Wake Opens 2001 ACC Tournament Against Maryland

March 6, 2001

Maryland ACC Tournament Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

2001 ACC Tournament
No. 22 Wake Forest (19-9/8-8)
vs.
No. 11 Maryland (20-9/10-6)

March 9, 2001 - 9:30 p.m.
The Georgia Dome
Atlanta, GA

Tip Time:
Approximately 9:30 p.m.

Television:
Raycom/Jefferson-Pilot. Steve Martin (play-by-play) and Bucky Waters (color analysis) call the action. Beverly Rumley produces.

Radio:
The Deacon Radio Network. Stan Cotten (play-by-play) and Mark Freidinger (color analysis) call the action. Cotten and Freidinger will broadcast all eight ACC Tournament games.

The Records:
Wake Forest is 19-9 overall and 8-8 in the ACC after a 76-58 win at NC State Sunday afternoon. Maryland is 20-9 and 10-6 following a 102-67 win over visiting Virginia Saturday afternoon.

The Rankings:
The Deacons are ranked 22nd in the Associated Press poll and 20th in the ESPN/USA Today poll this week. Maryland is ranked 11th in the AP poll and 13th in the ESPN/USA Today poll.

WFU Coach Dave Odom:
Odom (Guilford '65) is in his 12th season at Wake Forest with a record of 240-130. In 15 years overall, he is 278-172. Odom, a three-time ACC Coach of the Year, owns the second-most wins in WFU history and the eighth-most wins in ACC history.

Maryland Coach Gary Williams:
Williams (Maryland '68) is 237-137 in 12 seasons at his alma mater, 444-265 in 23 seasons overall.

The Series History:
Maryland leads, 52-50.

The Officials:
Announced on game day.

Wake Forest And The 2001 ACC Tournament
Current Record: 19-9 overall, 8-8 in the ACC (tie for 5th place).
Tournament Seed: Six (lose tie-breaker with Georgia Tech).
Tournament Appearances: This year's event marks the 48th year of the ACC Tournament and Wake Forest has appeared in every one.
All-Time Tournament Record: 37-43.
Tournament Record Over The Last 10 Years: 9-8.
Tournament Record Under Dave Odom: 9-9.
Tournament Titles: Four (1996, 1995, 1962, 1961)
Record In Quarterfinals: 23-23.
Record In Semifinals: 10-14.
Record In Finals: 4-6.
Last Year's Results: Wake Forest knocked off North Carolina (58-52) in the quarterfinals before losing to Duke (82-73) in the semifinals.
Tournament Record In Atlanta: 0-3.
Record vs. Maryland In ACC Tournament: 3-2.
Last Meeting With Maryland In ACC Tournament: 1984 semifinals (Maryland won, 66-64). Wake's ACC
Tournament Headquarters: Westin Peachtree Plaza, 210 Peachtree Street NW. Phone: 404.659.1400).
SID Contacts: Assistant athletic director Dean Buchan and associate media relations director Joanna Sparkman will travel with the team and reside at the team hotel.
Interview Opportunities: Wake Forest coach Dave Odom and Demon Deacon players will be available Thursday during Wake's scheduled press conference time at the Georgia Dome. Other than postgame interviews, this will be the only time that the players will be available in Atlanta. All other interview requests for Dave Odom should be made through Buchan.
Selection Sunday Interviews: Wake Forest coach Dave Odom will be available at a time and site to be determined.

Deacons Open ACC Tournament Play Friday Night Against Streaking Terrapins
Wake Forest's bid to win a fifth Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament title begins Friday night against 11th-ranked and No. 3 seed Maryland at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta (9:30 p.m./Raycom-Jefferson Pilot). The Deacons, 19-9 overall, are the No. 6 seed but tied Georgia Tech for fifth place in the final ACC standings. The Yellow Jackets win the tie-breaker to earn the fifth seed.

Wake Forest is coming off its third straight ACC road win, 76-58 at NC State Sunday. Junior Darius Songaila overcame foul trouble to score 21 points and grab seven rebounds to lead the Deacons. The Terrapins, 20-9 and 10-6, are one of the nation's hottest teams. Maryland has won five straight games including a 102-67 pasting of visiting Virginia last Saturday.

