Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons Close Out Regular Season Saturday vs. NC State
3/1/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 1, 2006
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Game No. 30 / Lawrence Joel Coliseum
Wake Forest (14-15/2-13) vs. #22/19 NC State (21-7/10-5)
Tip-Off: 4:00 p.m.
TV: CBS. Tim Brando (play-by-play) and Mike Gminski (color) call the action. Ken Mack 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 14-15 overall and 2-13 in the ACC after a 80-65 loss at 12th-ranked Boston College Tuesday night. NC State is 21-7 and 10-5 following a 74-72 double-overtime loss to visiting Boston College last Saturday.
Rankings: Wake Forest is not ranked. NC State is ranked 22nd in the Associated Press poll and 19th in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
Coaches: Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy `72) is 108-50 (.684) in his fifth season with the Demon Deacons, 273-128 (.681) in his 13th season overall.
NC State coach Herb Sendek (Carnegie Mellon `85) is 190-129 in 10 seasons with the Wolfpack, 253-155 in 13 seasons overall.
Series: NC State leads the all-time series, 127-94.
On Deck: Both teams begin play in the ACC Tournament.
Officials: Announced on game day.
Deacons Close Out Regular Season vs. State; Final Home Game For Five Wake Seniors
Wake Forest closes out the regular season Saturday against traditional rival, 22nd-ranked NC State, in the final home game for five Demon Deacon seniors (4:00 p.m./CBS).
Walk-on John Buck, Chris Ellis, Justin Gray, Trent Strickland and Eric Williams form one of the more successful senior classes in Wake Forest history. The class of 2006 has won 87 games in four years, played on a team that won the ACC regular season championship (2003), advanced to the Sweet 16 (2004), and earned the first No. 1 national ranking in school history (2005).
The Demon Deacons, 14-15 overall and 2-13 in the ACC, are coming off an 80-65 loss at 12th-ranked Boston College Tuesday night. Strickland led Wake Forest with 15 points and redshirt freshman Cameron Stanley had a career-high 10 points.
Gray (18.4 ppg) and Williams (16.1 ppg and 8.7 rpg) are Wake's top candidates for postseason honors.
NC State, 21-7 and 10-5, has not played since a 74-72 double-overtime loss to visiting Boston College last Saturday. The Wolfpack are one of the ACC's most balanced teams, with five players averaging scoring in double figures.
NC State won the previous meeting between the two schools, 92-82 in Raleigh on Jan. 21. The Wolfpack lead the all-time series, 127-94. More series information on page three.
Saturday's Storylines
- Wake Forest, trying to avoid its first losing season since 1989-90, will try to get back to .500 on Saturday.
n The Demon Deacons have won seven of their last eight regular season finales.
- Wake Forest has secured the No. 12 seed in next week's ACC Tournament in Greensboro. The Demon Deacons will play the No. 5 seed Thursday at 2:20. NC State, which has clinched a first-round bye, has a chance to finish as high as second in the ACC standings.
- Saturday is also the final home game for two Deacon student-managers -- Aaron Berlin and Ethan Gelfand.
Senior Day Is Saturday For One Of Wake's Most Successful Classes
Five Wake Forest seniors -- four-year walk-on John Buck, Chris Ellis, Justin Gray, Trent Strickland and Eric Williams -- will play their final home game on Saturday.
The 2006 senior class will go down as one of the most successful in Wake Forest history. They own a combined record of 87-36, making it the fifth-winningest senior class in Deacon history.
As freshmen, this group played on the 2003 ACC regular season championship team -- Wake's first outright regular season title in more than 40 years. As sophomores in 2004, they played on a team that advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16. Last season as juniors, they led Wake Forest to a school-record 27 wins and the first No. 1 national ranking in school history.
Two senior student-managers -- Aaron Berlin and Ethan Gelfand -- will also be recognized pre-game Saturday.
Buck is a tireless worker who has earned a roster spot as a walk-on for four years. One of the most popular walk-ons to play at Wake Forest, Buck has emerged this season as a senior leader.
Ellis, who has overcome a major foot injury, will play in his 108th career game Saturday. A consistent player for four years as both a starter and key reserve, Ellis has also emerged as a threat from the perimeter, where he is shooting 40 percent this season. He ranks 15th in Wake Forest history with 63 career blocked shots.
