Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons Travel To Blacksburg To Face Surprising Hokies
2/4/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 4, 2005
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Game 22
#7/7 Wake Forest (18-3/6-2) vs. Virginia Tech (12-7/5-3)
Feb. 5, 2005/ 3:00 pm n Blacksburg, VA/ Cassell Coliseum (10,052)/ Raycom/JP
Television: Raycom/JP. Mike Hogewood (play-by-play) and Dan Bonner (color) call the action. Lance Stewart 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 18-3 overall and 6-2 in the ACC after beating visiting No. 4 Duke, 92-89, Wednesday night. Virginia Tech is 12-7 and 5-3 following a 73-63 road win at Miami Wednesday night.
Rankings: Wake Forest is ranked No. 7 in the Associated Press poll and No. 7 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. Virginia Tech is not ranked.
Coaches: Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy `72) is 85-32 (.726) in his fourth season with the Demon Deacons, 250-110 (.694) in his 12th season overall. Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg (Fairleigh Dickinson `78) is 27-21 in two seasons with the Hokies, 240-191 in 15 seasons overall.
Series: Wake Forest leads, 24-20.
Officials: Announced on game day.
Deacons Make First ACC Journey To Blacksburg, Face Surprising Hokies
Wake Forest, coming off a pair of high-scoring home victories over Miami and fourth-ranked Duke, hits the road Saturday for its first game against Virginia Tech since Dec. 12, 1998 (3:00 pm/Raycom-JP).
The seventh-ranked Demon Deacons, 18-3 overall and 6-2 in the ACC, held off Duke, 92-89, Wednesday night. Sophomore All-American candidate Chris Paul scored 23 points, dished out six assists and had five steals and junior Eric Williams, the ACC Player of the Week, recorded his third straight double-double (19 points, 13 rebounds).
Virginia Tech, 12-7 and 5-3, has been one of the biggest surprise teams in the ACC -- if not all of college basketball. The Hokies, alone in fourth place in the ACC after being picked to finish 10th, have won six out of their last seven games.
Tech is coming off an impressive 73-63 road win at Miami Wednesday night. Zabian Dowdell scored 23 points and made five three-point field goals to lead the Hokies.
Saturday's game marks the first ACC battle between the two schools and the 45th meeting overall. Wake Forest leads the series, 24-20. The Deacons won the last meeting, 52-47, on Dec. 12, 1998 in Blacksburg.
Today's Tip-Off
- Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser won his 250th career game Wednesday night.
- The Demon Deacons rank third nationally in scoring offense (86.4 ppg.) and they have scored more than 90 points in each of their last three games.
- Over his last four games, Deacon junior Eric Williams has averaged 24.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.
- Chris Paul leads the ACC in three-point percentage (.550) and assist-turnover ratio (2.40).
Deacons Edge No. 4 Duke, 92-89
Chris Paul scored 23 points and Wake Forest withstood a flurry of late 3-pointers to hang on for a 92-89 victory over Duke on Wednesday night.
The seventh-ranked Demon Deacons have now beaten No. 4 Duke three straight times at home.
For most of the game, the Demon Deacons appeared headed toward an easy victory as they built a 14-point lead.
But J.J. Redick made a trio of 3-pointers in the final 2:14 and Sean Dockery also hit one as Duke cut it to 90-89 with 3 seconds to play.
The Blue Devils had to foul and sent Taron Downey to the line with 2 seconds left.
Both did to make it 92-89. Duke had one last chance, but Redick's off-balance 3 fell short at the buzzer -- denying Duke a much-needed quality win.
Eric Williams, the ACC player of the week, finished with 19 points and 13 rebounds for Wake Forest. Justin Gray had 16 points and Vytas Danelius had 12.
Redick finished with 33 points and made five 3s in 13 attempts. Shelden Williams had 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Lee Melchionni scored 13.
More From Wednesday's Win Over Duke
- Wake Forest commited a season-low seven turnovers.
- Wake Forest's 23 offensive rebounds tied a season-high (previous: vs. Maryland).
- Wake Forest's 74 field goal attempts were a season-high.
- J.J. Redick's 33 points, 22 field goal attempts and 13 three-point field goal attempts marked season-highs by a Deacon opponent.
- Duke's 54.2 three-point field goal percentage was an opponent season-high (previous: 52.0 by Miami).
- Chris Paul scored 20-plus points for the fourth time in his last six games.
- Eric Williams grabbed 13 rebounds, a team season-high and an individual career-high.
Williams Breaks Record For O-Rebounds
Wake Forest junior Eric Williams broke the Wake Forest single-game record Wednesday night 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.
