Photo by: Jaylynn Nash LLC
Forbes, Williams, LaRavia Garner ACC Honors
3/6/2022 8:55:00 PM | Men's Basketball
This marks the third time in program history and first since 2003 Wake Forest has earned Coach and Player of the Year honors in the same season.
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Wake Forest men's basketball head coach Steve Forbes has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year in his second season at the helm of the Demon Deacons. Fifth-year Guard Alondes Williams has been selected as the ACC Player of the Year and he captured First Team All-ACC honors after a historic season. Additionally, junior forward Jake LaRavia was tabbed to the All-ACC Second Team.
Forbes is the fifth Wake Forest coach to earn the honor and the first since Skip Prosser in 2003. That same season, Josh Howard took home Player of the Year honor and was the last Demon Deacon to garner this prestigious honor. With Williams and LaRavia's selection on the All-ACC First and Second Team, respectively, they are the first Wake Forest tandem to garner that honor since 2005 (Chris Paul First Team, Justin Gray and Eric Williams Second Team).
Wake Forest is getting set to begin postseason play this week in Brooklyn, New York at the NY Life ACC Basketball Tournament. Earning the five-seed and a first-round bye, the Deacs secured their highest seed in the tournament since 2010.
History Made in Winston-Salem
With a regular-season conference record of 13-7, Wake Forest tied the single-season program record for ACC wins with 13 (2004-05, 2002-03). With just three league wins last season, the Deacs had the largest year-to-year improvement ever in ACC win totals with 10. The Deacs surpassed the 2009-10 UNC team who had 9. Additionally, Wake Forest's nine conference victories by 15 or more points this season lead the conference, and are the most by an ACC team since Virginia also won nine ACC contests by at least 15 points in 2018-19.
With a 17-win differential from last year to this year, Wake Forest is on pace to have one of the largest improvements from year to year in NCAA history this season, which is currently officially held by Towson. Iowa State closed in on the record with their win against Kansas State last week for an 18-game improvement (2-22 to 20-9). Towson broke their own record this season with a 20-game improvement (4-14 to 24-7). The Deacs 17-game improvement from last season (6-16 to 23-8) ties Towson's 17-game improvement from 2012 to 2013 (1-31 to 18-13). Additionally, Wake Forest earned its 16th win of the season inside LJVM Coliseum last week, which is tied for the highest total in program history.
Historic Season for Williams
After reeling in back-to-back ACC Player of the Week honors, Williams was named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week on December 21. Williams was the first Wake Forest player in program history to receive the honor (since it was first awarded in the 2009-10 season) and the first ACC player since January 31, 2021.
In February, he was named to the Midseason Team for 2022 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Player of the Year, along with three other ACC players. He was also one of five ACC players named to the MidSeason Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award Watch List in January.
Williams became the first Wake Forest player over the past 25 seasons to record at least 30 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in a game as he recorded 34 points on 15 makes, eight rebounds and seven assists against Charlotte.
The 34-point outing against Charlotte was the third for the transfer guard and second-consecutive after scoring 36 against VMI the week prior. He became the first Wake Forest player to log back-to-back 30-point games since former All-American Jeff Teague. Williams also scored 32 points against Western Carolina Nov. 12, becoming the first Demon Deacon to have three 30+ point games in a season since Jeff Teague in 08-09. Additionally, Williams recorded 16 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists against USC Upstate Dec. 11 for the Deacs' first triple-double since Tim Duncan (14 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 blocks) against Maryland on January 13, 1996.
In just one season with Coach Forbes and the Demon Deacons, Williams has more than doubled his scoring from two seasons at Oklahoma.
LaRavia's Highlight Reel
Jake LaRavia became the 55th player in program history to eclipse 1,000 career points when he tallied his ninth point of the game at the charity stripe in the first half against Louisville on Feb. 26.
In the win over North Carolina Jan. 22, LaRavia tallied the sixth double-double of his career with a career-high 31 points and 10 rebounds. He is one of just four players over the past 10 years to record 30 and 10 against Carolina, joining the likes of Jabari Parker, RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson. Additionally, with 11 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks against Boston College on Jan. 24, the Indianapolis native became the first Demon Deacon since Tim Duncan to record 10, 10 and six in a conference game.
Wake Forest Coach of the Year history
2022 Steve Forbes
2003 Skip Prosser
1995 Dave Odom
1994 Dave Odom
1991 Dave Odom
1961 Bones McKinney
1960 Bones McKinney
1956 Murray Greason
Wake Forest Player of the Year history
2022 Alondes Williams
2003 Josh Howard
1997 Tim Duncan
1996 Tim Duncan
1993 Rodney Rogers
1977 Rod Griffin
1971 Charlie Davis
1962 Len Chappell
1961 Len Chappell
1955 Dickie Hemric
1954 Dickie Hemric
Forbes is the fifth Wake Forest coach to earn the honor and the first since Skip Prosser in 2003. That same season, Josh Howard took home Player of the Year honor and was the last Demon Deacon to garner this prestigious honor. With Williams and LaRavia's selection on the All-ACC First and Second Team, respectively, they are the first Wake Forest tandem to garner that honor since 2005 (Chris Paul First Team, Justin Gray and Eric Williams Second Team).
