Wake Forest Basketball

Big 10/ACC Challenge?

2005-11-30T08:20:00.000-08:00

Capital Times (Madison, WI) writer Rob Schultz argues here that Wisconsin hasn't been getting the respect they deserve in the Big 10/ACC Challenge . (Incidentally, until this year it was called the ACC/Big 10 Challenge... does a changed name equal a changed result?) "The Badgers would like ESPN to schedule them to play a marquee Challenge game against North Carolina or Duke at the inhospitable Kohl Center."

Apparently that lack of respect got the Badgers down, as Justin Gray poured in 37 points to lead #22/23 Wake to a 91-88 victory. Game articles here and here.

Maybe Wisconsin will get their marquee matchup in 2006, but until then, here are some possible interesting matchups for the Deacs in the '06 Challenge:

-Ohio State: Wake and OSU were the final possible suitors for Greg Oden, Mike Conley, and Daequan Cook, the players responsible for giving OSU one of the top-rated recruiting classes in the nation next year.

-Illinois: #1-ranked Wake was soundly defeated at then-#5 Illinois in the Challenge in '04. With almost all the players from that game having departed by '06, Wake-Illinois would be a chance for one young team to get a solid resume win.

-Michigan State: Wake C Kyle Visser and MSU PG Drew Nietzel both hail from Grand Rapids, MI. A game in East Lansing or at a neutral site in Michigan would be a nice homecoming for Wake's only scholarship senior in '06.

Two Exhibition Victories

2005-11-07T12:57:00.000-08:00

Wake played two exhibition games last week, picking up victories over DII schools Winston-Salem State and Mars Hill.

The Deacs came out with the same starting lineup in both games:
PG Justin Gray
SG Michael Drum
SF Trent Strickland
PF Eric Williams
C Kyle Visser

Average stats for the starters in the two exhibition games:
Gray - 16.5 ppg, 5.5 apg
Drum - 8.0 ppg, 2.5 apg
Strickland - 9.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg
Williams - 20.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg
Visser - 12.5 ppg, 5.0 rpg

Other notables: Chris Ellis (6.0 ppg), Cameron Stanley (7.5 ppg), Harvey Hale (8.0 ppg), Shamaine Dukes (1.5 ppg), David Weaver (1.0 ppg)

Wake Forest opens the regular season at home against Mississippi Valley State in the first round of the 2k Sports Coaches vs. Cancer Tournament.

End of Summer Update

2005-10-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

Wake Forest's 2005-06 basketball schedule has been announced. Interesting OOC games with Princeton, Wisconsin, DePaul, and Charlotte, as well as a possible trip to New York for CvC.

A self-outlook on the upcoming season from WakeForestSports.com.

Practice starts in two weeks, and the first exhibition game is just over a month away...

Williams Will Return For Senior Season

2005-06-13T17:48:00.000-07:00

Eric Williams has left the NBA pre-draft camp in Chicago and will return to Wake Forest for his senior year, according to his mother and several print sources (including the Charlotte Observer and the Winston-Salem Journal).

ESPN.com: Williams to Return

Williams was named second team All-ACC last year, and showed flashes of brilliance at Chicago, pulling down at least 6 rebounds in each of his games there.

Recruiting 2005-06

2005-06-01T19:27:00.000-07:00

To keep Deacon fans busy during the long months between March Madness and Midnight Madness, here are the profiles for Wake's four incoming freshman basketball players, as well as Cameron Stanley (a freshman who redshirted at Wake last year) and the two recruits from the class of '06 who have verbally committed to Wake Forest.

CLASS OF '05

Shamaine Dukes (PG)

Harvey Hale (SG)

Kevin Swinton (PF)

David Weaver (C)

Cameron Stanley (SF - Redshirt '04-05)

CLASS OF '06 VERBALS:

L.D. Williams (SF)

Jamie Skeen (PF)

Late Signing Period Nets GA PG

2005-05-02T18:31:00.000-07:00

Wake recieved a verbal committment today from Albany, GA point guard Shamaine Dukes (Randolph-Clay HS). Dukes, a 6'1", 170-lb. senior, averaged 24 points, 8.8 assists, 7.6 rebounds and 6.7 steals in Georgia's 'A' classification, and will expect to see immediate playing time with the departure of NBA-bound soph Chris Paul.

Other Wake committments for 2005 include 6'7" F Kevin Swinton (Greensboro, NC), 6'10" C David Weaver (Black Mountain, NC), and 6'3" SG Harvey Hale (Albuquerque, NM).

Chris Paul Declares

2005-04-14T16:03:00.000-07:00

Official word came at 4:02 PM today that Wake Sophomore PG Chris Paul will declare for the NBA Draft and sign an agent.

Press conference quotes from the announcement here.

Paul to Declare for Draft

2005-04-14T07:59:00.000-07:00

Chris Paul, Skip Prosser, and Wake AD Ron Wellman will hold a press conference today at 4:00 PM announcing his intention to declare for the NBA Draft and forgo his final 2 years of college eligibility, according to WFB's sources.

More on this story as it develops...

Levy 3rd Pick in USBL Draft

2005-04-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

Wake Senior Jamaal Levy was selected 3rd overall in the 2005 USBL Draft, guaranteeing that at least one of Wake's three graduating seniors will be playing professionally next year.

Other Wake opponents drafted include Jason Maxiell (Cincinnati - 2nd overall), D'Or Fischer (WVU - 5th overall), Jackie Manuel (UNC - 2nd Round), Jack Ingram (Illinois - 3rd Round), and Sharrod Ford (Clemson - 4th Round).

Downey Shines At Portsmouth, NCAA 3-Point Contest

2005-04-08T07:52:00.000-07:00

After a much-needed hiatus following the NCAA Tournament loss to West Virginia, we're back and ready to keep the Deacon Nation updated until practice starts again on October 15th.

Senior Taron Downey began his NBA quest at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament Thursday, scoring 10 points and dropping 9 assists (with only 1 turnover) as his Norfolk Naval Shipyard Team beat the Tidewater Sealants 103-69.

This comes on the heels of Taron's strong showing in the NCAA 3-point Shooting Contest. He blew out Duke's Daniel Ewing in the first round, 16-7 (in the process posting the second-highest first round total out of the 8 competitors). In the final four, however, he was ousted, as he hit only 11 threes to fall behind the Diener cousins (Travis and eventual winner Drake) and Vermont's T.J. Sorrentine.

Stay with us throughout the spring and summer. Only 6 short months till Midnight Madness!

