Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons Trying To Play Ultimate Cinderella Role
3/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
March 11, 2006
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Game No. 33 / Greensboro Coliseum 53rd Annual ACC Tournament
#12 Wake Forest (17-15) vs. #1 Duke (28-3)
Tip-Off: 1:30 p.m.
TV: Raycom/Jefferson-Pilot and ESPN.
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 17-15 overall after an 82-71 victory over #4 seed and 25th-ranked NC State Friday afternoon. Duke, the top seed and the nation's No. 3-ranked team, defeated #8 seed Miami on Friday, 80-76.
Rankings: Wake Forest is not ranked. Duke is ranked 3rd in the Associated Press poll, 3rd in the ESPN/USA Today poll.
Coaches: Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy `72) is 111-50 (.689) in his fifth season with the Demon Deacons, 276-128 (.683) in his 13th season overall.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski (Army `69) is 676-190 in 26 seasons with the Blue Devils, 749-249 in 31 seasons overall.
Series: Duke leads the all-time series, 153-75.
On Deck: The winner of Saturday's game will play in Sunday's championship game at 1:00 p.m.
Officials: Announced on game day.
Demon Deacons Trying To Play The Ultimate Cinderella Role; Plays No. 3 Duke Saturday
Twelfth-seed Wake Forest, which upset No. 5 seed Florida State (78-66) Thursday and No. 4 seed NC State (82-71) on Friday, now focuses on a chance to make ACC history -- and perhaps even NCAA history -- when it plays top seed and third-ranked Duke Saturday in the semifinals of the 53rd annual ACC Tournament (1:30 p.m./J-P Sports and ESPN).
The lowest seed to make an ACC Tournament final was No. 8 seed NC State in 1987. The lowest seed to win an ACC championship was the No. 6 seed (five times). In modern day college basketball history, no team seeded 12th has ever reached the championship game of any conference tournament, although 11th seed Illinois made the Big Ten Tournament finals in 1999.
Of course, Wake Forest will have to beat one of the nation's best teams -- the third-ranked Blue Devils -- to accomplish any of that.
Duke, 28-3, is coming off an 80-76 win over Miami in Friday's quarterfinals. The Blue Devils are led by ACC Player of the Year J.J. Redick and ACC Defensive Player of the Year Shelden Williams.
The Demon Deacons, 17-15 overall, stunned No. 4 seed and 25th-ranked NC State on Friday, 82-71. Wake Forest shot 53.1 percent and out-rebounded the Wolfpack, 40-24. Seniors Eric Williams (20 points) and Justin Gray (19 points) combined to lead the Deacons.
Duke leads the all-time series, 153-75 and the Blue Devils swept two regular season meetings by a combined 41 points. Duke won in Winston-Salem, 82-64, and in Durham, 93-70.
Saturday's Storylines
- Wake Forest has wrapped up a non-losing season, but with a win Saturday, the Deacons would secure its 16th straight winning season.
- The Deacons are trying to become the first ACC team to win four games in four days to win the league championship.
- The Deacons remain alive for a postseason bid (NCAA or NIT) for the 16th consecutive season.
- Wake Forest is looking for its first win over Duke in an ACC Tournament game since 1995.
Wake Forest's Win Over No. 25 NC State Friday Gives The Deacons...
... a record of 17-15 overall and a guarantee Wake can not finish below .500 (Wake Forest hasn't finished below .500 since 1989-90).
... three consecutive wins for the first time since beating Richmond, Charleston Southern and East Carolina late December and early January.
... their first win against NC State in the ACC Tournament since 1969.
... consecutive wins over ranked teams for the first time since Jan. 15 and Jan. 22, 2005 (wins over Cincinnati and North Carolina).
... more wins in March (3) then they had all of February (2).
... a record of 90-37 over the last four seasons combined -- the fifth-most wins over a four-year span in Wake history.
... a record of 111-50 over the last five seasons combined.
... a 3-0 record this season in the Greensboro Coliseum (Wake beat Elon in December).
Deacon ACC Tournament History, Facts & Figures
- Wake Forest owns four ACC championships -- 1961, 1962, 1995 and 1996.
- The Demon Deacons are 41-48 all-time in ACC Tournament play.
- Wake Forest is 26-26 all-time in quarterfinal play, 10-16 in the semifinals and 4-6 in championship games.
- The Deacons are 16-18 all-time in ACC Tournament games played in Greensboro.
- Wake Forest's ACC championships in 1995 and 1996 were both played in the Greensboro Coliseum.
- Wake is 4-4 in ACC Tournament play under coach Skip Prosser.
- The Deacons, until Thursday, had not won an ACC Tournament game since beating Florida State in 2003. Until Friday, they had not won two Tournament games since winning the crown in 1996.
- Wake Forest hasn't played in the ACC championship game since 1996.
