From the Quad
2/18/2020 10:56:00 AM | General
February 18, 2020
Good morning Deacon Nation,
It's an action packed week in Deacon Land with our No. 8 ranked men's golf team currently on the course in the final day of competition in Houston, while first pitch for No. 18 baseball will be at 4 p.m. this afternoon at David F. Couch Ballpark.
And, tomorrow night, after months of planning, we will recognize one of the elite moments in our basketball history. The 1995 ACC Men's Basketball Championship team holds a special place in the heart of every Wake Forest fan who followed that incredible season. From section 235, row M, seat 1, I saw every one of Randolph Childress's tournament-record 107 points. That team elevated Wake Forest and Winston-Salem in the eyes of the ACC and national basketball world. I couldn't be more excited to welcome all of them back to the Joel tomorrow night in conjunction with the Georgia Tech game as our celebration of the 30th anniversary of the LJVM Coliseum continues.
The 1994-95 team went 26-6 overall, won the ACC regular season title and captured the program's first ACC Tournament championship since 1962. Head Coach Dave Odom won his third ACC Coach of the Year award in 1995, and the team earned the program's first-ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That squad, which featured three future NBA players in Randolph Childress, Tim Duncan and Rusty LaRue, reached the NCAA Sweet 16.
Our celebration of this outstanding team will begin 12 minutes prior to tip-off as we honor former head coach Dave Odom (1989-2001), the winningest coach in the Coliseum's history. Make sure you are in your seats early as we unveil Coach Odom's banner to join legendary Demon Deacon players and the late Skip Prosser in the rafters.
During halftime, we will recognize the players, coaches and staff of the 1994-95 team and celebrate the 25th anniversary of their ACC title.
Fans can join in the celebration by ordering their tickets for the Wake Forest-Georgia Tech game at GoDeacs.com.
Save the date! 2020 Spring Game is set for Saturday, April 4 at 3 PM
Make plans now to attend the annual spring football game which will offer Demon Deacon fans their first look at next season's team that begins its spring practices one week from today.
Admission is FREE and kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. at BB&T Field. After the conclusion of the game, fans will have the opportunity to come down to the field and meet their favorite student-athletes and coaches, take pictures and collect autographs.
Dr. Larry Hopkins and Louis Bissette to be honored at annual Founders' Day Convocation on Thursday at 4 p.m.
Each February, in observance of the University's beginnings in 1834, the Wake Forest family gathers for Founders' Day Convocation. This year, Dr. Larry Hopkins ('72, MD '77), a former Deacon football player, and fellow Trustee W. Louis Bissette, Jr. ('65) will be honored with the Medallion of Merit. The Medallion of Merit is the highest honor given by Wake Forest and is presented annually for outstanding achievement and distinguished contribution to the University. I encourage you to attend this special event on Thursday at 4 p.m. in Wait Chapel. The program will include remarks by University President Dr. Nathan Hatch, a student oration, musical performances and a keynote address by Dr. Jonathan L. Walton, Dean of the School of Divinity.
Women's Basketball News & Notes
It was a special afternoon last Sunday at Joel Coliseum as we welcomed 22 legends home, including Wake Forest University Sports Hall of Famers Amy Privette Perko and Roper Osborne Halverson. In addition, our student-athletes partnered with student-athletes from Winston-Salem State and Salem College to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day. During the game, Wake honored female leaders in the community and from those Universities, and they participated in a "Chalk Talk" with Coach Jen Hoover and her staff prior to the game.
Speaking of Coach Hoover, her squad sits at .500 (13-13) entering the final three games of the regular season and has already posted five more conference victories than a season ago. After a road game on Thursday at FSU, the Deacs end the 2019-20 regular season with a pair of home games on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 12 p.m. and Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.
Sunday's contest against North Carolina is the Deacs annual "Pink Game," where Wake Forest will honor breast cancer survivors and legends, Dianne Dailey and Charlene Curtis. Dailey, who is one of my longtime mentors, pushed Wake Forest Athletics and the women's golf program to never-before-seen heights during her 30-year tenure as head coach. Curtis was the first African American women's basketball coach in ACC history, leading the Deacons from 1997-2004 and recently retired from the ACC office.
Meanwhile, next Thursday is senior night for three student-athletes, Alex Sharp (Major: Psychology), Raegyn Branch (Major: Health & Exercise Science) and Ona Udoh (Major: Health & Exercise Science). These nights are emotional on many fronts, but it's exciting to honor student-athletes who have represented Wake Forest the right way on and off the court. All three will receive their Wake Forest degree in May.