Wake Beats Mocs, Moves on to NCAA Second Round

2005-03-18T07:44:00.000-08:00

Was it the rim, the rust, Chattanooga's defense, or just a poor performance by the Deacs? Wake Forest fans struggled to find an explanation for a dismal first half that left Wake down 27-24 at halftime. Four theories emerged: (1) one of the rims at the CSU Convention Center appeared (and sounded) to be loose, and spit out any shot that the Deacs sent its way in the first half; (2) Wake hadn't played since Friday, the longest off stretch since early January, so they needed the first half to work out the rust; (3) maybe Chattanooga's not that bad; and (4) Wake continues to struggle on offense.

Regardless of one's chosen theory, Wake played abysmally in the half, shooting 28 percent from the field to find themselves down by 3 at the break, just like the other high seeds playing in the 7:00 time slot (#2 Wake, #3 Arizona, #3 Gonzaga, and #8 Texas were all down at the half at around 8:15 PM). In the second half, however, shooting on the "good rim", Wake connected on well over 50% of its shots from the field. After a 3-point play by Mindaugas Katelynas of the Mocs put them up 38-35, Wake turned on its long range shooting, as three-pointers by Chris Paul, Trent Strickland, and Taron Downey sparked a 35-16 run to end the game.

Wake will face 7th-seeded West Virginia, a winner over Creighton, at 8 PM on Saturday with a chance to advance to the Sweet 16.

WAKE FOREST LEADERS:
Points - Paul 20, Gray 14
Rebounds - Levy 6, Paul 6
Assists - Paul 5, Downey 4

OPPOSING PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Alphonso Pugh - 13 pts., 6 rebs.

Wake Heads to Cleveland for NCAAs

2005-03-13T20:54:00.000-08:00

The Chris Paul suspension proved to be more harmful than Wake fans originally thought, as Wake's loss to NC State plus conference tournament championship victories by Duke and Washington cost Wake Forest the #1 seed that it had held all season long.

Instead, Wake will head to Cleveland on Thursday and Saturday as the #2 seed in the Albuquerque regional to face 15th-seeded Chattanooga. A Deacon victory would match them up with either #7 West Virginia or #10 Creighton, and possible matchups loom with #3 Gonzaga, #4 Louisville, #5 Georgia Tech, or #1 Washington. (By the way, the possible second round game between GT and Louisville is one of the most intriguing matchups of the entire tournament, in what should be an amazing battle.)

Several ESPN analysts picked Wake to make it to the Final Four, with a couple sending us all the way to the championship game. Any thoughts or comments about Wake's seed and possible tournament chances?

ACC Tournament Game Report

2005-03-12T19:18:00.000-08:00

As soon as Ilian Evtimov's attempted alley-oop (soccer throw-in style) fell into the net for a 3-pointer, many Wake fans knew that it was not to be. Evtimov's hot hand, Julius Hodge's personal quest for revenge against Wake, and a lack of Chris Paul combined to bounce Wake Forest from the ACC Quarterfinals on Friday.

NC State started off hot, but slowed down as Wake came back from a couple of first half deficits to tie the game at the half, 38-38. However, a stretch at the beginning of the first half in which several Wake turnovers led to easy layups and dunks by Cameron Bennerman and Andrew Brackman of the Wolfpack sealed the result. A 10-0 run by the Pack made it 51-44, and Wake would never get closer than 5 points the rest of the way, as NC State sunk its free throws to extend the final margin to 16.

Now, the Deacs are left to watch and wait as some combination of Illinois, UNC, Kentucky, Duke, Wake Forest, and Louisville will make up the 4 #1 seeds on Selection Sunday.

WAKE FOREST LEADERS:
Points - Gray 17, Williams 17
Rebounds - Williams 8, Danelius 6
Assists - Downey 4, Gray 4

OPPOSING PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Julius Hodge - 22 points, 8 rebounds

ACC Tournament Bracket Set

2005-03-07T00:47:00.000-08:00

With the regular season over, the ACC Tournament seeds have been set in stone.

The tournament schedule and bracket can be seen here.

7th seeded NC State will take on the #10 seed, Florida State, at 2:00 on Thursday, March 10. The winner will face 2nd seeded Wake at 7 PM on Friday, March 11 (ESPN2). Should Wake win, it will face either the 3rd, 6th, or 11th seeded team on Saturday 3/12 at 3:30 PM (ESPN). The tournament final will be Sunday, March 13 at 1 PM, also on ESPN.

(I hope to be able to post tournament reports, if I can get the wireless to work where I'm staying in the Washington area.)

Back And Ready For Washington, D.C.

2005-03-06T22:45:00.000-08:00

I'll start by apologizing profusely for the 2-week-long gap in posts. It's been a hectic, work-filled couple of weeks, although not entirely stressful, thanks to wins over Longwood, UVA, Georgia Tech, and now NC State.

Recaps of the Longwood, UVA, Georgia Tech, and NC State games can be seen through these links.

As the Deacs walked into the RBC Center for their pregame shootaround Sunday, their ACC fate was already decided thanks to UNC's come from behind 75-73 win over Duke. As a result, UNC solidified their regular season league championship, making Wake the automatic #2 seed and Duke #3 in the conference tournament. However, both the Deacs and the Wolfpack still had plenty to play for. For NC State, a win would almost surely secure an NCAA tournament berth. Wake could also help themselves, as a win would go a long way towards earning a #1 seed in the Dance, especially with #1 Illinois, #3 Kentucky, #6 Duke, #7 Kansas, #8 Oklahoma St. and #10 Washington all losing over the weekend.

Wake started out well, jumping to a 16-9 lead. But Ilian Evtimov kept the Pack in the game, shooting 4/5 from the field in the same period that the rest of his team went 4/13. Several missed free throws, however, kept NC State down by 8 at halftime. The game was chippy, with Chris Paul giving Julius Hodge a tap to the groin that was promptly followed by a Hodge elbow to Paul's midsection, earning Hodge a technical on his senior night (making him the second ACC player to have that distinction in 3 days, as Daniel Ewing of Duke picked up a T of his own on Thursday). The Deacs could not find the hoop in the second half, having scored only 15 points in the first 19 1/2 minutes of the period. Down 53-50, however, Justin Gray stepped back and buried a 3-pointer in front of the Wake bench to tie it. After an Engin Atsur airball, Wake got the ball back with 4.2 seconds left. On a perfectly executed inbounds play, Paul inbounded to Vytas Danelius, who gave it back to Paul. Paul drove the length of the court, and tossed in a runner despite being bumped by Atsur as the buzzer sounded.

WAKE FOREST LEADERS:
Points - Gray 15, Danelius 12
Rebounds - Williams 7, Gray 6
Assists - Paul 6, Gray 2

OPPOSING PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Ilian Evtimov - 19 pts., 6 rebs.

Coach K's Tactics - Part 2

2005-02-22T14:58:00.000-08:00

Today's Birmingham News article delves further into Coach K's "curious" tactics in this weekend's Duke-Wake game (see the post below).

Notable quotes:

" Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski - one of the most revered college basketball coaches in the country - needs a reprimand."

