Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons Take On Yellow Jackets Saturday In Atlanta
2/24/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 24, 2006
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Game No. 28 / Alexander Memorial Coliseum / Atlanta, GA
Wake Forest (14-13/2-11) at Georgia Tech (10-15/3-11)
Tip-Off: 1:00 p.m.
TV: ABC. Dan Shulman (play-by-play) and Steve Lavin (color) call the action. Kim Belton is the producer.
Radio: Wake Forest ISP Sports Network. Stan Cotten (play-by-play) and Mark Freidinger (color analysis) call the action.
Live Stats: WakeForestSports.com.
Records: Wake Forest is 14-13 overall and 2-11 in the ACC after a 74-68 win in overtime against visiting Clemson Wednesday. Georgia Tech is 10-15 and 3-11 following a 73-66 loss to No. 1 Duke Wednesday night in Atlanta.
Rankings: Wake Forest is not ranked. Georgia Tech is not ranked.
Coaches: Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy `72) is 108-48 (.692) in his fifth season with the Demon Deacons, 273-126 (.684) in his 13th season overall.
Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt (St. John Fisher `85) 106-81 in six seasons with the Yellow Jackets, 172-108 in nine seasons overall.
Series: Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 32-27.
On Deck: Wake Forest will travel to Boston College Tuesday night. Georgia Tech travels to Clemson on Saturday.
Officials: Announced on game day.
Deacons Face Difficult Two-Game Road Swing Beginning At Georgia Tech Saturday
Wake Forest, fresh off a win over Clemson and looking to build momentum heading into the ACC Tournament, travels to Georgia Tech Saturday afternoon (1 p.m./ABC), followed by a trip to No. 11 Boston College Tuesday night.
The Demon Deacons, 14-13 overall and 2-11 in the ACC, went to overtime for the fourth time this season to beat visiting Clemson, 74-68, Wednesday night. Justin Gray's three-point field goal helped send the game into OT and Eric Williams scored 19 points and recorded career highs in assists (4) and steals (5).
Gray (18.8 ppg) and Williams (16.1 ppg and 8.6 rpg) are Wake's top candidates for postseason honors.
Georgia Tech, 10-15 and 3-11, hung tough with No. 1 Duke Wednesday night before falling, 73-66 in Atlanta. Jeremis Smith had 18 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Yellow Jackets.
Anthony Morrow (16.0 ppg) leads a group of four Yellow Jackets who average double figures in scoring.
Wake Forest won the previous meeting between the two teams, 86-71, on Jan. 18 in Winston-Salem. Georgia Tech won last year's meeting in Atlanta, 102-101, in overtime. The Deacons lead the all-time series, 32-27. More series information can be found on page three.
Saturday's Storylines
- Wake Forest will be trying to win back-to-back games for the first time since early January.
- The Deacons are attempting to sweep the regular season series with Georgia Tech for the first time since 2002-03 and Wake will try to win on the road against the Yellow Jackets for the third time in the last four years.
- Wake Forest, which has three regular season games remaining and at least one game in the ACC Tournament, needs two victories to secure a non-losing season. The 1989-90 season was the last time the Deacons finished a season with a losing record.
- Both teams are led in scoring by a guard from Charlotte -- Wake's Justin Gray (18.8 ppg) and Tech's Anthony Morrow (16.0 ppg).
Prosser Coaching In 400th Career Game Saturday At Georgia Tech
In just five seasons at Wake Forest, Skip Prosser's teams have accumulated 108 victories, meaning his Deacons have averaged 21.6 wins per season during his tenure.
He will coach his 400th career game Saturday at Georgia Tech.
Prosser's record at Wake Forest stands at 108-48 (.692). His career record is 273-126 (.683) in 13 seasons overall.
In each of Prosser's four previous seasons with the Deacons, Wake Forest has won at least 20 games, produced a winning record in the ACC and earned an NCAA Tournament berth.
Prosser will coach his 157th Wake Forest game Wednesday. What his teams have accomplished statistically in his tenure is remarkable:
- Over the last four seasons combined (including this season), Wake Forest has won 37 ACC games. Only Duke has won more league games during that time.
- Wake Forest is 68-12 at home with just two losses coming to a non-conference opponent.
- Prosser's teams are 14-8 in games decided by three points or less.
- His teams are 101-6 when leading with 5:00 remaining.
