Wake Forest Athletics
Demon Deacons Play At Boston College Tuesday Night
2/26/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 26, 2006
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Game No. 29 / Silvio O. Conte Forum / Chestnut Hill, MA
Wake Forest (14-14/2-12) at #11/13 Boston College (22-6/9-5)
Tip-Off: 7:07 p.m.
TV: Fox Sports Net. Mike Hogewood (play-by-play) and Dan Bonner (color) call the action. Joe Vencius 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 14-14 overall and 2-12 in the ACC after a 76-61 loss at Georgia Tech on Saturday. Boston College is 22-6 and 9-5 following a 74-72 double-overtime win at 15th-ranked NC State on Saturday.
Rankings: Wake Forest is not ranked. Boston College is ranked 11th in the Associated Press poll and 13th in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
Coaches: Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy `72) is 108-49 (.688) in his fifth season with the Demon Deacons, 273-127 (.683) in his 13th season overall.
Boston College coach Al Skinner (UMass `74) is 169-106 in nine seasons in Chestnut Hill, 307-232 in 18 seasons overall.
Series: Boston College leads the all-time series, 4-0.
On Deck: Wake Forest closes out the regular season with a home game Saturday against NC State. Boston College closes out the regular season Saturday at home against Virginia Tech.
Officials: Announced on game day.
Demon Deacons Make First ACC Trip To Boston College Tuesday Night
Wake Forest closes out the regular season against a pair of nationally-ranked teams, beginning with a road game at 11th-ranked Boston College Tuesday night (7:07 p.m./Fox Sports Net), followed by a home game with 15th-ranked NC State on Saturday.
Tuesday's game at Boston College will be the Deacons' first-ever ACC game in Boston and their first game ever at BC's Conte Forum.
The Demon Deacons, 14-14 overall and 2-12 in the ACC, are coming off a 76-61 loss at Georgia Tech on Saturday. Senior center Eric Williams scored 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead Wake Forest.
Senior Justin Gray (18.7 ppg) and Williams (16.4 ppg and 8.8 rpg) are Wake's top candidates for postseason honors.
Boston College, 22-6 and 9-5, is coming off a thrilling 74-72 double-overtime victory at NC State on Saturday. The Eagles are led by the duo of Craig Smith (16.9 ppg and 8.7 rpg) and Jared Dudley (16.1 ppg) and 6.9 rpg).
Boston College won the previous meeting against Wake Forest, 72-66 in Winston-Salem Feb. 8. The Eagles lead the all-time series, 4-0.
Tuesday's Storylines
- Boston College, with a win Tuesday, would clinch a first-round bye in the March 9-12 ACC Tournament in Greensboro. The Eagles, at 9-5 in ACC play, have a chance to finish as high as second in the league standings.
- Wake Forest is searching for its first road win since winning at Richmond on Dec. 22. The Demon Deacons are hoping to avoid going winless on the ACC road for the first time since 1987-88.
- Wake Forest, which has two 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.
- Boston suburb Newton is the hometown of Wake Forest signee Anthony Gurley, a 6-3 guard who currently plays at Newton North High School.
ACC Tournament Pairings Still Cloudy
Here's what we know about pairings for the March 9-12 ACC Tournament in Greensboro:
- Duke (14-0) will be the No. 1 seed.
- All other seeds have yet to be determined.
- Wake Forest will be the No. 12 seed unless all of the following things happen:
- Wake Forest (2-12) wins its final two games, and
- Georgia Tech (4-11) loses at Clemson Saturday, and
- Clemson (5-9) wins its final two games, and
- Virginia (7-7) loses its final two games, and
- Maryland (6-8) beats Virginia and loses to Miami
OR
- Wake Forest (2-12) wins its final two games, and
- Georgia Tech (4-11) loses at Clemson Saturday, and
- Clemson (5-9) wins its final two games, and
- Virginia (7-7) loses its final two games, and
- Maryland (6-8) loses to Miami, and
- Wake Forest wins a coin-flip with Georgia Tech
- If either of those two groups of combinations take place, Wake Forest will be the No. 11 seed and Georgia Tech the No. 12 seed.
- Any Wake Forest loss, Georgia Tech win, Virginia win or Clemson loss, and the Deacons are the No. 12 seed.
- The No. 12 seed will play the No. 5 seed, which could be any of a number of teams, on Thursday, March 9 at 2:20 p.m. The winner of that first-round game will face the No. 4 seed March 10.
- The No. 11 seed will play the No. 6 seed on March 9 at 9:20 p.m. The winner of that first-round game will face the No. 3 seed on March 10.
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 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.
WFU Must Work To Keep Streaks Alive
Wake Forest has two 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 11th 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.
Wake vs. ACC "Expansion" Teams
Wake Forest will play against the league's newest member, Boston College, for the second time in an ACC game Tuesday night. So, how have the Deacons performed against teams in their first year in the ACC?