"Of course, basketball's a physical game. But it's physical enough without this kind of thuggery. What makes it even worse, in my mind, is that this was a premeditated act, a game plan."

"Something's wrong when perhaps the college game's best coach, with a roster full of studs, has to stoop to that garbage as a game plan."

Our point exactly...

Coach K Embarasses Duke, ACC

2005-02-21T12:11:00.000-08:00

In what will surely be an embarassment for years to both the Duke basketball program and the ACC as a whole, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski stooped to a new low last night in Duke's 102-92 victory over the Deacs at Cameron.

Rather than using the usual starting lineup, Coach K replaced Daniel Ewing, DeMarcus Nelson, and Shavlik Randolph with Reggie Love and walk-ons Patrick Johnson and Patrick Davidson. According to the AP write-up of the game, "He [Davidson] manhandled Wake Forest guard Chris Paul on the opening possession, bumping him wildly before a foul was called." Coach K promptly used the foul (5 seconds into the game) as an opportunity to berate the referees, a practice which would continue until the final buzzer. In total, Johnson and Davidson each played 2 minutes and each picked up 2 fouls, before heading to the bench for the rest of the game.

Having assumedly told his players to go into the game and foul Wake's starters into submission, Coach K stooped to a new low. Knowing that he was undermanned, K placed his walk-ons in to pick up fouls, thereby allowing him to attack the referees and convince them that the calls should be "evened out". Wake coach Skip Prosser was surprisingly restrained, remarking only that "you guys [the media] saw what happened out there." Chris Paul also saw through Coach K, noting that "That's the oldest trick in the book, to put somebody in the game who really is not going to influence the game, but try to get a double foul or something like that."

Despite Duke's victory, the "curious" tactics of Coach K are a sad low for a once-proud program, now having to resort to thug-like tactics just to pick up a home win.

AP: Bench Key To Wake's Success

2005-02-19T10:53:00.000-08:00

Yesterday's AP article (by way of SI.com) gives 4 keys to Wake Forest's impressive record this year: Downey, Strickland, Ellis, and Visser.

Noteable quotes:

"I don't look at it like I'm not starting," Downey said. "We all want the same thing, and that's wins."

"I don't really try to come in and go for a dunk or anything," Strickland said. "I just want to come in and do what I can to raise the energy level."

"It just makes me harder to guard," Ellis said of his range. "I can be a threat inside or outside, so teams have to make a choice."

"We all can play defense and offense," Strickland said. "If anybody has a bad game or anything, somebody else can step in and help out. That's what makes us so tough."

Game Summary - Wake Forest vs. Miami

2005-02-15T21:16:00.000-08:00

It wasn't pretty or particularly well-played, but when all was said and done Tuesday night, Wake Forest emerged from the Convocation Center in Coral Gables with a crucial 68-63 victory over Miami to move to 22-3 overall and 10-2 in the ACC.

The first half was a classic back-and-forth matchup, with Miami responding to every Wake Forest run. Wake Forest won the tip and continued its streak of turning the ball over on the first possession of almost every road game this year. Eric Williams had 8 points in the half, Chris Paul had 6, and Taron Downey hit a dagger 3-pointer, but Guillermo Diaz's 10, including several dazzling drives, kept the game deadlocked at the half, 33-33.

Vytas Danelius knocked down a 3-pointer and Wake extended its lead to 5 just after halftime (the biggest lead to that point by either team), but Miami came storming back thanks to the tough guard play of Diaz and Anthony Harris. The game again moved back-and-forth, with the Deacs going up by 3 on a stunning alley-oop from Paul to Trent Strickland. The Deacs then extended their lead to 8, the biggest of the game, at 63-55 with 4 minutes remaining. But Miami wouldn't go away, closing the gap to 63-61 with 1:09 left. Chris Paul's runner as the shot clock wound down put Wake back up by 4, but Diaz came right back down the court to make it a 2-point game again with 50.5 seconds left. Jamaal Levy missed a layup for the Deacs, but Williams grabbed the critical offensive rebound and was fouled. He sank one of two free throws, Miami's Harris airballed a 3-point attempt with 4.8 seconds to go, and Justin Gray hit both his foul shots to put the game away.

And, as Skip Prosser so often reminds the team, the Deacs managed to "get in, get a win, and get out."

WAKE FOREST LEADERS:
Points - Paul 13, Williams 13
Rebounds - Levy 10, Paul 6, Williams 6
Assists - Paul 8, Levy 4

OPPOSING PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Guillermo Diaz - 20 pts., 2 rebs.

Game Summary - Wake Forest vs. Florida State

2005-02-12T23:40:00.000-08:00

Wake Forest was 17-0 coming into Saturday's game when outrebounding opponents. Against Florida State, Wake added another win to that category in convincing (to put it mildly) fashion as the Deacs outrebounded the Seminoles 49-27 to win 87-48. The rebounding margin was Wake's biggest in over 2 years. Consider the following facts from the game: (1) Wake Forest's backup center Kyle Visser, who only played 13 minutes, outrebounded every player on Florida State; (2) Eric Williams almost had a double-double at halftime, collecting 9 rebounds in the first 20 minutes; and (3) even freshman walk-on Graeme Keith got into the action, collecting 2 rebounds in his 2 minutes of play.

The game started out close, but Wake Forest went on a 14-0 run midway through the half to stretch their lead to 39-20 before expanding that lead even further to 20 at halftime. Wake refused to back down after halftime, going on an 8-0 run early in the second half capped by a Vytas Danelius 3-point play. Florida State later went almost 5 minutes without scoring a point before Skip Prosser emptied his bench to end the game.

The lopsided victory was Wake's largest ever against Florida State and the Deacs sixth-largest victory ever in an ACC game.

WAKE FOREST LEADERS:
Points - Gray 20, Williams 15
Rebounds - Williams 14, Visser 6, Levy 6
Assists - Paul 7, Gray 3, Downey 3

OPPOSING PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Von Wafer - 16 points, 2 steals

Game Summary - Wake Forest vs. NC State

2005-02-10T22:17:00.000-08:00

Julius Hodge did his part to make his prediction of a State victory over Wake Forest come true, but the Deacs would have none of it as Wake Forest beat NC State 86-75 in Winston-Salem. Hodge had 27 points after being benched to start the game for missing Herb Sendek's free throw practice. The Deacs opened up a 21-9 lead after some clutch three-point shooting from Taron Downey. Wake forced 10 turnovers in the first half, and capitalized on many of them to take a 16 point halftime lead (despite allowing State to shoot 59% in the half).

In the second half, however, Hodge helped State close the margin to 5 as Wake's defense began to falter. But a Jamaal Levy jumper to beat the shot clock buzzer with 1:09 remaining increased the Deacs' lead to 9 and effectively put the game away for good. Wake will practice tomorrow to prepare for the season's second meeting against Florida St. on Saturday (1:30 PM, ABC).