Wake Forest is looking to win its first ACC championship since winning back-to-back crowns in 1995 and 1996. Friday's meeting marks the first time that Wake Forest and Maryland have met in ACC Tournament play since the 1984 semifinals in Greensboro. Maryland leads the all-time series, 52-50. The Terrapins have won the last four meetings including an 81-71 win in College Park (Jan. 17) and a 73-57 victory in Winston-Salem (Feb. 17). More on the Wake Forest-Maryland series can be found later in this guide.

Wake Has Finished Fifth Or Better In ACC Final Standings Every Year Since 1993
Wake Forest's 76-58 win at NC State Sunday gave the Deacons a share of fifth place in the final ACC standings.

The win also kept an important streak alive for the Deacons. Wake has finished fifth or higher in the final ACC standings every season since 1993. Wake and North Carolina are the only two teams that have achieved that feat.

Over the last 11 seasons, Wake has finished lower than fifth just once (1992).

A Look Back At The 2000 ACC Tournament
Wake Forest went 1-1 in the 2000 ACC Tournament in Charlotte. The tournament's No. 5 seed, Wake knocked off No. 4 seed North Carolina, 58-52, in the quarterfinals. The following day, the Deacons fell to top seed Duke, 82-73.

Duke went on to win the ACC title, beating Maryland, 81-68, in the championship game.

Deacons To Meet Maryland In ACC Tournament For First Time Since 1984
Wake Forest was due to play Maryland in the ACC Tournament. The Deacons and Terrapins have not met in ACC Tournament play since the 1984 semifinals. Since that time, Wake has played every other ACC team at least once. In fact, the Deacons have been paired with North Carolina eight times since 1984.

Wake Forest is 3-2 all-time versus Maryland in ACC Tournament play. The two teams have met just twice since 1973. Three of the five previous meetings in ACC Tournament play came between 1954 and 1963. The Deacons and Terrapins have met in the first round just once previously -- in 1963. Wake won that game, 80-41, and went on to beat North Carolina in the semifinals and lose to Duke in the finals. The Terrapins have won the last two meetings -- 66-64 in the 1984 semifinals and 73-65 in the 1973 semifinals.

Ironically, the two teams met in the very first ACC Tournament in 1954. The Deacons won that game, beating the Terps, 64-56 in a semifinal overtime game.

Wake Forest Owns Successful ACC Tournament History
In 47 years of ACC Tournament competition, Wake Forest has enjoyed its share of March success:

The Deacons have won four ACC Tournament championships (1996, 1995, 1962, 1961).

Wake has advanced to the championship game 10 times. The Deacons advanced to the finals in each of the first three ACC Tournaments from 1954-56, although they lost in the title game each year.

In 1996, Wake was the first team to win consecutive ACC titles since North Carolina in 1981 and 1982. Since Wake's back-to-back crowns, North Carolina (1997 and 1998) and Duke (1999 and 2000) have both won consecutive titles.

Wake Forest has advanced to at least the semifinal round 24 times. That includes a 23-23 record in first-round games and a first-round bye in 1961.

Five Deacons have been named ACC Tournament MVP with the most recent being Tim Duncan in 1996.

WFU's History As A No. 6 Seed
Wake Forest enters the ACC Tournament with its lowest seed (sixth) since 1992, when it was also the No. 6 seed. That year, the Deacons fell to No. 3 seed North Carolina, 80-65, in the opening round in Charlotte. More on Wake Forest's seed history in the ACC Tournament:

The last time the Deacons were seeded lower than sixth came in 1990 when they were the No. 8 seed.

Wake has beaten its share of higher-seeded teams in the ACC Tournament. In 1987, No. 7 seed Wake Forest beat No. 2 Clemson in the quarterfinals.

In Wake's four ACC Tournament title runs, the Deacons were the No. 1 seed three times (1995, 1962, 1961) and the No. 2 seed once (1996).

Wake will play the No. 3 seed for the first time since the 1997 semifinals.

The Deacons are a perfect 8-0 when owning the No. 1 seed.

The No. 6 seed has won the ACC Tournament championship four times. Georgia Tech, in 1993, is the last No. 6 seed to do that. A No. 7, No. 8 or No. 9 seed has never won the title.

Wake's ACC Tournament History In Atlanta
Wake Forest is hoping to taste ACC Tournament success in Atlanta for the first time this week. In three previous ACC Tournament appearances in Atlanta, the Deacons are a combined 0-3.