Gray will leave Wake Forest as one of the most prolific three-point shooters in ACC history and one of the top scorers in school history. He has 307 career three-point field goals, which ranks second all-time at Wake Forest and eighth all-time in the ACC. He ranks 10th in Deacon history with 1,860 career points and he also ranks in the top 10 all-time in assists and steals. Gray has been named to the All-ACC team in each of his last two seasons and he was a member of the ACC all-freshman team in 2003. Gray also spent the last two summers representing the United States in world championship competition.
Strickland, after playing three seasons as a key reserve and part-time starter, has emerged as one of the most improved players in the ACC. Known for his high-flying dunks, Strickland has scored nearly 900 points and grabbed nearly 500 rebounds. He will play in his 122nd career game Saturday, which ranks 13th in school history, and he has made more than 60 career three-pointers.
Williams, who turned down a chance to go to the NBA to return for his senior year, is one of the all-time leading scorers and rebounders in Wake Forest history. An honorable mention All-American and second team All-ACC selection in 2005, Williams owns one of the highest career field goal percentages in ACC history. Only three players in Wake Forest history have started more games than Williams, and only nine players have played in more games.
Deacons Will Be The No. 12 Seed In The ACC Tournament
Wake Forest will be the No. 12 seed next week when the ACC Tournament begins at the Greensboro Coliseum.
The Demon Deacons will play the No. 5 seed, which could be any of a number of teams, Thursday at approximately 2:20 p.m. The winner of that game will face the No. 4 seed on Friday.
Florida State (7-7), Virginia (7-7), Miami (7-7) and Maryland (6-8) are vying for the No. 5 seed.
Duke will be the No. 1 seed. NC State, North Carolina and Boston College have also clinched first-round byes.
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 previous five 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.
The Deacons On Senior Day And In Regular Season Finales
Wake Forest has won seven of its last eight regular season finales, including a 6-1 mark against NC State. Wake's only blemish during that span was a loss to NC State in 2004.
Wake Forest has won 11 of its last 13 Senior Day games (last home game). The Deacons beat Georgia Tech on Senior Day last season, 98-91. NC State spoiled Senior Day in 2004.
Wake vs. State: The Series History
- NC State leads the all-time series, 127-94.
- The two teams have split the last 10 meetings.
- NC State is trying to sweep the regular season series for just the second time since 1989. The Wolfpack beat the Deacons, 92-82, Jan. 21 in Raleigh.
- Wake Forest swept the regular season series last season, but fell to the Wolfpack in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament. NC State swept the series in 2003-04.
- The Demon Deacons have won 10 of the last 15 meetings dating back to 1999-00.
- Wake Forest has won seven of the last eight meetings with State in Winston-Salem and the Deacons are 13-3 all-time against the `Pack at Lawrence Joel Coliseum.
- With 221 previous meetings, Wake Forest-NC State is the third-most frequently played series in the ACC.
- The first meeting between the two teams took place during the 1910-11 season.
- Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser is 6-5 all-time against NC State.
- Wolfpack coach Herb Sendek is 9-14 lifetime against the Demon Deacons.
- Wake Forest and NC State will play in the final game of the regular season for the sixth straight year.
Deacon-Wolfpack Connections
- Over the last four years combined, Wake and State have identical ACC records of 37-26.
- NCSU's Ilian Evtimov attended high school in Winston-Salem at Reynolds before transferring to Bishop McGuiness.
- Deacon senior Trent Strickland and Wolfpack senior Cameron Bennerman both previously played at Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia.
- Bennerman and Wake freshman Kevin Swinton both hail from Greensboro.
- Wake Forest redshirt freshman Cameron Stanley hails from Raleigh, where he attended Millbrook High School. State's Braxton Albritton is also from Raleigh.
- Both head coaches previously worked as a head coach in Ohio -- Skip Prosser at Xavier and Herb Sendek at Miami.
- Wake Forest associate head coach Dino Gaudio, assistant coach Pat Kelsey, and NC State assistants Larry Harris and Mark Phelps are all Ohio natives.
- Both head coaches were born in Pittsburgh, PA.
- Former Deacon Josh Howard and recent Wolfpacker Josh Powell are teammates with the Dallas Mavericks.
- NC State media relations staffer Bill Newton previously worked in the Wake Forest media relations office.
On This Date In Deacon History
March 4th -- It was 17 years ago on this date that Wake Forest played the only four-overtime game in school history -- a 110-103 loss to NC State in Greensboro.
Wake Forest is 6-6 all-time on this date, including a 4-4 record against the Wolfpack. Wake's last four games on this date -- in 2001, 1995, 1990 and 1989 -- all came against NC State.
