2008-09 Wake Forest Basketball Season Preview
With much experience returning, Deacons face higher expectations

Oct. 15, 2008

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - What a difference a year makes. At this time last year, Wake Forest was being picked to finish at or near the bottom of the ACC by nearly every publication. Fast forward to 2008, and the Demon Deacons are suddenly faced with the expectations of being a favorite to finish in the top echelon of the conference standings.

Wake Forest returns almost its entire roster from last year's young squad that did its best to quiet the detractors. The Deacons proved that they did not belong at the bottom of the standings, finishing the season 17-13 overall and 7-9 in the ACC. Along the way, Wake knocked off some of the ACC's best, including an upset of No. 2-ranked Duke on Feb. 17 at Joel Coliseum.

However, a late season slide kept Wake Forest out of the posteason and fueled the hunger for this year's team to continue to turn things around in Winston-Salem.

On paper, the Deacons have the combination of talent and experience to make the leap from middle of the pack to conference elite. Wake returns 11 letterwinners, including all five starters, from 2007-08.

"I think we're still a very young team with only one senior, but I think we have experience because some guys will now be starting for their third year," said Wake Forest head coach Dino Gaudio. "Albeit they're juniors, but I think the experience we have lends itself to a more mature team. We're not senior-laden by any means, but I think we have a mature basketball team with the group of juniors we have and, of course, Harvey Hale as our lone senior."

Gaudio and the Deacons also welcome in a trio of freshmen who were ranked as the third-best recruiting class in the nation, giving Wake Forest seemingly one of its deepest squads in recent history.

"It is a much-ballyhooed class, however it remains to be seen how good the three freshmen are going to be," said Gaudio of his most recent recruits. "I keep referring to our 2008 recruiting class that wasn't highly-rated, and it turned out if you rated it after their freshman year it would be without a doubt one of the top five classes in America. This class here has been rated among the best in the country, but it remains to be seen how good they'll be."

Despite all of the accolades and expectations, no one is going to hand the Demon Deacons an NCAA Tournament berth or a conference title. Wake Forest must prove its mettle on the court in order to achieve its goals in 2008-09.

"Our goal every year is to win the ACC," said Gaudio. "And I think if you can win the ACC, you're one of the best teams in the country. If you can win the ACC, you have a chance of going deep into the NCAA Tournament and maybe make the Final Four."

What's Returning

Wake Forest returns 11 letterwinners, including all five starters, from last season's squad that finished 17-13 overall and 7-9 in the ACC.

The Deacons are one of just two teams (North Carolina being the other) in the ACC to welcome back all five starters from a year ago. Wake also returns over 97 percent of its production in all major statistical categories, including each of its top nine scorers and top eight rebounders from 2007-08.

The Deacons lost just one scholarship player off last year's roster--forward Cameron Stanley, who received his degree from Wake Forest in May. Stanley saw action in 24 games last season, averaging 1.0 points and 1.3 rebounds per game.

Wake Forest's 11 returning letterwinners have combined to play in 480 games and make 272 starts. Senior Harvey Hale is the Deacs' most experienced player, having seen action in 95 career contests, while junior Ishmael Smith has made a team-high 61 career starts entering this season.

The Back Court

Wake Forest returns every member of its back court from last season, giving the Deacons a deep and talented lineup to work with. Wake's back court is highlighted by one of the quickest guard tandems in the country in Ishmael Smith and Jeff Teague.

"Our two guards have a chance to be one of the best back courts in the country," said Gaudio. "I don't know if there's a quicker back court in the nation than Ishmael Smith and Jeff Teague. And you throw Harvey [Hale] and Gary [Clark] in that mix, and I think we have a chance to be very good there this year."

Smith, who has started at point guard for the Deacons since day one of his freshman season, returns to run the offense for Wake Forest. The 6-0, 175-pound junior has played in 61 career games and made 60 starts. Last season, Smith averaged 8.6 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. He led the Deacs in assists for the second straight season with an average of 4.7 per game.

Last year Smith developed a reputation as a clutch performer, as he was able to hit big shots for the Deacs late in games. Smith hit identical game-winning jumpers in the waning seconds against Virginia Tech and Miami and had clutch shots late against Clemson and Virginia.

Smith will be slowed during the 2008-09 preseason after breaking his left foot in mid-September. The Concord, N.C. native is expected to recover in time for the Deacons' season opener on Nov. 14.