Get your tickets now for those final few games as our team gears up for a postseason push.
Track has Best Weekend in Coach Hayes Era / Baseball Off to Hot Start / Women's Tennis Grabs Convincing ACC Victory
The Deacs sent a group of student-athletes to the Iowa State Classic and another to Liberty University for the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational. Overall, the Deacs hit 14 marks that will qualify those athletes for the upcoming ACC Indoor Championships on Feb. 27-29.
On the diamond, Coach Tom Walter's team began its 2020 season with a 3-1 mark over the weekend with wins over Seton Hall, Milwaukee and Illinois. The Deacs pitching staff recorded a total of 52 strikeouts to go along with its solid offensive output that included 34 runs, six home runs and 17 extra-base hits.
Not to be outdone, Wake's women's tennis team captured a win in its ACC opener last Sunday, winning 7-0 at Clemson. Coach Wyshner's squad has won four-straight matches and is on the road the next two weekends, before returning home on March 8 against North Carolina.
Student-athletes exemplify the Pro Humanitate spirit while spreading #MojiDeaconLove
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has joined forces with Moji Coffee to spread some #MojiDeaconLove in our community. Moji Coffee is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide meaningful and enriching employment to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in an effort to demonstrate how embracing this type of human diversity can bring extraordinary social, emotional, and economic value to a community. Last Thursday, SAAC members gathered with the "mojistas" — Moji Coffee's term for baristas — for some pre-Valentine's day fun and fellowship. Get a glimpse of the fun here, and be on the lookout for more as the partnership continues throughout the semester.
Before I go, I encourage you to check out this incredible piece about one of the greatest Deacons of all time and his best friend who brought him to Wake Forest. It tells the story of
Buddy Worsham and Arnold Palmer — a story of friendship, dreams and what might have been.
Keep sending your feedback to wfuad@wfu.edu. See you tomorrow night at the Joel!
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
Good morning Deacon Nation,
It's an action packed week in Deacon Land with our No. 8 ranked men's golf team currently on the course in the final day of competition in Houston, while first pitch for No. 18 baseball will be at 4 p.m. this afternoon at David F. Couch Ballpark.
And, tomorrow night, after months of planning, we will recognize one of the elite moments in our basketball history. The 1995 ACC Men's Basketball Championship team holds a special place in the heart of every Wake Forest fan who followed that incredible season. From section 235, row M, seat 1, I saw every one of Randolph Childress's tournament-record 107 points. That team elevated Wake Forest and Winston-Salem in the eyes of the ACC and national basketball world. I couldn't be more excited to welcome all of them back to the Joel tomorrow night in conjunction with the Georgia Tech game as our celebration of the 30th anniversary of the LJVM Coliseum continues.The 1994-95 team went 26-6 overall, won the ACC regular season title and captured the program's first ACC Tournament championship since 1962. Head Coach Dave Odom won his third ACC Coach of the Year award in 1995, and the team earned the program's first-ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. That squad, which featured three future NBA players in Randolph Childress, Tim Duncan and Rusty LaRue, reached the NCAA Sweet 16.
Our celebration of this outstanding team will begin 12 minutes prior to tip-off as we honor former head coach Dave Odom (1989-2001), the winningest coach in the Coliseum's history. Make sure you are in your seats early as we unveil Coach Odom's banner to join legendary Demon Deacon players and the late Skip Prosser in the rafters.
During halftime, we will recognize the players, coaches and staff of the 1994-95 team and celebrate the 25th anniversary of their ACC title.
Fans can join in the celebration by ordering their tickets for the Wake Forest-Georgia Tech game at GoDeacs.com.
Save the date! 2020 Spring Game is set for Saturday, April 4 at 3 PM
Make plans now to attend the annual spring football game which will offer Demon Deacon fans their first look at next season's team that begins its spring practices one week from today.
Admission is FREE and kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. at BB&T Field. After the conclusion of the game, fans will have the opportunity to come down to the field and meet their favorite student-athletes and coaches, take pictures and collect autographs.
Dr. Larry Hopkins and Louis Bissette to be honored at annual Founders' Day Convocation on Thursday at 4 p.m.
