EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Wake Forest men's basketball coach Skip Prosser gave freshman point guard Chris Paul quite an important role last season -- one that might seem a bit unusual for a rookie to carry.

"Coach told me I'm supposed to be him on the court," Paul said. "He can't play with us -- he's just a coach. He told me he was going to give me the ball around 7, 7:30, and he told me to give it back to him in good shape around 9:30, 10:00."

Prosser's strategy rarely failed, as Paul went on to register one of the most impressive freshman seasons in Demon Deacon history, winning ACC Rookie of the Year honors after averaging 14.8 points and a team-high 5.9 assists per game to help Wake to a Sweet 16 appearance.

Most importantly, Paul demonstrated a keen sense of leadership, taking over games as if he was a seasoned veteran.

It's a quality that continues to play to Paul's advantage -- especially now that he's been selected as one of the 13 finalists for the 2004 USA Basketball 20-and-under National Team.

"I think he's the best player on this team with the ball in his hands," USA head coach Kelvin Sampson said. "He doesn't have to have a lot of coaching. You have to be careful not to over-coach a kid like Chris because he's so good ..."

Paul -- who started all 31 games for Wake last season -- has played for USA Basketball before, averaging 9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game to help the 2002 USA Youth Development Festival East Team to a silver medal. But this time, the opportunity takes on a completely different meaning.

"I've been watching the Olympics since I was a little kid," the 6-foot, 168-pounder said. "I know this isn't the Olympics, but being able to put 'USA' across your chest is something that you'll never forget."

Shortly after competing for the Festival team, Paul became one of the nation's top recruits, having averaged 30.8 points and 8 assists per game as a senior at West Forsyth High School in North Carolina en route to earning recognition as a 2003 Parade All-American and the Associated Press' North Carolina High School Player of the Year.

But despite his success in high school, Paul was slightly overwhelmed by the way his freshman season at Wake panned out.

"I thought I might come in and fit in where I could fit in, maybe be a role player," he said. "But coach threw me right into the fire and gave me the opportunity to show what I could do, and it worked out for the best."

That's quite an understatement, considering that Paul finished the season having scored in double digits 20 times and also set the all-time ACC record for freshman season steals with 84, surpassing Duke's Jason Williams' mark of 81 in 1999-2000.

Paul's most valuable performance came in the NCAA Tournament, when he averaged team highs in points (21) and assists (7) per game in the Deacons' three contests.

Even as his resume expanded, though, the notoriously selfless 19-year-old was never one to bask in his own glory.

"Actually, I was nervous going into every game, never knowing what to expect," said Paul, who was named National Freshman of the Year by The Sporting News and was also selected as Dick Vitale's 2004 Diaper Dandy of the Year. "But my teammates helped me out all throughout the season. So much of my credit goes to my teammates and the coaches."

That kind of modesty should translate well to Paul's current goal.

"I'm here to win a gold medal," he said of his USA aspirations. "That's the most important thing to me. I don't have to score anything. I just want to win that gold medal."

Still, if there's anyone who could lead the USA to gold, it seems to be Paul.

Just ask coach Prosser.