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Post by Wolf on Dec 12, 2008 22:14:36 GMT -5
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Post by Wolf on Dec 12, 2008 22:14:51 GMT -5
Wake Forest Demon DeaconsOverall Rank: #14 Conference Rank: #3 ACC 2007-08: 17-13, 7-9, 7th 2007-08 postseason: none All five starters return, as does every major bench player. As if that was not reason enough for Wake Forest to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005, the Demon Deacons have one of the best recruiting classes in the nation. Coach Dino Gaudio stepped into a difficult situation heading into last season with the death of former Coach Skip Prosser. But he managed to rally the troops and keep his young team surprisingly competitive. Now Wake Forest has high expectations. And those expectations are not just to reach the NCAA Tournament, but to make noise once they get there. Who’s Out: Matt Smith played in two games for a grand total of one minute. That is the extent of the losses in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Who’s In: Al-Farouq Aminu has it all. The 6-9 Norcross, Georgia product has the size of a big man and the skills of a guard. He can back down or shoot over smaller opponents or dribble around bigger players. Either way, it leads to points and lots of them. His shooting range extends beyond the three-point arc and it is widely assumed that he will be around for one year and a lottery pick in the NBA Draft next year. The frontcourt gets more of a lift from centers Tony Woods and Ty Walker. While neither are as highly touted as Aminu, both are still great prospects that any team in the nation would be happy to have. Woods is expected to be a solid contributor as a freshman. The 6-11 Rome, Georgia native is a superb athlete who can score attacking the basket and score around the rim. Walker, a seven-footer, has a little more work to do on the offensive end, but he is a big body who can block shots and play solid defense right away. Who to Watch: Until those three came around, the Wake Forest frontcourt lacked some depth. But they still do have James Johnson, who led the team with 14.6 points and 8.1 rebounds per game, and all that was as a freshman. Now Johnson, who is also a solid shot blocker, is ready for a big year. Chas McFarland started at the five spot besides Johnson most of last season and the seven-footer had a surprisingly great sophomore campaign. He averaged 8.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.6 blocks as a sophomore and nobody really expected that. Jamie Skeen and David Weaver provided the depth at the four and five spots last year and now they will have to compete with the newcomers for minutes off the bench. Final Projection: With the addition of Aminu, the Demon Deacons backcourt is also going to have a great influx in talent. L.D. Williams started 25 games last year and was third on the team in scoring, but he will likely lose his starting job at some point to Aminu. Jeff Teague will not be losing his job. The 6-2 sophomore averaged 13.9 points per game and hit nearly 40 percent of his attempts from long range. Teague was the go-to-scorer on the perimeter as a freshman and that will not change as a sophomore. Ishmael Smith is the veteran of the starting group on the perimeter. The junior point guard dished out 4.7 assists per game last year and can do some scoring as well. The Demon Deacons are a little older and wiser this year and it will be Smith’s job to make sure the new guys fit in and get their opportunities. Senior Harvey Hale and sophomore Gary Clark provided a majority of the minutes off the bench last year. They have some more competition this time around, but Hale is a good shooter when he takes a smart shot and Clark has the potential to have a breakout season after being limited as a freshman. Wake Forest has enough talent to be an Elite Eight team. The question is how well they can pull everything together…this is still a young team and a team that has not known success for a few years. Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA Projected Starting Five: Ishmael Smith, Junior, Guard, 8.6 points per game Jeff Teague, Sophomore, Guard, 13.9 points per game Al-Farouq Aminue, Freshman, Forward, DNP last season James Johnson, Sophomore, Forward, 14.6 points per game Chas McFarland, Junior, Center, 8.4 points per game www.collegehoopsnet.com/wake-forest-basketball-preview-14-138408
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Post by Willie on Dec 13, 2008 9:41:23 GMT -5
Raiders get their day on national TVBy Marc Katz December 12, 2008 So just how is Fox Sports Net's Tim Brando going to make the national basketball game between Wake Forest University and Wright State at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 14, seem interesting? How's he going to make the Raiders sound promising after finding out leading scorer Vaughn Duggins is out with an injury, and two key players off the bench may also miss the game? How is he going to make a 1-6 (with a game tonight) team like the Raiders appear to have a chance against 8-0 and No. 11-ranked Wake Forest? "Did you see the (Nov. 30) UNC-Asheville at North Carolina game on Fox?" Brando asked. "That game was made with the expectation Asheville's 7-foot-7 Kenny George was going to play. He didn't (foot injury), and North Carolina won 116-48. I think Wright State can keep it under 70." Brando has done so many sports for so many networks, it would seem he has no room on his plate to know anything about