Last year, in what would have been a stunning upset, Wake Forest nearly knocked off the second-seeded Oregon Ducks in the NCAA men's tournament. Of course, that was last year, and there is no other team in the ACC for which last year's performance has less meaning than the Demon Deacons.
With four starting positions supposedly up for grabs--and the fifth occupied by the injured, albeit talented, Josh Howard--uncertainty surrounds the Deacons. Wake graduated its entire starting five last year, and the team's success looks to hinge on the shoulders of many as-yet untested freshmen and sophomores. While Coach Skip Prosser has compiled a solid recruiting class, Wake will need to address several weaknesses and overcome key injuries before its ACC rivals can take it seriously.
"We have a ways to go to learn defensively," Prosser said. "And that is a function of young players who are trying to learn how to guard. Their concentration level is good, but their anticipation level is not good. From an offensive standpoint, the thing we've done poorly in practice is that we have not handled the ball well."
Wake does have one noticeable bright-spot in senior Josh Howard. By mid-season last year, the athletic Howard had greatly improved his game, in one stretch scoring in double figures for 14 of 15 games. He later admitted that, encouraged by his performance, he considered leaving for the NBA. But after lighting up North Carolina for 24 points in 9-of-11 shooting, Howard injured his ankle in practice and reconsidered his plans.
The injury has kept Howard from practicing with the team, but it hasn't kept the 6-foot-6 forward from being named to the preseason all-ACC team. Howard also garnered the third most votes for preseason ACC Player of the Year.
After Howard, freshman Eric Williams faces the highest expectations from Wake fans. The 6-9 center is the team's first McDonald's high school All-American since Rodney Rogers a decade ago, although 1997 Wake graduate Tim Duncan probably would have been one had he gone to high school in the United States
"He can be hard to guard," Prosser said of Williams. "He certainly rarely had the opportunity to play against someone his size. That will be a challenge to him.... He continues to get better."
Williams will compete with the slender sophomore Jason Levy. The 6-8, 180-pound Levy contributed 2.7 points per game and 2.0 rebounds per game last year, although he started only one game. Vytus Danelius--a promising Lithuanian freshman who averaged 6.6 ppg and 4.2 rbg last year while leading the team in field goal percentage at .566-also looks to contribute as a big man.
Leading Wake as point guard should be either sophomore Taron Downey-who committed no turnovers in his 49 minutes of NCAA Tournament play-or newcomer Justin Gray. Prosser has said he might start both if he felt they deserved it.
Prosser also has a variety of swingmen to complete his line-up: Howard, freshman Trent Strickland or senior Steve Lepore, who has been struggling with a knee injury. Freshman guards Chris Ellis--son of NBA player Dale Ellis--and Richard Joyce could provide the Deacons with quality minutes, most likely off the bench.
"It's not a role that comes easy to Josh," Prosser said. "I don't think it's a role that he's embraced warmly through the years, but it's one that he is cognizant that really he had no choice when it comes to that."
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