The Deacons last played on March 4th in 2001 -- a 76-58 win over visiting NC State to close out the regular season.
On March 4, 1989, in the four-overtime game vs. NC State, Wake's Cal Boyd played a school-record 58 minutes.
Wake-NCSU Tid-Bits:
- At the RBC Center in Raleigh, Wake Forest is 6-3 all-time. That record includes two Deacon wins in the 2004 NCAA Tournament. Wake Forest beat VCU and Manhattan en route to advancing to the Sweet 16.
- When NC State won the NCAA championship in 1983, it did so at The Pit in Albuquerque, NM. Wake Forest's Harvey Hale is from Albuquerque, although the Deacon freshman was not born until three years later.
- Saturday's game will be the 14th consecutive meeting in which at least one of the teams was nationally-ranked.
- NC State's Andrew Brackman did not see action in the Wolfpack's baseball series with Wake last spring.
Wake Forest will have to make a magical run in the ACC Tournament -- and even the NCAA Tournament -- to keep some of these 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.
Streaks that have ended:
- The Deacons finished last in the ACC for the first time since 1989-90, when they finished league play 3-11.
- The Deacons finished below .500 in the ACC for the first time since going 7-9 in 1999-00.
- Wake Forest 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 had finished fifth or higher in the ACC standings every year since 1993. - The Deacons are below .500 for the first time since the 1989-90 season.
- 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.
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).
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
History Of Conference Tournament Upsets Give Lower-Seeded Teams Hope
Most think of "March Madness" as the two and a half week stretch of NCAA Tournament that will grab our attention beginning in just a few weeks. But the real craziness begins one or two weeks earlier, in the conference tournaments.
For the bottom four seeds in the upcoming ACC Tournament -- Wake Forest, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Clemson -- winning the ACC championship will be their only ticket to the NCAA Tournament.
Remember Illinois, which in 1999 made the Big Ten Tournament championship game as the 11th seed? Missouri was the 10th seed in 1997 when the Tigers played in the Big 12 title game. Auburn won the SEC Tournament as the No. 8 seed in 1985. Saint Louis was the No. 8 seed in 2000 when the Billikens won the Conference USA Tournament. The Big Sky Conference, the CAA, the Metro Atlantic, the MEAC and the Mid-Continent Conference have all had teams seeded seventh or lower win the conference tournament at least once.
If you go way back to the early days of the Southern Conference, there is even more reason for lower teams to be optimistic. In 1927, Ole Miss made the tournament final as the No. 16 seed. The next year the Rebels won the SoCon Tournament as the No. 13 seed.
And while the concept of having to win four games to win the conference tournament is a relatively new one, it has happened at least 11 times in the last nine years, most recently by Ohio University last season in the Mid-American Conference. Three times the Conference USA champion has won the crown by winning four games.
The ACC, in its first year as a 12-team league, is past due for a cinderella champion. The lowest seed to reach the title game was No. 8 seed NC State in 1987. The No. 6 seed has won the ACC Tournament five times.
Below is a look at each major conference, the highest seed to play in a tournament final, the highest seed to actually win the tournament, the most losses by the champion entering the tournament, and finally, a list of all the schools that have won four games in four days to capture their league title. With leagues expanding to 12 and even 16 teams, the number of low seeds to win conference tournaments is sure to grow.
Justin Gray One Of The Nation's Best
Does any team ask more from one player than Wake Forest asks from senior All-American candidate Justin Gray?
The Deacons frequently require Gray to play out of position, bring the ball up court, lead the team in assists, score more than 25 percent of their points against double-teams and gimmick defenses, play almost every minute of the game, replace a first team All-American at point guard and be a spiritual and emotional leader along the way.
And Gray has answered the call all season long.
Gray has put up numbers similar to those of recent Deacon greats Josh Howard and Tim Duncan. He is 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 (5th), minutes played (6th) and assists (8th).
- In ACC games, he ranks in the top 10 in the same six categories, including third in scoring. In conference games only, Gray averages 19.9 points and 3.3 three-point field goals per game.
- Gray has scored in double figures in 27 of 28 games.
- Earlier this season he scored 38 points at Maryland and 37 points vs. Wisconsin.
- Even though he has played point guard on a part-time 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 12th 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 307 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 22 three-pointers to tie Childress.
Gray is just the ninth player in ACC history to sink 300 career three-pointers. He needs seven 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 76 of his last 79 games.
He has attempted 814 career three-point field goals, ranking second in Deacon history.