- Wake Forest has out-rebounded its opponent in 116 of 156 games under Prosser.
- The Deacons have scored 100-plus points nine times under Prosser.
- Prosser is a combined 45-6 in games played in November and December.
- Last season Wake Forest earned the first No. 1 ranking in school history en route to winning a school-record 27 games.
More From Wednesday's 74-68 Win Over Clemson
- Wake Forest played its fourth overtime game of the season and improved to 3-1 in OT games.
- Both Wake Forest-Clemson games this season went into overtime (Clemson won 74-73 in overtime on Jan. 11).
- Wake Forest shot 50 percent or better for the ninth time this season.
- The Deacons out-rebounded their opponent for the 19th time this season.
- Wake committed a season-high 23 turnovers.
- Senior center Eric Williams recorded a career-high five steals -- the most by a Deacon player in any game this season.
- Williams scored his 1,600th career point.
WFU Must Work To Keep Streaks Alive
Wake Forest has three regular season games and the ACC Tournament remaining to keep some impressive streaks alive:
- The Deacons have appeared in five straight NCAA Tournaments.
- Including the NIT, Wake Forest has participated in postseason play an ACC-best 15 consecutive years.
- The Deacons have won 20 games or more in each of the last four seasons.
- Wake has not endured a losing season since 1990.
- The Deacons have not finished last in the ACC since 1989-90 when they finished league play 3-11.
Streaks that have ended:
- The Deacons will finish below .500 in the ACC for the first time since going 7-9 in 1999-00.
- Wake Forest has lost double-figure conference games for the first time since going 3-11 in 1989-90. That was the longest current streak in the league.
- Wake Forest has finished fifth or higher in the ACC standings every year since 1993. The Deacons can finish no higher than ninth place this year.
- The Deacons have slipped to .500 since 1998-99 when it started the season 1-1.
- Wake has lost six home games for the first time since 1990 (the first year of Joel Coliseum).
- The Deacons will play in a Thursday first-round game at the ACC Tournament for the first time.
Deacons Hope To Be Cinderella At The ACC Tournament
When Wake Forest takes to the floor March 9 at the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, the Deacons will most likely be in the unfamiliar role of having to win the tournament to get an NCAA Tournament bid.
Wake has gone to the NCAA Tournament each of the five previous seasons despite advancing no further than the ACC Tournament semifinals.
The Deacons have won the ACC Tournament four times -- 1961, 1962, 1995 and 1996. In each of those seasons, Wake Forest was seeded first or second.
While Wake has never won the ACC Tournament seeded lower than second, the Deacons have historically made plenty of noise in the tournament as a low seed:
- In 1987, the No. 7 seeded Deacons stunned No. 2 seed Clemson in the opening round of the ACC Tournament in Landover, MD. Wake went on to lose in double-overtime in the semifinals to NC State.
- In 1978, Wake Forest was seeded fifth out of seven teams in the ACC. The Deacons, however, beat Virginia in the opening round, then shocked No. 1 seed North Carolina in the semifinals. Wake lost to Duke in the championship game.
- In 1973, seventh-seed Wake Forest pulled off one of the biggest first-round upsets in tournament history when it beat North Carolina in overtime.
Visser Named Academic All-District
Wake Forest junior Kyle Visser was named to the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-District 3 first team, announced Feb. 9.
Visser, a communication major, is the second Deacon men's basketball player to earn Academic All-District honors in as many years. Chris Paul was named last year.
Visser advances to the national ballot for Academic All-America. He was joined on the Academic All-District first team by Lee Humphrey (Florida), Will Emerson (Mercer), Alex Loughton (Old Dominion), Jack Leasure (Coastal Carolina) and Chris Chalko (Elon).
Wake vs. Tech: The Series History
- Wake Forest leads the all-time series, 32-27.
- Wake Forest won the last meeting, 86-71, on Jan. 18 in Winston-Salem.
- The Deacons and Yellow Jackets have split two regular season meetings in four of the last five years.
- Wake Forest, including an ACC Tournament win in 2002, has won six of the last eight meetings.
- Georgia Tech won last year's meeting in Atlanta, 102-101 in overtime. Wake Forest has won two of the last three games played in Atlanta.
- Six of the last seven meetings have been decided by eight points or less.
- The first meeting between the two teams took place during the 1949-50 season.
- Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser is 7-3 all-time against Georgia Tech.