Each of those three years -- 1983, 1985 and 1989 -- Wake Forest lost in the opening round to a higher-seeded team. In 1983, No. 5 seed Wake lost to No. 4 NC State, 71-70. In 1985, No. 7 Wake Forest lost to No. 2 North Carolina, 72-61 in overtime. In 1989, No. 7 Wake Forest fell to No. 2 Duke, 88-64. Each of Wake's opponents in Atlanta went on to play in the championship game.

The Deacons haven't been completely shutout in March in Atlanta. In 1991, Wake beat Louisiana Tech in Atlanta in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Alabama, in the second round, ousted the Deacs from the tournament.

While Atlanta is hosting the tournament for the fourth time, this year's event will be held in the Georgia Dome for the first time.

Deacons Eye 11th Straight Postseason Appearance
Wake Forest, 19-9 overall heading into the 2001 ACC Tournament, is hoping for its 11th consecutive postseason berth.

North Carolina is the only ACC team with a longer current streak. UNC has made 34 straight postseason appearances.

Wake, which won the NIT championship last season, is looking for its first NCAA Tournament bid since 1997. The Deacons made seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances from 1991-97.

Wake Forest-Maryland Series History

Maryland holds a 52-50 series advantage after sweeping the regular season series. The Terrapins beat Wake, 81-71, in College Park (Jan. 17) and 73-57 in Winston-Salem (Feb. 17).

The Terrapins have won four straight in the series for the first time since 1986.

Wake Forest has won seven of the last 13 meetings.

The Deacons are 3-2 all-time versus Maryland in the ACC Tournament. The two teams will meet in the ACC Tournament for the first time since 1984 and in the first round for the first time since 1963.

The road team has won five of the last 10 meetings.

The first meeting between the two teams came in 1953 in the old Southern Conference Tournament.

Wake coach Dave Odom is 12-12 all-time against Maryland.

Maryland coach Gary Williams is 14-14 all-time against Wake Forest, including a 12-12 mark while at Maryland. Williams was 2-0 against the Deacons while coaching at Boston College and 0-2 versus Wake while coaching at American.

Maryland Won The Last Meeting, 73-57, On Feb. 17
Wake Forest took a 38-35 lead early in the second half when Broderick Hicks canned a three-point field goal, but Maryland outscored the Deacs 38-19 the rest of the way for a 73-57 win in Winston-Salem Feb. 17.

Lonny Baxter had 19 points and 14 rebounds and Juan Dixon added 17 points for Maryland. Hicks' 14 points and Josh Howard's 13 points led Wake.

More On The Head Coaches

Both head coaches in Friday's game -- Wake's Dave Odom and Maryland's Gary Williams -- are in their 12th season at their respective school. Only Duke's Mike Krzyzewski, among current coaches, has a longer tenure in the ACC.

Odom (101 career ACC regular season wins) recently became the 10th coach in ACC history to win 100 conference games. Williams has 99 career ACC victories.

Both Odom and Williams have nine career ACC Tournament victories. The winning coach on Friday will become the 11th coach in ACC history to register double-figure ACC Tournament wins.

Maryland and North Carolina are the only teams on Wake's schedule where the head coach is working at his alma mater. Williams graduated from Maryland in 1968.

Deacon, ACC Tournament Tid-Bits

Wake Forest will play in the Georgia Dome for the first time this week. The Deacons have played in practically every other Atlanta facility including Philips Arena, Alexander Memorial Coliseum and The Omni.

The Deacons will play in a dome for the first time since the 1996 NCAA Tournament when they played in the Minneapolis Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (site of the 2001 Final Four). The Deacons beat Louisville in the regional semifinal and lost to Kentucky in the regional final at the Metrodome.

The No. 3 seed in the ACC Tournament is 18-28 all-time against the No. 6 seed.

Wake Forest owns a number of ACC Tournament records including most points (107 by Randolph Childress in 1995), most rebounds (56 by Tim Duncan in 1996), free throws made (33 by Len Chappell in 1962) and three-point field goals made (23 by Randolph Childress in 1995).

Wake's performance in the ACC Tournament isn't always an indicator of how it will do in the NCAA Tournament. In 1977, Wake lost in the ACC Tournament first round, but made it all the way to the NCAA regional finals. In 1984, Wake lost in the ACC semifinals but went on to play in the regional championship. Conversely, WFU won the 1995 ACC Tournament, but lost in the NCAA Sweet 16.

