Deacons Try To Avenge Loss To Seminoles Saturday Afternoon
2/11/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 11, 2005
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Game 24
#6/6 Wake Forest (20-3/8-2) vs. Florida State (11-12/3-7)
Television: ABC (63 percent of the nation). Brent Musberger (play-by-play), Steve Lavin (color) and Doris Burke (sidelines) call the action. Phil Dean 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 20-3 overall and 8-2 in the ACC after its fourth straight victory -- an 86-75 win over visiting NC State Thursday night. Florida State is 11-12 and 3-7 after a 56-55 loss at Virginia Wednesday night.
Rankings: Wake Forest is ranked No. 6 in the Associated Press poll and No. 6 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Florida State is not ranked.
Coaches: Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy `72) is 87-32 (.731) in his fourth season with the Demon Deacons, 252-110 (.696) in his 12th season overall. Florida State's Leonard Hamilton (Tennessee Martin `71) is 44-41 in three seasons with the Seminoles, 244-251 in 17 seasons overall.
Series: Wake Forest leads, 18-13.
Officials: L. Rose, K. Hess, J. Lindsay.
Deacons Try To Avenge Loss To Florida State Saturday Afternoon
Wake Forest, fresh off its 20th victory of the season and its fourth consecutive win, will attempt to avenge one of three losses this season when the Demon Deacons host Florida State Saturday at Joel Coliseum (1:30 pm/ABC).
The sixth-ranked Demon Deacons, 20-3 overall and 8-2 in the ACC, are coming off an 86-75 win over visiting NC State Thursday night. Junior guard Justin Gray paced five Deacons in double figures with 18 points and sophomore All-American candidate Chris Paul added 13 points, eight assists and five steals.
Wake Forest is one of the nation's highest-scoring teams (86.2 ppg) and the Demon Deacons also rank among the national leaders in field goal percentage (.493) and three-point field goal percentage (.408).
Florida State, 11-12 and 3-7, brings a three-game losing streak to Winston-Salem. The Seminoles fell 56-55 at Virginia Wednesday night after the Cavaliers' Devin Smith hit a three-pointer with 5.2 seconds remaining.
Von Wafer, who torched the Deacons with 30 points in a 91-83 overtime win over Wake Forest on Jan. 18, leads the Seminoles in scoring (14.3 ppg).
Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 18-13. The last two meetings have gone into overtime.
Today's Tip-Off
- The Deacons enter Saturday's game in a three-way tie for first place with Duke and North Carolina in the ACC standings.
- Wake Forest has clinched its fourth straight 20-win season and the ninth consecutive 20-win season for coach Skip Prosser.
- The Demon Deacons rank third nationally in scoring offense (86.2 ppg).
Deacons Hold Off Hodge, Wolfpack
About 24 hours after Duke joined North Carolina atop the Atlantic Coast Conference, Wake Forest made it a three-way tie. Justin Gray scored 18 points, Eric Williams added 15 and No. 6 Wake Forest held off NC State 86-75 on Thursday night.
Sixth-man Taron Downey was 4-of-4 on 3-pointers and finished with 14 points to help the Demon Deacons stop a pair of rallies in the second half. Chris Paul had 13 points, eight assists and five steals.
The Wolfpack had won three straight against their oldest rival, but not even a sensational performance from Julius Hodge could stop their slide toward the NIT. Benched for showing up late for a team function -- the second time this season that's happened -- the reigning ACC player of the year made his first 10 shots and scored 27 points.
Three times in the second half, Hodge jumped in the passing lane for steals and raced to the other end for dunks to bring NC State back from a 19-point deficit.
Wake Forest had an answer for every comeback. When Ilian Evtimov's 3-pointer cut the lead to 58-51, Downey answered with one of his own, and Gray and Jamaal Levy combined for three free throws to increase the margin to 13.
Downey Scores 1,000th Point
Senior Taron Downey scored his 1,000th career point Thursday night, becoming the third Demon Deacon this season and the 44th player in Wake history to eclipse 1,000 career points.
Downey has scored 1,003 career points.
Junior Eric Williams scored his 1,000th career point Feb. 2. Junior Justin Gray scored his 1,000th point Dec. 30 against North Carolina A&T in just his 66th career game.
Senior Vytas Danelius has scored 910 career points and sophomore Chris Paul has 805 points in just two seasons.
Only six schools have produced more 1,000-point scorers than Wake Forest.
More From Thursday's Win vs. NC State
- Wake scored more than 80 points for the 14th time in its last 15 games.
- NCSU shot better than 50 percent in both halves. The last opponent to do that in Joel Coliseum was NC State on March 6, 2004.
