Streaking Deacons Play First ACC Home Game Tuesday vs. Maryland
1/9/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 9, 2005
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Game 15
#4/3 Wake Forest (13-1/2-0) vs. #22/21 Maryland (9-3/1-1)
Jan. 11, 2005 / 9:07 pm / Winston-Salem, NC / Lawrence Joel Coliseum (14,665) / Raycom/JP Sports
Television: Raycom/JP Sports. Mike Patrick (play-by-play) and Mike Gminski (color) call the action. Bev Rumley 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 13-1 overall and 2-0 in the ACC after its eighth consecutive victory -- a 103-68 win at Clemson on Saturday. Maryland is 9-3 and 1-1 after a 109-75 loss at third-ranked North Carolina on Saturday.
Rankings: Wake Forest is ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press poll and No. 3 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Maryland is 22nd in the AP poll and 21st in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
Coaches: Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy `72) is 80-30 (.727) in his fourth season with the Demon Deacons, 245-108 (.694) in his 12th season overall. Maryland coach Gary Williams (Maryland `68) 324-168 in 16 seasons at his alma mater, 531-296 in 27 seasons overall.
Series: Maryland leads, 57-53.
Officials: Announced on game day.
Streaking Deacons Play First ACC Home Game Tuesday vs. Maryland
Fourth-ranked Wake Forest, coming off a pair of impressive ACC road wins at Virginia and Clemson, return home for the first time since Dec. 30 to play its first league home game against Maryland (9:07 pm/Raycom-JP Sports TV).
This marks the first season since 1951-52 that the Demon Deacons and Terrapins will meet just once during the regular season.
The Demon Deacons, 13-1 overall and 2-0 in the ACC, earned their largest margin of victory ever in an ACC road game in Saturday's 103-68 win at Clemson. That win came on the heels of an 89-70 victory at Virginia Jan. 2 -- the Deacs' largest victory margin in Charlottesville since 1962.
Junior Justin Gray, Wake's leading scorer on the season (17.2 ppg), scored 25 of his season-high 31 points in the first half at Clemson.
Maryland, 9-3 and 1-1, saw its five-game winning streak end Saturday with a 109-75 loss at third-ranked North Carolina.
The Terrapins lead the all-time series, 57-53. Last season Wake Forest swept the regular season series, but lost to the Terps in the first round of the ACC Tournament.
Today's Tip-Off
- Wake Forest has out-rebounded its last four opponents by 13.8 boards per game.
- The Deacons have shot better than 50 percent in three straight games and in six out of the last eight games.
- Wake began ACC play by winning two games on the road -- by an average of 27 points -- for the first time since 1996-97.
- Over the last seven games, Chris Paul has made 17-of-24 (.708) from three-point range.
Deacons Clobber Clemson, 103-68
Junior Justin Gray made his first five 3-pointers and tied his career high of 31 points as No. 4 Wake Forest won its eighth in a row, beating Clemson 103-68 on the road Saturday.
Since losing their No. 1 ranking at Illinois on Dec. 1, the Demon Deacons have averaged nearly 90 points. And Gray, their leading scorer, is a big reason why.
Against the Tigers, Gray made his first five shots from behind the arc to give Wake Forest a double-digit lead then helped maintain it with a 6-of-6 performance from the foul line. Gray matched his career best for points set against Florida State last season.
Eric Williams added 21 points, the second time this season that Wake has had two players with more than 20 points.
Akin Akingbala led Clemson with 16 points, which tied his career high set against Hampton in the season opener.
Gray nearly matched his career high with 25 points in the first half. After Clemson ran out to a 5-0 lead, Gray began to silent the large crowd with his long-range shooting.
His first two 3-pointers put the Demon Deacons ahead to stay. Gray's swished a fourth 3-pointer with Sam Perry draped on him. Then Gray finished his starting run with a wide-open 3-pointer 15 seconds later that led Clemson coach Oliver Purnell to call a timeout.
Gray's performance was part of a 22-4 run in the game's first 6 minutes that gave the Demon Deacons control.
More From Saturday's Win At Clemson
- Wake Forest scored 100 points for the first time this season, the first time since scoring 119 in the Deacs' triple overtime win at UNC last year (Dec. 20, 2003).
- Wake Forest's 36 field goals were a season-high.
n Wake Forest's 27 fouls were a season-high.
- Wake nine turnovers equaled a season-low.
- Wake's 57.1 three-point percentage (8-of-14) was a season-high.
- The Deacons shot better than 50 percent for the third straight game and for the sixth time in eight games.
- Gray and Williams were the first Deacon duo to combine for 50 points since Feb. 25, 2004 vs. Florida State (Gray 31, Paul 21).
- Clemson attempted more free throws than any Deacon opponent this season (previously 25 by Yale).