If Florida State beats Clemson Thursday, all four Friday quarterfinal games will match teams that swept its opponent during the regular season (UNC vs. FSU, Tech vs. UVA, Duke vs. State and Maryland vs. WFU).

A Closer Look At The Deacon Numbers
Wake Forest leads the ACC in two statistical categories -- scoring defense and three-point field goal percentage defense -- and the Deacons rank second in two other categories. More Deacon statistical notes:

The Deacs rank first in the ACC in scoring defense, limiting opponents to just 65.9 points per game.

Wake Forest leads the ACC in three-point field goal percentage defense (.304) -- the lowest percentage in school history.

WFU's scoring margin (+12.0) ranks 17th nationally.

Wake is holding opponents to just 40.4 percent shooting, ranking second in the ACC.

Wake Forest's field goal percentage (.469) is its highest since the 1994-95 season.

Wake is averaging more points per game (77.9) than any Deacon team since 1990-91 (80.5).

The Deacons own an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.29 with 100 more assists than turnovers. Prior to this season, Wake went six consecutive seasons with more turnovers than assists.

The Deacs are averaging more steals per game (7.3) than any Wake team since the 1990-91 season.

Individually, junior Ervin Murray leads the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio (80 assists, 25 turnovers), junior teammate Craig Dawson ranks fifth (2.38 ratio) and Broderick Hicks ranks sixth (2.21).

Josh Shoemaker ranks fourth in the ACC in rebounds per game (7.4), third in defensive rebounds per game (5.54).

Shoemaker's rebound average (7.4) and field goal percentage (.550) are the highest numbers in those categories since Tim Duncan in 1996-97.

Josh Howard ranks among the ACC leaders in field goal percentage, steals, rebounding, scoring and blocked shots.

Howard has more steals (54) than any Deacon since Rodney Rogers recorded 54 pilfers in 1993.

Deacons Inch Up In Both Major Polls
Wake Forest inched up from No. 24 to No. 22 in the Associated Press poll and from No. 21 to No. 20 in the ESPN/USA Today poll this week. The Deacons, which began the year ranked 20th in the AP poll, have been ranked all 18 weeks this season. Wake was ranked as high as 4th nationally in the Dec. 25 and Jan. 1 polls.

The latest polls show the difficulty of Wake's schedule. Five of the nation's 12 highest-ranked teams are on the Deacon schedule -- (3) Duke, (6) North Carolina, (9) Kansas, (11) Maryland and (12) Virginia. Georgia Tech, Richmond and Cincinnati, also WFU opponents, received votes for one or both polls.

Four Wake Losses Have Come At Final Buzzer Or In OT
Twice this season Wake Forest has watched its opponent -- a highly-ranked opponent -- celebrate victories after hitting buzzer-beating shots.

On Feb. 24, fourth-ranked Duke beat the Deacons 82-80 after Chris Duhon hit an off-balanced jumper as the final buzzer sounded. At North Carolina on Jan. 6, Brendan Haywood's dunk in the final seconds gave the Tar Heels a 70-69 victory.

Two other losses -- at Georgia Tech and at Cincinnati -- have come in overtime.

More on Wake's close losses this season:

In both losses to Duke, Wake Forest was missing key players. At Duke, Josh Howard sat out with the flu. At home, Ervin Murray did not play because of tendonitis in his knee.

All nine losses have come against teams that may play in the NCAA Tournament.

Seven losses have come against teams currently ranked in the top 25. The other losses came against Cincinnati and Georgia Tech, which are receiving votes for the top 25.

Five Wake losses have been by six points or less.

Deacons Looking To Gain March Momentum
The story on the 2000-01 Wake Forest season can be divided into three distinct chapters: 1. The 12-0 start. 2. The 3-7 slide. 3. To be determined.

Wake Forest began the season 12-0, posting impressive home wins over Kansas, Georgia and Virginia and road wins at Richmond and Temple. The 3-7 stretch began Jan. 6 when the Deacons lost a heart-breaking one-point decision at North Carolina. The slide concluded with another loss to the Tar Heels, a six-point decision at home on Feb. 6.

Since the second loss to Carolina, the Deacons have gone 4-2, losing only to nationally-ranked Maryland and Duke. The difference has come on the road, where the Deacons have won three straight, including a 76-58 victory at NC State on Sunday.

Versatile Josh Howard Has Emerged As A Star
Sophomore Josh Howard's stock, much like the stock of Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, has soared over the last two years. But while the Winston-Salem doughnut company's performance has slowed, Howard just continues to get better and better.