- Yellow Jacket coach Paul Hewitt is 4-8 lifetime against the Demon Deacons.
- Wake Forest is 37-29 all-time against teams from the state of Georgia.
Deacon-Yellow Jacket Connections
- Wake Forest senior Chris Ellis is from the Atlanta area. He played on the prep level at Marietta High School.
- Ellis and Wake's Trent Strickland were both born in Atlanta.
- Deacon freshman Shamaine Dukes is from Cuthbert, GA, where he played at Randolph-Clay High School.
- Wake's Justin Gray and Tech's Anthony Morrow are both from Charlotte, NC.
On This Date In Deacon History
February 25th -- Wake Forest is 9-5 all-time when playing on this date. The Deacons last played on February 25th in 2004 -- a 90-87 overtime win against visiting Florida State.
The Deacons and Yellow Jackets met just once previously on this date, in 1997. Wake Forest beat Tech, 71-55, in Winston-Salem.
On Feb. 25, 1976, Wake Forest attempted 93 field goals in a 105-91 loss to Maryland -- a school record for attempts in an ACC game.
On Feb. 25, 1961, Len Chappell scored 42 points in a win over visiting South Carolina.
On Feb. 25, 1956, Ernie Wiggins sank 12 consecutive field goals without a miss in an overtime loss at sixth-ranked NC State.
Justin Gray One Of The Nation's Best
While Wake Forest has been battling to get out of the ACC cellar, Justin Gray has been putting up numbers similar to those of recent Deacon greats Josh Howard and Tim Duncan.
Numbers worthy of strong consideration for first team All-ACC.
"There is not a tougher player, mentally and physically, in the ACC than Justin Gray, and he should be given proper attention for being what he is -- one of the best players in the conference and one of the best guards Wake Forest has had," ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said.
More on Gray:
- He ranks in the top 10 in the ACC in six different statistical categories -- scoring (3rd), three-point field goals (2nd), free throw percentage (4th), three-point percentage (3rd), minutes played (4th) and assists (8th).
- In ACC games, Gray ranks second in scoring, three-point field goals, three-point percentage and assists.
- In conference games only, Gray averages 21.1 points and 3.6 three-point field goals per game.
- Gray has scored in double figures in 25 of 26 games.
- Earlier this season he scored 38 points at Maryland and 37 points vs. Wisconsin.
- Even though he has played point guard on a limited basis, he ranks eighth in the ACC in assists. In league games only, he ranks second in the ACC in assists and ninth in assist-turnover ratio.
Gray's Chance Of Making All-ACC First Team Should Not Be Hurt By Record
Wake Forest will finish no better than ninth place in the ACC this season, but if history is an indicator, the Deacons' record should not hinder senior Justin Gray from making first team All-ACC.
Gray, who ranks second behind Duke's J.J. Redick in three-point field goals and third in the ACC in scoring, ranks in the top 10 in the ACC in six different statistical categories. He is one of four ACC players on the list of Wooden Award candidates.
Since the first year of the ACC (1954), 23 players have made first team All-ACC despite playing on teams that finished at least two games under .500 in league play. Most recently, Florida State's Tim Pickett made first team despite his team's 6-10 record.
In 1997, Matt Harpring of 3-13 Georgia Tech was selected first team. In 1996, Todd Fuller of 3-13 NC State tied Tim Duncan for the most first-team votes.
Even Derrick Lewis, who played for 0-14 Maryland in 1987, earned first team All-ACC honors.
Justin Gray One Of The Most Prolific Three-Point Shooters In ACC History
Senior guard Justin Gray has made 304 career three-point field goals -- the second-most in Wake Forest history and the eighth-most in ACC history.
Only Randolph Childress, who made 329 three-point field goals between 1991 and 1995, owns more Wake Forest career three-pointers than Gray. Gray needs 25 three-pointers to tie Childress and the Deacons have three regular season games remaining.
Gray is just the ninth player in ACC history to sink 300 career three-pointers. He needs 10 three-pointers to pass Duke's Jason Williams for seventh place on the ACC's all-time three-point field goals list.
Gray has made at least one three-point field goal in 74 of his last 77 games.
He has attempted 799 career three-point field goals, ranking third in Deacon history.
Williams Seeing Double-Double
Senior Eric Williams has six double-doubles in his last 12 games and seven for the season, which ranks fourth in the ACC.