Deacons Own 4-Game Road Win Streak
Since a 91-73 loss at Illinois Dec. 1, Wake Forest has won four straight on the road with wins at Temple, New Mexico, Virginia and Clemson.
Wake's last two road wins -- an 89-70 win at Virginia Jan. 2 and a 103-68 victory at Clemson Jan. 8 -- were by an average of 27 points. Wake Forest is 2-0 on the ACC road for the first time since 1996-97.
The Deacons' 19-point margin at Virginia was its largest in Charlottesville since 1961-62. WFU's 35-point margin at Clemson was its largest ever in an ACC road game and was Wake's third-largest margin of victory on the road all-time.
Wake Forest-Maryland Series History
- Maryland leads the all-time series, 57-53 (complete series history on page 9).
- The Demon Deacons have won three out of the last five meetings, but the Terrapins have won nine of the last 12.
- Wake Forest swept the regular season series with Maryland last season for the first time since 1997-98. The Terrapins, however, beat the Deacons in the opening round of the ACC Tournament.
- In Lawrence Joel Coliseum, Wake Forest leads the series 9-6. Wake has won the last two meetings in the Joel.
- All three meetings last season were decided by eight points or less.
- The Deacons and Terrapins first met on the hardwood in 1952-53 -- one year before the ACC originated.
- Demon Deacon head coach Skip Prosser is 3-5 all-time against Maryland, including an 0-1 mark while coaching at Loyola (MD).
- Terrapin coach Gary Williams is 19-17 all-time against Wake Forest, including a 2-0 record while at Boston College and an 0-2 mark while at American.
Maryland Series Another ACC Casualty
Wake Forest will play Maryland just one time this season -- another rivalry shortened because of ACC expansion.
Maryland and Wake Forest have played at least twice every season since the ACC originated in 1953-54.
Wake Forest also plays Clemson, North Carolina and Virginia Tech once this season. The Demon Deacons and Clemson have met at least twice every season since the 1946-47 season -- seven years before the start of the ACC. Wake Forest has played North Carolina at least twice every season since 1944 -- the year the Deacons did not field a team because of the war. Other than 1944, the Deacons and Tar Heels have met at least twice every year since 1921.
Deacon-Terrapin Connections
- Deacon junior Trent Strickland and Terrapin sophomore Hassan Fofana both previously attended Hargrave Academy.
- Maryland coach Gary Williams went 4-2 against Wake Forest as a player for the Terrapins from 1965-67.
- Former Deacon All-American Tim Duncan and former Terrapin Tony Massenburg are teammates on the San Antonio Spurs.
A Statistical Look At WFU-Maryland
- Maryland (87.0 ppg) and Wake Forest (85.3 ppg) are two of the three highest-scoring teams in the ACC. Both are ranked in the top 15 nationally in scoring offense.
- Wake Forest is one of the nation's best-shooting teams (50.4 percent), while Maryland is holding opponents to just 40.0 percent shooting.
- The Deacons (+7.4 rebound margin) and Terrapins (+5.5) rank second and third, respectively, in the ACC in rebounding.
- Maryland (17.0 apg) and Wake Forest (16.9 apg) are both among the ACC leaders in assists per game.
- Wake's Chris Paul (6.4 apg) and Maryland's John Gilchrist (6.0 apg) are two of the ACC's leaders in assists.
The Last Wake Forest-Maryland Meeting
Maryland advanced to the ACC semifinals March 12 (2004) when John Gilchrist made one of two free throws with 3.7 seconds to lift the Terrapins to an 87-86 victory over No. 15 Wake Forest. It was the third consecutive win for Maryland and helped the Terps avoid losing all three meetings with Wake Forest.
Gilchrist seized his chance with the game tied at 86 with 12.9 to go. He took the inbound pass and was deliberate in looking for his shot. But he was fouled by Taron Downey as he drove toward the basket.
He made his first free throw, Wake Forest called a timeout, and Gilchrist purposely missed the second shot. The Demon Deacons scrambled for the rebound before Downey lofted up a last-second shot that didn't come close.
The game was tight from start to finish - it was tied nine times - and the Terps appeared to take control late in the second half. But the Deacons rallied behind freshman Chris Paul, who tied his career high with 30 points.
Wake 3-1 vs. Nationally-Ranked Teams
- Wake Forest is 3-1 this season against nationally-ranked teams with wins over then No. 18 Arizona, No. 14 Texas and No. 25 Virginia, and a loss on the road to No. 5 Illinois.
- Wake's wins against ranked teams have come at home (Texas), on the road (Virginia) and at a neutral site (Arizona).
- Wake Forest also defeated George Washington, which was not ranked at game time, but is currently ranked.
- The Deacons, who have seven wins against ranked opponents over the last two seasons combined, are looking for their first winning record against ranked clubs since 1996-97.