Wright State, and yet he does. He knows a lot. He knows WSU has three players injured, and who they are. He knows WSU plays home games in the Nutter Center, because he was here for a Mid-Continent Conference tournament weekend in 1993. He knows WSU coach Brad Brownell, because he broadcast a game involving North Carolina-Wilmington when Brownell was an assistant coach there. "There is no substitute for preparation," Brando said Thursday in a telephone interview from his home in Shreveport, La., from where he does a daily talk-radio show. "There's a story to tell. Regardless of how the game ends up, Wright State is coming off a couple of 20-win seasons. Dayton is a great basketball town that supports two teams. "Coaches always tell players to play as if they don't know what the score is. Announcers have to do that the same way. "This is an ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) game, but you've got to service both teams. We have to be balanced. There will be time for us to do the stories of Wright State and the Horizon League. I always enjoy doing games with teams like Wright State." Saturday afternoon, Brando will host CBS' college basketball show from New York. He will fly to Winston-Salem on Saturday night and attend both teams' shoot-arounds Sunday morning. By game time, he'll be ready, and expects the Raiders will be, too. Win or lose, even if they have to play without a full lineup, the Raiders get their chance on national television. And if there's an upset, Brando will be able to spread the word well past Sunday. www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/12/12/ddn121208spinside.html
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Post by Willie on Dec 13, 2008 14:00:32 GMT -5
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Post by Willie on Dec 13, 2008 22:49:33 GMT -5
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Post by Raider Rowdies on Dec 13, 2008 22:55:34 GMT -5
Wake Forest AD has roots in DaytonBy Marc Katz Sunday, December 14, 2008 WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Ron Wellman remembers well when he worked at his dad's drug store at 2504 E. 5th St. in Dayton. Wellman, born in Celina, enrolled in the old Wilbur Wright High School when the family moved to town. "I was a pretty good soda jerk, too," Wellman said. He can also say he's a pretty good athletic director. Wellman is in his 15th year as AD at Wake Forest, which has had several athletic successes during his tenure. His No. 1-ranked men's soccer team just lost the semifinal game 1-0 in the NCAA championships, and his football team will play Navy in the Dec. 20 Eagle Bank Bowl in Washington, D.C. Today, Dec. 14, he expects to watch his No. 11-ranked men's basketball team in a game with Wright State. While some big-time athletic directors might wonder where a school such as Wright State comes from, Wellman is not one of them. "Wright State is only a couple miles from where I grew up," said Wellman, who went to Bowling Green after graduating from Wilbur Wright in 1966. "It was just a fledgling university. There wasn't an athletics program at that time (for me)." While Ron and his brother and sister moved away, their parents — Karl and Norma Jean Wellman — now live in Englewood. None of this history will help the Raiders, who are starting to turn things around after a dismal 0-6 start. Friday night, the Raiders went to Little Rock, Ark., to play the then 6-1 Trojans — considered one of the top mid-major teams in the country — and walked out with a 62-55 victory, their second straight win. "We'll think about this (victory) for a couple of hours, then think about Wake Forest," senior forward Gavin Horne said. Wake Forest will be the first ACC team the Raiders have played (although Virginia Tech later joined the conference) and the first ranked team the Raiders have played since meeting Butler twice last season and splitting. www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/12/14/ddn121408spwsubb.html
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Post by Willie on Dec 13, 2008 22:57:28 GMT -5
Preview: Wright State (2-6) at Wake Forest (8-0)By Marc Katz Sunday, December 14, 2008 Time: 4 p.m. today Where: Wake Forest, Winston-Salem, N.C. Radio/TV: WONE-AM (980), WIZE-AM (1340)/Fox Sports Net Series: First meeting. Wake Forest James Johnson So. 6-9 F 14.8 Al-Farouqa Aminu Fr. 6-9 F 12.3 Charles McFarland Jr. 7-0 C 9.5 Jeff Teague So. 6-2 G 20.6 L.D. Williams Jr. 6-4 G 8.4 Wright State Cory Cooperwood Jr. 6-7 F 10.9 Ronnie Thomas Jr. 6-9 C 4.0 Todd Brown Jr. 6-5 G 4.9 J.D. Gardner Jr. 6-4 G 7.8 N'Gai Evans So. 6-1 G 5.1 About Wake Forest One of three schools whose men's and women's basketball teams are undefeated, including Connecticut and North Carolina. Demon Deacons have scored 80 or more points in four straight games, but have been off seven days due to exams. Although they played three games in the 76 Classic in Anaheim, the Deacs have had no true road games, playing their other five at home. About Wright State The Raiders regained some shooting touch Friday at Arkansas-Little Rock, hitting 49.9 percent of their shots, including 55.6 in the first half. Cooper Land started his second straight game, but that was because Little Rock didn't start bulky Mike Smith. Expect Ronnie Thomas to regain starting status soon. Team remains short-handed through injuries, but is excited to play a ranked team, especially one from the ACC. Outlook Today begins a busy week for the Raiders, who bus home after the game and host Norfolk State on Wednesday before embarking to the San Juan Shootout on Thursday. Games there will be against Oral Roberts, South Florida and Murray State on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Quote "Eventually, we were going to make a few shots. Obviously, we're not great shooters, but we're getting better. We're fighting hard." WSU coach Brad Brownell www.daytondailynews.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/wsu/2008/12/14/ddn121408spwsuprev.html