WAKE FOREST LEADERS:
Points - Gray 18, Williams 15
Rebounds - Williams 7, Gray 5
Assists - Paul 8, 4 tied with 1

OPPOSING PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Julius Hodge - 27 pts., 2 asts.

ESPN: Wake Has "Cleverest" Fans in ACC

2005-02-10T11:02:00.000-08:00

In an article on ESPN.com's Page 2 today, Mike Ogle calls out the Cameron Crazies as "posers".

The interesting quote from this story, however, comes on the second page of the story: "Duke's student fans aren't even the cleverest in the ACC anymore. Wake Forest has snatched that title."

Got that right.

Levy Headlines All-Glue Team

2005-02-08T23:46:00.000-08:00

Getting some long-overdue recognition, Jamaal Levy was the leading vote-getter on SI.com's All-Glue Team. Well deserved recognition for one of the most underrated and overlooked players in the nation.

Game Summary - Wake Forest vs. Virginia Tech

2005-02-05T23:10:00.000-08:00

Wake Forest pulled away from Virginia Tech early in the first half to go up 23-11 and never looked back en route to a convincing 83-63 victory over the Hokies. Although Chris Paul only scored 3 points, he proved once again to be the offensive catalyst, as he dished out 9 assists, many of which came on alleyoops and kickouts to Taron Downey and Justin Gray for 3-pointers.

The opening minutes were close, as Tech went up 6-3, but Wake Forest used an 8-0 run followed by a 20-10 run to jump out to a 15-point halftime lead. Virginia Tech closed the lead to 7 at 50-43, but Wake then took off on another run, this time 14-0, to put the game away for good. With the game well in hand, the decent amount of Wake fans who traveled up to Blacksburg made themselves heard with a WAKE-FOREST chant during Carlos Dixon's free throws.

The win took the Deacs to 19-3 (7-2 ACC) and dropped the Hokies to 12-8 (5-4).

WAKE FOREST LEADERS:
Points - Downey 18, Gray 16
Rebounds - Williams 12, Gray 6
Assists - Paul 9, Downey 5

OPPOSING PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Jamon Gordon - 22 pts., 5 rebs.

Game Summary - Wake Forest vs. Duke

2005-02-03T01:43:00.000-08:00

There had been chatter for weeks about Duke being overrated and how they hadn't truly challenged themselves yet. By the middle of the second half Wednesday in Winston-Salem, the talk seemed to be true. Duke found themselves down by 14, and it could have been even worse if not for several missed layups and putbacks by Wake. However, in the final minutes Duke showed why they are always dangerous, even if they are overrated. JJ Redick hit a flurry of threes and it took two Taron Downey free throws ( he was on the line to end a game for the third time in 4 games) to seal the 92-89 victory.

The game started off back and forth. The Williamses, Eric (WF) and Shelden (Duke) attempted to establish themselves in the paint, and the game was tied 12-12 and 18-18 at the first two television timeouts. Tied at 30, the game got a bit chippy. Chris Paul and Daniel Ewing got tied up for a jump ball, and both players violently pulled away from each other. Vytas Danelius and Lee Melchionni then exchanged words, and JJ Redick went after Chris Paul before both sides were sent to the benches. The final result, after a lengthy trip to the television monitor by the referees, was a double technical on Paul and Ewing. The game continued to stay close, but the Deacs opened up a 45-39 halftime lead.

The second half opened the same way, but the Deacs began to pull away, going on a 10-0 run to make it 60-49. Wake then led by 14 twice before Redick's string of 3's. When JJ's final shot attempt, an off-balance three-pointer from 30 feet, missed off the rim, the sellout Joel crowd could finally breathe a sigh of relief. The celebration spilled onto the Wake Quad, where revelers "rolled the quad" in traditional fashion, and Skip Prosser, Taron Downey, Eric Williams, Justin Gray, Chris Paul, Jamaal Levy, and Trent Strickland, among others, came out to greet the fans.

Thanks for the comments yesterday, keep coming back often!

WAKE FOREST LEADERS:
Points - Paul 23, Williams 19
Rebounds - Williams 13, Ellis 6, Strickland 6
Assists - Paul 6, Gray 2

OPPOSING PLAYER OF THE GAME:
J.J. Redick - 33 points, 5 assists

Eric Williams On A Roll... Part 2

2005-02-01T19:31:00.000-08:00

Big E was named ACC Player of the Week for last week after averaging 25.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in the loss to GT and the win over Miami.

Feel free to post a comment below... any thoughts about the Duke game tomorrow?

Eric Williams On A Roll

2005-01-30T19:37:00.000-08:00

Big E makes this week's "Who's Hot" list in the Raleigh News & Observer.

Rightfully so! Eric has averaged 26 points and 9.7 rebounds per game in Wake's last 3 games (Cincy, GT, Miami), and is making a strong case for first team All-ACC. Wednesday's matchup between Eric and Duke's Shelden Williams should be a battle for the ages.

Game Summary - Wake Forest vs. Miami

2005-01-29T18:29:00.000-08:00

Wake Forest pulled away from Miami in the second half to win 94-82 and improve to 5-2 in the ACC.

Despite hundreds of fans choosing to stay home rather than brave the icy and snowy roads in Winston-Salem, the game got off to a hot start, as both teams shot over 50% in the half. Miami was particularly potent from the field, hitting 90% of their 3-point attempts in the half (10-for-11). Anthony Harris dropped 18 of his 28 in the half, and Guillermo Diaz was 4-for-4 from beyond the arc at the break. The Miami lead got up to 7, but the Deacs came back, pulling within one at halftime.

The second half began just like the first, back-and-forth with little defense. However, Wake Forest grabbed a lead at 59-58 and didn't look back, going on an 18-7 run as Justin Gray's 3-pointer put the Deacs up by 12. Eric Williams had 23 points and 11 rebounds, and both Chris Ellis and Trent Strickland had strong games off the bench as the Wake improved to 17-3 overall.

WAKE FOREST LEADERS:
Points - Williams 23, Gray 20
Rebounds - Williams 11, Strickland 7
Assists - Paul 7, Downey 6

OPPOSING PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Anthony Harris - 28 pts., 9 assists

Vytas Danelius

2005-01-24T20:45:00.000-08:00

Vytas was the lead story on the College Hoops homepage at CBS Sportsline, as Gregg Doyel contemplated this year's reincarnation of Danelius vs. the #13 of old.

Some notable quotes:

"Danelius, a 6-foot-9, 237-pound senior forward, hasn't been himself for almost two years."

"The Deacons (16-2) have made it this far with Danelius averaging 6.5 points and 4.6 rebounds, but they've soared when he was more like his sophomore self. His best two games were against George Washington and No. 6 North Carolina, when he averaged 14 points and seven rebounds and the Deacons won by a combined 34 points."