Teague returns for his second season as Smith's speedy back court partner. The Indianapolis native burst onto the scene as a freshman last season, earning a league-high four ACC Rookie of the Week awards. He was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team after leading all conference rookies in scoring in ACC games only with 16.4 points per game.

Overall, Teague averaged 13.9 points per game which ranked second on the team and 16th in the ACC. He led the Deacs in scoring 10 times and scored in double figures in 19 of his final 22 games of the season. Teague did more than just score, he played tenacious defense as well. The 6-2, 180-pound Teague tallied a team-high 55 steals and also had 15 blocked shots.

A true point guard, Teague will see time this season at both the point and shooting guard positions. He excelled as a wing last season, using his quickness to drive past defenders to the basket. With Smith missing time with his foot injury, Teague should see more time at point in the preseason.

Harvey Hale returns as the Deacs' most-tenured veteran. The senior has played in 95 career games and is the lone scholarship senior on the roster. Last season, Hale averaged 8.1 points per game and made 12 starts on the year.

Hale will see time at the shooting guard spot, his natural position. The Deacons' leading returning three-point shooter with 107 career buckets from beyond the arc, Hale has the potential to be lethal from the perimeter.

Junior L.D. Williams returns as one of possibly the most-underrated players in the conference. A two-year starter for Wake Forest, Williams is a lockdown defender who usually takes on the opponent's top offensive threat.

Williams has also shown some offensive prowess, averaging 8.9 points per game last season. Williams has started for Wake Forest since he arrived on campus but missed four games last year due to a fractured right hand.

One of the most athletic players in the conference, Williams should lead a strong Deacon defensive effort once again this season.

Sophomore Gary Clark returns looking for a breakout season in his second year on campus. The 6-4, 200-pound Clark showed promise last year, coming up with big shots in several ACC victories.

Clark, who averaged 2.6 points in 24 contests, was instrumental in wins against Virginia Tech and at Florida State. Against the Hokies, Clark had a key steal and then hit the ensuing game-tying three-pointer for the Deacs. Clark went 5-for-7 from the floor to score a season-best 13 points in Wake's win at Florida State in mid-February.

The Sarasota, Fla. native will see action at the shooting guard spot and with a more consistent shooting stroke could provide a spark on offense from the perimeter.

Freshman Al-Farouq Aminu will see time as a combination guard/forward. One of the most highly-touted recruits in Wake Forest history, Aminu should have an instant impact for the Deacons. The 6-9, 215-pound native of Norcross, Ga. has the skills to play the perimeter, as well as the ability to post up smaller players down low. Aminu is described by the Deacon coaching staff as a "mis-match nightmare" for opponents.

Senior walk-on guard Mike Lepore is also back for his fourth season with the Deacons. Lepore should prove once again to be valuable member of the scout team in practice.

The Front Court

With a great amount of depth at forward and center, Wake Forest's front court could prove to be one of the team's biggest strengths this season. The Demon Deacons return four talented big men and also welcome in two highly-recruited centers to add to the mix. One thing is for sure, the competition to see minutes in the front court will be intense.

"We have a lot of guys who have a chance to see significant minutes in the front court," said Gaudio. "We have a very strong front court with depth, guys with differing skills--some guys are strictly back-to-the-basket while some can step out and shoot the three. I really like our front court presence this year--from Chas McFarland and David Weaver to the two young guys, Tony Woods and Ty Walker. Then you throw in guys who are sort of multi-faceted players in James Johnson and Al-Farouq Aminu. Both of those guys can play the four, and at times they will."

Sophomore James Johnson headlines the returning front court players. As a rookie in 2007-08, Johnson led the Deacons in scoring (14.6 ppg) and rebounding (8.1 rpg). He became the first freshman to lead Wake in both categories since Rodney Rogers in 1991.

Johnson was named third team All-ACC, was a unanimous selection to the ACC All-Freshman Team and finished runner-up in voting for ACC Rookie of the Year. Johnson was also named a Freshman All-American by a number of publications after finishing among the ACC's best in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and blocks.

Johnson led the Deacs with eight double-doubles and combined with classmate Jeff Teague to become just the fourth-ever freshman duo to lead an ACC team in scoring.

Junior center Chas McFarland returns after having a huge breakout season in 2007-08. McFarland was arguably the conference's most improved player last year after leading all ACC players in per game scoring improvement, going from 0.7 in 2006-07 to 8.4 in 2007-08.