Each February, in observance of the University's beginnings in 1834, the Wake Forest family gathers for Founders' Day Convocation. This year, Dr. Larry Hopkins ('72, MD '77), a former Deacon football player, and fellow Trustee W. Louis Bissette, Jr. ('65) will be honored with the Medallion of Merit. The Medallion of Merit is the highest honor given by Wake Forest and is presented annually for outstanding achievement and distinguished contribution to the University. I encourage you to attend this special event on Thursday at 4 p.m. in Wait Chapel. The program will include remarks by University President Dr. Nathan Hatch, a student oration, musical performances and a keynote address by Dr. Jonathan L. Walton, Dean of the School of Divinity.
Women's Basketball News & NotesIt was a special afternoon last Sunday at Joel Coliseum as we welcomed 22 legends home, including Wake Forest University Sports Hall of Famers Amy Privette Perko and Roper Osborne Halverson. In addition, our student-athletes partnered with student-athletes from Winston-Salem State and Salem College to celebrate National Girls and Women in Sports Day. During the game, Wake honored female leaders in the community and from those Universities, and they participated in a "Chalk Talk" with Coach Jen Hoover and her staff prior to the game.
Speaking of Coach Hoover, her squad sits at .500 (13-13) entering the final three games of the regular season and has already posted five more conference victories than a season ago. After a road game on Thursday at FSU, the Deacs end the 2019-20 regular season with a pair of home games on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 12 p.m. and Thursday, Feb. 27 at 7 p.m.
Sunday's contest against North Carolina is the Deacs annual "Pink Game," where Wake Forest will honor breast cancer survivors and legends, Dianne Dailey and Charlene Curtis. Dailey, who is one of my longtime mentors, pushed Wake Forest Athletics and the women's golf program to never-before-seen heights during her 30-year tenure as head coach. Curtis was the first African American women's basketball coach in ACC history, leading the Deacons from 1997-2004 and recently retired from the ACC office.
Meanwhile, next Thursday is senior night for three student-athletes, Alex Sharp (Major: Psychology), Raegyn Branch (Major: Health & Exercise Science) and Ona Udoh (Major: Health & Exercise Science). These nights are emotional on many fronts, but it's exciting to honor student-athletes who have represented Wake Forest the right way on and off the court. All three will receive their Wake Forest degree in May.
Get your tickets now for those final few games as our team gears up for a postseason push.
Track has Best Weekend in Coach Hayes Era / Baseball Off to Hot Start / Women's Tennis Grabs Convincing ACC Victory
The Deacs sent a group of student-athletes to the Iowa State Classic and another to Liberty University for the Darius Dixon Memorial Invitational. Overall, the Deacs hit 14 marks that will qualify those athletes for the upcoming ACC Indoor Championships on Feb. 27-29.
On the diamond, Coach Tom Walter's team began its 2020 season with a 3-1 mark over the weekend with wins over Seton Hall, Milwaukee and Illinois. The Deacs pitching staff recorded a total of 52 strikeouts to go along with its solid offensive output that included 34 runs, six home runs and 17 extra-base hits.
Not to be outdone, Wake's women's tennis team captured a win in its ACC opener last Sunday, winning 7-0 at Clemson. Coach Wyshner's squad has won four-straight matches and is on the road the next two weekends, before returning home on March 8 against North Carolina.
Student-athletes exemplify the Pro Humanitate spirit while spreading #MojiDeaconLove
The Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) has joined forces with Moji Coffee to spread some #MojiDeaconLove in our community. Moji Coffee is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide meaningful and enriching employment to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in an effort to demonstrate how embracing this type of human diversity can bring extraordinary social, emotional, and economic value to a community. Last Thursday, SAAC members gathered with the "mojistas" — Moji Coffee's term for baristas — for some pre-Valentine's day fun and fellowship. Get a glimpse of the fun here, and be on the lookout for more as the partnership continues throughout the semester.
Tonight @DevelopingDeacs & Moji Coffee joined together for a Valentine's Party and share #DeaconMojiLove. In addition to crafting Valentine's Day cards, they also partnered to make a new Deacon frappe as well! #GoDeacs pic.twitter.com/2NWU398DOA
— Wake Forest Sports (@DemonDeacons) February 14, 2020
Before I go, I encourage you to check out this incredible piece about one of the greatest Deacons of all time and his best friend who brought him to Wake Forest. It tells the story of
Buddy Worsham and Arnold Palmer — a story of friendship, dreams and what might have been.
Keep sending your feedback to wfuad@wfu.edu. See you tomorrow night at the Joel!
Go Deacs!
John Currie
Director of Athletics
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