Wake Forest Expects a Good Return on Its Investment
By Charlene Curtis for theACC.com
The good news is that Wake Forest has five returning starters. The bad news is that Wake Forest has five returning starters. Having all five starters return can be both positive and negative. The positive is that those five starters are now sophomores and juniors. Last year, the youngest team in the ACC and the tallest team in the country experienced on-the-job training with no veterans to lead the way. The negative is that those five returning starters finished the season 0-14 in the ACC and 9-20 overall.
Yet, there is a buzz at Wake Forest. The buzz is created by off-season work in the weight room by the veterans and a freshman class that should contribute immediately, giving the Demon Deacons depth at the guard position that was sorely missed last year.
Wake Forest Coach Mike Petersen said, "Every year you look forward to the start … of the season, and this year maybe more so because a year ago, we had growing pains, and we paid our dues."
"I've got a great feeling about this team being able to reap some of the benefits that went into the investment of last year playing so many freshmen and sophomores."
| Yolanda Lavender |
Now in his fourth year at the helm, Petersen will count on juniors Yolanda Lavender (honorable mention All-ACC), Alex Tchangoue, and Corrine Groves to provide veteran leadership. On team leadership, Groves explained, "We do have great leaders - my class … and sophomores as well. (The sophomores) couldn't be freshman last year. They had to come in and be on top of their games right away because we didn't have that many players."
The trio of Lavender, Tchangoue, and Groves accounted for 69 percent of the scoring with Lavender averaging 17.0 points per game. Groves averaged nearly a double-double scoring 10.4 points per game and pulling down 9.2 rebounds per game. Tchangoue proved to be the most efficient 3-point shooter by knocking down 36.8 percent of her 3-point attempts.
After averaging just 56.5 points per game, the 2007-08 Demon Deacons must find more effective ways to put points on the board. Petersen commented, "I have never coached a team that struggled to score the ball - that really struggled to score the ball." He went on to say that he was pleased with the team's efforts last season in defending and rebounding the ball. But to win games this year, Petersen knows his young squad has to a better job on the offensive end.
Offensive efficiency starts at the point guard position where sophomore Tiffany Roulhac returns after leading the team in assists. Roulhac is good going north and south and is capable of creating the up-tempo that Petersen prefers. Roulhac, however, was seldom a threat to score which limited her ability to effectively and efficiently distribute the basketball to her scorers. Fortunately, Roulhac and the Demon Deacons should get help at the point position from freshman, Camille Collier.
According to coach Petersen, Collier is a very skilled pass-first point guard who can also score. "She really knows when to get off the ball, when to distribute the ball, when to hold on to the ball, and she's used to running a team."
Just two weeks in to practices, Collier is playing with the type of confidence needed in a point guard in the ACC. Petersen stated, "She (Collier) doesn't have that freshman point guard fear, and she is very well prepared to play the point at this level."
| Alex Tchangoue |
Lavender and Tchangoue will also get help at their wing and forward positions from highly touted first-year players Kem Wilson and Brittany Waters. Petersen describes Wilson as "explosive, very strong, and very athletic." He goes on to say that Wilson is "somebody who will be very good in transition and will be very good on the defensive end."
Waters, the 6A Florida state championship MVP may be one of the ACC's best first-year players. According to Petersen, Waters, "who's 6-0, 6-1 has great perimeter skills, shoots the ball well, has a good handle …and is very good in open floor situations."
Offensive efficiency is also impacted by a team's ability to get the ball inside the paint. Groves at 6-3 and sophomore Mekia Valentine at 6-4 led Wake Forest in field goal percentage last season. They need more touches this season. Improved play at the guard positions should result in more touches inside the paint whether it is guards penetrating to score or pass, making the interior pass in transition, or making the post-entry pass in the half-court. If the Demon Deacons are to improve on last year's results, they must find ways to use their size inside and to create scoring opportunities in the paint.
Without a doubt, Petersen's fourth Wake Forest team will have more depth, more athleticism, and more experience. More depth equals more competition for playing time which equals more competition every day in practices. Coach Petersen says, "A year ago, we had limited numbers. We didn't have a ton of experience, and we were learning to compete on the fly. This year, we know how to compete, so our practices should be much more competitive which will lead to better execution, which will lead to us being better prepared for January, February, and March."
The 2007-08 Demon Deacons are ready to collect on last year's investment in its youth. Interest rates are starting to climb, the returnees are more vested, and the new deposits (freshmen) are ready to add their worth to the mix.
