Wake Forest Athletics
Basketball Gameday - Wake Forest vs. Miami
2/8/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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| Wake Forest vs. Miami Wednesday, February 9, 7:00 p.m. Lawrence Joel Coliseum | Winston-Salem, N.C. |
Wake Forest Game Notes  | Miami Game Notes | Radio: Listen Live | TV: Fox Sports Net (Regional) | Tickets |
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest will look to take advantage of the friendly confines of the Lawrence Joel Coliseum when the Demon Deacons play the first of two home games this week on Wednesday against the Miami Hurricanes.
Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be televised regionally on Fox Sports Net and can also be heard on the Wake Forest Sports Network from IMG College and at WakeForestSports.com.
The Demon Deacons (8-15, 1-7) are coming off a 91-70 loss at Maryland on Saturday in College Park. The Terrapins used three runs of 9-0 or greater to post the season series sweep of the Deacons.
Freshman center Carson Desrosiers turned in his second strong outing against Maryland this season. Desrosiers scored a career-high 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting and added five rebounds, four blocks and three assists.
In last month's matchup with the Terrapins, Desrosiers had season-highs of nine rebounds and seven blocks, which were the most blocks by a Deacon freshman since Tim Duncan in 1994.
C.J. Harris led the Deacons in scoring at Maryland with a season-high 17 points, as he went 5-for-10 from the field and 2-for-3 from 3-point range.
Travis McKie scored 10 points to go along with a team-best seven rebounds and three blocks.
Tony Chennault, who has played in five games since returning from a broken foot, has played 20 or more minutes in each of the past two games.
Miami (14-9, 3-6 ACC) comes in following a 70-68 overtime win over Virginia on Saturday in Coral Gables. Each of the Hurricanes' past seven games have been decided by four points or less, with Miami going 3-4 during the stretch.
Wake Forest leads the all-time series with Miami, 8-4. However, the Hurricanes have won three of the past four meetings, including two of three last season. The Deacons are 5-0 against the Hurricanes at the Joel Coliseum.
| STATISTICAL COMPARISON | ||
| Wake | Miami | |
| Overall Record | 8-15 | 14-9 |
| Conference Record | 1-7 | 3-6 |
| Scoring Offense | 69.3 | 72.6 |
| Scoring Defense | 76.9 | 67.9 |
| Scoring Margin | -7.7 | +4.7 |
| Rebounding Offense | 34.0 | 36.8 |
| Rebounding Defense | 37.9 | 33.0 |
| Rebound Margin | -4.0 | +3.8 |
| FG Percentage | .431 | .445 |
| 3-pt FG Percentage | .385 | .384 |
| FT Percentage | .748 | .731 |
| FG Percentage Defense | .445 | .413 |
| 3-Pointers Per Game | 6.3 | 7.8 |
| Assists Ger Game | 11.6 | 11.6 |
| Turnovers Per Game | 16.0 | 13.6 |
| Turnover Margin | -4.1 | -1.8 |
| Assist/Turnover Ratio | 0.7 | 0.8 |
| Steals Per Game | 5.0 | 5.9 |
| Blocked Shots Per Game | 6.1 | 3.7 |
Next Up...
Wake Forest will play its second home game of the week when the Deacons host rival NC State on Sunday, Feb. 13, at 1 p.m. The game will be televised on the ACC Network. The Deacons will then face another in-state rival when they play at North Carolina two days later on Tuesday, Feb. 15.
Last Time Out
Carson Desrosiers continued his stellar play against Maryland, scoring a season-high 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting, but three big Terrapin runs sent Wake Forest to a 91-70 loss on Saturday afternoon at the Comcast Center
Maryland had three runs of 9-0 or larger to hold off the Demon Deacons. The Terrapins had an 11-0 run early in the game to take the lead and then used a 9-0 run later in the period to thwart a would-be Deacon rally.
Maryland's 13-0 run midway through the second half sealed the win for the home squad.
Wake was led by C.J. Harris and Desrosiers, who had his second big game against the Terrapins in as many tries.
In last month's matchup with the Terrapins, Desrosiers had season-highs of nine rebounds and seven blocks. In this meeting, the freshman center added five rebounds, four blocks and three assists to his season-high 11 points.
Harris led the Deacons in scoring with a season-high 17 points, as he went 5-for-10 from the field and 2-for-3 from 3-point range.
Travis McKie scored 10 points to go along with a team-best seven rebounds and three blocks. Tony Chennault had six points and three assists off the bench.
Ari Stewart scored eight points and hit a pair of 3-pointers, while J.T. Terrell finished with seven points off the bench.
The Deacons committed 19 turnovers compared to just seven for the Terrapins. Maryland scored 21 points off the Wake Forest miscues.
Wake shot 45.6 percent (26-of-57) from the field, including 58.3 percent (7-of-12) from 3-point range. Maryland shot 46.1 percent (35-of-76) from the field and 47.1 percent (8-of-17) from beyond the arc.
Jordan Williams led the Terps with a double-double of 27 points and 15 rebounds, both of which were season-highs for a Deacon opponent.
Harris Heating Up
Sophomore guard C.J. Harris has turned up his scoring of late. Over his past six games, Harris has averaged a team-best 12.2 points and has shot 44 percent from 3-point range.
Harris has been looking for his outside shot recently, hitting at least one 3-pointer in each of his past six games. Harris did not hit a 3-pointer in each of the nine previous games prior to the current six-game stretch.
He had hit at least one 3-pointer in just six games total over the team's first 17 contests of the year.