And there aren't any holes in Howard's game.

Offensively, the second team All-ACC selection leads the team in scoring (14.1 ppg.) and he has developed into a go-to type player in crunch time. Defensively, he uses his speed and athleticism to cause havoc on the perimeter.

Statistically, Howard ranks among the ACC leaders in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, steals and blocks. The only other player in the ACC who ranks in all the same categories is Duke's Shane Battier.

More on Howard:

He leads the team in scoring overall (14.1 ppg.) and in ACC games only (14.9 ppg.). Throw out the Cincinnati game -- when he played just 18 minutes because of the flu -- and he has scored at least 11 points in every game since Dec. 29.

Against nationally-ranked teams, Howard turns his game up a notch, averaging 16.4 points per game.

He ranks fifth in the ACC in field goal percentage (.502).

Howard ranks ninth in the ACC in blocked shots with 31. Most of those rejections have come near or beyond the three-point arc -- a big reason Wake is holding opponents to an ACC-best 30.4 percent shooting from three-point range.

He ranks fifth in the ACC in steals (2.00 per game) and is on track to record more career steals than anyone in WFU history, with the exception of all-time leader Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues. He has more steals this season (54) than any Deacon in one season since Rodney Rogers had 54 pilfers in 1992-93.

Howard continues to develop into an outstanding rebounder. Over his last nine games, he has averaged 7.9 rebounds per contest. In ACC games, he ranks ninth in the league in rebounding.

Howard has made great strides at the free throw line. In conference games, he is shooting a solid 74.0 percent from the stripe this season (14th in the ACC), compared to just 55.1 percent in league games last season.

He has gone to the free throw line more often (128 attempts) than any Deacon this season.

The three-point field goal has been added to his offensive arsenal. In the first 19 games of the season, Howard made just seven three-point field goals. But over the last nine games he has racked up 10 three-pointers.

And Howard is accurate from three-point range. In ACC games, he is shooting 44.4 percent (12-of-27) from beyond the arc.

He leads the team in double-doubles with four, including a 14-point, 11-rebound effort in Wake's final home game Feb. 24 against Duke. All four double-doubles have come since Jan. 21.

Howard is in just his second season, but already ranks 11th on Wake's all-time blocked shots list with 64. He has already eclipsed the 700-point mark (he has 715) and 300 rebounds (he currently has 328).

At Clemson on Feb. 21, Howard held Will Solomon (19.8 ppg.) to just nine points on 3-of-9 shooting. Solomon attempted only three first-half shots. Howard recorded five steals in the game.

Josh Howard Earns All-ACC 2nd Team Honor, Darius Songaila Is Honorable Mention
Sophomore Josh Howard, one of the ACC's most versatile players, was named second team All-ACC earlier this week.

Howard is the third WFU sophomore in three years to win ACC accolades. Robert O'Kelley was a second team selection as a sophomore in 1999 and Darius Songaila was a third team pick in 2000.

Howard, who rec-eived eight votes for the first team, is one of four ACC sophomores to earn first or second team honors this season. Wake's last first team All-ACC selection was Tim Duncan in 1997. Songaila earned honorable mention All-ACC honors.

Steady Songaila One Of The ACC's Best
Darius Songaila rarely makes ESPN's "Plays of the Week." After all, he has just five dunks this season, he has never scored more than 30 points or grabbed more than 12 rebounds.

Regardless, Songaila is one of the ACC's best players and he is certainly one of the league's most consistent performers.

In addition to scoring (13.5 ppg.) and rebounding (6.1 rpg.), Songaila is a good shooter (50.9 percent), one of the league's best free throw shooters (81.5 percent) and he has been called one of the nation's best-passing big men.

Just a junior, he already ranks among Wake Forest's all-time leaders in scoring, rebounding, blocked shots and free throw percentage.

More on Songaila:

He is one of just 20 players in Wake Forest history with more than 1,000 points (1,235) and 500 rebounds (527).

He ranks second on the team and 13th in the ACC in rebounding (6.1 rpg.).

Songaila ranks fifth in the ACC in free throw percentage (.815) and he ranks first in that category among ACC post players.

He ranks 23rd in Wake Forest career scoring history with 1,235 points.

Songaila is tied with former Deacon guard Billy Packer for the seventh-highest career free throw percentage in Wake Forest history (.819).

