March 1, 2002

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#24 Wake Forest (18-11/8-7) vs. NC State (20-8/9-6)

Game #30 / March 2, 2002 Lawrence Joel Coliseum (14,665) Winston-Salem, NC

Tip-Off: 2:05 p.m.

Television: CBS. Tim Brando (play-by-play) and Eddie Fogler (color analysis) call the action. Craig Silver 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 18-11 overall and 8-7 in the ACC after 90-77 loss at unranked Georgia Tech Wednesday night. NC State is 20-8 and 9-6 following a 98-76 win over visiting North Carolina on Sunday.

The Rankings: Wake Forest is ranked 24th in the Associated Press poll and 22nd in the ESPN/USA Today poll last week. NC State is not ranked.

WFU Coach Skip Prosser: Prosser (U.S. Merchant Marine Academy '72) is 18-11 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 183-89.

NC State Coach Herb Sendek: Sendek (Carnegie Mellon '85) is 106-82 in six seasons with the Wolfpack, 169-108 in nine seasons overall.

The Series History: NC State leads, 122-89. More series information on page two.

The Officials: Announced on game day.

No. 3 Seed On Line For Wake, State On Deacons' Senior Day

Wake Forest will say good-bye to six seniors and battle NC State for the third seed at next week's ACC Tournament in the regular season finale Saturday at Lawrence Joel Coliseum (CBS/2:05 p.m.). The Demon Deacons, 18-11 overall and 8-7 in the ACC, have lost three straight and five out of their last six including a 90-77 loss at Georgia Tech on Wednesday. NC State, 20-8 and 9-6, has won four of its last six games including a 98-76 win over visiting North Carolina on Sunday. Saturday's game is the final home contest for six seniors, including five veteran scholarship players: Craig Dawson, Broderick Hicks, Ervin Murray, Antwan Scott and Darius Songaila. Walk-on Brett Hickman will also be honored in a pre-game ceremony. NC State leads the all-time series, 122-89. Wake Forest has won the last five meetings including an 82-81 win in Raleigh on Jan. 30. What's at stake for Wake Saturday: - Wake Forest could earn the ACC Tournament's No. 3 seed -- its highest seed since 1997 -- with a win. An NC State victory Saturday would give the Wolfpack the No. 3 seed (Wake Forest would get the No. 4 seed) and State would own sole possession of third place in the final ACC standings. - The Deacons, with a win, would finish above .500 in the ACC standings for the first time since 1997. - A WFU win Saturday would give the Deacs six straight wins over NC State for the first time since 1922-25.

A Quick Look At The Deacons

Wake Forest is looking to snap a three-game losing skid and gain some momentum heading into postseason play. The Deacons are 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, 18-11 overall and 8-7 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 recently returned to action after missing three of four games with a high ankle sprain. Songaila (17.7 points and 7.9 rebounds per game), who has averaged 22.0 points over his last six games, is playing the best basketball of his four-year career. He has scored in double figures in every game but one this season and he owns 12 double-doubles. Howard (14.6 ppg. and 7.9 rpg.) returned from a high ankle sprain last Sunday at No. 2 Maryland and he had 18 points and a career-best 15 rebounds against the Terrapins. He scored 17 points in a losing effort at Georgia tech on Wednesday. Senior Craig Dawson (12.1 ppg.) is coming off a roller-coaster week. He made 7-of-9 three-point field goals en route to 27 points at Maryland last Sunday, but was held scoreless for the first time this season Wednesday at Georgia Tech. Senior Antwan Scott (9.9 ppg. and 4.9 rpg.) ranks among the ACC leaders with 44 blocked shots and he shoots 54.7 percent from the field. Senior Broderick Hicks (9.2 ppg.) has scored in double figures in six of his last eight games. With Howard's injury, Hicks has seen most of his recent action at big guard. Freshman Taron Downey (4.7 ppg.), who has started the last 10 games at point guard, was 3-of-3 from three-point range at Georgia Tech Wednesday and scored 13 points. Junior transfer Steve Lepore (4.8 ppg.), a key reserve off the bench, has five three-pointers over his last two games. Freshman Vytas Danelius (6.5 ppg. and 4.1 rpg.) made his second career start Wednesday night. Of Wake's 11 losses, six have come against teams ranked sixth or higher.

