Feb. 18, 2002

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#20 Wake Forest (18-8/8-4) vs. #3 Duke (23-2/11-2)

Game #27 / Feb. 21, 2002 Lawrence Joel Coliseum (14,665) Winston-Salem, NC

Tip-Off: 9:05 p.m.

Television: ESPN. Mike Patrick (play-by-play) and Brad Daugherty (color analysis) call the action. Aaron Owens is the producer.

Radio: The Deacon Radio Network, distributed by ISP. Stan Cotten (play-by-play) and Mark Freidinger (color analysis) call the action.

The Records: Wake Forest is 18-8 overall and 8-4 in the ACC after a 92-70 win over visiting 15th-ranked Virginia Sunday night. Duke is 23-2 and 11-2 following an 87-73 loss at third-ranked Maryland Sunday afternoon.

The Rankings: Wake Forest is ranked 20th in the Associated Press poll and 21st in the ESPN/USA Today poll. Duke is ranked third in both major polls.

WFU Coach Skip Prosser: Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy '72) is 18-8 in his first season at Wake Forest. In nine years overall as a head coach, including one season at Loyola (MD) and seven seasons at Xavier, Prosser has a career record of 183-86.

Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski: Krzyzewski (Army '69) is 556-166 in 22 seasons with the Blue Devils, 629-225 in 27 seasons overall.

The Series History: Duke leads, 146-72. More series information on page two.

The Officials: Announced on game day.

#20 Deacons Host #3 Blue Devils Thursday Night On ESPN

Wake Forest, which snapped a two-game losing streak with one of its best performances of the season Sunday, faces third-ranked Duke Thursday night at Lawrence Joel Coliseum (ESPN/9:05 p.m.). The Demon Deacons, 18-8 overall and 8-4 in the ACC, shot 57.9 percent and out-rebounded one of the league's top-rebounding teams, 44-30, in Sunday's 92-70 win over 15th-ranked Virginia. Wake Forest, which played Sunday without All-ACC candidate Josh Howard, received a career-high 30 points and 11 rebounds in the win over Virginia by its other All-ACC candidate -- senior Darius Songaila. Songaila, who registered his 12th double-double, was 11-of-13 from the floor and 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Duke, 23-2 and 11-2, saw its 11-game winning streak end Sunday at third-ranked Maryland, 87-73. Michael Dunleavy and Carlos Boozer both had double-doubles in the loss to the Terrapins. The Blue Devils lead the all-time series, 146-72. Duke has won the last 11 meetings, including a 103-80 win on Jan. 19 in Durham. What's at stake for Wake Thursday: - Wake Forest (8-4 in the ACC) may need a victory to remain in third place in the ACC standings. - The Deacons, who will play their 10th ranked opponent, will look for a win over its highest-ranked foe since Dec. 7, 2000. - Wake tries to avoid losing 12 straight to Duke for the first time since 1941 to 1948.

A Quick Look At The Deacons

Wake Forest is led by a pair of candidates for the All-ACC team -- senior forward Darius Songaila and junior forward Josh Howard -- and a supporting cast mix of seniors and freshmen. The Deacons, 17-8 overall and 7-4 in the ACC, are a veteran team with five seniors in the rotation. Three freshmen, including starting point guard Taron Downey, play significant roles. But the leaders are Songaila and Howard, who team to give Wake Forest one of the best frontcourt duos in college basketball. Howard, however, has played in just one of Wake's last three games because of a high ankle sprain. He is questionable for Thursday's game. Songaila (17.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game) ranks among the ACC leaders in nine statistical categories and he's been Wake's most consistent player. He has scored in double figures in every game but one this season and he owns 12 double-doubles. Howard (14.3 ppg. and 7.7 rpg.) did not play in Sunday's game against Virginia and he saw just 18 minutes of action in last Wednesday's double-overtime loss at Clemson. Before the injury, Howard averaged 20.0 points in his four previous games. Senior Craig Dawson (12.2 ppg.) is on a shooting roll. He tied an ACC record last week at Clemson with 11 three-point field goals en route to a career-high 38 points. He was 5-of-9 from three-point range on the way to 17 points in Sunday's win over 15th-ranked Virginia. Senior Antwan Scott (10.6 ppg. and 5.2 rpg.) did not start Sunday but came off the bench for 13 points and nine rebounds. He ranks second in the ACC in blocked shots and shoots 55.1 percent. Senior Broderick Hicks (9.5 ppg.) has averaged 15.6 points over his last five games and he has 12 assists over his last two games. Freshman Taron Downey (4.3 ppg.), who has started the last seven games at point guard, hit a clutch three-point field goal with one second remaining in regulation to send last Wednesday's game at Clemson into overtime. Junior transfer Steve Lepore (4.6 ppg.) scored 11 points last Wednesday and he also hit a key three-pointer late in regulation. Freshman Vytas Danelius (6.6 ppg. and 4.0 rpg.), who made his first career start and scored 13 points Sunday, shoots a team-best 60.0 percent from the field. Freshman Jamaal Levy (2.6 ppg.) made his first career start last Wednesday at Clemson.