Williams has 21 career double-doubles, which ranks tied for 11th in Wake Forest history. He has pulled down double-figure rebounds eight times this season and 23 times in his career.
Williams has scored in double figures in 23 consecutive games, 26 times overall this season and 92 times in his career.
Big E 6th Nationally In FG Percentage
Deacon senior Eric Williams has always produced a high field goal percentage. This season, however, he has rarely missed.
Williams leads the ACC and ranks sixth nationally in field goal percentage (.622). Williams and Georgia Tech's Ra'Sean Dickey (.601) are the only players in the ACC shooting better than 60 percent. Williams is a remarkable 176-of-283 from the field. It helps that he has 47 dunks this season and 173 dunks for his career.
His .622 field goal percentage is the highest by a Deacon player since.... well, since Williams himself shot 63.0 percent last season.
Williams' career field goal percentage (.592) ranks second in Wake Forest history and 14th in ACC history.
Williams, Gray Form Quite The Duo
Seniors Justin Gray and Eric Williams form one of the most prolific scoring duos in Wake Forest history. Gray (1,834 career points) and Williams (1,617) have combined for more than 3,400 points.
One interesting note about the Williams-Gray duo is that they have both scored 20 points in the same game seven times in their careers. That's two more than the duo of Tim Duncan and Randolph Childress in the mid-1990s.
Ten Deacon Games This Season Decided By Five Points Or Less
Wake Forest has played more than its share of barn-burners in 2005-06. The Deacons have played 10 games decided by five points or less, or in overtime, earning a 6-5 record. No other team in the ACC has played in more than eight such games. The Deacons have played in an ACC-high four overtime games.
Wake's Close Calls In 2005-06
Result Opponent Site Date
W, 74-68 (ot) Clemson H Feb. 22, 2006
W, 59-56 Charlotte H Feb. 11, 2006
L, 73-75 Virginia A Feb. 4, 2006
L, 86-90 Maryland A Jan. 15, 2006
L, 73-74 (ot) Clemson A Jan. 11, 2006
W, 58-54 East Carolina H Jan. 3, 2006
L, 81-84 DePaul H Dec. 13, 2005
W, 91-88 Wisconsin H Nov. 29, 2005
W, 78-73 (2ot) Texas Tech ny Nov. 18, 2005
L, 72-77 Florida ny Nov. 17, 2005
W, 83-78 (ot) George Mason H Nov. 11, 2005
Defense Has Been Better This Season
The statistics show that Wake Forest is a much better defensive team this season.
The Deacons are holding opponents to 41.1 percent shooting, ranking second in the ACC and 29th nationally in field goal percentage defense. Last year Wake Forest opponents shot nearly 44 percent.
Only six teams shot better than 48.1 percent against the Deacons. Wake has held nine opponents to less than 40 percent shooting, including four foes to less than 30 percent.
Wake Strong Again On The Boards
In 2003, Wake Forest became the first ACC team to ever lead the nation in rebounding. While this year's Deacon team has been less consistent than the 2003 team, rebounding is always a focus of Skip Prosser-coached teams.
Wake Forest owns a rebound margin of +6.2, which ranks second in the ACC and 16th nationally. Wake has been out-rebounded just six times this season. More on the Deacons' rebounding:
- Three of the top six rebounding teams in Wake Forest history have come under coach Skip Prosser.
- Eric Williams (8.6 rpg) ranks third in the ACC in rebounding and Trent Strickland (6.8) ranks 11th. In ACC games only, Williams is third in the league in rebounding (9.1 rpg).
- Against Princeton (Dec. 17), Wake out-rebounded the Tigers 39-15, setting a school record for fewest rebounds by an opponent.
- Wisconsin entered its game against Wake with a +12.7 rebound margin. The Deacons out-rebounded the Badgers, 45-36.
- Against Texas Tech on Nov. 18, the Deacons pulled down 66 rebounds -- the second-most single-game boards in school history.
It's A Pendergast-Fest
The public address announcer at Saturday's game in Alexander Memorial Coliseum will be Wake Forest graduate John Pendergast. His son, Tripp, who works at Wake in media relations, will sit next to him as the Deacon scorer.
Comparing The Wins And Losses
When Wake Forest has won this season, the Deacons have usually been superior on the boards, shot a solid percentage from the perimeter and kept the opponents off the free throw line. In Wake's 13 losses, the opposite has usually happened.