- State's field goal percentage (.560) was the highest by a Wake opponent this season, the highest since Feb. 21, 2002 when Duke shot 63.2 percent against the Deacons.
- Wake's 35 free throws and 42 free throw attempts were its most since going 38-of-42 against Maryland on Jan. 29, 2004.
Wake 6-2 vs. Nationally-Ranked Teams
- Wake Forest is 6-2 this season against nationally-ranked teams with wins over then No. 18 Arizona, No. 14 Texas, No. 25 Virginia, No. 3 North Carolina, No. 20 Cincinnati and No. 4 Duke, 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, North Carolina and Duke), on the road (Virginia and Cincinnati) and at a neutral site (Arizona).
- Wake Forest 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.
- Wake's next ranked opponent will be Duke on Feb. 20.
Wake Forest-Florida State Series History
- Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 18-13 (complete series history on page 9).
- The last two meetings have gone into overtime.
- Florida State won the last meeting, 91-83 in overtime, Jan. 18 in Tallahassee.
- The last five meetings have been decided by eight points or less.
- The Seminoles have won two of the last three meetings.
- Wake Forest has won eight out of the last 10 meetings.
- The Deacons are 10-3 against the Seminoles in Joel Coliseum, including a 90-87 overtime win last season.
- WFU and FSU first met in 1958-59 and the two teams met once more (in 1973-74) before the Seminoles joined the ACC in 1991-92.
- Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser is 6-2 all-time against Florida State.
Deacon-Seminole Connections
- Florida State's Anthony Richardson and Wake Forest freshman Cameron Stanley are both from Raleigh (NC).
- Wake Forest's Justin Gray and Richard Joyce and FSU's Isaiah Swann all previously attended Oak Hill Academy.
- Swann and WFU's Trent Strickland both previously attended Hargrave Military Academy.
- Wake's Chris Paul and Eric Williams and FSU's Anthony Richardson and Von Wafer were all McDonald's High School All-Americans.
- Deacon senior Jamaal Levy attended high school in Florida at Berkshire Academy.
Skip Prosser Earns 250th Career Victory
Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser gained his 250th career victory Feb. 2 against Duke. Prosser is now 252-110 (.696) in 12 seasons as a head coach.
More on Prosser:
- His winning percentage since joining the ACC (.731) is the fifth-highest in the 52-year history of the league. Only Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Vic Bubas and Bill Guthridge produced higher winning percentages.
- Prosser's record in ACC play is 39-19 (.672).
- Prosser is the only coach in NCAA history to lead three schools to the NCAA Tournament in his first season at each school -- Loyola (MD), Xavier and Wake Forest.
Deacons 5-1 In The Close Ones
Wake has played its share of barn-burners this season:
- Wake Forest has played six games decided by four points or less and the Deacons are 5-1 in those games.
- Wake Forest has won nail-biters at home (89-88 over No. 14 Texas and 92-89 over No. 4 Duke), 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 11-5 in games decided by three points or less, 21-10 in games decided by five points or less and 38-19 in games decided by 10 points or less.
- The Deacs have played two overtime games this season.
20-3 Start One Of Best In Wake History
- Wake Forest's 20-3 record ties for the second-best start in school history percentage-wise -- impressive when considering the Deacons' difficult schedule.
- The last time Wake Forest started 20-3 came in Tim Duncan's senior season of 1996-97.
- The Demon Deacons have won 20 games or more in each of the last four seasons.
- Wake Forest has already clinched a winning season for the 15th consecutive year.
- The Deacons have won 87 games over the last four seasons combined -- all under coach Skip Prosser -- to average 21.7 wins per season.
- Wake Forest is three wins away from its 90th victory in a four-year span. That has happened only three times previously in Deacon history.
Deacons Inch Up To No. 6 In The Polls
Wake Forest moved up from No. 7 to No. 6 in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls this week after beating Duke and Virginia Tech.
The Deacons have been in the AP top 25 for 46 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 13 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.
Wake Forest Undefeated When...
... (19-0) when holding opponents below 50 percent shooting.
... (20-0) when holding opponents to less than 90 points.
... (19-0) when leading with 5:00 remaining.
... (17-0) when Wake has more rebounds than its opponent.
Making `Em When It Counts
Wake Forest, which shoots 70.1 percent from the free throw line, has shot 75.8 percent (113-149) from the line in the final five minutes of games this season.
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 most difficult schedule.
- Six of the 25 teams in the Associated Press poll are Wake Forest opponents -- #1 Illinois, #2 North Carolina, #7 Duke, #12 Arizona, #21 Cincinnati and #23 Texas.
- Five different Deacon opponents are receiving votes for one or both major polls.