More From Wake's 92-70 Win Over 15th-Ranked Virginia Sunday

Wake Forest, playing without injured starter Josh Howard, turned in one of its best performances of the season in a 92-70 win over visiting 15th-ranked Virginia Sunday night. The Deacons shot 57.9 percent from the field and out-rebounded one of the ACC's best-rebounding teams, 44-30. Senior Darius Songaila registered his 12th double-double of the season with a career-high 30 points and 11 rebounds. Songaila was 11-of-13 from the floor and 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Senior Craig Dawson scored 17 points, including five three-point field goals. Freshman Vytas Danelius made his first career start and responded with 13 points and eight rebounds. Senior Antwan Scott came off the bench for the first time this season to score 13 points and grab nine boards. Wake led 53-35 at the half and withstood Virginia's rallies in the second half. More from Sunday's win over Virginia: - Wake Forest dished out a season-high 26 assists, including a career-high seven by freshman Taron Downey. - Roger Mason's 31 points were the most by a Deacon opponent this season. - The Deacons won their third game this season against a nationally-ranked opponent. - Wake and Virginia split the regular season series for the fifth straight year.

Wake Forest-Duke Series History

- Duke leads the all-time series, 146-72. - The Blue Devils have won the last 11 meetings dating back to 1996-97. The Blue Devils beat Wake Forest 103-80 on Jan. 19 in Durham. - Prior to Duke's 11-game win streak, the Deacons won nine straight over the Blue Devils from 1992-93 to 1996-97. - Duke owns a 48-16 series lead at Cameron Indoor Stadium and has won the last five meetings in Durham. - Wake Forest is 5-7 against Duke in Lawrence Joel Coliseum including a heart-breaking 82-80 loss last season. The Blue Devils have won five straight in Winston-Salem. - Thursday's game marks the 11th consecutive meeting in which Duke has been ranked in the top five nationally. - The two teams first met in 1906 and Wake Forest won the first six meetings. - Wake's Skip Prosser is 0-1 all-time against Duke. - Duke's Mike Krzyzewski is 27-18 all-time versus Wake Forest.

Deacon-Blue Devil Connections

- Wake Forest assistant coach Dino Gaudio and Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski both previously served as the head coach at Army. - Wake head coach Skip Prosser was an assistant coach at Xavier in 1986-87 when Duke beat the Musketeers, 65-60, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Indianapolis. - Wake's Vytas Danelius and Duke's Andy Means both played high school ball in Indianapolis. - Deacon senior Broderick Hicks and Duke freshman Daniel Ewing both call Houston home. - Wake (R.D. Montgomery) and Duke (Reggie Love) have a football player on the roster. - Members of the WFU and Duke media relations/marketing offices competed last summer for the inaugural Fellowship Cup.