In Wake's 14 wins, the Deacons have out-rebounded opponents by 9.6 boards per game. In losses, the rebound margin is just +2.5. Deacon opponents, in Wake Forest's 13 losses, are shooting nearly 41 percent from three-point range, compared to just 33.0 percent in Wake victories.
Another glaring statistic is opponent free throw attempts. Deacon opponents go the line an average of 10 more times in Wake losses. When Wake Forest loses, opponents have scored nearly 81 points per game, compared to just 62.9 points per game in Deacon victories.
Deacons Shuffle Starting Lineup
Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser continues to tinker with the starting lineup. The Deacons have used nine different starting fives this season. Nine different players have started at least five games.
Only senior Eric Williams has started all 27 games. Senior Justin Gray has started 26 games (he missed one game with a virus). Juniors Kyle Visser and Michael Drum and freshmen Harvey Hale, Shamaine Dukes and Kevin Swinton have also started at least five games each.
Wake Playing Extra Minutes
There have been 12 overtime games this season involving ACC teams and Wake Forest has been a part of four of them. The Deacons own overtime wins against George Mason, Texas Tech (double-OT) and Clemson. Wake also lost an overtime game at Clemson Jan. 11.
Wake's four overtime games are the most in one season by a Deacon team since 1987.
This year's Wake Forest team has done something last year's team did not do -- win an overtime game. Last year the Deacons went 0-3 in overtime games, including a double-OT loss to West Virginia in the NCAA Tournament.
Wake Forest is 47-48 all-time in overtime games, including a 6-5 mark under coach Skip Prosser.
Gray A Midseason Candidate For Wooden Award
Senior Justin Gray is one of 30 players named to the midseason list of candidates for the John R. Wooden Award and Wooden All-America team.
Gray is one of just four ACC players on the midseason list of 30, joining Duke's J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams and Boston College's Craig Smith.
Deacons Broke School Record After
Earning 60th Straight Ranking
Wake Forest's streak of being ranked in the Associated Press top 25 ended Jan. 9 after 60 consecutive weeks.
Wake was ranked in every AP poll from Dec. 23, 2002 through Jan. 2, 2006. In five seasons under coach Skip Prosser, Wake Forest has been ranked in the AP poll every week but nine. Earlier this season, Wake broke the school record of 54 straight weeks ranked held by Deacon teams of the Tim Duncan era from 1995 to 1997.
Quick Player Updates
Michael Drum -- Jr., G, 6-6, Rural Hall, NC The non-scholarship junior has started the last two games... has 18 points over the last two games combined, going 4-of-5 from three-point range... scored eight points, dished out two assists and had three steals Wednesday against Clemson... had 10 points, went 2-of-3 from three-point range and dished out five assists vs. North Carolina last Sunday... free throw percentage is up to 80.4 percent and he hasn't missed from the line in a month (Jan. 24)... ranks third on the team with 22 three-pointers... has the best assist-to-turnover ratio on the team with 45 assists and 32 miscues.
Shamaine Dukes -- Fr., G, 6-1, Cuthbert, GA His playing time has dwindled... has not played in five of the last seven games... started at the point five times earlier this season.
Chris Ellis -- Sr., F, 6-9, Marietta, GA Played 14 minutes off the bench Wednesday against Clemson... scored one point and had three rebounds... in a scoring slump recently with just 20 points over the last nine games... plays an average of 18.8 minutes per game... shooting 40.0 percent (16-of-40) from three-point range... has made more three-pointers this season than he did in his previous three seasons combined... ranks third on the team with 29 blocked shots.
Justin Gray -- Sr., G, 6-2, Charlotte, NC The All-American candidate ranks third in the ACC in scoring in conference games (21.1)... has scored in double figures in 25 of his 26 games this season... held to 13 points and one three-point field goal Wednesday against Clemson... poured in 20 points, made five three-pointers and dished out six assists last Sunday against North Carolina... did not play against Virginia Tech Jan. 28 because of a stomach virus... is the target of opposing defenses... leads the team in scoring, three-point field goals, free throws, free throw percentage and assists... scored a career-high 38 points at Maryland Jan. 15... his 38 points tied for the most by a Deacon player in the Skip Prosser era... his assists are up too, ranking second in the ACC in league games only... he is in elite Deacon company with more than 1,800 career points, 300 assists, 200 three-point field goals and 100 steals... going to the free throw line frequently -- he is 54-of-63 (.857) from the stripe since Jan. 11... his scoring average (18.8) is Wake's highest since Tim Duncan averaged 20.8 ppg in 1997... he was named ACC Player of the Week Dec. 5, an honor he has earned three times in his career... his 37 points against Wisconsin Nov. 29 tied a Joel Coliseum record and an ACC/Big Ten Challenge record.