With the return of point guard Tony Chennault, Harris has been seeing more time at his natural shooting guard position. Harris has turned in two of his three highest scoring totals of the season since Chennault's return, pouring in 15 against Virginia and a season-best 17 at Maryland.
The Winston-Salem native ranks in the top 10 in the ACC in three categories: assists (3.7; t-6th), free throw percentage (81.5; 7th) and minutes played (32.7; 7th).
What's Up Next...
Following the Miami game, the Deacons will host rival NC State on Sunday, Feb. 13. The Wolfpack handed the Deacons a 90-69 loss in their ACC opener on Jan. 8 in Raleigh.
NC State is 12-11 overall and 2-7 in the ACC and are idle until Sunday's game in Winston-Salem. The Deacons have won three straight home games over the Wolfpack and are looking to split the season series for a fourth-straight year.
Following the NC State game, Wake Forest will face another in-state rival when the Deacons travel to Chapel Hill to take on North Carolina on Tuesday, Feb. 15. It will be Wake Forest's only meeting with UNC this season.
North Carolina is 17-5 overall and 7-1 in the ACC entering Wednesday's game at Duke. The Tar Heels will also play at Clemson on Saturday before hosting the Deacons.
In its 218th all-time meeting, the Wake Forest-North Carolina series is the fifth most-played series in ACC history. The Tar Heels lead the series 162-55, but the Deacons have won two of the past three.
Wake Forest Among Nation's Best in Blocked Shots
Wake Forest has been one of the nation's best shot-blocking teams this season. The Deacons currently lead the ACC and rank eighth nationally with 6.1 blocks per game.
A trio of Deacons have registered the majority of blocks for the team this season: Ty Walker, Carson Desrosiers and Travis McKie.
Walker ranks second in the ACC and 17th nationally with 2.8 blocks per game. Walker's 65 total blocks ranks eighth on the school's single-season list, and the 7-0 junior has already broken Tim Duncan's single-game blocks record.
Desrosiers is seventh in the ACC and 91st nationally with 1.7 blocks per game. The 7-0 center ranks second among ACC freshmen in blocks per game and is also second among all players in conference games only.
Desrosiers' 39 blocks this year ranks 24th on the school's single-season list.
McKie has been no slouch in the paint as well, ranking third on the team with 26 blocks. The 6-7 forward is tied for 10th in the ACC in conference games only with 1.5 blocks per.
As a team, Wake Forest has registered double-digit blocks in four games this season.
Deacons Lead ACC in Free Throw Percentage
After struggling at the free throw line in recent years, the Deacons have shot well on charity tosses this season.
Wake Forest has gone 376-of-503 at the line for 74.8 percent. That mark leads the ACC and 20th nationally. The Deacons are threatening the school record of 77.1 percent set during the 1968-69 season.
The Deacons have not ranked higher than ninth in the ACC in free throw percentage each of the past four seasons.
Wake Forest has shot 70 percent or better from the line in 17 of its 23 games this season. The Deacons have shot 80 percent or better from the line 10 times and 90 percent or better three times.
On the season, Wake Forest is averaging 22 free throw attempts per game, compared to 19 a game for its opponents.
Six of eight Deacons who have attempted at least 20 free throws are shooting 75 percent or better. C.J. Harris (81.8 percent) ranks seventh in the ACC in free throw percentage.
Chennault Working His Way Back Into Form
Tony Chennault made his return from a broken left foot on Jan. 19 at Georgia Tech. Since then, the freshman point guard has been working his way back into playing shape.
Chennault has made huge strides over the past two games, seeing 20 minutes or more in both games. At Florida State on Feb. 1, he played 20 minutes and finished with 10 points on 4-of-9 shooting to go along with three assists and three rebounds--not to mention a few highlight reel-worthy plays.
Chennault followed with six points and three assists in 23 minutes at Maryland on Feb. 5.
In the five games since his return, Chennault has been the Deacons' first player off the bench three times. His insertion into the lineup allows C.J. Harris to slide over into his natural shooting guard position.
Chennault, who returned to full basketball activity on Jan. 17, missed a total of 17 games after breaking the fifth metatarsal in his left foot in the Demon Deacons' season opener against Stetson on Nov. 12.
The Philadelphia native sat out much of the preseason with a stress reaction in the foot. After breaking it in the season opener, Chennault had surgery three days later on Nov. 15.
Wake Boasts Some of ACC's Top Freshmen
Wake Forest's freshmen class was ranked as the No. 8 recruiting haul in the country last season. The young Deacs have wasted no time in trying to live up to the hype.
Forward Travis McKie, guard J.T. Terrell and center Carson Desrosiers have proven to be impact rookies in the ACC this season.
McKie is an ACC Rookie of the Year candidate, as he has been one of the league's most consistent freshmen. McKie leads all rookies in rebounding (7.5 rpg) and double-doubles (6) and ranks second in scoring (12.5 ppg). He has led his team in scoring nine times, which tops all ACC freshmen.
Terrell is third among all conference freshmen in scoring at 11.8 points per game. Terrell's 32 points vs. Iowa are the most for an ACC freshman this season. He is also second among the rookies in leading his team in scoring (5 games).
Desrosiers ranks second among ACC freshmen in blocks with 1.7 per game. He only trails Georgia Tech's Daniel Miller. Desrosiers ranks second among all ACC players in blocks in conference games only, with 2.5 per game.
As a five-man class, Wake Forest's freshmen are averaging a combined 34.8 points per game. That figure makes them the fifth highest-scoring rookie class in Deacon history.