More From Wake's 90-77 Loss At Georgia Tech Wednesday Night

Georgia Tech freshman B.J. Elder scored 23 of his game-high 25 points in the second half to lead the host Yellow Jackets past 24th-ranked Wake Forest, 90-77, Wednesday night. Wake Forest led 41-40 at the half and the Deacons shot 50.9 percent from the field for the game. The Deacons, however, collected only three offensive rebounds and were out-rebounded overall, 36-23. Darius Songaila led Wake with 24 points and Josh Howard added 17 points. More from Wednesday's loss at Georgia Tech: - Wake Forest lost for the first time all season when shooting a higher field goal percentage than its opponent and the Deacons lost for the first time when shooting 50 percent or better. - The Deacons made their first 13 free throw attempts and ended the game with a season high free throw percentage of .938 (15-of-16). - Wake suffered season-lows in steals (2), offensive rebounds (3) and total rebounds (23). - Georgia Tech was the fourth WFU opponent in five games to score at least 90 points against the Deacons.

Wake Forest-NC State Series History

- NC State leads the all-time series, 122-89. - Saturday's game will be the 212th meeting between the two schools. Wake Forest has played only Duke more often (219 meetings) than NC State. - The Demon Deacons have won the last five meetings including an 82-81 win over the Wolfpack on Jan. 30 in Raleigh. - Wake has won 13 out of the last 17 meetings and 16 out of the last 21. - The Deacs have won 11 out of the last 12 meetings in Winston-Salem. - NC State leads the all-time series in Raleigh, 85-53. The Deacons have won two of the three meetings at the Entertainment and Sports Arena. - The two teams first met in 1910-11. The two schools have met at least once each season since 1911 with the exception of the 1914-15 season. - Wake Forest's Skip Prosser is 1-0 all-time versus NC State. He went 1-1 against Herb Sendek-coached Miami (Ohio) teams while coaching at Xavier. - NC State's Sendek is 4-9 all-time against Wake Forest.

Deacon-Wolfpack Connections

- Two NC State players -- Illian Evtimov and Clifford Crawford -- are from Winston-Salem. - Both head coaches -- Wake's Skip Prosser and State's Herb Sendek -- are from Pittsburgh. - Five of the six assistant coaches pacing the sideline Wednesday were born in the state of Ohio -- Wake's Dino Gaudio and Chris Mack and NCSU's Larry Harris, Larry Hunter and Mark Phelps. - Wake's Prosser and NCSU's Hunter have previously gone head-to-head. Prosser's Xavier teams went 1-1 against Hunter's Ohio University teams.

Deacons Shuffling Starting Lineup

Wake Forest could start all five scholarship seniors on Saturday which would give the Deacs their eighth different starting combination of the season. Wake used just one lineup through the first 19 games of the season but has used six different lineups over the last 10 games.

Deacon Numbers

17-1 when Wake Forest shoots a higher field goal percentage than its opponent. It's only loss came last Wednesday at Georgia Tech.

12-1 when Wake has more free throw attempts than the opponent.

6-2 in games decided by six points or less.

3-1 in games decided by one point.

13 straight free throws without a miss entering the NC State game by Darius Songaila.

14 consecutive games Songaila has scored in double figures.

101 times in Songaila's four-year career he has scored in double figures.

284 consecutive games in which the Deacons have made at least one three-point field goal.

2-8 when the opponent shoots 50 percent or better.

6-10 when Wake Forest shoots less than 50 percent.

Deac, 'Pack Statistical Stuff

Wake Forest ranks eighth nationally in scoring (82.1) while NC State leads the ACC in scoring defense (65.8)... The Wolfpack (.755) and Deacons (.746) rank 1-2 in the ACC in team free throw percentage... Wake's Craig Dawson (.434) and State's Archie Miller (.384) are two of the most accurate three-point shooters in the ACC.

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. - In all, five of the nine highest-ranked teams in the country, including No. 9 Marquette, are on the Deacon schedule. - Earlier this season Wake played three consecutive teams ranked in the top 10. - Last week, Wake played consecutive games vs. No. 3 Duke and No. 2 Maryland. - Wake Forest has played, or will play, 14 regular season games against teams currently ranked 44th or better in the RPI ratings. - The Deacons have played 11 nationally-ranked opponents this season. The only time in WFU history that the Deacons faced more nationally-ranked opponents in one season was 13 in 1994-95. - The Deacons are 3-8 against ranked teams this season. The last time Wake had more wins in one season against ranked teams came in 1996-97. - Seven of Wake's 11 losses have come against teams ranked in the top 10 and four of those have come on the road.