Harvey Hale -- Fr., G, 6-2, Albuquerque, NM Has been a pleasant surprise for the Deacons and has emerged as a candidate for the ACC All-Freshman team... has scored in double figures in six of his last 12 games... averaging 8.8 ppg in ACC play... has started 15 games... playing an average of 25 minutes in ACC games... scored five points and had three steals Wednesday against Clemson.
Cameron Stanley -- r-Fr., F, 6-6, Raleigh, NC The southpaw scored five points, including his fourth career three-point field goal, Wednesday against Clemson... playing 12 minutes per game over the last three contests... seems to be playing more comfortably as his freshman season progresses... seeing limited but important minutes for the Deacons.
Trent Strickland -- Sr., G-F, 6-5, East Flat Rock, NC One of the ACC's most improved players this season... scored 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting against Clemson Wednesday... ranked 11th in the ACC in rebounding but has just 11 boards over the last three games... has 14 three-point field goals over the last eight games and is 31-of-65 (.477) from behind the arc this season... has four double-doubles on the season... has doubled his scoring average from a year ago... ranks 20th in the ACC at 12.6 points per game... shooting 49.2 percent from the field... has five double-figure rebound games this season including 16 against Texas Tech on Nov. 18... has made 31 three-point field goals, compared to just 10 all of last season... playing an average of 32.8 minutes per game (compared to 16.9 last season)... named MVP of the 2k Classic Winston-Salem Regional... named ACC Player of the Week Nov. 14.
Kevin Swinton -- Fr., F, 6-7, Greensboro, NC Made his sixth start Wednesday against Clemson... coming off one of his top performances... had eight points, six rebounds and two steals against the Tigers... went 3-of-3 from the field and 2-of-2 from the line... had four points, three rebounds and one block last Sunday against North Carolina... gives the Deacons strength and athleticism in the paint... the freshman's numbers -- 2.7 ppg and 3.8 rpg -- don't reflect how valuable he has been... struggles at the free throw line (40.0 percent), but went 2-of-2 from the line Wednesday.
Kyle Visser -- Jr., C, 6-11, Grand Rapids, MI Has put together two consecutive solid performances... scored five points, grabbed four rebounds and blocked two shots Wednesday in 12 minutes against Clemson... played 10 minutes off the bench last Sunday against North Carolina... scored five points and grabbed two boards... has not scored in double figures since Dec. 30... started the first 16 games of the season... played extremely well in November and early December, but has struggled since... Wake's leader in blocked shots with 37... made his only three-point attempt of the year, at Elon.
Eric Williams -- Sr., C, 6-9, Wake Forest, NC Has scored in double figures in 44 of his last 45 games and in 23 straight contests... coming off back-to-back 19-point efforts... had 19 points, five rebounds, four assists and a career-high five steals Wednesday against Clemson... scored 19 points, grabbed eight rebounds and blocked two shots last Sunday against North Carolina... has seven double-doubles on the year including six over his last 13 games... leads the ACC and ranks sixth nationally in field goal percentage (.622)... enjoyed a 22-point, career-high 20-rebound performance against Clemson Jan. 11... his 20 rebounds were the most by a player in the ACC this season, the most by a Deacon since 1997... has scored at least nine points in every game this season.
Deacon Schedule A Strong One
Wake Forest has played six games against nationally-ranked opponents this season. That statistic does not include a loss to Florida, which was not ranked when it beat the Deacons, but rose to as high as No. 2 in the polls. It also does not include Wisconsin, a team that was not ranked in November when the Badgers lost to Wake.
How difficult is the Deacon schedule? Six teams in the ESPN/USA Today top 25 are on the Deacon schedule -- 1. Duke, 9. Florida, 13. Boston College, 14. NC State, 21. North Carolina and 25. George mason.
Wake's last two regular season games -- at Boston College Tuesday and at home against NC State Saturday -- come against ranked teams.