- The Deacons played three nationally-ranked teams before Christmas for just the fourth time in school history. Wake Forest defeated two ranked teams before Christmas for the first time in school history.
- With six ACC teams ranked in the top 25, Wake Forest could break a school record for games played against ranked teams (13 in 1994-95).
Deacons Winning The Close Ones
Wake has already played its share of barn-burners:
- 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, the Deacs 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.
Wake Forest Undefeated When...
... (13-0) when holding opponents to less than 50 percent shooting.
... (12-0) when holding opponents to less than 90 points.
... (12-0) when leading with 5:00 remaining.
... (11-0) when Wake has more rebounds than its opponent.
... (11-0) when scoring more than 73 points.
... (9-0) when scoring the game's first points.
... (7-0) when Wake has less turnovers than its opponent.
Deacs Move Up A Spot In National Polls
Wake Forest moved up to No. 4 (from No. 3) in the Associated Press poll and to No. 3 (from No. 4) in the ESPN/USA Today poll this week.
The Deacons own their highest ranking since Nov. 29, when they were ranked No. 1 in both polls for the second straight week.
Wake Forest has been in the AP top 25 for 41 consecutive weeks. The school record for consecutive weeks in the poll is 54, set from the beginning of the 1994-95 season through March 10, 1997.
The Deacons have been ranked in the top 10 for eight consecutive weeks. The school record is 19 weeks, from March of 1996 to March of 1997.
Wake's 13-1 Start Ranks Right Up There
Wake Forest's 13-1 start is one of the best in school history. The last time the Deacons started 13-1 came in 2000-01 (WFU lost its next game to fall to 13-2). Prior to 2000-01, the last time Wake Forest started 13-1 came in 1996-97.
Schedule One Of Nation's Most Difficult
The Wake Forest schedule is proving to be one of the strongest in the nation and one of the most difficult in school history:
- Eleven of the 25 teams in the ESPN/USA Today poll are Wake Forest opponents -- #1 Illinois, #4 North Carolina, #5 Duke, #10 Georgia Tech, #11 Texas, #13 Arizona, #20 Cincinnati, #21 Maryland, #24 NC State and #25 George Washington. Three other Deacon opponents -- Virginia, New Mexico and Providence -- are receiving votes for that poll.
- What may make Wake Forest's schedule uniquely difficult is that the Deacons play four "true" road games (on the actual home court of the opponent) against four good teams -- Temple, New Mexico, Illinois and Cincinnati.
- The Deacons have already played four teams that were ranked at tip-off -- Illinois, Arizona, Texas and Virginia. George Washington was not ranked when it played Wake Forest, but the Colonials are currently ranked.
- Wake Forest will play yet another ranked non-conference opponent, on the road at Cincinnati Jan. 22.
- Twelve of Wake's 16 remaining regular season games come against teams that are either ranked in the top 25, or are receiving votes for the top 25.
- Four of Wake's next six games come against teams currently in the top 25.
- 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.
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 three straight games and in nine of 14 games this season.
- The Deacs' field goal percentage (50.4) ranks second in the ACC and 22nd in the nation.
- Wake's field goal percentage is its highest since 1982.
- Throw out the Illinois game -- where the Deacons shot just 39.7 percent -- and the Deacons are shooting 51.4 percent for the season.
- Wake is 12-0 when it shoots a higher field goal percentage than its opponent.
- The Deacons are 13-0 when holding opponents to less than 50 percent shooting (only Illinois shot better than 50 percent against Wake Forest).
Chris Paul Hopes To Continue Hot Streak
Since mid-December, Wake Forest sophomore guard Chris Paul has been one of college basketball's hottest players. Consider Paul's statistics over the last six games:
- He has averaged 17.5 points per game, including 20-plus points against Texas, New Mexico and Virginia.
- Paul has dished out 7.8 assists per game, including a career-best 12 assists against Texas.
- He has 14 steals over the last six games including six Dec. 15 against Elon.
- Paul has made 15 three-point field goals over the last six games, compared to seven three-pointers in the first eight games.
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 a remarkable 57.9 percent (22-of-38) from three-point range, which leads the ACC. Over his last six games, Paul has shot an even more remarkable 71.4 percent (15-of-21) from behind the arc. He hasn't missed a three-point attempt since Dec. 22 at New Mexico.
This is not just a recent hot streak. For his career, Paul is shooting an even 50.0 percent (62-of-124) from three-point range.That would be the best career three-point percentage in Wake Forest history. The last time a Wake player led the ACC in three-point percentage came in 2002 by Craig Dawson.
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. The announcement was made Dec. 28.
"I'm still trying to figure out how this happened," said a stunned Paul. "This is such an honor. Sean is so deserving of this, he had a great summer. He was huge for our team. But I know that neither Sean nor I could have done this without our teammates. Everything we did over the summer, we did together. My teammates made it a lot easier on me and this wouldn't have happened without them."