Deacon Streaks - Wake Forest saw its 23-game homecourt winning streak against non-conference teams end with the Feb. 9 loss to Cincinnati. - Wake is 6-1 in games decided by six points or less. - The Deacons have won six of their last nine ACC road games. - Wake Forest has made at least one three-point field goal in 281 consecutive games. - WFU is 17-0 this season when shooting a higher field goal percentage than its opponent and 11-0 when shooting 50 percent or better. - WFU is 12-0 when it has more free throw attempts than its opponent. - Wake has had at least 10 more assists than turnovers in three straight games. - Darius Songaila has scored in double figures in 12 consecutive games. - Craig Dawson has made at least one three-point field goal in every game this season. Throw out the Maryland game in last year's ACC Tournament when Dawson played just one minute before getting injured, he has made at least one three-pointer in 36 straight games.

Duke Used 16-0 Run Late To Pull Away From Wake In Last Meeting

Wake Forest pulled to within 76-73 of No. 1 Duke on Jan. 19 in Durham before the Blue Devils went on a 16-0 run to secure the 103-80 victory. Jason Williams led all scorers with 23 points and Duke shot 53.6 percent.

Deacons Lighting Up Scoreboard

When coach Skip Prosser arrived at Wake Forest, he promised an up-tempo game. And while the Deacons don't play at a breakneck speed, they are averaging a lofty 82.8 points per game. The last time Wake Forest averaged more than 82 points per game came in 1977-78 (83.2). Over the last five games Wake has averaged 96.0 points per contest. The Demon Deacons rank third in the ACC and eighth nationally in scoring. Wake has gone over the 100-point mark twice this season. Prior to coach Skip Prosser's arrival, the Deacons scored 100 points just once between Feb. 10, 1993 and the end of the 2000-01 season -- a string of 267 games. Wake Forest is also ranked in the top 25 nationally (24th) in field goal percentage. The Deacs' field goal percentage of .479 ranks second in the ACC (behind Duke) and is their highest percentage since 1992-93.

30-Point Games Suddenly Commonplace For Deacons...

Wake Forest went 127 games without a player scoring 30 points. Now, two Deacons have scored at least 30 in consecutive games. When Craig Dawson erupted for 38 points last Wednesday at Clemson, it marked the first time since Feb. 19, 1998 (when Robert O'Kelley scored 31 at Maryland) that a Deacon has eclipsed 30 points. Last Sunday against Virginia, Darius Songaila scored a career-high 30 points to give Wake Forest back-to-back 30-point games for the first time since March 7 and March 8, 1997 (when Tim Duncan scored 31 and 33 points in the ACC Tournament against Florida State and North Carolina). Dawson's 38 points were the most by a Deacon since March 10, 1995 when Randolph Childress scored 40 against Duke in the opening round of the ACC Tournament in Greensboro.

... And For The Opposition

In the first 23 games of the season, no Deacon opponent had scored 30 points against Wake Forest. Now, it's happened four times over the last three games. The 30-point streak started Feb. 9 against Cincinnati when Steve Logan scored 30 against Wake Forest. On Feb. 13 at Clemson, both Tony Stockman and Edward Scott scored 30 points for the Tigers. Last Sunday, Virginia's Roger Mason, Jr. erupted for 31 points, tying for the 10th-most single-game points in Lawrence Joel Coliseum history.

Deacons Remain In National Polls For The 13th Straight Week

An upset loss at Clemson and a home win over 15th-ranked Virginia last week caused Wake Forest to slip in both major national polls. Wake dropped from 19th to 20th in the Associated Press poll and from 17th to 21st in the ESPN/USA Today poll. The ESPN/USA Today poll collected votes before the end of Sunday's win over Virginia. The Deacons have been in the AP poll in 32 of the last 33 weeks. They have been ranked in both polls for 13 consecutive weeks. Wake Forest is 15th by Basketball America, 18th by CBS Sportsline, 23rd by College RPI.com, 23rd in the Sagarin Ratings and 29th in the Sporting News.