Wake vs. Duke In The ACC Tourney
- Wake is 4-13 all-time against Duke in the ACC Tournament, including an 0-3 record in the semifinals.
- The last time Wake Forest met Duke in the ACC Tournament came in the 2002 semifinals in Charlotte -- a 79-64 Blue Devil victory.
- The last time the Deacons beat the Blue Devils in an ACC Tournament game came in the 1995 quarterfinals, 87-70.
Wake vs. Duke: The Series History
- Duke leads the all-time series, 153-75.
- The Blue Devils won the previous meetings this season, 82-64, on Jan. 8 in Winston-Salem, and 93-70 in Durham on Feb. 14.
- The Wake Forest-Duke series is the most frequently played series in the ACC with 228 previous meetings.
- Duke has won the last four meetings.
- The recent series has been one of streaks. Wake Forest won nine straight over the Blue Devils from 1992-93 to 1996-97. Duke then won 14 consecutive over the Deacons from 1997 to 2003.
- Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser is 3-8 all-time against Duke.
- Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is 34-21 all-time versus Wake Forest.
On This Date In Deacon History
March 11th -- Wake Forest is 2-5 all-time on this date. The Deacons last played on March 11 last season -- a 81-65 loss to NC State in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament.
"Role" Players Making The Deacons Click In March
As they have done all season, Wake Forest's senior duo of Eric Williams and Justin Gray are leading the way for the Deacons offensively. However, it is a group of "role" players who have stepped up so far in the ACC Tournament.
Gray is averaging 22 points and nine assists so far in the Tournament. Williams is contributing 17 points and 8.5 rebounds per game while shooting 63.6 percent over the last two games. Combined, the duo has attempted 37 free throws in the Tournament.
While Wake's third-leading scorer Trent Strickland has struggled on offense (3.5 ppg), juniors Michael Drum and Kyle Visser, senior Chris Ellis and redshirt freshman Cameron Stanley have all played exceptionally well in the ACC Tournament:
- Drum, a non-scholarship player, had scored in double figures just five times entering the tournament. He scored 10 points against Florida State and 12 points versus NC State, and he tied a career-high with five assists against the Wolfpack.
- Visser came off the bench Friday for 10 rebounds in 18 minutes -- his most rebounds since Nov. 18. A 64 percent free throw shooter, he was 4-of-4 from the line on Friday.
- Ellis entered the Tournament with four double-figure scoring games on the season, including an 11-point effort in the regular season finale March 4. He scored 10 points against Florida State and poured in a career-high 15 points against NC State. He is 9-of-14 from the field and 4-of-8 from three-point range in the ACC Tournament.
- Stanley did not score or have a rebound Thursday against Florida State, but he matched a career-high with 10 points Friday against NC State. He had career highs for free throws (6) and attempts (8) against the Wolfpack. In addition, Stanley entered Friday's game with two career steals. He had four pilfers against the Wolfpack.
Rebounding, Free Throws Have Been The Key So Far
Wake Forest, which saw its rebounding dominance slip late in the season, has returned to its old form. The Deacons, in two ACC Tournament games, have out-rebounded opponents by an average of 17 boards per game. The other statistic that jumps out is free throw attempts. Wake Forest has gone to the line 65 times in two games, while limiting opponents to just 25 charity attempts.
Senior Class Is One Of The Most Successful In Deacon History
Five Wake Forest seniors -- four-year walk-on John Buck, Chris Ellis, Justin Gray, Trent Strickland and Eric Williams -- are playing in their final ACC Tournament this week.
The 2006 senior class will go down as one of the most successful in Wake Forest history. They own a combined record of 90-36, 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.
Wake's five seniors have combined for 4,910 points, 2,051 rebounds, 625 assists, 415 three-point field goals and 271 games started.
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 emerged this season as a senior leader.
Ellis, who has overcome a major foot injury, has played in 109 career games. 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 nearly 42 percent this season. He ranks 15th in Wake Forest history with 68 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 314 career three-point field goals, which ranks second all-time at Wake Forest and seventh all-time in the ACC. He ranks eighth in Deacon history with 1,920 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 has played in 124 career games, which ranks 12th 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.
Several Impressive Deacon Streaks Coming To A Close
Wake Forest will have to continue its magical run the remainder of 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.
Streaks that have ended:
- The Deacons finished last in the ACC for the first time since 1989-90, when they finished ACC 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 lost six home games for the first time since 1990 (the first year of Joel Coliseum).
- The Deacons played in a Thursday first-round game at the ACC Tournament for the first time.
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 +6.3, which ranks second in the ACC and 18th nationally. Wake has been out-rebounded just nine times this season. More on the Deacons' rebounding:
- Wake has out-rebounded its last three opponents by an average of 15.7 boards per game.
- Two of the top four rebounding teams in Wake Forest history have come under coach Skip Prosser.
