Wake Forest Athletics
Forbes, Williams Garner ACC Honors from Associated Press
3/8/2022 11:44:00 AM | Men's Basketball
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest men's basketball head coach Steve Forbes has been named the Associated Press 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 AP ACC Player of the Year after a historic season in Winston-Salem. Williams was also a unanimous selection to the AP All-ACC First Team. Forbes and Williams were named the ACC Coach and Player of the Year by the league on Monday.
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 six 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.
Fifth-year Guard Alondes Williams has been selected as the AP ACC Player of the Year after a historic season in Winston-Salem. Williams was also a unanimous selection to the AP All-ACC First Team. Forbes and Williams were named the ACC Coach and Player of the Year by the league on Monday.
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 six 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
AP All-ACC FIRST TEAM
Alondes Williams, Wake Forest, 6-5, 210, Gr., Milwaukee (unanimous)
Armando Bacot, North Carolina, 6-10, 240, Jr., Richmond, Virginia (unanimous)
Paolo Banchero, Duke, 6-10, 250, Fr., Seattle
Kameron McGusty, Miami, 6-5, 190, Katy, Texas
Buddy Boeheim, Syracuse, 6-6, 205, Sr., Fayetteville, New York
SECOND TEAM
Wendell Moore Jr., Duke, 6-5, 213, Jr., Charlotte, North Carolina
Dereon Seabron, North Carolina State, 6-7, 180, R-So., Norfolk, Virginia
Mark Williams, Duke, 7-1, 242, So., Virginia Beach, Virginia
Jayden Gardner, Virginia, 6-6, 246, Sr., Wake Forest, North Carolina
Keve Aluma, Virginia Tech, 6-9, 235, R-Sr., Berlin, Maryland
Coach of the year – Steve Forbes, Wake Forest
Player of the year – Alondes Williams, Wake Forest
Newcomer of the year – Paolo Banchero, Duke
Alondes Williams, Wake Forest, 6-5, 210, Gr., Milwaukee (unanimous)
Armando Bacot, North Carolina, 6-10, 240, Jr., Richmond, Virginia (unanimous)
Paolo Banchero, Duke, 6-10, 250, Fr., Seattle
Kameron McGusty, Miami, 6-5, 190, Katy, Texas
Buddy Boeheim, Syracuse, 6-6, 205, Sr., Fayetteville, New York
SECOND TEAM
Wendell Moore Jr., Duke, 6-5, 213, Jr., Charlotte, North Carolina
Dereon Seabron, North Carolina State, 6-7, 180, R-So., Norfolk, Virginia
Mark Williams, Duke, 7-1, 242, So., Virginia Beach, Virginia
Jayden Gardner, Virginia, 6-6, 246, Sr., Wake Forest, North Carolina
Keve Aluma, Virginia Tech, 6-9, 235, R-Sr., Berlin, Maryland
Coach of the year – Steve Forbes, Wake Forest
Player of the year – Alondes Williams, Wake Forest
Newcomer of the year – Paolo Banchero, Duke
Players Mentioned
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