Milestones Within Reach

- Senior Darius Songaila (1,708 career points) can move into 11th place on Wake Forest's all-time scoring list, passing Rodney Rogers, with 13 points. He can move into the top 10, passing Chris King, with 24 points. - Songaila (750 career rebounds) will move into eighth place on Wake's all-time rebounds list with two rebounds, passing Jack Williams. - Senior Craig Dawson (1,238 career points) can move into 23rd place on Wake's all-time scoring chart, passing Jack Murdock, with just two points. He can move into 22nd place, passing Kenny Green, with 15 points. - Dawson (233 career three-pointers) needs four three-pointers to rank 13th in ACC history. Deacs Approach Impressive Marks - Wake Forest, 8-4 in the ACC, has already matched its conference win total from last season and the Deacons have surpassed their ACC win total from 1998, 1999 and 2000 when they went 7-9 three consecutive years. - Wake Forest's 8-4 record through 12 ACC games is its best start in league play since starting 9-3 in 1996-97 (Tim Duncan's senior year). The Deacons, in fact, have been at or below .500 after 12 ACC games in each of the four previous seasons. - The 8-4 record is identical to the mark WFU had through 12 games in 1994-95 -- the last time the Deacons won a share of the regular season title. - The Deacons, 3-3 on the ACC road, have already matched the total produced in each of the previous two seasons. The last time WFU finished .500 or better on the ACC road came in 1996-97 when it went 6-2. - Wake Forest is guaranteed its 12th consecutive winning season. - Wake Forest has secured at least a fifth-place finish in the ACC for the 10th consecutive year. If North Carolina (48 straight years of finishing fifth or better in the ACC) suffers one more loss, or if Virginia gains one more win, the Deacons will have the longest current streak. - The Deacons appear to be a lock for their 12th consecutive postseason bid.

Skip Prosser Already In Select ACC Coaching Fraternity

Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser has an 8-4 record in his first ACC season. Only three first-year coaches in the 49-year history of the league have won more ACC games in their rookie season. North Carolina's Matt Doherty (2001) and Bill Guthridge (1998) share the record for most wins by a first-year ACC coach with 13. NC State's Press Maravich, in 1965, earned a 10-3 record. More on Prosser's first season at Wake Forest: - Prosser has accomplished what no other first-year coach in Deacon history has done since 1927 -- produce a winning season. Prosser is the first rookie coach at Wake Forest to earn a winning record since James Baldwin led the Deacons to a 22-3 record in his first season in 1927. Prosser, in fact, has already earned more wins in his initial season than any other first-year Deacon coach, with the exception of Baldwin. - By beating North Carolina 84-62 on Jan. 5, Prosser became the first Deac first-year coach to win in Chapel Hill since R.S. Hayes in 1926. He is the first rookie WFU coach ever to win on the road against UNC and NC State in the same season. - Prosser's Deacons have remained in the national polls for 13 consecutive weeks. - Wake Forest has won more games against nationally-ranked teams (three) than any Deacon team since 1996-97.

Coaches In First Season At WFU Coach (Season) Thru 26 Games Final Record Skip Prosser (2002) 18-8 ? Dave Odom (1990) 11-15 12-16 Bob Staak (1986) 7-19 8-21 Carl Tacy (1973) 12-14 12-15 Jack McCloskey (1967) 8-17 9-18 Jack Murdock (1966) 8-18 8-18 Bones McKinney (1958) 6-17 6-17

Prosser Has Two Wins Vs. No. 1

Wake Forest's Skip Prosser has coached against the nation's No. 1-ranked team four times and he has come away a winner twice. Prosser's Xavier teams beat No. 1 Cincinnati in 1999-00 and in 1996-97. His only losses to a No. 1-ranked team was an overtime decision to No. 1 Massachusetts in 1995-96 and the loss at No. 1 Duke on Jan. 19. Prosser, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and Maryland's Gary Williams are the only current Atlantic Coast Conference coaches to own more than one victory against a No. 1-ranked team.

Deacons Back On ESPN

Wake Forest will appear on ESPN or ESPN2 for the 10th time this season Thursday night.