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Post by Willie on Dec 13, 2008 23:00:54 GMT -5
Wake Forest vs. Wright State Wake Forest might have gotten Jeff Teague's turnover problems under control. That could spell trouble for the team's upcoming opponents as the 11th-ranked Demon Deacons host Wright State on Sunday. Wake Forest (8-0) is already one of the nation's top-scoring teams at 85.5 points per game, and one of the best defensive squads, limiting opponents to 34.5 percent shooting from the field. The Demon Deacons are also among the country's leaders with 45.0 rebounds per contest. However, they had also averaged 18.4 turnovers in their first seven games, committing a season-worst 24 against Indiana on Dec. 3, and 21 against Baylor on Nov. 30. Teague has been the team's leading scorer for much of this season, but since taking over as the starting point guard, he had also averaged 4.0 turnovers before last week's game against visiting Bucknell, committing six apiece against Baylor and Indiana. In the 81-52 victory over Bucknell on Dec. 6, Teague turned the ball over just twice as part of a season-low 11 for Wake Forest, which is off to its best start since going 11-0 with current New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul in 2003-04. "I looked at some of my turnovers, and I was jumping in the air, trying to make passes, trying to get the alley-oop dunks," Teague said. "Tonight, I did pretty good taking care of the ball." The sophomore guard still finished with a team-leading 26 points, going 9-for-14 from the field and 4-for-6 from 3-point range. He improved his scoring average to 20.6 points and has made 52.0 percent of his shots from the field, including 57.1 percent of his 3-point attempts. Last season, Teague, a natural point guard, played mostly shooting guard with Ishmael Smith running the point. When Smith missed the first two games recovering from a fractured foot, the sophomore took over. Teague and the Demon Deacons, however, need to continue fine-tuning. After this game, they play three of their next five on the road before beginning ACC play against No. 1 North Carolina on Jan. 11. Their marquee road contest is Jan. 3 at BYU, which has the nation's longest current home winning streak at 52 games entering this weekend. After dropping their first six games, the Raiders come into Sunday's game having won two in a row, including a 62-55 victory Friday at Arkansas-Little Rock. The team's leading scorer, junior guard Vaughn Duggins (11.8 points), has missed the last four games after having surgery Dec. 3 for a broken right ring finger. Junior college transfer Cory Cooperwood has averaged 10.9 points, and the junior forward also leads the team with 5.8 rebounds per game. Cooperwood scored a career-high 19 in Friday's win, going 7-for-11 from the field. Sunday's game will be the first meeting between the two schools. www.sportsline.com/collegebasketball/gamecenter/preview/NCAAB_20081214_WRIGST@WF
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Post by bballraider on Dec 14, 2008 12:58:09 GMT -5
3 Keys to playing well today against Wake Forest:
1.) Control Tempo: This is key to this game as WF wants to run and score 80+ points. To control tempo we have to limit turnovers, and keep the floor balanced on offense in order to get back in transition if we miss a shot. Controlling tempo also means not rushing too much on offense. The Raiders need to work the offense for a good shot, play with urgency on offense, but also play under control.
2.) Box Out. Wake Forest is big and athletic across the front line, so we are not going to athletically beat them to the rebounds, so we have to play fundamental basketball and box out to get those rebounds.
3.) Make Shots. We WILL get open looks today, we have to make the open shots and not miss the easy ones. We have to capitalize on a high percentage of our offensive possessions, because WF will be tough to defend with there size and skill.
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Post by raiderscout on Dec 14, 2008 13:38:10 GMT -5
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Post by Willie on Dec 14, 2008 14:30:27 GMT -5
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Post by Sixth Man on Dec 14, 2008 16:04:14 GMT -5
This is complete horse crap that the game isn't on yet for CHICK basketball!
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Post by Tipp City Raider on Dec 14, 2008 16:12:31 GMT -5
How do they get a crowd for Tenn/Texas women's basketball? I know they are both good women's teams, but it is still women's basketball and it is boring as hell.
Turn on the Raiders already!
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Post by Sixth Man on Dec 14, 2008 16:14:49 GMT -5
Flip the game over already. Tenn is not going to come back from 14 down in 24 seconds.
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Post by Tipp City Raider on Dec 14, 2008 16:17:19 GMT -5
We are 3:30 into the game and down by 2. We are 0-4 from the field.
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