Most Offensive Rebounds (Since 1986-87)
11Eric WilliamsJr.(4) DukeHFeb. 2, 2005
10Jamaal LevySr.RichmondHDec. 4, 2004
10Loren WoodsFr.RichmondHNov. 29, 1997
9Josh HowardSo.(1) N. CarolinaHFeb. 6, 2001
9Tim DuncanFr.(17) Ga. TechHJan. 19, 1994
9Rodney RogersJr.(23) FSU (ot)HJan. 9, 1993
9Derrick HicksSr.(23) FSU (ot)HJan. 9, 1993
Big E Scores 1,000th Career Point
Junior Eric Williams scored his 1,000th career point Wednesday night, joining teammate Justin Gray to give the Deacons two 1,000-point scorers in the same season.
Senior Taron Downey (971 career points) should join the 1,000-point club soon.
Junior Justin Gray eclipsed 1,000 career points earlier this season (Dec. 30 against North Carolina A&T). Gray was 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 895 career points.
Only six schools have produced more 1,000-point scorers than Wake Forest.
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 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.
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.
Next "The Season" Airs Tuesday At 11
ESPN's award-winning "The Season" began following the Deacons Jan. 17 and will continue for the rest of this week. The third of three Wake Forest shows air Tuesday (2/8) at 11:00 pm on ESPN2. The show will re-air at 1 am.
Wake Forest-Virginia Tech Series History
- Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 24-20.
- The two teams will meet for the first time since Dec. 12, 1998 when Wake Forest won, 52-47 in Blacksburg.
- Wake Forest has won the last five meetings dating back to 1977-78.
-Virginia Tech's last win in the series came on Feb. 19, 1977 when the Hokies beat seventh-ranked Wake Forest, 98-97 in overtime, in Winston-Salem.
- Two of the last six meetings have been decided in overtime.
- The Deacons and Hokies played a home-and-home series every season from 1962-63 to 1966-67.
- The two teams first met back in 1910-11.
- Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser is 7-4 all-time against Virginia Tech with all of those meetings coming while Prosser was at Xavier.
- Hokie coach Seth Greenberg has never coached against Wake Forest.
Deacon-Hokie Connections
- Virginia Tech assistant coach Ryan Odom is the son of Dave Odom, Wake's longtime former head coach. Ryan grew up in Winston-Salem and attended R.J. Reynolds High School.
- While no current Deacon player has played against Virginia Tech, Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser will meet the Hokies for the 12th time. Tech was previously a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference, where Prosser coached Xavier.
- Former Wake Forest assistant coach Ricky Stokes went on to serve as head coach at Virginia Tech.
- Deacon senior Taron Downey and Virginia Tech's Chris Tucker both previously played at Fork Union Military Academy.
- Tech's Carlos Dixon hails from Salisbury, NC.
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 18 wins, the Deacons have held foes to less than 50 percent.
Rebounding is another concern. Wake Forest is 15-0 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 Earns 250th Career Victory
Wake Forest head coach Skip Prosser gained his 250th career victory Feb. 2 against Duke. Prosser is now 250-110 (.694) in 12 seasons as a head coach.
More on Prosser:
- His winning percentage since joining the ACC (.726) 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 33-19 (.661).
- 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.
18-3 Start One Of Best In Wake History
- Wake Forest's 18-3 record ties for the fifth-best start in school history -- impressive when considering the Deacons' difficult schedule.
- The Demon Deacons are two 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 85 games over the last four seasons combined -- all under coach Skip Prosser -- to average 21.3 wins per season.
- Wake Forest is five wins away from its 90th victory in a four-year span. That has happened only three times previously in Deacon history.
Wake Forest Undefeated When...
... (18-0) when holding opponents below 50 percent shooting.
... (18-0) when holding opponents to less than 90 points.
... (17-0) when leading with 5:00 remaining.
... (15-0) when Wake has more rebounds than its opponent.
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 eight teams that were ranked at tip-off -- Illinois, Arizona, Texas, Virginia, North Carolina, Cincinnati, Georgia Tech and Duke.
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.
Lighting Up The Scoreboard
- Wake Forest ranks third nationally in scoring (86.4 points per game) -- the Deacons' highest scoring average since 1976 and the second-highest scoring average in school history.
- In ACC games, the Deacons lead the league in scoring at 92.2 points per game.
- Wake has scored more than 90 points in each of its last three games. The last time that happened came in 1993.
- 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 21 games.
- Wake Forest has scored at least 81 points in all eight ACC games.
- Wake has scored at least 100 points twice this season and eight times in the Skip Prosser era.
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.
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 (17.4 ppg) while averaging 7.3 assists and 2.4 steals per game.
- Paul leads the ACC in two categories -- three-point field goal percentage (.550) and assist-turnover ratio (2.40).
- In ACC play, Paul ranks sixth in the league in scoring (17.9 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 (.835) ranks fifth in the ACC.
- His career free throw percentage (.839) is the fifth-highest in school history.
- He leads the team in free throws made (106).
- Paul shoots a sizzling 55.0 percent (33-of-60) from three-point range, which leads the ACC and ranks fifth nationally. Since Dec. 13, Paul is shooting a remarkable 60.9 percent (28-of-46) from behind the arc.