Boston College beat the Deacons on Feb. 8 in Winston-Salem, 72-66.
Last year the Demon Deacons swept two games from Miami and won their only meeting with Virginia Tech.
In 1992, newcomer Florida State swept two games from the Deacons. In 1980, Wake swept two games from Georgia Tech.
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. BC: The Series History
- Boston College leads the all-time series, 4-0.
- Wake Forest will play the Eagles in Boston for the first time in more than 20 years -- since the 1984-85 season. Tuesday's game will, of course, be Wake's first ACC game in Beantown and the Deacons will play in the Conte Forum for the first time (the 1984-85 meeting was played at the old Boston Garden).
- Boston College beat the Deacons 72-66 just three weeks ago (Feb. 8) in Winston-Salem. That game was the first meeting between the two schools since Dec. 7, 1985, a 62-60 BC victory.
- In the only previous meeting in Chestnut Hill, the Eagles beat the Deacons 82-76 on Dec. 2, 1984. Kenny Green scored 25 points for Wake in that game.
- The first meeting between the two teams came in the 1981 NCAA Tournament in Tuscaloosa, AL. Boston College won that game, 67-64. The Eagles were led by John Bagley, who scored 35 points.
- All four meetings have been decided by a total of 17 points.
- Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser is 0-1 all-time against Boston College.
- Boston College coach Al Skinner is 1-2 all-time against Wake Forest with both losses coming while coaching at Rhode Island.
- Wake Forest is 4-6 all-time against Division I teams from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Deacon-Eagle Connections
- Both head coaches came to their respective ACC schools from the Atlantic 10. Wake's Skip Prosser coached at Xavier and BC's Al Skinner coached at Rhode Island.
- Wake Forest signee Anthony Gurley hails from Newton, MA.
- Boston College freshman Evan Neisler is from Cary, NC.
- Wake's Justin Gray and BC's Craig Smith are two of the ACC's four representatives on the list of 30 midseason candidates for the Wooden Award.
On This Date In Deacon History
February 28th -- Wake Forest is 7-7 all-time on this date. The Deacons last played on February 28th in 2004 -- a 91-83 win at Maryland.
On Feb. 28, 1976, Rod Griffin went 11-of-12 from the field in a 98-96 win over NC State.
On Feb. 28, 1970, Charlie Davis went 16-of-16 from the free throw line and scored 38 points in a 105-95 loss at Clemson.
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.
His 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 -- three-point field goals (2nd), three-point percentage (3rd), scoring (4th), free throw percentage (4th), minutes played (7th) and assists (8th).
- In ACC games, he ranks in the top 10 in the same six categories, including second in scoring. In conference games only, Gray averages 20.7 points and 3.5 three-point field goals per game.
- Gray has scored in double figures in 26 of 27 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 fourth in the ACC in assists.
Gray's Chance Of Making All-ACC First Team Should Not Be Hurt By Record
Wake Forest will finish between 10th and 12th 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 fourth 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 306 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 23 three-pointers to tie Childress.
Gray is just the ninth player in ACC history to sink 300 career three-pointers. He needs eight 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 75 of his last 78 games.
He has attempted 810 career three-point field goals, ranking second in Deacon history.
Williams Seeing Double-Double
Senior Eric Williams has seven double-doubles in his last 14 games and eight for the season, which ranks fourth in the ACC.
Williams has 22 career double-doubles, which ranks tied for ninth in Wake Forest history.
He has pulled down double-figure rebounds nine times this season and 24 times in his career. Williams has scored in double figures in 24 consecutive games, 27 times overall this season and 93 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 (.617). Williams and Georgia Tech's Ra'Sean Dickey (.604) are the only players in the ACC shooting better than 60 percent. Williams is a remarkable 185-of-300 from the field. It helps that he has 48 dunks this season and 174 dunks for his career.
His .617 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 (.591) 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 (1,850 career points) and Williams (1,641) have combined for nearly 3,900 points.
Gray (10th all-time in WFU scoring) and Williams (15th) give the Deacons two of the top 15 all-time scorers in school history.
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.
Prosser's Deacon Teams Averaging Nearly 22 Wins Per Season
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 coached his 400th career game last Saturday at Georgia Tech.
Prosser's record at Wake Forest stands at 108-49 (.688). His career record is 273-127 (.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 158th Wake Forest game Tuesday. 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.
- 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 157 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.
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
More From Saturday's 76-61 Loss At Georgia Tech
Eric Williams had 24 points and 15 rebounds, but Wake Forest was out-rebounded and allowed Georgia Tech to shoot 52.1 percent Saturday in a 76-61 loss to the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta. More from that game:
- Georgia Tech was the seventh team this season to shoot 50 percent or better and the eighth team to out-rebound the Deacons this season.