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 as many close 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
Quick Player Updates
Michael Drum -- Jr., G, 6-6, Rural Hall, NC The non-scholarship junior has started both ACC Tournament games and he has scored in double figures in both contests... he has 12 starts overall this season... he scored 12 points and matched a career high Friday with five assists against NC State... scored 10 points and went 2-of-3 from three-point range against the Seminoles on Thursday... his free throw percentage is up to 81.0 percent and he has missed just one free throw since Jan. 24... ranks third on the team with 27 three-pointers... has the best assist-to-turnover ratio on the team with 60 assists and 41 miscues.
Shamaine Dukes -- Fr., G, 6-1, Cuthbert, GA His playing time has dwindled... has not played in the ACC Tournament... started at the point five times earlier this season.
Chris Ellis -- Sr., F, 6-9, Marietta, GA The senior has started the last three games and he has scored in double figures in each... scored a career-high 15 points, went 6-of-8 from the field, had four dunks, seven rebounds and a blocked shot Friday against NC State... matched a career-high with three three-point field goals en route to 10 points and he added two blocked shots against Florida State on Thursday... plays an average of 19.1 minutes per game... shooting 41.2 percent (21-of-51) from three-point range... has made more three-pointers this season than he did in his previous three seasons combined... ranks second on the team with 35 blocked shots.
Justin Gray -- Sr., G, 6-2, Charlotte, NC The All-American candidate leads the team in scoring (18.5 ppg) and he averaged 19.7 ppg in ACC contests... has scored in double figures in 30 of his 31 games this season... scored 19 points, dished out a career-high 10 assists and went 8-of-8 from the free throw line in Friday's win over NC State... scored a game-high 25 points and made 12-of-15 free throw attempts Thursday against Florida State... 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... ranks in the top 10 in the ACC in six different statistical categories... 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 1,900 career points, 300 assists, 200 three-point field goals and 100 steals... going to the free throw line frequently -- he is 88-of-105 (.838) 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 he emerged this season as a candidate for the ACC All-Freshman team... has scored just five points and has six turnovers in 26 minutes in the ACC Tournament so far... scored five points and dished out a pair of assists Thursday against Florida State... played arguably his worst game of the year last Saturday against NC State -- no points and five turnovers in eight minutes... averaged 7.8 ppg in ACC play... has started 16 games... played an average of 24 minutes in ACC games.
Cameron Stanley -- r-Fr., F, 6-6, Raleigh, NC The southpaw is has developed into an important cog in the Deacon rotation, despite playing just three minutes Thursday against Florida State... his three highest-scoring efforts of the season have come over the final four games.. matched a career-high with 10 points and had career-highs for free throws (6) and attempts (8) against NC State Friday... he also recorded a career-high four steals after entering Friday's game with just two career pilfers... scored 10 points, grabbed five rebounds and made a three-point field goal last Saturday against NCSU... five of his six three-point field goals have come since Feb. 8... is playing more comfortably as his freshman season progresses.
Trent Strickland -- Sr., G-F, 6-5, East Flat Rock, NC One of the ACC's most improved players this season... however, he has scored just 15 points over the last three games combined... went scoreless but was exceptional on the defensive end Friday against NC State... had 10 rebounds and just one turnover in 37 minutes Thursday against Florida State... has 22 three-point field goals over the last 13 games and is 39-of-81 (.481) from behind the arc this season... has four double-doubles on the season... has doubled his scoring average from a year ago... has six double-figure rebound games this season including 16 against Texas Tech on Nov. 18... has made 39 three-point field goals, compared to just 10 all of last season... playing an average of 32.3 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 The athletic Greensboro freshman has started seven times this season and plays important minutes... however, he played just two minutes Friday against NC State... was very active in Thursday's win over Florida State... had five points and five rebounds in 10 minutes... gives the Deacons strength and athleticism in the paint... the freshman's numbers -- 2.6 ppg and 3.5 rpg -- don't accurately reflect how valuable he has been... struggles at the free throw line (43.8 percent), but has made seven of his last 10 attempts.
Kyle Visser -- Jr., C, 6-11, Grand Rapids, MI Came off the bench for 10 rebounds Friday against NC State -- his most rebounds since Nov. 18... also went 4-of-4 from the line and had a blocked shot... made his only field goal attempt, scored two points and grabbed three rebounds in 12 minutes Thursday against Florida State... 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 39... 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 49 of his last 50 games and in 28 straight contests... scored a team-high 20 points, pulled down eight rebounds, blocked two shots and held State's Cedric Simmons to four points on Friday... had 14 points, went 6-of-9 from the field, and grabbed nine rebounds Thursday against Florida State... has nine double-doubles on the year including eight over his last 18 games... leads the ACC and ranks 11th nationally in field goal percentage (.618)... 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.