Senior Darius Songaila Enjoying An All-ACC-Type Season

Perhaps senior Darius Songaila is motivated because he was left off the preseason All-ACC team, or maybe he's flourishing in coach Skip Prosser's system. Regardless, Songaila is enjoying his finest season as a Deacon. Songaila ranks among the ACC leaders in nine different statistical categories. More on Songaila: - Over his last six games, Songaila has averaged 21.0 points and 9.5 rebounds per game while shooting 94.9 percent (37-of-39) from the free throw line and 57.9 percent from the field. - He leads the team and ranks sixth in the ACC in scoring (17.5 points per game). - Songaila has scored in double figures in every game but one this season and he has scored in double figures 98 times in his career. - He ranks third in the ACC in free throw percentage (.862). In ACC games only, he shoots 91.0 percent and ranks second. - His career free throw percentage (.829) is the sixth-highest in Wake Forest history. - Songaila leads the team and ranks sixth in the ACC in rebounding (8.2 rpg.). - He ranks ninth in Wake Forest history with 750 career rebounds. - He ranks eighth in Wake history with 93 career blocked shots. - He ranks 14th in the ACC in blocked shots (0.92). - Songaila has 12 double-doubles this season, including one in six of the last nine games. Only Virginia's Travis Watson (15) has as many in the ACC. Only five different players in WFU history had more single-season double-doubles. - Songaila owns 21 career double-doubles, which ranks fifth in school history. - He ranks third in the ACC in field goal percentage (.526). - He ranks 12th in Wake Forest career scoring history with 1,708 points. - Songaila is just the sixth player in Wake Forest history to accumulate 1,500 points and 700 boards. - Only five players in school history have made more free throws than Songaila (532) and only five players have attempted more free throws (640). - He has scored 20 or more points in a game 19 times, including nine times this season and five times in his last six games. - He ranks 15th in the ACC in steals (1.31). - In ACC games, Songaila ranks 11th in the ACC in assists (2.92). - Songaila was named to the Preseason NIT All-Tournament team after his performances against Fresno State and Syracuse.

Songaila's Last Six Games Opponent PTS REB FT-A AST ST vs. Virginia 30 11 8-8 2 0 at Clemson 24 7 4-4 4 1 vs. Cincinnati 22 12 9-10 1 1 vs. North Carolina 10 8 2-2 3 3 at Florida State 20 10 8-9 2 2 at NC State 20 9 6-6 0 0

Songaila Gaining Reputation As Clutch Performer

Senior Darius Songaila is the type of player who wants the ball in his hands at crunch time. And almost each time, the results have been great for Wake Forest: - Songaila hit a lay-up with 2.7 seconds remaining to lift Wake Forest to a 79-78 win over UNC-Wilmington in the season opener. - Nov. 21 against Fresno State, Songaila's follow tip with 1.7 seconds left gave the Deacons a 62-61 win over the Bulldogs in the semifinals of the Preseason NIT at Madison Square Garden. - Songaila's two free throws with 3:37 remaining broke a 57-57 tie with 19th-ranked Marquette on Dec. 29. The Deacons led the rest of the way en route to a 64-59 win over the Golden Eagles. - In Wake's 82-81 win at NC State Jan. 30, Songaila hit two free throws with 1:35 left.

All-ACC Candidate Josh Howard Battling High Ankle Sprain

Junior Josh Howard was playing the best basketball of his career until he suffered a high left ankle sprain in practice on Feb. 7. Since the injury, the All-ACC candidate has played in part of just one of Wake's last three games. He sat out Sunday's win over Virginia and he is questionable for Thursday's game against No. 3 Duke. Howard (14.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game) had averaged 20.0 points, 4.5 assists and 3.0 steals over his last four games before the injury. At 6-6, Howard ranks second in the ACC in offensive rebounds and he ranks among the ACC leaders in eight statistical categories. More on Howard: - In the Feb. 6 win over North Carolina, Howard tied a career-high with 24 points and made a career-best four three-point field goals. - He has scored 20 or more points in a game 10 times in his three-year career -- three of those have come in his last five games. - Nearly half of Howard's 185 rebounds have come on the offensive boards (85). - He is second on the team and 13th in the ACC in scoring (14.3 ppg.). - He ranks fifth in the ACC in field goal percentage (.515). - Only eight players in the ACC have more double-doubles this season than Howard (four). - Just a junior, Howard has already scored 1,072 career points to rank 33rd in WFU history. - He ranks eighth in the ACC in steals (1.67 spg.). - His seven steals against Georgia Tech on Jan. 26 were one shy of tying Muggsy Bogues' single-game record. - Howard ranks seventh among Wake's all-time leaders in steals with 142. - Howard ranks 10th in the ACC in blocked shots (1.00 bspg.). - He ranks among Wake's all-time leaders in blocked shots (89).