Deacons Remain In National Polls For The 14th Straight Week

Losses to No. 3 Duke and No. 2 Maryland caused Wake Forest to slip, but remain in both major polls for the 14th consecutive week. Wake dropped from 20th to 24th in the Associated Press poll and from 21st to 22nd in the ESPN/USA Today poll. The Deacons have been in the AP poll in 33 of the last 34 weeks. They have been ranked in both polls for 13 consecutive weeks. Wake Forest is 19th by Basketball America, 20th by CBS Sportsline, 27th by College RPI.com, 30th in the Sagarin Ratings and 37th in the Sporting News. Wake Forest was not ranked in the preseason, but has been ranked as high as 14th by AP.

Deacons Putting Up The Points

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 82.1 points per game. The last time Wake Forest averaged more than 82 points per game came in 1977-78 (83.2). Over the last 87.8 games Wake has averaged 90.0 points per contest and that includes a 61-point effort against Duke last Thursday. The 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.

How The ACC Tournament Shapes Up For The Deacons

A Wake Forest win on Saturday would give the Deacons a No. 3 seed -- their highest seed in the ACC Tournament since 1997. A loss on Saturday would earn WFU a No. 4 seed for the first time since 1999. The No. 3 seed will play No. 6 seed Georgia Tech. The No. 4 seed will play No. 5 seed Virginia. Wake Forest split regular season meetings with both of those teams. Wake Forest has won just one of its last six ACC Tournament games.

Deep, Talented Senior Class Plays Final Home Game Saturday

Five scholarship seniors, all of whom have played key roles for Wake Forest over the last four seasons, will play their final home games in Lawrence Joel Coliseum Saturday. The senior class -- Craig Dawson (Kinston, NC), Broderick Hicks (Houston, TX), Ervin Murray (Wallace, NC), Antwan Scott (New Bern, NC) and Darius Songaila (Marijam-pole, Lithuania) -- is a highly-successful group. All five are expected to graduate in the spring. Dawson, Murray and Scott all came to Wake Forest in 1998 from the eastern part of North Carolina. Hicks hails from the southwest and Songaila from Lithuania. First-year walk-on Brett Hickman will be honored, along with the other seniors, in a pre-game ceremony Saturday. Four of Wake's top five scorers -- Songaila (17.7 ppg.), Craig Dawson (12.1 ppg.), Antwan Scott (9.9 ppg.) and Broderick Hicks (9.2 ppg.) -- are all seniors. Those five seniors have enjoyed much success over the last four years. Consider: - Wake's senior class has appeared in postseason play every season, including an NCAA Tournament appearance last season. - Over the last four seasons, Wake Forest is a combined 76-50 (.603). The Class of 2002 is trying to become the seventh senior class to win 80 games or more over four seasons. - The seniors have been a part of three wins over teams ranked in the top 10. - In 2001, Wake won the postseason NIT championship. - The five seniors have combined to play in 613 career games.

Deacs Approach Impressive Marks

- Wake Forest, 8-7 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 is looking to finish above .500 in the ACC standings for the first time since going 11-5 in 1996-97 (Tim Duncan's senior year). - Wake Forest is guaranteed its 12th consecutive winning season. - Wake Forest has secured a top-five finish in the ACC for the 10th consecutive year -- the longest current streak in the ACC. - The Deacons appear to be a lock for their 12th consecutive postseason bid. - Wake will be seeded either third or fourth in next week's ACC Tournament, depending on the outcome of Saturday's game. The Deacons were last seeded as high as fourth in 1999. Wake hasn't been seeded as high as third since earning the No. 2 seed in 1997.

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 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 en route to a win over 19th-ranked Marquette on Dec. 29. - In Wake's 82-81 win at NC State Jan. 30, Songaila hit two free throws with 1:35 left.

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 11 different statistical categories. More on Songaila: - Over his last five games, Songaila has averaged 22.0 points and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 96.8 percent (30-of-31) from the free throw line and 61.5 percent from the field. - He leads the team and ranks sixth in the ACC in scoring (17.7 points per game). - Songaila has scored in double figures in every game but one this season and he has scored in double figures 101 times in his career. - He ranks third in the ACC in free throw percentage (.871). In ACC games only, he ranks first at 91.9 percent. Songaila has made 13 consecutive free throws. - His career free throw percentage (.835) is the fifth-highest in Wake Forest history. - Songaila ranks seventh in the ACC in rebounding (7.8 rpg.). - He ranks eighth in Wake Forest history with 764 career rebounds. - He ranks eighth in Wake history with 93 career blocked shots. - He ranks 14th in the ACC in blocked shots (0.83). - Songaila has 12 double-doubles this season. Only Virginia's Travis Watson (16) 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 fourth in the ACC in field goal percentage (.530). - He ranks ninth in Wake Forest career scoring history with 1,764 points. - Songaila is just the sixth player in Wake Forest history to accumulate 1,500 points and 700 boards. - Only four players in school history have made more free throws than Songaila (550) and only five players have attempted more free throws (659). - He has scored 20 or more points in a game 21 times, including 11 times this season and seven times in his last nine games. - In ACC games, Songaila ranks 11th in the league in assists (3.00), 15th in steals (1.27) and 11th in assist-turnover ratio (0.87). - Songaila was named to the Preseason NIT All-Tournament team after his performances against Fresno State and Syracuse.