He ranks 13th in the ACC this season in blocked shots and with 69 career rejections, Songaila ranks 10th on Wake's all-time list.

Songaila has started more games this season (27) than any Deacon. His only non-start came on Senior Day.

He has scored in double figures 22 times this season.

Songaila's shooting range has increased. Last year he did not make a three-point field goal. This season, he is 4-of-9 from behind the arc.

Songaila earned a bronze medal last summer playing for the Lithuanian national team, which nearly beat the United States team twice.

His parents have never been to the United States although they have plans to attend Songaila's graduation next year. Songaila sends video tapes of his games back home to Lithuania.

Songaila was recently engaged to Wake Forest tennis player Jackie Houston.

Dave Odom In 12th Season With The Deacons
Wake Forest head coach Dave Odom joined elite company Feb. 21 at Clemson when he became just the ninth coach to win 100 ACC league games. Odom (now with 101 league wins) and Duke's Mike Krzyzewski are the only active coaches to have reached that mark.

Odom (Guilford '65) owns a career record of 240-130 in 12 seasons with the Deacons, 278-172 in 15 seasons overall. Odom was the head coach at East Carolina for three seasons before taking over the Deacon program in 1989-90. The three-time ACC Coach of the Year has led Wake to 10 consecutive postseason appearances.

More on Odom:

On Nov. 18, Odom won his 223rd game at Wake Forest, passing Carl Tacy as the second-winningest coach in WFU history and the eighth-winningest coach in ACC history.

With a win in the ACC Tournament, Odom (9-9 in ACC Tournament play) would be just the 11th coach to register double-figure tournament wins.

With a career record of 10-7 in the NCAA Tournament, Odom has the 20th-best tournament winning percentage (.588) among active coaches.

O'Kelley Continues To Climb WFU, ACC Record Book
Senior Robert O'Kelley will leave Wake Forest with his name firmly etched in the school and ACC record books:

O'Kelley enters the postseason with 1,845 career points, ranking eighth in Wake Forest history. He has more career points to his credit than any active player in the ACC.

O'Kelley has 282 career three-point field goals, which ranks second in Wake Forest history and sixth in the history of the ACC.

With 125 career games played, only Tim Duncan (128 games from 1994-97) has played in more Wake Forest games than O'Kelley.

With five more assists, O'Kelley will be ranked 10th in Wake Forest history for career assists (he has 259 assists).

Only Wake's all-time leading scorer Dickie Hemric, and Skip Brown had more field goal attempts than O'Kelley (1,535 attempts).

Over the last six games, O'Kelley has made 16-of-33 three-point field goal attempts (48.5 percent).

In his final home game against Duke (Feb. 24), O'Kelley led the Deacons with 17 points, four three-point field goals and his three-pointer with eight seconds left tied the game at 80-80.

Dawson Excels As Sixth Man And Starter
Whether junior Craig Dawson starts or plays the role of one of the nation's best sixth men, he is one of the most dangerous perimeter shooters in the ACC.

Dawson is striving for consistency, but he seems to play his best in "big" games. For example, he poured in a career-high 29 points Feb. 6 against No. 1-ranked North Carolina. He scored 23 points in a key road win at Temple and he scored 20 points in a win over then No. 3 Kansas.

More on Dawson:

He enters the ACC Tournament with 155 career three-point field goals, which ranks fourth in Wake Forest history.

Dawson has 921 career points to his credit, which puts him on track to be the next 1,000-point scorer in Wake Forest history.

An underrated ballhandler, Dawson ranks fifth in the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.38).

Dawson has good bloodlines. His uncles include NBA star Jerry Stackhouse and former Florida State standout Tony Dawson.

Shoemaker Among ACC Board Leaders
When Rafael Vidaurreta underwent surgery in late September, Wake coach Dave Odom expected senior Josh Shoemaker to step up. Shoemaker has exceeded all expectations. While his numbers have declined slightly since the return of Rafael Vidaurreta, he currently leads the team and ranks fourth in the ACC in rebounds (7.4 rpg.). He has seven double-figure rebound games this year.

More on Shoemaker:

Shoemaker's rebound average is the highest by a Deacon since Tim Duncan pulled down a remarkable 14.7 boards per game in 1996-97.

Shoemaker is shooting a team-best 55.0 percent from the field. That's the highest percentage by a Deacon since Duncan shot 60.8 percent in 1996-97.