- Wake Forest was credited with zero blocked shots for the second time this season.
- Senior Eric Williams recorded his 800th career rebound and senior Justin Gray put up his 800th career three-point field goal attempt.
- Williams tied a season-high with 24 points, pulled down the second-most rebounds of his career (15) and he moved into 15th place on Wake's all-time career scoring list, passing Bob Leonard.
Saturday Is Senior Day
Saturday's game against NC State will mark the final home game for five Demon Deacon seniors -- John Buck, Chris Ellis, Justin Gray, Trent Strickland and Eric Williams. Wake will also honor two student managers -- Aaron Berlin and Ethan Gelfand.
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 41.4 percent shooting, ranking second in the ACC and 29th nationally in field goal percentage defense. Last year Wake Forest opponents shot nearly 44 percent.
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 +5.8, which ranks second in the ACC and 16th nationally. Wake has been out-rebounded just seven times this season. More on the Deacons' rebounding:
- Eric Williams (8.8 rpg) ranks second in the ACC in rebounding and Trent Strickland (6.7) ranks 14th. In ACC games only, Williams averages 9.5 boards per game.
- Two of the top four rebounding teams in Wake Forest history have come under coach Skip Prosser.
- 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.
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 14 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 +2.0. Deacon opponents, in Wake Forest's 14 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.
Quick Player Updates
Michael Drum -- Jr., G, 6-6, Rural Hall, NC The non-scholarship junior has started the last three games... held to two points, but dished out four assists Saturday at Georgia Tech... had 18 points in his previous two games combined, going 4-of-5 from three-point range... his free throw percentage is up to 80.4 percent and he hasn't missed from the line in more than a month (Jan. 24)... ranks third on the team with 22 three-pointers... has the best assist-to-turnover ratio on the team with 49 assists and 34 miscues.
Shamaine Dukes -- Fr., G, 6-1, Cuthbert, GA His playing time has dwindled... played three minutes with no stats Saturday at Georgia Tech... has not played in five of the last eight games... started at the point five times earlier this season.
Chris Ellis -- Sr., F, 6-9, Marietta, GA Played just seven minutes with no points Saturday at Georgia Tech... in a scoring slump recently with just 20 points over the last 10 games... plays an average of 18.3 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 second in the ACC in scoring in conference games (20.7 ppg)... has scored in double figures in 26 of his 27 games this season... scored 16 points, recorded two steals and made two three-point field goals Saturday at Georgia Tech... 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 fourth 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 58-of-68 (.853) from the stripe since Jan. 11... his scoring average (18.7) 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 13 games... averaging 8.4 ppg in ACC play... has started 15 games... playing an average of 25 minutes in ACC games... held to four points and two assists in Saturday's loss at Georgia Tech.
Cameron Stanley -- r-Fr., F, 6-6, Raleigh, NC The southpaw had two rebounds and two assists Saturday at Georgia Tech... scored five points, including his fourth career three-point field goal, last Wednesday against Clemson... playing 11 minutes per game over the last four 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 10 points, grabbed five rebounds, dished out three assists and had two three-point field goals Saturday at Georgia Tech... scored 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting against Clemson last Wednesday... ranked 14th in the ACC in rebounding (6.6) but has just 16 boards over the last four games... has 16 three-point field goals over the last nine games and is 33-of-70 (.471) 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 12.5 points per game... has five double-figure rebound games this season including 16 against Texas Tech on Nov. 18... has made 33 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 seventh start Saturday against Georgia Tech... had five points and three rebounds in 19 minutes... enjoyed one of his top performances last Wednesday versus Clemson with eight points, six rebounds and two steals... went 3-of-3 from the field and 2-of-2 from the line... gives the Deacons strength and athleticism in the paint... the freshman's numbers -- 2.8 ppg and 3.8 rpg -- don't reflect how valuable he has been... struggles at the free throw line (40.5 percent), but has made three of his last four attempts.
Kyle Visser -- Jr., C, 6-11, Grand Rapids, MI Played 17 minutes off the bench, scored one point to go with two rebounds and two assists Saturday at Georgia Tech... scored five points, grabbed four rebounds and blocked two shots last Wednesday in 12 minutes against Clemson... 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 45 of his last 46 games and in 24 straight contests... coming off a double-double with 24 points and 15 rebounds at Georgia Tech Saturday... had 19 points, five rebounds, four assists and a career-high five steals last Wednesday against Clemson... has eight double-doubles on the year including seven over his last 14 games... leads the ACC and ranks sixth nationally in field goal percentage (.617)... 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.
Wake Playing Extra Minutes
There have been 13 overtime games this season involving ACC teams and Wake Forest has been a part of four of them.
Wake is 3-1 in overtime games this season. 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.