Gray Leaving Mark On Record Books
Justin Gray will leave Wake Forest with his name etched firmly in the Demon Deacon record books.
When Gray's college career is over, he will rank among the top 10 all-time in Wake Forest history in at least nine different career categories. He is Wake's ninth-leading all-time scorer with 1,860 career points. Gray will also finish in the top 10 all-time in field goal attempts, free throws, three-point field goals, three-point attempts, assists, steals, games started and minutes played.
Quick Player Updates
Michael Drum -- Jr., G, 6-6, Rural Hall, NC The non-scholarship junior has started 10 times this season... played a season-low nine minutes and did not score at Boston College Tuesday... 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 50 assists and 35 miscues.
Shamaine Dukes -- Fr., G, 6-1, Cuthbert, GA His playing time has dwindled... played two minutes at BC Tuesday and three minutes with no stats last Saturday at Georgia Tech... started at the point five times earlier this season.
Chris Ellis -- Sr., F, 6-9, Marietta, GA Came off the bench to play 19 minutes Tuesday at Boston College... did not attempt a field goal but went 5-of-6 from the free throw line and blocked one shot... in a scoring slump recently with just 25 points over the last 11 games... plays an average of 18.4 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 30 blocked shots.
Justin Gray -- Sr., G, 6-2, Charlotte, NC The All-American candidate leads the team in scoring (18.4 ppg) and is averaging 19.9 ppg in ACC contests... has scored in double figures in 27 of his 28 games this season... held to 10 points, but dished out five assists and had one steal Tuesday at Boston College... 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 61-of-72 (.847) from the stripe since Jan. 11... 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... returned to the starting lineup Tuesday at Boston College... recorded eight points and four assists against the Eagles... has scored in double figures in six of his last 14 games... averaging 8.3 ppg in ACC play... has started 16 games... playing an average of 25 minutes in ACC games.
Cameron Stanley -- r-Fr., F, 6-6, Raleigh, NC The southpaw is coming off a career-high 10 points at Boston College Tuesday... went 4-of-6 from the field, grabbed six rebounds, made a three-point field goal and blocked a shot against the Eagles... playing 14 minutes per game over the last five 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... led the team with 15 points and went 3-of-4 from three-point range Tuesday at Boston College... ranked 14th in the ACC in rebounding (6.7)... has 19 three-point field goals over the last 10 games and is 36-of-74 (.484) 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... has five double-figure rebound games this season including 16 against Texas Tech on Nov. 18... has made 36 three-point field goals, compared to just 10 all of last season... playing an average of 32.6 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 Came off the bench Tuesday at Boston College after starting the previous five games... played just eight minutes and had one point against the Eagles... gives the Deacons strength and athleticism in the paint... the freshman's numbers -- 2.7 ppg and 3.7 rpg -- don't accurately reflect how valuable he has been... struggles at the free throw line (40.9 percent), but has made four of his last six attempts.
Kyle Visser -- Jr., C, 6-11, Grand Rapids, MI Made his first starting appearance since Jan. 15 Tuesday at Boston College... played 22 minutes, scored six points and dished out two assists against the Eagles... 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 46 of his last 47 games and in 25 straight contests... was plagued with foul trouble Tuesday night at Boston College but managed 10 points, five rebounds and a blocked shot... had a double-double with 24 points and 15 rebounds at Georgia Tech last Saturday... has eight double-doubles on the year including seven over his last 15 games... leads the ACC and ranks 11th nationally in field goal percentage (.616)... 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 will play its eighth game against a ranked opponent when it takes on No. 22/19 NC State Saturday. 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, 12. Boston College, 14. Florida, 15. North Carolina, 19. NC State and 25. Wisconsin. George Mason is receiving votes.
More From Tuesday's 80-65 Loss At No. 12 Boston College
- Boston College had a combined 85 free throw attempts in two regular season meetings (season-high 50 on Feb. 8, 35 Tuesday) with Wake Forest.
- Wake had a season-low 12 defensive rebounds.
- Freshman Cameron Stanley scored a career-high 10 points.
- Wake was out-rebounded for the ninth time this season and for the third time in the last four games.
Williams Seeing Double-Double
Senior Eric Williams has seven double-doubles in his last 15 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 25 consecutive games, 28 times overall this season and 94 times in his career.
Big E 11th 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 11th nationally in field goal percentage (.616). 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 189-of-307 from the field. It helps that he has 49 dunks this season and 175 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 (1,860 career points) and Williams (1,651) have combined for more than 3,500 points.