"'I think I'm back,' Danelius said. 'It's not always the points. It's about confidence, how you feel about your game, your role. I never had fancy dribbles. I'm still the same player, walking tall. I'm ready to fight. I want to be a fighter.'"

"If it comes all the way back, watch out. With Danelius a fearless pogo stick once more, the Deacons would have the most complete team in the country."

Game Summary - Wake Forest vs. Cincinnati

2005-01-22T15:16:00.000-08:00

Unlike in Tuesday's game against Florida State, Taron Downey knocked down his final free throw to put the game away for good as #3 Wake Forest knocked off #20/18 Cincinnati on the road, 74-70.

Wake Forest got off to a hot start, going up 19-9. The Deacs were torrid throughout the first half, shooting over 50% from the field (and over 70% from behind the arc), and Chris Paul hit his first 4 three-pointers. However, turnovers began to plague Wake Forest, and the Bearcats cut the Deacs' halftime lead to 1, 39-38.

Wake opened the second half with a dunk by Eric Williams, and went on an 8-3 run to start the half to lead 47-41. The Deacs continued their hot shooting, finishing at 50% (9-of-18) on three-pointers, and maintained around a 6 point lead for most of the second half. However, after leading 70-64 with 3:37 to play, Wake Forest failed to score again until there were 10 seconds left in the game. Trailing 70-68 with 11 seconds left, Cincinnati's Jason Maxiell attempted a turnaround baseline jumper from 8 feet out that fell short. Jamaal Levy grabbed the rebound, was fouled, and knocked down both free throws. Jihad Muhammad drove for a layup with 3 seconds left to cut the score to 72-70, but Taron Downey was fouled and hit both his foul shots to end the game.

Eric Williams dominated the game in the paint, scoring a career high 29 points and grabbing 6 rebounds. Chris Paul added 21 points and had 8 assists as Wake picked up the important road victory.

WAKE FOREST LEADERS:
Points - Williams 29, Paul 21
Rebounds - Levy 7, Williams 6, Paul 6
Assists - Paul 8, Levy 5

OPPOSING PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Eric Hicks - 18 points, 5 rebounds

Kellogg: Downey/Levy Underrated, but Wake Will Lose to Cincy

2005-01-21T17:41:00.000-08:00

Clark Kellogg of Yahoo! Sports put Jamaal Levy and Taron Downey at the top of his list of "Undervalued Pairs" in college basketball. He went on in his Weekend Preview to predict a Wake loss at #20/18 Cincinnati.

"The game's outcome will be determined by Cincinnati's ability to score points in the half court. Nick Williams has scored 40 points in the last two games, including 12 3-pointers.That kind of shooting needs to continue and I think it will. Cincinnati rarely loses at home and I think the Bearcats will win this one."

82 Reasons Why Taron Downey Should be Praised...

2005-01-21T01:02:00.000-08:00

82 - the number of games Taron Downey has won in his Wake Forest career. Zero - the importance of his throat slash gesture, which was not malicious or threatening, but rather the excited reaction of a senior leader who had just capped a remarkable comeback by his team.

The Durham Herald-Sun expands on how much Taron means to the Wake Forest team and community as a whole.

Notable quotes:

"Downey is one of the classiest kids in Skip Prosser's program and he made a simple mistake."

"Never mind that Wake had made an NCAA-record 50 consecutive free throws -- including an ACC-record 32-of-32 Saturday vs. North Carolina -- because Downey became the story."

"Dean Buchan, Wake's sports information director, went into the dressing room hoping to get Downey to do a postgame interview on the school's radio network. No chance. Downey was crying and throwing up."

"Wake Forest has won 82 games in Downey's career. One word can describe him -- invaluable. A better phrase would be -- invaluable off the bench."

"If Prosser is the smart coach that I know him to be, he will allow this to evaporate into the clouds, caution Downey not to even think about it again. And move on."

We should all do the same...

Sports Illustrated Power Rankings

2005-01-20T20:45:00.000-08:00

We remain in the top 4 of SI's Power 16, behind Illinois, Kansas, and Duke.

"Wake's 2,000-plus student cheering section -- the Screamin' Demons -- elevated its national profile by displaying impressive Illinois- or Duke-style rowdiness for the Deacs' win over North Carolina last Saturday. (Those fans were sorely missed in Tallahassee on Tuesday.) The Demons' standard-issue uniform, however -- a loud, black-and-yellow tie-dye shirt -- will not win any fashion awards."

Illinois-style rowdiness? Don't insult us that way... SI might change their tune after watching the Illini's weak crowd tonight vs. Iowa. And we LOVE our tie-dyes, even though they're not winning fashion awards!

Katz: Paul Is The Difference

2005-01-19T18:09:00.000-08:00

In real life news, Andy Katz picks Chris Paul as the best point guard in the country, and the key to Wake's success.

Some quotes from the article:

"Paul finds a way to make the 3-pointer, the mid-range shot in the lane or from along the baseline, or simply gets to the line."

"The Demon Deacons won [on Saturday]. And they'll win plenty more, because of Paul."

"Forget about debating who is the best point guard in the country this season. The race is over."

"Paul is the difference for Wake Forest -- and what differentiates Wake Forest from everyone else."

If Life Imitated Video Games...

2005-01-19T18:04:00.000-08:00

ESPN.com simulated the 2005 Final Four on its NCAA College Hoops 2K5 game. The results? Wake defeated North Carolina by 4 in one semifinal, and then knocked off Kansas by 14 in the National Championship. Do I hear "One Shining Moment" playing somewhere in the distance?...

1/18/05 - ACC Game #5; Wake Forest at Florida St.

2005-01-19T10:50:00.000-08:00

Here are a few game articles from yesterday's upset loss to Florida State in overtime, 91-83.

Refreshing Win

'Noles Upset Deacs

No. 3 Wake Forest Falls in Overtime

Game Summary - WF at FSU

Game Summary - Wake Forest vs. Florida State

2005-01-18T23:34:00.000-08:00

Oh, the irony. Wake Forest tonight hit each of its first 18 free throws, setting a new NCAA record for consecutive free throws made at 50. The 51st free throw attempt came with 2 seconds left, and the score tied at 76. Taron Downey missed, sending the game into overtime, and #3 Wake Forest fell in the extra period to Florida State, 91-83.

Florida State opened the game on fire from the field, as Von Wafer hit 3 of his first 4 three-point attempts en route to 25 points in the first half (he finished with 30). The Seminoles refused to let up, and Wake Forest turned the ball over 5 times in the first 10 minutes. After cutting the FSU lead to 20-14, Downey rimmed out a three-pointer and Florida State went on a run to go up by 19.