As the co-USA Basketball Male Athletes of the Year, May and Paul have been nominated to the U.S. Olympic Committee for consideration of its 2004 Male Athlete of the Year Award, which will be announced at a later date.
Gray Scores 1,000th, Moves Up Chart
Junior Justin Gray eclipsed 1,000 career points Dec. 30 against North Carolina A&T, becoming the 42nd player in Wake Forest history to reach 1,000 points. Last Saturday at Clemson, Gray leapfrogged five former Deacons -- Anthony Teachey, Ernie Wiggins, Gil McGregor, Anthony Tucker and Tony Byers -- to move into 35th 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 (he has missed nine career games because of injury).
With 42 all-time 1,000-point scorers, Wake Forest ties Notre Dame and Marshall for the seventh-most in Division I.
Three other Deacons are closing in on 1,000 points: Taron Downey (903), Eric Williams (868) and Vytas Danelius (842).
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 17.2 points per game and he recently scored his 1,000th career point in just his 66th career game.
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. 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.
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 Justin Gray
- He has made at least one three-point field goal in 34 consecutive games and he has 29 threes over the last eight games.
- Gray ranks third in the ACC in three-point field goals per game (3.1) behind Miami's Robert Hite and Dukes J.J. Redick.
- He ranks seventh in the ACC in three-point field goal percentage (.444).
- Over his last three games, Gray is 13-of-21 (.619) from three-point range.
- 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 176 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.
- Gray has more than 200 career assists and is closing in on 100 career steals.
- He was named MVP of the Preseason NIT.
- Gray was the ACC Player of the Week Nov. 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 has scored in double-figures a team-high 13 times in 14 games.
- Williams is second in the ACC in field goal percentage at 63.3 percent (81-of-128).
- In two ACC games, he has averaged 18.0 points and 8.5 rebounds per game.
- He made 9-of-10 attempts Dec. 30 against North Carolina A&T -- the best single-game percentage by an ACC player this season -- and he has shot less than 50 percent in a game just twice this season.
- He ranks second on the team and 14th in the ACC in scoring (15.4 ppg). - His rebound average (6.1 rpg) ranks 15th in the ACC.
- Plagued with foul trouble his entire career, Williams has not fouled out of a game this season and is averaging just 2.7 fouls per game.
- Williams' career field goal percentage (.565) would rank as the fourth-highest in Wake Forest history.
- He has scored 868 career points.
Deacons Tough At The Joel
Wake Forest has always enjoyed success within the friendly confines of Lawrence Joel Coliseum, winning at an 82.0 percent clip. In recent years, that percentage is even higher. In Skip Prosser's four seasons with the Deacons, Wake is 48-6 (.889), including a 7-0 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.
Wake Forest has won 45 of its last 46 home games against non-conference opponents.
WFU's all-time record in Joel Coliseum is 193-42.
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 8.1 rebounds per game, which ranks fifth in the ACC.
- Levy ranks fourth in the ACC in offensive rebounds (3.21 pg) and ranks ninth in defensive rebounds (4.93).
- He ranks second on the team with 21 steals and is five steals away from the 100th of his career.
- One of two Deacons to start every game this season, Levy ranks third on the team in minutes played (29.2 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 646 career rebounds, Levy ranks 20th in Wake Forest history. With 11 more boards, he will pass Alvis Rogers and Larry Harrison for 18th place.
- Levy is two blocked shots away from his 75th career rejection, which will rank him 11th in school history.
Downey At His Best When Heat Is On
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 22.5 minutes per game and is always on the floor at crunch time.
Dan Collins of the Winston-Salem Journal pointed out this note, which is a good indicator of how Downey plays better the bigger the stage. Last season Downey averaged more points per game in ACC games (11.1) than he did in non-conference games (9.2). And his numbers were even better in ACC road games -- 12.0 points per game and 58.6 percent (17-of-29) from three-point range.
Perhaps the most important statistic related to Downey is that the Deacons have won 80 games in his four-year career with 16 regular season games remaining.
Downey ranks eighth in Wake Forest history with 318 career assists.
Three Big 4 Teams In Top 5 For 1st Time
Last Monday's Associated Press poll marked the first time ever that three of the "Big Four" schools (Duke, North Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest) have been ranked in the top five simultaneously.
North Carolina is ranked third, Wake Forest fourth and Duke fifth in this week's AP poll. The closest three Big Four schools have come to being ranked in the top five previously came one week in the 1978-79 season when Duke, North Carolina and NC State were ranked in the top six.
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.
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.
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 320 games. Wake Forest has won 80 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.
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's 89-70 win at Virginia Jan. 2 -- the Deacons third straight ACC opener on the road against a ranked team -- was WFU's largest margin of victory in Charlottesville since 1962.
- 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 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 Dec. 18. 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.