Wake's Point Guards Combine For 155 Assists, 59 Turnovers
Two veteran point guards -- juniors Ervin Murray and Broderick Hicks -- give Wake Forest a one-two backcourt punch that takes care of the basketball.

Murray and Hicks, who both play close to 20 minutes per game, have combined for 155 assists and just 59 turnovers this season. Murray leads the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio (3.20) with 80 assists and 25 turnovers. He has more games this season without a turnover (12) than games with more than one turnover (6). He averages just one turnover every 19.8 minutes.

Hicks (75 assists, 34 turnovers) ranks sixth in the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.21).

As a team, the Deacons rank third in the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.29). Wake has 100 more assists than turnovers. In each of the previous six seasons the Deacons had more turnovers than assists. Shooting guard Craig Dawson ranks fifth in the ACC in assist-to-turnover margin (2.38).

Songaila Second Team All-District
Junior forward Darius Songaila was named second team All-District 5 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Songaila was joined on the second team by Clemson's Will Solomon, Maryland's Terrance Morris, Georgia Tech's Alvin Jones and Charleston's Jody Lumpkin.

The first team includes Duke's Jason Willliams and Shane Battier, North Carolina's Joseph Forte and Brendan Haywood and Maryland's Juan Dixon.

Vidaurreta, Shoemaker Among Wake's Rebound Leaders
Both Wake Forest senior centers -- Rafael Vidaurreta and Josh Shoemaker -- are among the 16 most prolific rebounders in school history. Vidaurreta, with 723 career rebounds, ranks ninth Wake Forest career rebounding history. He has a shot at catching Jack Williams (751 rebounds from 1953-57) for eighth place.

Over the last two games, Vidaurreta has a combined 18 rebounds including 12 on Feb. 24 against Duke.

Senior Josh Shoemaker (654 career rebounds) is ranked 16th on Wake's all-time rebounds list. He needs three boards to pass Alvis Rogers (656 rebounds from 1979-83) for 15th place. Scott, Songaila, Howard On Blocked Shots List

Three of the 11 most-prolific shot blockers in Wake Forest history are on this Deacon team:

Antwan Scott, a key junior reserve, ranks seventh on Wake Forest's all-time blocked shots list with 91 career blocks including a team-high 35 rejections this season.

Junior Darius Songaila (69 career blocks) is ranked 10th in WFU history for career blocked shots.

Rising quickly is sophomore Josh Howard, who has 64 blocks in just one and one-half seasons and is ranked 11th on WFU's all-time blocked shots list.

Scott, Songaila, Howard and Josh Shoemaker are all ranked among the top 15 in the ACC.

Senior Trio Should Make 4th Straight Postseason Appearance
Wake Forest's three seniors -- Robert O'Kelley, Josh Shoemaker and Rafael Vidaurreta -- have enjoyed success during their respective four-year careers. Next week, the trio should head into postseason play for the fourth straight year.

Over the last four years, the Wake seniors have earned:

Seventy-four Deacon wins (74-51).

Three consecutive postseason appearances.

A record of 49-15 in Lawrence Joel Coliseum.

Twenty-nine ACC victories.

An NIT title in 2000 and a record of 7-2 overall in NIT play.

O'Kelley will leave WFU ranked among Wake's all-time leaders in scoring and three-point field goals.

Shoemaker and Vidaurreta are both listed among Wake's all-time leading rebounders.

The senior trio has combined to play in 368 career games.

Ervin Murray Nursing Knee Tendonitis
Junior point guard Ervin Murray, who leads the ACC in assist-to-turnover ratio, is suffering from tendonitis in his right knee. He is probable for the ACC Tournament and appeared close to 100 percent in Sunday's win at NC State. He played 19 minutes against the Wolfpack. He did not play in Wake's final home game Feb. 24 against Duke because of the injury.

Wake Has Used Eight Different Starting Lineups
Want to guess at a Wake Forest starting lineup? Better use pencil. The Deacons have used eight different starting fives this season including a different lineup in each of the last three games. Last Sunday at NC State, the Deacons started Broderick Hicks and Robert O'Kelley at guards, Rafael Vidaurreta at center and Josh Howard and Darius Songaila at forwards.

Eight different players have started at least three times this season. Songaila leads the way with 27 starts (he did not start on Senior Day). Howard, who missed two starts because of the flu, and senior Josh Shoemaker have 26 starts each.