Hicks On A Roll As A Starter, Sixth Man, Point Guard Or Wing

After starting the first 19 games of the season, senior Broderick Hicks was replaced by freshman Taron Downey in the starting lineup. Not only did Hicks show character in the demotion, he has played his best basketball since then. "I look at it more as an opportunity," Hicks said. Hicks moved back into the starting lineup Feb. 13 at Clemson albeit at the big guard position. And Hicks has been opportunistic. Prior to losing his starting job, his season-high was 15 points. Over his last four games, Hicks has averaged 15.6 points per game. He scored a then career-high 23 points at Florida State Feb. 2, then topped that with 24 points Feb. 9 against Cincinnati. Hicks scored 16 points and dished out a team-high six assists last Wednesday at Clemson. Over his last three games, Hicks has 16 assists to go with just six turnovers and six three-point field goals. Hicks has played in 123 career games -- the fourth-most in Wake Forest history.

Hicks' Last Five Games Opponent PTS 3P-A FT-A AST TO vs. Virginia 5 1-1 0-2 6 3 at Clemson 16 2-11 4-6 6 3 vs. Cincinnati *24 3-5 5-7 4 0 vs. North Carolina 10 0-1 2-3 1 0 at Florida State 23 1-1 12-13 1 2 * career high

Vytas Danelius Emerging As One Of The ACC's Top Freshmen

Freshman forward Vytas Danelius, who was a highly-touted recruit last year, has many skills. But the rookie's best talent is simply putting the ball in the basket. Danelius is shooting a team-best 60.0 percent from the field. More impressively, Danelius has shot less than 50 percent in a game just three times in 26 games. Jan. 12 against Clemson, he recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Last Sunday against 15th-ranked Virginia, Danelius made his first career start and responded with 13 points and eight rebounds.

Craig Dawson Shows Why He's One Of The ACC's Top Distance Shooters

If you weren't sure if Craig Dawson was one of the nation's best three-point shooters, then watch tape of Wake's Feb. 13 game at Clemson. Dawson tied an ACC single-game record and broke the Wake Forest school by making 11 three-point field goals (on 17 attempts). He scored 10 points in the final 1:02 of regulation. He will leave Wake Forest as one of the most prolific three-point shooters in school and ACC history. More on Dawson: - He followed his record-breaking performance at Clemson by going 5-of-9 from three-point range Sunday against Virginia. Over his last two games, Dawson is 16-of-26 (.615) from three-point range. - Dawson has 78 three-point field goals this season -- the fourth-most single-season three-pointers in Wake Forest history. - He ranks fourth in Wake Forest history and 14th in ACC history with 233 career three-point field goals. - He leads the ACC in three-point field goal percentage (.433). Dawson is vying to become the first Deacon to lead the ACC in three-point field goal percentage since Ricky Peral in 1996. - Dawson is tied for second with Duke's Jason Williams in the ACC for three-point field goals per game (3.00). Dawson could be just the first Deacon to lead the ACC in three-point field goals since Randolph Childress in 1994. - His career three-point field goal percentage (.393) is the eighth-highest in WFU history. - He has made at least one three-point field goal in every game this season and he has made at least two three-pointers in 19 of 26 games. - Dawson has made three or more three-pointers in a game 12 times this season, 32 times in his career. - Dawson ranks 19th in the ACC in scoring (12.2 ppg.). - He ranks 24th in Wake Forest career scoring history with 1,238 points. - Dawson's assist-to-turnover ratio (68 assists, 34 turnovers) is the best on the team.