Songaila's Last Eight Games Opponent PTS REB FT-A AST ST at Georgia Tech 24 4 6-6 2 1 at Maryland 20 6 6-6 6 1 vs. Duke 12 4 6-7 2 1 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

All-ACC Candidate Josh Howard Returns In Grand Fashion

Junior Josh Howard returned to action last Sunday at Maryland and the All-ACC candidate showed no signs of rust. Howard, who had 18 points and a career-high 15 rebounds against the No. 2 Terrapins, had missed three of his previous four games with a high ankle sprain. When healthy, as he appeared to be Sunday, Howard is one of the league's best and most versatile players. At 6-6, Howard ranks second in the ACC in offensive rebounds and ranks among the ACC leaders in eight statistical categories. More on Howard: - Howard played 18 injury-filled minutes Feb. 13 against Clemson. Throw out that game and he has averaged 19.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.3 steals over his last six games. - He ranks 12th in the ACC in scoring (14.6) and he averages 16 points per game in ACC games. - Howard leads the team and ranks sixth in the ACC in rebounding (7.9). - Ninety of his 206 rebounds have come on the offensive boards. - He ranks fifth in the ACC in field goal percentage (.516). - Only eight players in the ACC have more double-doubles this season than Howard (five). - Just a junior, Howard has scored 1,107 career points to rank 32nd in WFU history. - He ranks eighth in the ACC in steals (1.62). - 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 144. - Howard ranks 10th in the ACC in blocked shots (1.00 bspg.). - He ranks among Wake's all-time leaders in blocked shots (91).

Howard's Last Six Injury-Free Games Opponent PTS REB AST BS ST vs. Georgia Tech 17 6 2 1 0 at Maryland 18 *15 1 1 2 vs. North Carolina 24 2 3 2 2 at Florida State 15 9 5 0 1 at NC State 21 9 5 1 2 vs. Georgia Tech 20 9 5 2 *7 * Career High

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

As senior Craig Dawson's career winds down, he is finally beginning to gain notice as one of the nation's premier three-point shooters. Consider that over his last five games Dawson has made 23 three-point field goals.Only two of his teammates have made that many three-pointers all season. And it also includes the Feb. 21 Duke game and last Wednesday's Georgia Tech when he was shutout from behind the arc for the only times this season. Take a look at what Dawson is accomplishing this season: - On Feb. 13 at Clemson, Dawson tied an ACC single-game record and broke the Wake school record by making 11 three-point field goals (on 17 attempts). He scored 10 of his career-high 38 points in the final 1:02 of regulation. - Feb. 24 at Maryland, Dawson was 7-of-9 from three-point range en route to 27 points. - Over his last five games, Dawson has averaged 18.2 points and 4.6 three-point field goals per game. - With 85 three-point field goals this season, only Randolph Childress owns more single-season three-pointers in WFU history. With 11 more threes this season, he will tie the single-season record of 96 held by Childress. - He ranks fourth in Wake history and 13th in ACC history with 240 career three-pointers. - He leads the ACC in three-point field goal percentage (.434). Dawson is vying to become the first Deacon to lead the ACC in three-point field goal percentage since Ricky Peral in 1996. - Dawson ranks third in the ACC for three-point field goals per game (2.93). He could become the first Deacon to lead the ACC in three-point field goals since Randolph Childress in 1994. - His career three-point field goal percentage (.394) is the seventh-highest in WFU history. - He has made at least one three-point field goal in every game but two this season and he has made at least two three-pointers in 20 of 29 games. - Dawson has made three or more three-pointers in a game 13 times this season, 33 times in his career. - Dawson ranks 19th in the ACC in scoring (12.1 ppg.). - He ranks 22nd in Wake Forest career scoring history with 1,272 points. - Dawson's assist-to-turnover ratio (76 assists, 35 turnovers) is the best on the team.