Statistically Speaking
- Wake Forest ranks first statistically in the ACC in two categories -- rebound average (39.8) and defensive rebounds (25.81)... Wake is second in the ACC and 16th nationally in rebound margin (+6.2)... the Deacons rank second in the ACC in field goal percentage defense (.411)... in ACC games, the Deacons rank first in offensive rebounds... the Deacs rank last in the ACC in just one category -- turnover margin (-3.22)... the Deacons are 11th in the league in scoring defense, steals, scoring margin and assist-turnover ratio... Wake Forest has two of the top 12 scorers in the ACC (Justin Gray and Eric Williams) and two of the top 11 rebounders (Williams and Trent Strickland).
- Justin Gray ranks in the top 10 in the ACC in six statistical categories... he is third in the ACC and 40th nationally in scoring (18.8)... ranks second in the ACC and 25th nationally in three-point field goals per game (3.08)... averaging 3.58 three-point field goals per game in conference play... he ranks fourth in the ACC in free throw percentage (.838)... leads the team and ranks eighth in the league in assists per game (3.85)... averaging 4.5 assists per game in league play, which ranks second... averaging 35.08 minutes of action per game, which ranks fourth in the ACC... averaging 21.1 points in ACC games only (2nd in the ACC)... in ACC games he has the ninth-best assist-turnover ratio in the league.
- Eric Williams leads the ACC and ranks sixth nationally in field goal percentage (.622)... ranks third in the ACC and 50th nationally in rebounding (8.6)... is 12th in the ACC in scoring (16.1)... ranks second in the league in defensive rebounds (5.63) and sixth in offensive rebounds (2.96)... in conference games, Williams averages 9.1 boards per game... ranks fourth in the ACC with seven double-doubles.
- Trent Strickland ranks 11th in the ACC in rebounding (6.8)... one of three Deacons in the top 20 in the ACC in scoring (20th at 12.6)... ranks tied for ninth in the ACC with four double-doubles.
- Kyle Visser ranks eighth in the ACC in blocked shots per game (1.37).
Milestones On The Horizon
Justin Gray #/% Ranks Needs For To Pass
3pt FGs/WFU Career 304 2nd 26 1st place Randolph Childress
3pt FGAs/WFU Career 799 3rd 3 2nd place Robert O'Kelley
3pt FGs/WFU Season 80 7th 6 6th place Robert O'Kelley (`99)
3pt FGs/ACC Career 304 8th 10 7th place Jason Williams (DU)
FG Attempts/WFU Career 1,417 8th 37 7th place Randolph Childress
3pt FGAs/WFU Season 202 9th 3 8th place Randolph Childress
Scoring/WFU Career 1,834 10th 26 9th place Darius Songaila
Assists/WFU Career 341 10th 16 9th place Tony Rutland
Minutes/WFU Career 3,459 11th 21 10th place Danny Young
Steals/WFU Career 133 12th 2 11th place Jerry Schellenberg
FT Percentage/WFU Season .838 18th +0.3% 17th place Bob Rhoads (`71)
3pt FG%/WFU Season .396 20th +0.5% 19th place Tony Rutland (`96)
Assists/WFU Season 100 26th 2 25th place Frank Johnson
FT Percentage/WFU Career .803 nr +0.3% 13th place Delaney Rudd
Free Throws/WFU Career 380 nr 12 10th place two players
3pt FG%/WFU Career .380 nr +0.7% 11th place Robert Siler
3pt FGs/NCAA Career 304 nr 34 25th place G. Buchanan (Vill.)
Eric Williams #/% Ranks Needs For To Pass
FG Percentage/WFU Season .622 3rd +0.9% 2nd place Eric Williams (`05)
FG Percentage/WFU Career .592 2nd +1.4% 1st place Jim Johnstone
Fouls/WFU Career 360 4th 4 3rd place Guy Morgan
Games Started/WFU Career 114 5th 3 4th place Frank Johnson
FT Attempts/WFU Career 624 7th 39 6th place Charlie Davis
Blocked Shots/WFU Career 105 8th 9 7th place Rod Griffin
Rebounds/WFU Career 789 10th 25 9th place Darius Songaila
Double-Doubles/WFU Career 21 13th 1 11th place two players
Games Played/WFU Career 122 12th 1 11th place Vytas Danelius
FG Percentage/ACC Career .592 14th +0.4% 13th place Rodney Dobard (FS)
Scoring/WFU Career 1,617 16th 21 15th place Bob Leonard
Field Goals/WFU Career 629 nr 20 10th place Randolph Childress
Free Throws/WFU Career 359 nr 33 10th place two players
Steals/WFU Career 126 nr 5 12th place Tony Rutland
FG Percentage/ACC Season .622 nr +2.1% 10th place Greg Manning (MD)
Kyle Visser #/% Ranks Needs For To Pass
Blocked Shots/WFU Career 71 14th 4 13th place Rodney Rogers
Blocked Shots/WFU Season 37 20th 2 18th place two players
Chris Ellis #/% Ranks Needs For To Pass
Blocked Shots/WFU Career 62 15th 13 13th place Rodney Rogers
Not Quite Like Dad, But Pretty Good
Senior Chris Ellis isn't the perimeter shooter his dad, Dale, was at Tennessee and in the NBA. Then again, few are.