Antwan Scott One Of The ACC's Most Improved Players

Senior Antwan Scott, in his first year as a starter, is making the most of his final season. He has nearly doubled his statistics from a year ago, making him one of the ACC's most improved players. Scott is not at 100 percent. He suffered a severely dislocated middle finger on his non-shooting (left) hand in the Jan. 15 game against Virginia. More on Scott: - Scott did not start Sunday against Virginia for the first time all season, but came off the bench for 13 points, nine rebounds and two blocked shots. - Last Wednesday at Clemson, Scott grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds. - He ranks second in the ACC in blocked shots (1.65 bspg.). Scott is trying to become the first Deacon to lead the ACC in blocked shots since Tim Duncan, who led the ACC in blocks for four seasons (from 1994-97). - Scott ranks second on the team in minutes played (29.3). - His field goal percentage (.551) would be the third-highest in the ACC, but he does not have the minimum number of field goals made to qualify. - He ranks 26th in the ACC in scoring (10.6 ppg.) and 17th in rebounding (5.2 rpg.). - Scott ranks fifth on Wake Forest's all-time blocked shots list with 136 career rejections. - Scott has more dunks this season (51) than the rest of the Deacon team combined (41).

Antwan Scott This Season Last Season Minutes Per Game 29.3 16.2 Points Per Game 10.6 6.8 Rebounds Per Game 5.2 3.6 Field Goal Percentage 55.1 48.7 Blocks Per Game 1.65 1.3

Hicks Likely To Break All-Time Games Played Record

Barring injury, senior Broderick Hicks should graduate as Wake Forest's all-time leader in games played. Hicks is fourth on that list with 123 games played. Wake Forest has four regular season games remaining. If the Deacs play a minimum of one ACC Tournament game and one other postseason tournament game, he will own the all-time record held by Tim Duncan (128 games). Darius Songaila (122 games played) is one game behind Hicks.

Big Week For Ex-Deacons

Last Sunday, former Deacon golfer Len Mattiace won his first PGA Tournament and former Deac Frank Johnson was named head coach of the Phoenix Suns.

Freshman Taron Downey Settles Into Starting Point Guard Role

In November and December, freshman guard Taron Downey was a solid reserve in the Deacon backcourt. But since Jan. 1, the rookie point guard has emerged as one of the ACC's top freshmen. More on Downey: - In November and December, Downey played an average of just 6.8 minutes per game. But since Jan. 1, the rookie southpaw has played 23.1 minutes per contest. - Last Sunday against Virginia, Downey scored eight points, dished out a career-high seven assists and committed just one turnover. - In last Wednesday's loss at Clemson, Downey's clutch three-pointer with one second remaining sent the game into overtime. He finished the game with 13 points, including 3-of-4 from three-point range, four rebounds and three assists in 30 minutes. - Jan. 7 at Navy, he came off the bench for a career-high 15 points, including three three-point field goals.

Taron Downey Category First 12 Games Last 12 Games Minutes Per Game 6.8 24.0 Points Per Game 1.7 7.5 Three-Point Field Goals 0.3 1.3 Rebounds 0.5 1.6 Assists 0.7 2.4 Total Steals 2 6

Wake's Schedule One Of The Nation's Most Difficult Slates

Wake Forest is facing one of the most difficult schedules in the nation. Consider: - No other team in the country can claim to have the nation's four highest-ranked teams on the schedule -- No. 1 Kansas, No. 2 Maryland, No. 3 Duke and No. 4 Cincinnati. - Two other AP-ranked teams -- No. 9 Marquette and No. 22 Virginia -- are on the Deacon schedule. - Earlier this season Wake played three consecutive teams ranked in the top 10. - Wake's next two games -- vs. No. 3 Duke and at No. 2 Maryland (Sunday) -- come against 2001 Final Four teams. - Wake Forest has played, or will play, 14 regular season games against teams currently ranked 47th or better in the RPI ratings.