Nov. 12, 2002
The Wake Forest basketball team found plenty of success a year ago, continuing the ACC's longest streak of postseason appearances at 12, and winning a game in the NCAA tournament for the first time in five years. But five seniors are gone off that team, and two more, seniors Josh Howard (shin splints) and Steve Lepore (ruptured patella tendon), could begin the season at less than 100 percent.
All of that makes coach Skip Prosser's job a little tougher, and puts an undue amount of pressure on the team's five scholarship freshmen: guards Justin Gray and Trent Strickland, swingman Richard Joyce, forward Chris Ellis and center Eric Williams. Gold Rush talked to Prosser after a spirited practice on Oct. 23, two weeks into preseason drills.
Gold Rush: Is this, in a sense, a year to start over from scratch?
Prosser: In some ways, it is. It's like deja vu all over again. We had a whole new system installed for the whole team. Even though we have some veteran guys, there are so many new guys that in some ways, it is a new system.
Gold Rush: How are the new guys coming along?
Prosser: As you would think with five freshmen, some are moving at a quicker pace, adapting and learning a little bit quicker than others. All in all, their effort has been good, and they enjoy being out here playing basketball for Wake Forest and with one another. As long as they keep bringing the effort, I can deal with mistakes early on.
Gold Rush: The recruiting of these guys has a lot of people excited, and the fact that you've been able to focus a lot of your energy on in-state recruiting, and get a lot of the guys you're aiming for, has to be gratifying.
Prosser: My staff, Jeff (Battle) and Dino (Gaudio), Chris (Mack) and Pat (Kelsey), they've just been unbelievable in terms of recruiting. It wasn't by any grand design that we said we would recruit, commit or sign this many North Carolinians, but we feel that for a program to be strong, you have to recruit inside out. That's Winston-Salem, then North Carolina, then the South, then the ACC's geographic footprint, and we'll go further if we have to, as we have in a couple of cases.
But again, I think our coaches have done a terrific job. Our players have done a good job of recruiting. When kids come on campus, our players have done a good job of explaining to them the benefits of a Wake Forest education and ultimately, playing basketball here as well.
Gold Rush: What is this team going to look like? Is this the next step in the quickness and style you brought in last year?
Prosser: I think it's a little bit early to say that. With so many young guys, our halfcourt defense is suspect at best right now. We're sort of trying to go inside out and get better in the halfcourt before we extend our defense.
Conversely, from an offensive standpoint, we're still looking to rush the ball down the floor at every opportunity. That's where you miss a guy like Josh, because he's such a creative player. He doesn't need a lot of plays run for him; he can score in unconventional ways, which a fast pace is beneficial to a player like that.
Gold Rush: Having Josh and Steve both sitting out practice has to be a huge blow.
Prosser: Yes. Hopefully they'll lend some stability to what we're trying to do.
Gold Rush: Looking at the rotation, it seems like Justin Gray and Taron Downey are two of the more accomplished guards healthy right now, but both are 6-foot-2. Are they going to see time playing together in the backcourt in the early going?
Prosser: I'd say that's a safe bet.
Gold Rush: Does that concern you?
Prosser: It's not how tall you are, it's how tall you play. Both are talented players who enjoy playing off one another. We haven't done that much with them in practice yet, but ultimately we will.
Gold Rush: Talk about what Justin brings to the table as a freshman.
Prosser: He's confident offensively, and he plays with a passion. He's very competitive, and that kind of attitude is contagious. I think he has a chance to be an excellent player.
Gold Rush: The development of Eric Williams, physically and in a basketball sense, is going to be a key thing to watch. What strengths do you see with him down low?
Prosser: He's worked very, very, very hard. He's lost weight, he's in better shape than maybe he's ever been in his life. His teammates enjoy having him out there. I think, like Justin, he has a chance to be an excellent player.
Gold Rush: Are there any goals set for this team, or do those change much from year to year?
Prosser: One and oh. We want to start 1-0.
Gold Rush: After two weeks, are you where you wanted to be?
Prosser: Yeah, probably. We're just trying to set the tone for what's important. All the practices are competitive and hard. They're making a million mistakes, but they're usually errors of commission. They're trying to do the right things.
Gold Rush: What are the next steps in practice?
Prosser: We have to get to where we're executing. Right now, we're thinking rather than playing. We're trying not to put a million things in, but we have to put some plays in to have something to run. The guys that pick those things up have a much better chance of playing.
Gold Rush: Are you pleased with the way the returning guys came back?
Prosser: I think they're all playing well. Taron specifically is trying to become more vocal. Last year, he deferred to Broderick (Hicks) and Ervin (Murray), some of the veteran guys. This year, he's trying to be much more of a vocal leader. I think the guys respect the fact that he worked hard in the offseason, and they're responding well to his leadership because of it.
Gold Rush: How do you feel about the way the schedule came together?
Prosser: Well, if it was up to me, we'd play St. Leo's of Buena Vista 20-some times, but you have to eat some raw meat once in a while. You don't get sharp teeth eating oatmeal. We come right out of the gate: Yale's won 20 games, Temple is an NIT team, and Wisconsin is an NCAA team. So our first three games are killers. That's the hand we're dealt, and we have to play it.
Gold Rush: The ACC seems like it's in a state of flux, waiting for the next great team to emerge from the pack. How do you hope to capitalize on that?
Prosser: I think a lot of teams are counting on a lot of new guys. We're like that, and it's tough. Look at what happened at Carolina last year. It's not a forgiving league if you play a lot of young kids, and we're forced to do that, so we'll see. A lot of teams are in that same situation, and we have to do the best we can.
Gold Rush: Is there anything special you can do to get guys prepared this early, or do they just have to get out there?
Prosser: I just have to be patient, and I'm not always great at that. You have to understand that as long as they're playing hard, things will get there, but you want to see results, too. Potential is nice, but productivity is better.