Injuries and illness have caused the variety in lineups. Junior Ervin Murray began the season with mononucleosis and recently has been plagued with knee tendonitis. Howard missed his only two starts this season because of the flu.

Wake Forest To Play 10th Nationally-Ranked Opponent
Wake Forest's rugged 2000-01 schedule continues in Friday's quarterfinal round of the ACC Tournament when the Deacons take on 11th-ranked Maryland.

The Terrapins represent Wake's 10th nationally-ranked opponent of the season and its sixth opponent ranked 11th or higher.

More on Wake versus nationally-ranked teams:

The Deacons are 2-7 this season against ranked teams including a 2-3 record against teams ranked in the top 10.

The 10 games against nationally-ranked teams will be the most by a Deacon team since playing 10 ranked teams in 1996-97. Wake played 13 ranked opponents in 1994-95.

Wake's two wins against ranked teams came against squads ranked 8th or higher. The Deacs beat 3rd-ranked Kansas (84-53 on Dec. 7) and No. 8 Virginia (96-73 on Jan. 2).

Friday's game marks the eighth consecutive time that Wake Forest will face a Maryland team ranked in the top 25. WFU's last win over the Terrapins -- Jan. 31, 1999 in Winston-Salem -- came when Maryland was ranked 4th in the nation.

WFU's win over No. 3 Kansas (Dec. 7) marked the highest-ranked opponent that Wake has beaten since defeating No. 2 Clemson on the road on Jan. 23, 1997. It was also the highest-ranked opponent the Deacs have defeated in Lawrence Joel Coliseum since beating No. 2 Duke in 1994.

Friday's game is the third straight Wake Forest-Maryland game when both teams were ranked.

Wake Forest has defeated nine teams ranked in the top five over the last seven seasons.

Over the last seven seasons, Wake Forest has defeated 13 opponents ranked 10th or better.

In Dave Odom's 12 seasons at Wake Forest, his teams are 23-24 against nationally-ranked teams when his team is also ranked.

Wake Forest has won 25 of its last 27 games against unranked teams.

The Deacs have played 36 teams ranked in the top 10 over the last eight seasons.

The Projections
Here's what some of the "experts" are projecting for Wake Forest concerning a potential NCAA Tournament at-large bid:

CollegeRPI.com sends Wake Forest to Boise (West Regional) as a No. 6 seed to play No. 11 seed Iowa. The winner would play the winner of Kentucky - Cal State Northridge.

CBS Sportsline sends Wake Forest to the West Regional as a No. 8 seed to play No. 9 seed Butler. The winner would play the winner of Stanford-Princeton.

The Sporting News says Wake is a tournament lock.

Miscellaneous Notes

In the last week of the regular season, all four Big Four schools -- Duke, North Carolina, NC State and Wake Forest -- lost at home on Senior Day for the first time in the history of the ACC.

Wake Forest (19-9) is one win shy of its second straight 20-win season and its seventh 20-win season over the last nine years.

The Deacons finished the ACC race at 8-8, tied for fifth place. Wake went 4-4 in both halves of the league schedule. The Deacs were 6-0 against the bottom three teams, 0-6 against the top three teams and 2-2 against the two teams in the middle (Virginia and Georgia Tech).

Deacon assistant coach Barry Sanderson is the son of legendary and former Alabama coach, Wimp Sanderson.

Dave Odom's sons -- Ryan (American) and Lane (Missouri) -- are both Division I assistant coaches.

Wake Forest has won 14 consecutive November games. The last time the Deacs lost in November was a 59-48 loss to Temple in 1998.

The Deacons also finished the month of December undefeated. The last time Wake went undefeated in both November and December came during the 1996-97 season.

The Deacons have won seven straight season openers and are now 11-1 in season openers under Dave Odom following a Nov. 16 win over Mount St. Mary's. Wake is 69-28 all-time in season openers.

Wake Forest shot 70.0 percent from the field in the season opener Nov. 16 against Mount St. Mary's. That percentage is the third-highest single-game percentage in the NCAA this season.

Overtime Games Now Routine For The Deacons
Wake Forest has played three overtime games this season including two consecutive OT games during one January stretch.

The Deacons have played in six overtime games over the last two seasons and in eight OT contests over the last three seasons. The Jan. 31 game against NC State marked the first time since Jan. 28 and Jan. 31, 1987 that Wake has played in consecutive overtime games.