Gray (9th 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.
Milestones On The Horizon
Justin Gray #/% Ranks Needs For To Pass
3pt FGs/WFU Career 307 2nd 23 1st place Randolph Childress
3pt FGAs/WFU Career 814 2nd 19 1st place Randolph Childress
3pt FGs/WFU Season 83 7th 3 6th place Robert O'Kelley (`99)
3pt FGAs/WFU Season 217 t-7th 1 7th place Randolph Childress
3pt FGs/ACC Career 307 8th 7 7th place Jason Williams (DU)
FG Attempts/WFU Career 1,446 8th 8 7th place Randolph Childress
Scoring/WFU Career 1,860 9th 26 8th place Robert O'Kelley
Minutes/WFU Career 3,527 9th 10 8th place Josh Howard
Assists/WFU Career 347 10th 10 9th place Tony Rutland
Steals/WFU Career 136 10th 6 9th place Darius Songaila
FT Percentage/WFU Season .835 19th +0.2% 18th place George Ritchie (`58)
Assists/WFU Season 106 25th 4 24th place Broderick Hicks (`02)
3pt FG%/WFU Season .382 nr +0.7% 23rd place two players
FT Percentage/WFU Career .803 nr +0.3% 13th place Delaney Rudd
Free Throws/WFU Career 387 nr 5 10th place two players
3pt FG%/WFU Career .377 nr +1.0% 11th place Robert Siler
3pt FGs/NCAA Career 307 nr 31 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 .616 5th +0.2% 4th place Jim Johnstone (`81)
Fouls/WFU Career 366 3rd 8 2nd place Josh Howard
Games Started/WFU Career 116 t-4th 2 4th place Frank Johnson
FT Attempts/WFU Career 637 7th 26 6th place Charlie Davis
Blocked Shots/WFU Career 106 8th 8 7th place Rod Griffin
Double-Doubles/WFU Career 22 9th 2 8th place Anthony Teachey
Rebounds/WFU Career 809 10th 5 9th place Darius Songaila
Games Played/WFU Career 124 11th 1 10th place Jamaal Levy
FG Percentage/ACC Career .591 14th +0.5% 13th place Rodney Dobard (FS)
Scoring/WFU Career 1,651 15th 70 14th place Rodney Rogers
Field Goals/WFU Career 642 nr 7 10th place Randolph Childress
Free Throws/WFU Career 367 nr 25 10th place two players
Steals/WFU Career 126 nr 5 12th place Tony Rutland
FG Percentage/ACC Season .616 nr +2.7% 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 63 15th 12 13th place Rodney Rogers
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.
Prosser's record at Wake Forest stands at 108-50 (.684). His career record is 273-128 (.681) 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 159th Wake Forest game Saturday. 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 158 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.
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 41.5 percent shooting, ranking second in the ACC 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 +5.3, which ranks third in the ACC and 18th nationally. Wake has been out-rebounded just nine times this season. More on the Deacons' rebounding:
n Two of the top four rebounding teams in Wake Forest history have come under coach Skip Prosser.
n Against Princeton (Dec. 17), Wake out-rebounded the Tigers 39-15, setting a school record for fewest rebounds by an opponent.
n Wisconsin entered its game against Wake with a +12.7 rebound margin. The Deacons out-rebounded the Badgers, 45-36.
n Against Texas Tech on Nov. 18, the Deacons pulled down 66 rebounds -- the second-most single-game boards in school history.
Gray A Midseason Wooden Candidate
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.
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 did 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.
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.
On Tuesday against Boston College, Prosser used a starting five he hasn't utilized since Dec. 17 -- Justin Gray, Harvey Hale, Eric Williams, Kyle Visser and Trent Strickland.
Only senior Williams has started all 29 games. Gray has started 28 games (he missed one game with a virus). Visser, junior 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 and has started 10 times in total this year. Fitzpatrick made five starts as a walk-on senior.
Drum averages 5.2 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.
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 10. 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.
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.
Every Season Ticket Was Sold
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, re-surfaced in college basketball this season. A graduate student at the University of Cincinnati, Benken 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 Schedule
March
2 - 3:30-6:30, practice at Miller Center
3 - 3:00-5:30, practice at Joel Coliseum
4 - 4:04 p.m., Wake Forest vs. NC State, Lawrence Joel Coliseum
5 - day off
6 - Noon-3:00, practice at Miller Center
7 - Noon-3:00, practice at Miller Center
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.