McFarland, a true seven-footer and one of the Deacons' most intense players, exhibited a nice shooting touch around the basket and from the perimeter. Last season he led the team in field goal percentage, shooting 49.0 percent (97-of-198) on the year.

A fierce defender as well, McFarland also averaged 5.8 rebounds per game and led the Deacs with 48 blocked shots. He has the potential to be one of the top big men in the ACC.

Fourth-year junior David Weaver is back after winning the team's Best Defensive Player Award in 2007-08. At 6-11, 235 pounds, Weaver is a physical presence in the post and uses his size to his advantage on defense. On offense, he has shown an accurate shooting stroke around the rim. He attempted just 52 field goals last season but made 32 of them for a mark of 61.5 percent.

Weaver, who is a ferocious dunker, should factor into the rotation in the front court and could provide a needed spark on the defensive end.

Junior Jamie Skeen also returns for the Deacons but will sit out the fall semester due to a violation of University academic policy. Skeen, who has played in 60 career games, averaged 5.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game last season.

Incoming freshmen Ty Walker and Tony Woods will compete for playing time in a crowded front court. Both highly-touted recruits, Walker and Woods possess the size and ability to be successful players in the ACC.

Walker, a 7-0, 215-pound center out of Wilmington, N.C., was one of the most prolific shot blockers in high school basketball history. Walker, who averaged 8.1 blocks per game as a senior, was rated by Rivals.com as the No. 2 center and No. 17 prospect overall nationally.

Woods was rated by Rivals as the No. 3 center and the No. 20 recruit nationally in the class of 2008. At 6-11, 245 pounds Woods has a commanding physical presence in the post. A native of Rome, Ga., Woods was an AAU teammate of fellow Deacon freshman Aminu.

Aminu possesses the versatility to see some action in the front court as well. Both he and Johnson have multi-faceted games that allow them to transition easily from the perimeter to down low in the post.

Senior walk-on forward Bobby Hoekstra also returns for his fourth season with the Deacs. The inaugural winner of the Skip Prosser Award last year, Hoekstra has proven to be a valuable member of the scout team in practice.

The Schedule

Wake Forest, as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, plays one of the country's most difficult schedules year in and year out. This season is no different. In addition to its rigorous 16-game ACC slate, Wake will face a bevy of tough non-conference opponents in 2008-09.

"I think our schedule is a very difficult one," said Gaudio. "It will be tough early on playing in the tournament in Anaheim with five of the eight teams being in the NCAA Tournament last year--in addition to Arizona State who should have been an NCAA participant. We also have Indiana in the Big Ten Challenge, Bucknell who will vie for its league championship and Wright State who won 21 games last year. Not many teams in the ACC are going to venture on the road at Richmond, at East Carolina and at Brigham Young. I think overall it's a very daunting schedule."

In all, the Demon Deacons will face 11 teams that participated in postseason play in 2007-08, including seven that made the NCAA Tournament.

The non-conference schedule features a slew of difficult road games. In addition to the 76 Classic in Anaheim, the Deacons will play at Richmond, at East Carolina and at Brigham Young before opening conference play.

BYU has won 47 straight games at its home court, the Marriott Center, entering this season. If the Cougars are able to keep their streak intact heading into their Jan. 3 matchup with the Deacs, a 58-game streak will be on the line.

Wake will also host perennial bracket busters Bucknell and Wright State, as well as Big Ten foe Indiana, during the month of December.

The Deacs and Hoosiers have met once previously in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge with Wake rolling to a 100-67 defeat of IU at Joel Coliseum in 2003-04.

The Deacons will get their share of national television exposure early on when they compete in the 2008 76 Classic, held Nov. 27-30 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif. ESPN is the host for the tournament, and all three of Wake's games will be televised on either ESPN2 or ESPNU.

Wake Forest will open the 76 Classic against 2008 NCAA Tournament participant Cal State Fullerton and then will play either St. Mary's or UTEP in the second round.

In total, Wake Forest will appear on television 21 times, including 13 national telecasts. The Deacs will be on the ESPN/ABC family of networks nine times and on Fox Sports Net four times.

Wake Forest will open ACC play on Jan. 11 by hosting defending ACC champion North Carolina. In its 16-game conference schedule, Wake Forest will play five opponents twice in home-and-home series. Those opponents include Boston College, Clemson, Duke, Georgia Tech and NC State.

The 56th Annual ACC Tournament is set for March 12-15, 2009, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga. It will mark the first time since 2001 that the conference tournament has been held in Atlanta.