Wake Forest is getting set to begin postseason play this week in Brooklyn, New York at the NY Life ACC Basketball Tournament. Earning the five-seed and a first-round bye, the Deacs secured their highest seed in the tournament since 2010.
History Made in Winston-Salem
With a regular-season conference record of 13-7, Wake Forest tied the single-season program record for ACC wins with 13 (2004-05, 2002-03). With just three league wins last season, the Deacs had the largest year-to-year improvement ever in ACC win totals with 10. The Deacs surpassed the 2009-10 UNC team who had 9. Additionally, Wake Forest's nine conference victories by 15 or more points this season lead the conference, and are the most by an ACC team since Virginia also won nine ACC contests by at least 15 points in 2018-19.
With a 17-win differential from last year to this year, Wake Forest is on pace to have one of the largest improvements from year to year in NCAA history this season, which is currently officially held by Towson. Iowa State closed in on the record with their win against Kansas State last week for an 18-game improvement (2-22 to 20-9). Towson broke their own record this season with a 20-game improvement (4-14 to 24-7). The Deacs 17-game improvement from last season (6-16 to 23-8) ties Towson's 17-game improvement from 2012 to 2013 (1-31 to 18-13). Additionally, Wake Forest earned its 16th win of the season inside LJVM Coliseum last week, which is tied for the highest total in program history.
Historic Season for Williams
After reeling in back-to-back ACC Player of the Week honors, Williams was named the U.S. Basketball Writers Association Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week on December 21. Williams was the first Wake Forest player in program history to receive the honor (since it was first awarded in the 2009-10 season) and the first ACC player since January 31, 2021.
In February, he was named to the Midseason Team for 2022 Jersey Mike's Naismith Trophy Player of the Year, along with three other ACC players. He was also one of five ACC players named to the MidSeason Lute Olson National Player of the Year Award Watch List in January.
Williams became the first Wake Forest player over the past 25 seasons to record at least 30 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in a game as he recorded 34 points on 15 makes, eight rebounds and seven assists against Charlotte.
The 34-point outing against Charlotte was the third for the transfer guard and second-consecutive after scoring 36 against VMI the week prior. He became the first Wake Forest player to log back-to-back 30-point games since former All-American Jeff Teague. Williams also scored 32 points against Western Carolina Nov. 12, becoming the first Demon Deacon to have three 30+ point games in a season since Jeff Teague in 08-09. Additionally, Williams recorded 16 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists against USC Upstate Dec. 11 for the Deacs' first triple-double since Tim Duncan (14 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 blocks) against Maryland on January 13, 1996.
In just one season with Coach Forbes and the Demon Deacons, Williams has more than doubled his scoring from two seasons at Oklahoma.
- 2019-20 (Oklahoma): 187
- 2020-21 (Oklahoma): 160
- 2021-22 (Wake Forest): 598
LaRavia's Highlight Reel
Jake LaRavia became the 55th player in program history to eclipse 1,000 career points when he tallied his ninth point of the game at the charity stripe in the first half against Louisville on Feb. 26.
- 2019-20 (Indiana State): 283
- 2020-21 (Indiana State): 308
- 2021-22 (Wake Forest): 431
- Total: 1,022
- 2019-20 (Indiana State): 176
- 2020-21 (Indiana State): 157
- 2021-22 (Wake Forest): 191
- Total: 524
In the win over North Carolina Jan. 22, LaRavia tallied the sixth double-double of his career with a career-high 31 points and 10 rebounds. He is one of just four players over the past 10 years to record 30 and 10 against Carolina, joining the likes of Jabari Parker, RJ Barrett and Zion Williamson. Additionally, with 11 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks against Boston College on Jan. 24, the Indianapolis native became the first Demon Deacon since Tim Duncan to record 10, 10 and six in a conference game.
Wake Forest Coach of the Year history
2022 Steve Forbes
2003 Skip Prosser
1995 Dave Odom
1994 Dave Odom
1991 Dave Odom
1961 Bones McKinney
1960 Bones McKinney
1956 Murray Greason
Wake Forest Player of the Year history
2022 Alondes Williams
2003 Josh Howard
1997 Tim Duncan
1996 Tim Duncan
1993 Rodney Rogers
1977 Rod Griffin
1971 Charlie Davis
1962 Len Chappell
1961 Len Chappell
1955 Dickie Hemric
1954 Dickie Hemric
Players Mentioned
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