Wake Forest Athletics
Quotes From ACC Operation Basketball
10/23/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Oct. 23, 2005
ACC Operation Basketball More than 200 members of the media gathered in Greensboro today for the annual ACC Operation Basketball.
Quotes from Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser:
On Cameron Stanley: "He's long, he's aggressive, he can shoot. The hardest thing for him is that he hasn't played in a year and a half. "
On Eric Williams' Role: "Much of what we try to do on offense begins with Eric. He may play an even more prominent role this year. Early on, Justin (Gray) and Eric will have to carry the load. He's gotten better every year. I think it's pretty difficult for one player to guard him. He has serious heft to him. You have to pack a lunch to get around him.
"Eric has does a tremendous job. His offensive game has diversified. When you talk about playing Wake Forest, his name is the first that will come up in a scouting report. Last year I thought he did a better job staying out of foul trouble. He needs to use his left hand better. He needs to be a better free throw shooter."
On The Point Guard Position "It's a hugely important position, not unlike the quarterback position in football."
On The ACC "It's a tough, tough league. In the four years that I've been here, only three schools have been to the NCAA Tournament all four years. It's tough to get to the Tournament."
On Kyle Visser "He's had a very good preseason, a very good first week of practice. No one works harder than Kyle. It would be nice to see that hard work rewarded."
On The 2005-06 Deacons "We're going to be a team that tries to guard the ball better, a team that brings a high level of physicality to the game. We're not going to try to surprise anyone. We want to have an identity, a personality of a team that no one wants to play against. I guess we are a little more under the radar this season."
On David Weaver: "He really has a chance to be an excellent player. He could be a good player in the ACC. He gets banged around a lot, but he has responded well. I think he's happy to have the challenge."
On Boston College "They return several key players from a team that won 20 straight games. People are already saying that BC is an upper echelon team in our conference. I think they'll step right in and compete right away. They are well-coached and well-prepared.
"It's a very good fit for the ACC academically. Coach Skinner is an excellent coach. They return several talented guys from a team that won the Big East regular season title and they'll compete for the ACC title right away.
On Justin Gray "This is the hardest that he has ever worked in practice. He has a very high IQ for the game. He understands the game. To make those observations while you are playing at a breakneck pace is the challenge. The synergy between a point guard and a head coach is crucial. To this point, he has worked very, very hard.
"You don't really replace a Chris Paul, you substitute for him. I am excited about what Justin Gray brings, his leadership, his personal work ethic. I think he'll have a very good year for us.
"He's still going to have to score for us. He's going to have to be a beginner of plays for us, not just a finisher."
On Duke: "They have a great deal of talent - talent that has enjoyed a great deal of success. They have a Hall of Fame coach."
Quotes from Wake Forest head senior center Eric Williams:
On his shooting: "My outside game is better than what people give me credit for. We didn't need me shooting jump shots last year. I was the only guy on the team that was a legitimate center. My job in the game was to be a post player. I have range up to 15-17 feet. My face-up game has come along better than I thought it would."
On his free-throw shooting: "My free throw shooting is definitely better. I shot free throws better as a freshman and sophomore than I did last year. I don't know what happened last year. Last year I bent my knees a lot, but if you are as strong as an ox, then you shouldn't have to bend your knees to get arc on the ball."
On Duke beating clearcut No. 1: "Duke or North Carolina has been the favorite every year since I've been here. No team is guaranteed anything. It's just rankings and it's something I don't pay much attention to. Just let us go out there and play ball and the dominoes will fall in place.
"Shelden (Williams) is the best post player in the nation. He really challenges you. You have to bring your A game against him. That's because he's just such a good player. I would have been disappointed if he had of gone pro."
On missing Chris Paul: "We miss Chris a lot, but more for things he did off the court. He was more than just one of the greatest point guards in the nation. While we wish he was still here with us, we've got to move on. We have great players on this team."
Quotes from Wake Forest head senior guard Justin Gray:
Remembering the West Virginia loss: "It's kind of hard to get over - a loss like that on that type of stage. People say it was one of the great NCAA Tournament games - and I guess it was, for West Virginia."
On the preseason expectations: "Last year we got a lot of attention because of Chris Paul. This year I think it's better that we are a little more under the radar. There are good teams and good players in this league. Last year people didn't expect much out of Virginia Tech, but look at what they did."
On Duke: "Shelden (Williams) and J.J. (Redick) are a great inside-outside combo. I think Eric and I make a great inside-outside combo. There are some similarities between the two teams. Both teams have a great inside-outside game, both have great coaches and both have great incoming freshman classes."
On Eric Williams: "I think last year he made huge strides. He was playing better post defense without fouling. And he was more consistent. We need to know we are going to get 18 points, 9 rebounds every game from him. Working out with NBA teams helped him a lot and showed him what he had to work on. He can knock down the jump shot. He's really worked on it. The coaches believe in him."
On the transition to point guard: "It's going well, extremely well. The play-calling, the way the coaches are giving me free reign, things are going good. In college basketball, the point guard is key. He can win some games for you and he can lose some games for you. Some people compare me to Randolph Childress, the way he played the point when he was here."
