent years, that percentage is even higher. In Skip Prosser's four seasons with the Deacons, Wake is 51-6 (.895), including an 10-0 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 29-1 at home against non-ACC competition.
WFU's all-time record in Joel Coliseum is 196-42.
Small Enrollment, Big Crowds
Wake Forest has an undergraduate enrollment of just 4,037 (6,444 including graduate students), so one might think there would be plenty of empty seats in the 14,665-seat Lawrence Joel Coliseum for 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.
Out of the 4,037 undergraduate students, nearly 2,500 are members of the Screamin' Demons, Wake's student fan club.
"We hadn't faced a crowd like this all season. Some people don't think a crowd can affect anybody's game but when people are rowdy and jumping around it's hard to focus."
-- North Carolina's Rashad McCants
Deacs: 9 Scholarship Players
Junior Richard Joyce is week-to-week with a stress fracture in his foot. Freshman Cameron Stanley is redshirting this season. And sophomore Jeremy Ingram has transferred to East Carolina. That leaves the Demon Deacons with nine healthy scholarship players this week.
Stanley Redshirting 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.
New Banners On Display
Wake Forest has new banners in Lawrence Joel Coliseum, recognizing all former Demon Deacons who have their jerseys retired. In addition, there are banners for NCAA Tournament participation, ACC championships and ACC regular season titles.
Deacons Set NCAA Free Throw Record
Wake Forest broke an NCAA record Jan. 18 at Florida State by making its 50th consecutive free throw without a miss. The Demon Deacons made an ACC record 32-of-32 free throws against North Carolina Jan. 15, then made their first 18 attempts at Florida State.
The previous record of 49 consecutive free throws made was held by Indiana State in 1991.
With their 32-of-32 performance Jan. 15, the Deacons set a school, ACC and Lawrence Joel Coliseum record. Wake came within two free throws of tying the NCAA single-game record.
Most Consecutive Free Throws Made/NCAA History
50Wake Forest20052 games
49Indiana State19913 games
42UC-Irvine19812 games
Miscellaneous Notes
- Wake Forest began ACC play 4-0 for the first time since 1996-97 -- Tim Duncan's senior season.
- Wake's 89-70 win at Virginia Jan. 2 marked the Deacons' largest margin of victory in Charlottesville since 1962.
- The Deacons' 103-68 win at Clemson Jan. 8 was their largest margin of victory ever in an ACC road game.
- Wake's 81-66 win over Maryland Jan. 11 was its largest margin of victory against the Terrapins in 11 years.
- January 2nd was a good day for the Prosser family. An hour after Wake Forest won its ACC opener at Virginia, Deacon coach Skip Prosser learned of more good news -- Bucknell had registered one of the biggest wins in school history, winning on the road at nationally-ranked Pittsburgh. Prosser's son, Mark, is a second-year assistant coach at Bucknell.
- 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 Memorial Coliseum. That loss came against Richmond, 74-61.
Paul Receives USA Basketball Honor
USA Basketball teammates Sean May of North Carolina and Wake Forest's Chris Paul, who helped lead the 2004 USA World Championship For Young Men Qualifying Team to a gold medal, were selected USA Basketball co-Male Athletes of the Year by the USA Basketball Executive Committee.