Chris, however, has emerged as a dangerous three-point shooter, despite a somewhat awkward shot. He is 16-of-40 (.400) from three-point range this season.
Ellis had no three-pointers as a freshman or sophomore, and he made 11 all of last season as a junior.
Not Bad For A Non-Scholarship Guy
Junior transfer Michael Drum may be a non-scholarship player, but he's not your typical walk-on. Drum played two seasons at Presbyterian College before transferring to Wake Forest, where his mother is employed.
Drum started in the season opener, becoming the first non-scholarship player to start for the Deacons since Jim Fitzpatrick in 1999-00. Drum started the first four games of the season. Fitzpatrick made five starts as a walk-on senior.
Even when coming off the bench, Drum has been solid. He averages 5.5 points per game, has made 22 three-point field goals, is one of Wake's best free throw shooters at 80.4 percent and he owns the team's best assist-to-turnover ratio.
Dukes Tied Record In First Start
Freshman Shamaine Dukes made his first career start Dec. 30 against Charleston Southern and he did so in impressive fashion. Dukes scored 11 points and tied a Wake Forest freshman record by dishing out 10 assists. His 10 assists tied the school freshmen record held by both Chris Paul (at Maryland on Feb. 28, 2004) and Derrick McQueen (vs. New Mexico on Dec. 28, 1988). Dukes was named the ACC co-Rookie of the Week for his efforts.
Season Tickets All Gone
Wake Forest established a first this season by completely selling out of season tickets. Capacity at Lawrence Joel Coliseum is 14,665.
Miscellaneous Notes
- Former Deacon Scott Benken, a walk-on who graduated in the spring of 2004, has re-surfaced in college basketball. A graduate student at the University of Cincinnati, Benken has joined the Bearcat squad for his final year of eligibility.
- Wake Forest and Lawrence Joel Coliseum will host NCAA Tournament 1st and 2nd round games in March of 2007.
- Wake Forest saw its 21-game home court win streak end Dec. 13 against DePaul.
- The Deacons have won their last five non-conference road games.
- Wake has won 12 straight season openers dating back to a Nov. 25, 1993 loss to Alaska-Anchorage in the opening round of the Great Alaska Shootout.
- The Deacons have not lost a home opener since Nov. 28, 1988, against Richmond, 74-61.
Deacon Basketball Calendar
February
24 - depart for Georgia Tech
25 - 1:00, Wake Forest at Georgia Tech, Atlanta, GA
26 - 3:00-6:00, practice at Miller Center
27 - 3:30-6:30, practice at Miller Center
28 - 7:00, Wake Forest at Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA
March
1 - day off
2 - 3:30-6:30, practice at Miller Center
3 - 3:00-5:30, practice at Joel Coliseum
Deacons Continue ACC/Big Ten Challenge Success
Aside from last year's thrashing by eventual NCAA runner-up Illinois, the ACC/Big Ten Challenge has been a highly successful event for Wake Forest.
The Demon Deacons are 6-1 all-time in the Challenge, including a 4-0 record at home and a 2-1 mark on the road.
Only Duke, which is 7-0, has produced a better record in the Challenge than Wake Forest.
Wake Forest beat Wisconsin, 91-88, Nov. 29 behind Justin Gray's ACC/Big Ten Challenge record-tying 37 points.
The ACC has won all seven Commissioner's Cups, including a narrow 6-5 margin this year. The ACC is 40-24 all-time in the Challenge. Newcomer Boston College is the only ACC team that did not participate this year.