Open three-pointers and easy layups for the Noles took them to a 46-32 halftime lead, but Wake Forest rallied back to tie the game at 67. With the Noles leading 76-73, Skip Prosser took a timeout with 8 seconds left to set up a play. The ball was inbounded and ended up in Downey's hands to the left of the key. With 2.1 seconds remaining, Downey heaved up a desperate 23-footer and was fouled by a flying leg from a Florida State player. (Incidentally, the foul was indisputable, after 39 minutes of head-scratchingly inconsistent refereeing from Duke Edsall's crew) As the shot swished in, Downey turned to the crowd and mouthed "It's Over" before turning to shoot his free throw. On the Deacs 19th free throw attempt of the night, the shot rolled off the back right side of the rim, and the game was sent into overtime.

In the extra period, the Seminoles scored on 5 of their first 6 possessions, and Wake Forest couldn't find the net. A Todd Galloway 3-pointer with a minute left to make it 87-80 put the final seal on the game, and the Deacs only managed one more basket, an NBA 3-pointer from Downey, who ended up with 21 points on 5-for-7 from outside the arc. Chris Paul finished with 29 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists. However, among other woes, Justin Gray shot 3-for-16 (including 1-for-12 on three-point attempts), and Vytas Danelius shot 1-for-7.

WAKE FOREST LEADERS:
Points - Paul 29, Downey 21
Rebounds - Paul 9, Williams 7
Assists - Paul 6, Gray 3

OPPOSING PLAYERS OF THE GAME:
Von Wafer (30 points), Al Thornton (26 points, 10 rebounds)

Debunking the Free Throw Myth

2005-01-17T22:37:00.000-08:00

In the past couple of days, there has been a lot of chatter not only from UNC fans, but also from local and national media, about the impact our 32-for-32 from the line had on the victory. What these so-called "experts" fail to mention is that UNC was a blistering 21-for-26 from the line.

Take away all the free throws in the game and Wake Forest still wins by 2. If UNC makes all of its attempts, Wake wins by 8. If Wake shoots the same FT percentage as UNC did (80.8 %), Wake wins by 6. It wasn't the free throws that won the game for Wake Forest. Enough said...

ESPN.com Tidbits

2005-01-17T13:49:00.000-08:00

Well, the accolades are pouring in on ESPN.com after this weekend's win over UNC. Chris Paul was named Andy Katz's Player of the Week, and Wake was one of his honorable mentions for Team of the Week (Syracuse got the nod).

Meanwhile, in Joe Lunardi's Bracketology, Wake Forest is in as a #1 seed in the Syracuse region, playing its first two games in Charlotte against Charleston Southern and either Georgetown or Vanderbilt.

1/15/05 - ACC Game #4; North Carolina at Wake Forest

2005-01-16T12:19:00.000-08:00

Here are some game stories from #4/3 Wake Forest's 95-82 victory over #3/4 North Carolina:

Wake Meets Challenge

Carolina Loses Aura

WFU's 6th Man

Wake Had North Carolina on its Mind

Paul's 26 Leads Wake Forest Past North Carolina

Dominant Deacons Erase Any Doubt

Game Summary - Wake Forest vs. North Carolina

2005-01-15T17:54:00.000-08:00

As I tried to think of a player to highlight as the one who won the game for Wake Forest when they beat North Carolina 95-82 on Saturday, there were several possibilities. Chris Paul? 26 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, and 5 steals makes for a stunning stat line. Taron Downey? 18 points off the bench to spark a huge first half run to put the Deacons on top. Chris Ellis? 11 points and stellar rebounding off the bench. Vytas Danelius? Again, 11 points and tough work on the glass. Then I came to the realization that the win was not sparked by one single player, but rather a precise offensive performance and tough defense by the TEAM as a whole.

In addition, the Deacs came 2 made free throws short of an NCAA record, as they hit all 32 of their attempts from the stripe. In a game that was chippy (to say the least) at the outset, several players from each team got in early foul trouble. By halftime, Jackie Manuel (UNC) had 3 fouls, and Raymond Felton (UNC) and 4 Wake Forest players had 2 each. Rashad McCants also found himself in the referees' doghouse, as he recieved his third foul near the end of the first half, after which he proceeded to pout, throw his gum into the Wake Forest crowd, and storm off the court. The second half continued in the same fashion: Eric Williams (WF), David Noel (UNC), Marvin Williams (UNC), and Manuel all fouled out. Also, referee Karl Hess did his best to help UNC attempt to make a comeback by calling 4 fouls on Wake in a span of 30 seconds.

After taking a 10-point lead at the half (43-33), Wake expanded its margin to 15 on 3 Downey free throws. Carolina closed to within 8 at 66-58, but Ellis stole a rebound from Marvin Williams and made a layup to quell the Tar Heels' run. The lead was again trimmed to 8 with 2 1/2 minutes left, but Chris Paul beat the UNC press to find a wide open Eric Williams for the dunk. Several free throws in the last minute pushed the lead to a final margin of 13, as a raucous Wake crowd left the arena in jubilation. Wake improved to 15-1 (4-0 ACC), while UNC dropped to 14-2 (3-1).

WAKE FOREST LEADERS:
Points - Paul 26, Downey 18
Rebounds - Levy 8, Danelius 7
Assists - Paul 8, 2 tied with 2

OPPOSING PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Marvin Williams - 15 pts., 7 rebs.

Come back tomorrow for a full slate of articles about the game.

Campout in Full Force

2005-01-14T10:56:00.000-08:00

Over 300 Wake students have now amassed at the Joel Coliseum, down the street from campus, to camp out for the best seats for Saturday's game vs. UNC (1:30 PM EST on ABC). Tents, cars, and even a horse trailer are scattered across the Joel's parking lot, as students have braved hard ground and even less cooperative weather to be as close to the action as possible. Coach Skip Prosser, women's coach Mike Peterson, and several players (including Chris Paul, Justin Gray, Taron Downey, Trent Strickland, and Kyle Visser) have stopped by to thank the students for their support.

Greensboro News & Record writer Rob Daniels offers his take on the festivities.

Wake Mentioned in Article About Maryland's Struggles

2005-01-12T15:13:00.000-08:00

Dan Wetzel from Yahoo! Sports discusses Maryland's recent struggles but also throws in several tidbits about Wake.

Some highlights:

"A Demon Deacon crew that is every bit as good as its No. 4 national ranking implies."

"Paul, the sophomore superstar who could start for about 10 NBA teams right now – and will for one next year." (although that last part is a bit disturbing)

"Lawrence Joel Coliseum (capacity 14,665) is not just sold out, but rocking. Now the Deacons aren't just winning (14-1) but scoring style points en route, what with Paul, Justin Gray and Trent Strickland combining for an aerial show."

"Saturday's top-five clash with North Carolina is one of the most anticipated games in school history."