Statistically Speaking
- Wake Forest ranks first statistically in the ACC in one category -- defensive rebounds (25.5)... Wake is second in the ACC and among the national leaders in rebound margin (+5.8) and field goal percentage defense (.414)... in ACC games, the Deacons rank first in offensive rebounds (15.0)... the Deacs rank last in the ACC in just one category -- turnover margin (-3.07)... the Deacons are 11th in the league in scoring defense, steals and scoring margin... Wake Forest has two of the top nine scorers in the ACC (Justin Gray and Eric Williams).
- Justin Gray ranks in the top 10 in the ACC in six statistical categories... he is fourth in the ACC and 40th nationally in scoring (18.7)... ranks second in the ACC and 25th nationally in three-point field goals per game (3.04)... averaging 3.46 three-point field goals per game in conference play... he ranks fourth in the ACC in free throw percentage (.837)... leads the team and ranks eighth in the league in assists per game (3.74)... averaging 4.23 assists per game in league play, which ranks fourth... averaging 34.93 minutes of action per game, which ranks seventh in the ACC... averaging 20.7 points in ACC games only (2nd in the ACC).
- Eric Williams leads the ACC and ranks sixth nationally in field goal percentage (.617)... ranks second in the ACC and 50th nationally in rebounding (8.8)... is ninth in the ACC in scoring (16.4)... ranks third in the league in defensive rebounds (5.68) and fourth in offensive rebounds (3.14)... in conference games, Williams averages 9.5 boards per game... ranks fourth in the ACC with eight double-doubles.
- Trent Strickland ranks 14th in the ACC in rebounding (6.7)... one of three Deacons in the top 20 in the ACC in scoring (20th at 12.5)... ranks tied for ninth in the ACC with four double-doubles.
- Kyle Visser ranks ninth in the ACC in blocked shots per game (1.32).
Milestones On The Horizon
Justin Gray #/% Ranks Needs For To Pass
3pt FGs/WFU Career 306 2nd 24 1st place Randolph Childress
3pt FGAs/WFU Career 810 2nd 23 1st place Randolph Childress
3pt FGs/WFU Season 82 7th 4 6th place Robert O'Kelley (`99)
3pt FGs/ACC Career 306 8th 8 7th place Jason Williams (DU)
FG Attempts/WFU Career 1,435 8th 19 7th place Randolph Childress
3pt FGAs/WFU Season 213 8th 5 7th place Randolph Childress
Scoring/WFU Career 1,850 10th 10 9th place Darius Songaila
Assists/WFU Career 342 10th 15 9th place Tony Rutland
Minutes/WFU Career 3,490 10th 31 9th place Chris King
Steals/WFU Career 135 10th 7 9th place Darius Songaila
FT Percentage/WFU Season .837 18th +0.4% 17th place Bob Rhoads (`71)
Assists/WFU Season 101 25th 9 24th place Broderick Hicks (`02)
3pt FG%/WFU Season .384 nr +0.5% 23rd place two players
FT Percentage/WFU Career .803 nr +0.3% 13th place Delaney Rudd
Free Throws/WFU Career 384 nr 8 10th place two players
3pt FG%/WFU Career .378 nr +0.9% 11th place Robert Siler
3pt FGs/NCAA Career 306 nr 32 25th place G. Buchanan (Vill.)
Eric Williams #/% Ranks Needs For To Pass
FG Percentage/WFU Career .591 2nd +1.5% 1st place Jim Johnstone
FG Percentage/WFU Season .617 4th +0.5% 3rd place Rod Griffin (`77)
Fouls/WFU Career 362 4th 2 3rd place Guy Morgan
Games Started/WFU Career 115 5th 2 4th place Frank Johnson
FT Attempts/WFU Career 632 7th 31 6th place Charlie Davis
Blocked Shots/WFU Career 105 8th 9 7th place Rod Griffin
Double-Doubles/WFU Career 22 9th 2 8th place Anthony Teachey
Rebounds/WFU Career 804 10th 10 9th place Darius Songaila
Games Played/WFU Career 123 11th 2 10th place Jamaal Levy
FG Percentage/ACC Career .591 14th +0.5% 13th place Rodney Dobard (FS)
Scoring/WFU Career 1,641 15th 80 14th place Rodney Rogers
Field Goals/WFU Career 638 nr 11 10th place Randolph Childress
Free Throws/WFU Career 365 nr 27 10th place two players
Steals/WFU Career 126 nr 5 12th place Tony Rutland
FG Percentage/ACC Season .617 nr +2.6% 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
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 28 games. Senior Justin Gray has started 27 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.
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. Drum has started 10 times this season.
Drum averages 5.4 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.
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.
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.
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
27 - 3:30-6:30, practice at Miller Center
28 - 7:00, Wake Forest at Boston College, Chestnut Hill,