- Wake Forest is the only ACC school to play four games against non-conference ranked opponents.
- The Deacons have already played eight teams that were ranked at tip-off -- Illinois, Arizona, Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech and Duke.
Lighting Up The Scoreboard
- Wake Forest ranks third nationally in scoring (86.2 points per game) -- the Deacons' highest scoring average since 1976 and the second-highest scoring average in school history.
- In ACC games, the Deacons rank first in the league in scoring at 90.7 points per game.
- Wake scored more than 90 points in three straight games (from Jan. 27-Feb. 2) for the first time since 1993.
- The Deacons have scored 80 points or more in 14 out of the last 15 games.
- Wake Forest has scored at least 81 points in all 10 ACC games.
- Wake has scored at least 100 points twice this season and eight times in the Skip Prosser era.
Similar Pattern In Wake's Three Losses
In Wake Forest's 20 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 four times this season, including all three losses.
Rebounding is another concern. Wake Forest is 17-0 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.
Paul In Line For Several Awards
- Chris Paul is a midseason finalist for the John R. Wooden Award and the Naismith Trophy.
- 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.
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.
- Paul ranks among the ACC leaders in six different statistical categories -- assist-turnover ratio, assists, free throw percentage, steals, scoring and minutes played.
- Paul leads the ACC in assist-turnover ratio (2.57).
- He would lead the ACC by a comfortable margin in three-point field goal percentage (.540), but he is one field goal shy of qualifying for the rankings.
- 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 (.827) ranks seventh in the ACC.
- His career free throw percentage (.836) is the fifth-highest in school history.
- He leads the team in free throws made (115).
- Paul shoots a sizzling 54.0 percent (34-of-63) from three-point range, which ranks seventh nationally. Since Dec. 13, Paul is shooting a remarkable 59.2 percent (29-of-49) from behind the arc.
- He ranks second in the ACC and 14th nationally in assists per game (6.70).
- In ACC games, Paul leads the league in assists (7.2 apg).
- He had a career-high 12 assists Dec. 18 against Texas.
- He has already accumulated 338 career assists, which ranks ninth in Wake Forest history.
- Paul's 154 assists this season tie for the 10th-most single-season assists in Wake Forest history.
- With 154 assists and just 60 turnovers this season, Paul leads the ACC in assist-turnover ratio (2.57).
- Paul ranks second in the ACC in steals per game (2.22).
- He has 135 career steals in just two seasons, which ranks ninth all-time at Wake Forest.
- The 6-footer had nine rebounds Jan. 18 at Florida State and he's averaging 4.4 rebounds per game this season.
- He leads the team and ranks eighth in the ACC in minutes played (33.2 mpg).
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 54.0 percent (34-of-63) from three-point range, which ranks seventh nationally. Since Dec. 13, Paul has shot a remarkable 59.2 percent (29-of-49) 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 (74-of-149) from three-point range, which is the highest percentage in Wake Forest history.
Paul A Midseason Finalist For Naismith
Wake Forest sophomore guard is one of 30 midseason finalists for the Naismith Trophy, which is presented annually to the nation's top college player.
The Lewisville (NC) native has previously been named a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award and the Bob Cousy Award. He has been named ACC Player of the Week and ABC/ESPN analyst Dick Vitale named Paul his national midseason player of the year.
Paul is one of eight ACC players on the Naismith Trophy list of 30 midseason candidates.
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 43 consecutive games.
- He has averaged 18.4 points over his last five games.
- Gray ranks sixth in the ACC in scoring (16.9 ppg) and in ACC games only, he ranks third in the league in scoring (18.7 ppg.).
- He ranks second in the ACC in three-point goals per game (3.00) behind Duke's J.J. Redick.
- He ranks seventh in the ACC in 3-point percentage (.408).
- 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 201 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 (.434) and 11th in free throw percentage (.770).
- 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":
- Over the last five games, Williams has been one of college basketball's hottest players, averaging 19.6 points and 11.0 rebounds per game while shooting 62.1 percent (36-of-58).
- He has earned double-doubles in four of the last five games.
- Williams has scored in double-figures a team-high 21 times in 23 games.
- He scored a career-high 29 points Jan. 22 at Cincinnati and his 13 field goals were the most by a Deacon in the Skip Prosser era.
- He ranks first in the ACC and sixth nationally in field goal percentage at 63.2 percent.
- Williams' field goal percentage would be the second-highest single-season percentage in Wake Forest history.
- Williams' career field goal percentage (.575) would rank as the fourth-highest in Wake Forest history.
- Over his last six games, Williams has shot 66.3 percent (59-of-89).
- He has shot less than 50 percent in a game just four times this season.
