Wake Forest Athletics
Demon Deacon Basketball Picked Third In ACC Preseason Poll
10/23/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 23, 2005
GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Wake Forest men's basketball team was picked to finish third in the ACC in voting by the media at the league's 44th annual Operation Basketball at the Grandover Resort & Conference Center in Greensboro, N.C.
Senior guard Justin Gray, who was first team All-ACC in 2004, was named preseason All-ACC. The Charlotte, N.C., native is joined on the first team by the J.J. Redick (Duke), Shelden Williams (Duke), Craig Smith (Boston College) and Guillermo Diaz (Miami). Gray also received three votes for ACC Player of the Year.
Duke was the unanimous choice to capture the title with all 87 first place votes en route to being selected as the pre-season favorite for the fifth time in the past six years and 11th time overall. Boston College was picked to finish second, followed by Wake Forest and North Carolina State. Maryland closed out the top-five.
A pair of second team All-ACC performers in 2005 -- senior center Eric Williams and Gray -- are back. That duo ranked one-two, respectively, on the team in scoring last season. Both are preseason candidates for the John R. Wooden Award. The nucleus of Williams and Gray gives the Demon Deacons a presence on the inside and on the perimeter. In all, Wake Forest returns five players with a great deal of experience, including four seniors.
The Demon Deacons will play their first exhibition on Nov. 3 against Winston-Salem State and kickoff the regular season on Nov. 10 versus Mississippi Valley State.
Preseason ACC Poll1. Duke (87) 1,044*2. Boston College 9183. Wake Forest 7914. NC State 7445. Maryland 7076. North Carolina 5737. Miami 5408. Virginia Tech 4519. Georgia Tech 38010. Clemson 23011. Florida State 21612. Virginia 192
Preseason All-ACCJ.J. Redick, Duke 87*Shelden Williams, Duke 87*Craig Smith, Boston College 73Guillermo Diaz, Miami 59Justin Gray, Wake Forest 57* denotes unanimous vote