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. - Until late January, Downey had never dished out more than three assists in a game. Over his last four games he has averaged 3.8 assists per contest. - In the Feb.13 game 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. - Last Wednesday at Georgia Tech, Downey tied a career-high with three three-point field goals and he was a perfect 3-of-3 from behind the arc.

Taron Downey Category First 12 Games Last 15 Games Minutes Per Game 6.8 23.7 Points Per Game 1.7 7.7 Three-Point Field Goals 0.3 1.4 Rebounds 0.5 1.5 Assists 0.7 2.5 Total Steals 2 8

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 57.3 percent from the field. More impressively, Danelius has shot less than 50 percent in a game just five times in 29 games. More on the Lithuanian rookie: - He played a career-high 27 minutes last Sunday at No. 2 Maryland. He scored six points, grabbed four rebounds and had one steal. - He has scored in double figures in two of his last four games. - Danelius had his second career double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) versus Duke Feb. 21. - Jan. 12 against Clemson, he recorded his first career double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds. - Feb. 17 against 15th-ranked Virginia, Danelius made his first career start and responded with 13 points and eight rebounds. - After shooting 60.9 percent from the free throw line the first half of the season, he has shot 82.5 percent from the stripe the second half of the season.

Hicks Likely To Break WFU's Games Played Record

Barring injury, senior Broderick Hicks should graduate as Wake Forest's all-time leader in games played. Hicks is currently tied for third on that list with 126 games played. Hicks will tie former teammate Robert O'Kelley for second place Saturday. Wake Forest has one regular season game 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 (125 games played) is one game behind Hicks. Antwan Scott (124 games played) and Craig Dawson (123) are in pursuit as well. Hicks, Songaila, Scott and Dawson should all leave WFU ranked among the top seven.

Prosser A Finalist For Naismith National Coach Of The Year

Skip Prosser, in his first season as the Wake Forest head coach, is one of 20 finalists for the prestigious Naismith College Coach of the Year award. The announcement was made in Atlanta, home of the Atlanta Tipoff Club. Prosser is one of four ACC coaches on the list of finalist, joining Virginia's Pete Gillen, Duke's Mike Krzyzewski and Maryland's Gary Williams. The award will be presented April 5.

Skip Prosser Already In Select ACC Coaching Fraternity

Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser has an 8-7 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 earned more wins in his initial season than any other first-year Deacon coach, with the exception of Baldwin. - Prosser 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 14 consecutive weeks.

The Skip Prosser Era In Full Swing At Wake Forest

Skip Prosser, who previously served as the head coach at Loyola (MD) and Xavier, is in his first season at Wake Forest. His record at Wake Forest is 18-11. His career record, in nine seasons, is 183-89. Prosser comes to Winston-Salem after serving seven seasons as the head coach at Xavier, where he compiled a record of 148-65 (.695) and led the Musketeers to six postseason appearances. A 1972 graduate of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Prosser's teams won 20 games or more six times in seven years at Xavier. He has the 18th-highest winning percentage among active Division I coaches and he helped Xavier earn one of the nation's highest graduation rates. Joining Prosser on the coaching staff are former Xavier assistants Jeff Battle and Dino Gaudio and former Musketeer players Chris Mack (assistant coach) and Pat Kelsey (director of basketball operations).

Winningest Active Division I Coaches Rk. Coach, Current School Pct. 1. Jerry Tarkanian, Fresno State .802 2. John Kresse, Charleston .801 3. Roy Williams, Kansas .800 4. Rick Majerus, Utah .742 4. Jim Boeheim, Syracuse .742 6. Rick Pitino, Louisville .739 7. Lute Olson, Arizona .738 8. Tom Izzo, Michigan State .736 8. Bob Huggins, Cincinnati .736 10. John Chaney, Temple .734 11. Mike Krzyzewski, Duke .731 12. Nolan Richardson, Arkansas .721 13. Eddie Sutton, Oklahoma State .716 14. John Calipari, Memphis .712 15. Tubby Smith, Kentucky .711 16. Jim Calhoun, Connecticut .682 17. Mike Montgomery, Stanford .680 18. Skip Prosser, Wake Forest .679 19. Larry Eustachy, Iowa State .673 20. Billy Tubbs, TCU .672 *Entering the 2001-02 season

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 Have Good History On Senior Day

Wake Forest lost on Senior Day last season -- an 82-80 decision to No. 4-ranked Duke. But prior to that heart-breaking loss to the Blue Devils, Wake's last defeat on Senior Day came in 1992. The Deacons have won eight of their last nine games and 10 of their last 12 played on Senior Day.