- He ranks eighth in the ACC in scoring (16.5 ppg).
- His rebound average (7.3 rpg) ranks seventh in the ACC.
- Williams ranks 13th in the ACC in blocks (1.09 bpg).
- Plagued with foul trouble his entire career, Williams has fouled out of just one game this season.
- On Feb. 2, Williams became the 43rd player in Wake Forest history to score 1,000 career points.
- Williams was named ACC Player of the Week Jan. 31.
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 347 games.
Wake Forest has won 87 games during their careers. Only three senior classes in Deacon history won more games over a four-year period. The Deacons have won 73.1 percent of their games over the last four years.
Also, over the last four years, Wake Forest has...
... won an ACC regular season title in 2003 -- its first outright regular season crown in more than 40 years.
... played in three consecutive NCAA Tournaments and will certainly play in a fourth straight. The last Wake Forest senior class to play in four straight NCAA Tournaments included Tim Duncan.
... advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2004 for the first time since 1996.
... defeated every ACC team, with the exception of newcomers Virginia Tech and Miami, at least three times.
... produced a .500 record or better against every ACC team, with the exception of Duke (Wake is 3-5 vs. the Blue Devils over the last four years).
... has won at every venue in the ACC with the exception of Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium.
... produced a record of 14-9 against Big Four rivals North Carolina, NC State and Duke combined, including a 6-1 mark vs. UNC.
... produced an ACC record of 39-19, second only to Duke and just ahead of Maryland in winning percentage.
... been ranked in the Associated Press top 25 for 46 consecutive weeks, including 13 straight weeks in the top 10.
... risen to No. 1 in the national polls for the first time in school history.
... defeated 16 nationally-ranked teams including six ranked opponents this season.
... earned a record of 53-6 in Lawrence Joel Coliseum, including a current streak of 12 in a row.
... produced a record of 38-19 in games decided by 10 points or less.
... played on regional or national television 98 times.
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 7.0 rebounds per game, which ranks ninth in the ACC.
- 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 (28.1 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 then-school record with 10 offensive rebounds against Richmond (since broken by Eric Williams).
- With 692 career rebounds, Levy ranks 15th in Wake history. With three more boards, he will pass Sam Ivy for 14th place.
- Levy was named captain of SportsIllustrated.com's All-Glue Team by writer Seth Davis.
- Levy has 81 career blocked shots, which ranks 11th in Wake Forest history.
Gray, Paul On Wooden Midseason List
Wake Forest guards Justin Gray and Chris Paul are two of 30 finalists for the John R. Wooden Award, which goes annually to the nation's top player. Gray and Paul are two of eight ACC players on the list of 30.
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 23.6 minutes per game and is always on the floor at crunch time. More on Downey's clutch performances:
- Feb. 5 at Virginia Tech, after the Hokies cut the lead to seven, Downey hit a three-pointer to ignite a 14-0 run and seal the victory.
- Feb 2 vs. Duke, Downey made two free throws with :02 remaining in a 92-89 win over the Blue Devils.
- 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.
- Downey averages more points per game in ACC games (11.1) than in non-league games (7.5).
- Perhaps the most important statistic related to Downey is that the Deacons have won 86 games in his four-year career with eight regular season games remaining.
- Downey ranks 8th in Wake history with 338 career assists.
Deacons Tough At The Joel
Wake Forest has always enjoyed success within the friendly confines of Lawrence Joel Coliseum, winning at an 82.5 percent clip. In recent years, that percentage is even higher. In Skip Prosser's four seasons with the Deacons, Wake is 53-6 (.898), including an 12-0 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 198-42.
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
Deacons Rank High In ACC, NCAA Stats
- Scoring (86.2) -- Wake Forest ranks third nationally, second in the ACC and first in the ACC in league games.
- Field Goal Percentage (.493) -- The Deacs rank second in the ACC, second in the ACC in league games and 15th nationally.
- Three-Point Percentage (.408) -- Wake ranks second in the ACC and 13th nationally.
- Free Throw Percentage -- In ACC games, Wake Forest ranks second in the ACC.
- Rebound Margin -- The Deacons rank second in the ACC and second in the ACC in league games.
- Eric Williams -- ranks sixth nationally in field goal percentage.
- Chris Paul -- ranks seventh nationally in three-point percentage, 14th nationally in assists per game.
Williams Breaks Record For O-Rebounds
Wake Forest junior Eric Williams broke the Wake Forest single-game record Feb. 2 against Duke for offensive rebounds. Eleven of his career-high 13 rebounds came on the offensive end, breaking the record held previously by teammate Jamaal Levy and Loren Woods.