- He ranks second in the ACC and 19th nationally in assists per game (6.52).
- In ACC games, Paul leads the league in assists (6.9 apg).
- He had a career-high 12 assists Dec. 18 against Texas.
- He has already accumulated 320 career assists, which ranks ninth in Wake Forest history.
- With 137 assists and just 57 turnovers this season, Paul leads the ACC in assist-turnover ratio (2.40).
- Paul ranks fourth in the ACC in steals per game (2.14).
- He has 129 career steals in just two seasons.
- 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 (33.15 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 55.0 percent (33-of-60) from three-point range, which leads the ACC and ranks fifth nationally. Since Dec. 13, Paul has shot a remarkable 60.9 percent (28-of-46) 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 an even 50.0 percent (73-of-146) from three-point range, which is the highest percentage in Wake Forest history.
Deacs Make `Em When It Counts
Wake Forest, which shoots 69.6 percent from the free throw line, has shot 75.6 percent (102-135) from the line in the final five minutes of games this season.
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 41 consecutive games and he has 52 threes in the last 15 games.
- He has 58 points and 11 three-point field goals over his last three games.
- In ACC games, Gray ranks third in the league in scoring (19.1 ppg.).
- He ranks second in the ACC in three-point goals per game (3.19) behind Duke's J.J. Redick. In ACC games only, he averages 3.63 three-pointers per game.
- He ranks eighth in the ACC in 3-point percentage (.419).
- 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 199 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 (.438) and 10th in free throw percentage (.753).
- 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 three games, Williams has been one of college basketball's hottest players, averaging 23.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 36.0 minutes per game while shooting 60.5 percent.
- He has earned double-doubles in each of the last three games.
- Williams has scored in double-figures a team-high 19 times in 21 games.
- He has scored 98 points over his last four games combined, including a career-high 29 points Jan. 22 at Cincinnati.
- He ranks first in the ACC and eighth nationally in field goal percentage at 62.9 percent.
- Williams' field goal percentage would be the second-highest single-season percentage in Wake Forest history.
- Williams' career field goal percentage (.573) would rank as the fourth-highest in Wake Forest history.
- Over his last five games, Williams has shot 66.2 percent (49-of-74).
- He has shot less than 50 percent in a game just four times this season.
- He ranks eighth in the ACC in scoring (16.7 ppg).
- His 13 field goals at Cincinnati Jan. 22 were the most by a Deacon in the Skip Prosser era.
- His rebound average (7.0 rpg) ranks ninth in the ACC.
- Williams ranks 11th in the ACC in blocks (1.10 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.
Big E Named ACC Player Of The Week
Wake Forest's Eric Williams was named ACC Player of the Week on Monday after recording back-to-back "double-doubles" last week, averaging 25.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in games against Georgia Tech and Miami.
The 6-9, 291-pound junior opened the week with a 27-point, 12-rebound performance in a 102-101 overtime loss to the 22nd-ranked Yellow Jackets. Two days later, Williams had 23 points and 11 rebounds in a 94-82 win over the Hurricanes. For the week, Williams was 20-of-26 (.769) from the field.
Wake Forest has earned ACC Player of the Week honors four times this season. Chris Paul won the award twice and Justin Gray once.
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 7.2 rebounds per game, which ranks eighth 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 (28.4 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 683 career rebounds, Levy ranks 16th in Wake history. With eight more boards, he will pass Chris King for 15th place.
- Levy has 79 career blocked shots, which ranks 11th in Wake Forest history.
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 341 games.
Wake Forest has won 85 games during their careers. Only five senior classes in Deacon history won more games over a four-year period. The Deacons have won 72.6 percent of their games over the last four years -- the eighth-highest percentage over a four-year period 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, joining Georgia Tech's Jarrett Jack, NC State's Julius Hodge, Duke's J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams and North Carolina's Raymond Felton, Rashad McCants and Sean May.
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 23.4 minutes per game and is always on the floor at crunch time. More on Downey's clutch performances:
- 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 (10.3) than in non-league games (7.5).
- Perhaps the most important statistic related to Downey is that the Deacons have won 85 games in his four-year career with nine regular season games remaining.
- Downey ranks 8th in Wake history with 333 career assists.
Deacons Rank High In ACC, NCAA Stats
- Scoring (86.4) -- Wake Forest ranks third nationally, second in the ACC and first in the ACC in league games.
- Field Goal Percentage (.492) -- The Deacs rank second in the ACC, second in the ACC in league games and 17th nationally.
- Three-Point Percentage (.406) -- Wake ranks second in the ACC and 14th 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 eighth nationally in field goal percentage.
- Chris Paul -- ranks fifth nationally in three-point percentage, 19th nationally in assists per game.
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 52-6 (.897), 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 197-42.
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
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."
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.
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.