1/11/05 - ACC Game #3; Maryland at Wake Forest

2005-01-12T10:52:00.000-08:00

A few articles from around the country discussing #3/4 Wake's drubbing of Maryland:

Wake Forest Cruises Past Maryland

Wake Forest Rolls Past Terps

Wake Stays in Control

Wake Forest Superbox

Maryland No Match For Wake

Wake Forest Counts on Gray Again

Game Summary - Wake Forest vs. Maryland

2005-01-12T00:03:00.000-08:00

Another day, another game of unconscious shooting for Justin Gray. Gray's 25 points and 66% 3-point shooting led Wake Forest to their 3rd ACC victory as they defeated Maryland 81-66. That deceiving score doesn't fully reflect a 21-point halftime lead by the Deacs, as they went on a 32-18 run to end the first 20 minutes. Maryland shot only 38% from the field in the first half (including 0-for-7 from outside the arc) and an abysmal 25% from the free throw stripe. The Terps' poor shooting, combined with Gray's 16 first half points, left the Deacons sitting comfortably at the half.

Wake extended the lead in the second stanza, doubling the Terps' score at 52-26 before beginning to slow down on offense. As they ran longer offensive sets and Maryland began to hit more consistently from the field and the stripe, the Terps closed to within 13 before the Deacs put in their walk-ons for the third straight game to finish the job.

For all intents and purposes, however, the game was over by halftime... and both teams knew it. Wake coach Skip Prosser criticized the Deacs' inability to "finish the game" as they had in the first two ACC games, but he hit the nail on the head when adding that the players looked like "they just wanted to get the game over with." After all, a top 5 team and in-state rival comes to town on Saturday. We'll excuse the Deacs for looking ahead...

WAKE FOREST LEADERS:
Points - Gray 25, Paul 14
Rebounds - Danelius 10, Williams 10
Assists - Paul 6, Strickland 3

OPPOSING PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Nik Caner-Medley - 21 points, 6 rebounds

Former Wake SG A.W. Hamilton Leads Marshall to Upset

2005-01-11T23:59:00.000-08:00

Former Dave Odom recruit A.W. Hamilton, who transferred from Wake Forest to Marshall in 2002, had a team high 17 points to lead the Thundering Herd to a stunning upset of West Virginia.

Marshall 59 - West Virginia 55

Eric Williams Makes Doyel's Top 10 "Physically Astonishing" Players

2005-01-11T17:15:00.000-08:00

Gregg Doyel from CBS Sportsline ranked 10 players "whose physical attributes, whether it's their size or speed or strength or something else, freak ... me ... out."

Eric Williams made the list at #9, and we would tend to agree, based on his work in the paint this year. (Plus we love the comparison to Elton Brand!) "At 6-9, 275 pounds, the Wake Forest junior is a lot like ex-Duke great Elton Brand -- only an inch taller, 15 pounds heavier and more chiseled. The Brand comparison tilts the other way on the court, where Brand is a basketball savant, but Williams' game is coming along nicely ... and he's a simply terrifying physical presence."

Getting Physical

WSJ: Wake's High-Flying Offense

2005-01-10T11:50:00.000-08:00

In today's Winston-Salem Journal, Dan Collins talks about Clemson playing into the hands of our uptempo offense. Will the rest of the ACC be able to slow us down?

Deacons' Offense and Opponents' Styles

Our 2 KEYS FOR THE MARYLAND GAME tomorrow night:

1) Limiting Turnovers: On Saturday, North Carolina turned the ball over 15 times in the first 20 minutes, and Maryland kept the game close. When the Heels cut back on their turnovers in the second half, they ran away with it.

2) Perimeter Defense: One of the favorite (and most effective) tools of the Maryland offense is having someone (usually Gilchrist) penetrate and kick it out to an open 3-point shooter. UNC, through a combination of luck and good outside defense, limited the Terps to a pitiful 2-for-22 on 3-point FGs on Saturday. We can't let them stay in the game by knocking down a bunch of 3's.

1/8/05 - ACC Game #2; Wake Forest at Clemson

2005-01-09T11:25:00.000-08:00

Below are some postgame articles discussing #3/4 Wake Forest's 103-68 win over Clemson.

Wake Wins Eighth Straight Behind Gray's Career High

Deacons Romp Past Tigers

Gray Rains 3-Pointers on Tigers

Offense? Wake Forest Flaunts It

Wake Rumbles Past Tigers

Game Summary - Wake Forest vs. Clemson

2005-01-08T21:59:00.000-08:00

As we mentioned earlier this week, there are those in favor and those firmly opposed to ACC expansion and the havoc it has wreaked on the conference schedule. Both sides of the argument came out today in South Carolina as #3/4 Wake Forest thrashed Clemson, 103-68. On one hand, Clemson will be relieved that this is the only time they have to face Wake Forest this year. On the other side, Wake is surely disappointed that they will not get a chance to walk over Clemson in the Joel like they did in Littlejohn.

Wake started the game on fire, as Justin Gray made his first 5 three-point attempts en route to an early 22-9 lead. Clemson kept it close throughout the first half, however, as the Deacon fouls racked up. By halftime, Kyle Visser and Vytas Danelius each had 3 fouls, and three other Deacons had 2. A cold spell by Clemson after the half, combined with Coach Skip Prosser's decision to begin dumping the ball inside to center Eric Williams, broke the game open for the Deacs as they built upon their 11-point halftime lead. Williams finished with 21 points, Gray tied his career high with 31 (25 of which came in the first half), and Chris Paul added 14 points and 6 assists. Prosser emptied the bench in the final 3 minutes, as Kyle Visser's 5 points and walk-on Graeme Keith's two free-throws put the Deacs over the hundred-point barrier.

WAKE FOREST LEADERS:
Points- Gray 31, Williams 21
Rebounds- Levy 12, Williams 7
Assists- Paul 6, Gray 4

OPPOSING PLAYER OF THE GAME:
Akin Akingbala- 16 pts (5-6 from the field), 4 rebounds

Come back tomorrow for a full slate of local and national news articles about today's game.

Washington Post - Projecting The Field

2005-01-08T14:34:00.000-08:00

Today's Washington Post featured a section giving a (very) early projection of the NCAA Tournament field. Wake was listed as the #1 seed in the Albuquerque Regional. By the Post's projection, Wake's run to the Championship would go the following way:

1st Round: #1 Wake vs. #16 Lamar
2nd Round: #1 Wake vs. #8 Pitt/#9 Arizona State
Sweet 16: #1 Wake vs. #4 Texas/#13 W. Kentucky/#5 Iowa/#12 Nevada
Elite 8: #1 Wake vs. (most likely) #2 Washington OR #3 Gonzaga OR #6 West Virginia OR #7 Alabama OR #11 NC State

The other #1 seeds: Illinois, UNC, and Kansas

Top 20 Games of 2005

2005-01-06T18:41:00.000-08:00

Tim Kane of College Hoops Net previewed his top 20 games for 2005. Maryland's visit to Wake this Tuesday made the list at #6: "Like point guard play? Aren't too many better than Paul or Gilchrist." Interestingly, UNC-Wake on 1/15 didn't make the list, nor did either Wake-Duke or Wake-GT game. But we made the list, so I thought it deserved a mention.

http://www.collegehoopsnet.com/specials/050105.htm

ESPN Power 16 - Jan. 6

2005-01-06T12:21:00.000-08:00

The January 6th edition of the Power 16 is up on ESPN.com. Wake remains the 4th #1 seed, joined by Illinois, UNC, and Kansas. Notable quote about the Deacs: "Is it possible for a team to go from overhyped to underhyped and never leave the top 7?"

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/powerranking?season=2005&week=8&pollId=1

On a related note, Dick Vitale still refuses to give Wake enough respect. Take a look at the "experts'" top 16 teams as of January 6th (linked below). Get with the program, Mr. Vitale! The rest of your colleagues have...

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=1960456

CBS Sportsline Player Rankings

2005-01-06T11:15:00.000-08:00

As midseason rolls around, CBS Sportsline has put out their latest player rankings at center, forward, and guard:

http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/playerrankings/regularseason/C?&_1:col_1=1

http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/playerrankings/regularseason/F?&_1:col_1=1

http://www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/playerrankings/regularseason/G?&_1:col_1=1

Granted, it's extremely difficult to rate players at each position when there are over 300 Division 1 teams to choose from. The writers apparently use a sophisticated formula to determine who the best players are, but have they actually sat down and watched many of these guys?

For example, Eric Williams of Wake is the 7th rated center, BEHIND #6 Dominick Martin from Yale. These two met head to head in November, with Williams scoring 15 points and grabbing 5 boards in only 19 minutes. Martin only managed 7 points, and picked up 4 personal fouls in his futile attempts to shut Williams down.

At Guard, Justin Gray (Wake), Quincy Douby (Rutgers), and Travis Diener (Marquette) are numbers 54-56, respectively. Yet all three of those players have a very good chance to be All-Conference, and possibly (in Diener and Gray's cases) All-American. J-Gray was first team All-ACC last year, and Diener is almost a lock to be first team All-CUSA. So why are they left out of the top 50 guards, behind such players as Fowzi Abdelsamad (ranked #49), the UC Davis guard who is averaging a blistering 0.7 assists per game; and Brian Hamilton from SW Louisiana (ranked #24) , who is averaging only 12.7 ppg and 1.9 apg.

In this case, math and basketball don't mix. CBS Sportsline needs to use a little common sense in their rankings. Or, if that's not possible, at least find a new formula.

Casualties of ACC Expansion

2005-01-06T01:40:00.000-08:00

Enjoy the next week and a half, Wake Forest fans. ACC traditionalists, now is the time to air your grievances. Each of Wake's next three games will be one-and-done contests, as per the new schedule dictated by the league's expansion. Saturday (1/8), the Deacs travel to Clemson to face a team coming off a scrappy loss to Duke in what turned out to be an ugly game filled with turnovers and poor shooting. Tuesday (1/11), the first day of Spring Semester classes, the Maryland Terrapins come to town after their Saturday date with the Tar Heels in Chapel Hill.

And then there's Saturday, January 15th. ACC purists, this is the deepest wound of all. The Deacs and North Carolina have met twice each year since 1944. Unless the two teams meet in the ACC Tournament, they will only play once this year, at 1 PM in Winston-Salem. There seem to be no easy solutions. On one hand, the new schedule creates unfair advantages and disadvantages for some teams. Notably, for instance, NC State avoids the ever-dreaded quick trip down I-40 to Cameron Indoor. On the other hand, the ACC can't very well have a 20-game conference schedule (which would expand to 22 games next year). This would cut out meaningful non-conference games that can boost teams' RPIs (see: Wake at New Mexico) or provide easy wins (see: Mt. St. Mary's at Maryland). What we are left with in 2004-05, then, is a less than perfect ACC schedule.

So savor the next three games, Deacon faithful. If we see these teams again at all (and that's a big IF), it won't come until the second weekend in March.

---

For more on the unbalanced schedule, check out this article from the Durham Herald-Sun: http://www.heraldsun.com/sports/18-561534.html

One Writer's Mid-Season Big Four Evaluation

2005-01-05T23:02:00.000-08:00

The article linked below, by Andrew Jones of the Wilmington Star-News, discusses the state of North Carolina's "Big Four" as we near the halfway point in the season. (Can you believe it? November 15th - when Wake opened the season against GW - seems like yesterday, but March 13th, the day of the ACC Tournament Final, seems light years away!) Wake gets some love here, as Jones mentions the Deacs' run of seven straight wins since the Illinois loss as well as the strong play of Vytas Danelius against UVA.

http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050105/COLUMNIST30/50105004/-1/columnists

Polls - Week of 1/3/05

2005-01-05T22:28:00.000-08:00

With previously 3rd ranked Oklahoma State's tough loss to Gonzaga in Oklahoma City, Wake was able to climb one more spot in both the Associated Press (#4) and ESPN/USA Today (#3) polls. In the ESPN poll, 6 ACC teams remain in the top 25, with UVA the only casualty from last week. The AP poll has only 5 ACC teams in their top 25, with both NC State and UVA dropping out after NC State lost to St. John's in New York City and to West Virginia in Raleigh. In both polls, 4 ACC teams (Wake Forest, North Carolina, Duke, and Georgia Tech) are in the top 10.

AP Poll:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/rankings?poll=1&week=8

ESPN/USA Today Poll:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/rankings?poll=2&week=8

1/2/05 - ACC Game #1; Wake Forest at UVA

2005-01-05T22:11:00.000-08:00

On Sunday, January 2, #4/5 Wake Forest picked up a huge road win to start the ACC season in Charlottesville against #25 Virginia. I've linked some postgame articles below.

http://wakeforestsports.collegesports.com/sports/m-baskbl/recaps/010205aaa.html

http://cbs.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/gamecenter/recap/NCAAB_20050102_WF@VA

http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031780002696&path=!sports!collegeteampages!wfu&s=1037645509258

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/colleges/10552617.htm?1c

http://www.news-record.com/sports/acc/wakebkb010305.htm

http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CDP%2FMGArticle%2FCDP_BasicArticle&amp;amp;c=MGArticle&cid=1031779986969&path=

The Beginning

2005-01-05T22:01:00.000-08:00

Welcome to all Wake Forest and ACC basketball fans, as well as all you other college basketball die-hards out there. This site is your unofficial home for all news, notes, and opinions about Wake Forest Basketball. I hope you enjoy reading the blog, and continue to visit back regularly, as the blog will be updated often.

Thanks for stopping by, and, as always, GO DEACS!