Some games are worth more than one win in the standings. There are some nights that fans of a team will remember forever.
It was such a night in Winston-Salem after Wake Forest upset Duke 86-73. The thrilling upset left Deacon fans delirious, and the team all alone in fifth place in the hotly-contested ACC race.
Shortly after the game ended, the Fox Sports broadcast showed the Wake Forest faithful rushing the court, then cut to the banner hanging above the court bearing the name and image of Skip Prosser. Coach Prosser's message for the team this season was "One Team, One Fight," and the team followed that message tonight.
The Deacons, who struggled early in conference play, seem to be peaking at the right time, and are doing so behind corps of young budding stars who play with confidence and without fear.
Freshmen James Johnson and Jeff Teague combined to drop half a hundred against the favored Blue Devils. Johnson added 16 rebounds, and abused any Duke defender that dared to get in his way.
On the defensive end, Wake pressured Duke in the half-court game, perhaps conceding more open lay-ups then they would have liked, but preventing Duke from getting in a rhythm from long range.
The win should give the Demon Deacons a great deal of confidence moving forward. Coach Dino Gaudio got his first signature win as head coach, and the team realized that it belonged on the same court as the number two team in the country. A trip to Chapel Hill is next for the Deacons, but they are more prepared for that test right now than they have been at any other point in the season.
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On the other hand, Duke had some glaring flaws exposed. Kyle Singler was dominated by Johnson in the paint, often having no answer. Teague was able to get up and down the court and penetrate, scoring from all over the court. Duke also realized the struggle it will face when they don't shoot particularly well.
Perhaps most importantly, Duke found out what happens if the calls don't necessarily go their way. All five Duke starters fouled out (and deservedly so).
In the past, Duke has been hurt come tourney time by officiating crews who were not intimidated by Coach K's sideline antics. This was a rare ACC game example of what happens when a game is called a little more closely.
Still, on this night the credit has to go to the Deacons. They outplayed the Devils throughout, and deserved the win. If the Deacons can use the confidence from this game down the road, they will be a threat to win every game they play. Twenty wins is a good possibility, and with it could come a NCAA Tournament berth.
Win or lose, Wake will move ahead as one team, fighting one fight. This team has already exceeded the expectations of many, and will continue to do so with each win they mount. The Deacons are writing quite the story, and I can't wait to see how it ends.
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9 months ago
Duke was due for an off night. Props to the Deacs for taking advantage though.
James Johnson is one helluva rebounder. If he can shore up his outside shot, watch out.
9 months ago
If Wake Forest wins three of their last five, I would have to agree that they would be a legitimate bubble team. They might also need to win a game or two in the ACC tournament, but a 20 win team with a 9-7 record in the ACC would be hard for the committee to turn down. I guess I dont understand why they are spending so much time looking at the A-10 getting four teams when clearly there are five or six ACC teams that could consistantly beat the A-10's number one team, Xavier.
9 months ago
I sincerely disagree with the above statement that five or six teams in the ACC could 'consistently' beat Xavier. This is essentially the same team that should've beaten Ohio State in the tourney - the #2 team in the country last year. Xavier is no fluke this year and they haven't been for a long time. So are you saying that a team like Maryland, a team that lost to American University, would beat Xavier 8 out of 10 times? I don't know how I feel about that.
As for Wake, Jared, do you think this squad can make it to the tourney? They still have to beat UNC, GT, or VT on the road in addition to a game or two in the tournament IMO to have a shot.
from 9 months ago
They can get away with losing to UNC....if they go 3-2 down the stretch and win one in the ACC Tourney, that will give them a record of 20-9, probably fifth in the ACC. They are more than capable of beating GT or VT, they just have to go do it.
Their RPI will probably be in the mid-40s, and they have played strong down the stretch. With the circumstances behind Coach Prosser as well, the committee might have a soft spot for them.
It's putting the cart before the horse a little bit, they do need to take care of business, and they haven't been a model of consistency so far this season, but they are playing better at this point than at any other point in the season right now, so it is a possibility.
from 9 months ago
Type: Wake' record for 3-2 and one ACC tourney win would be 20-11, not 20-9.
9 months ago
Beating UNC would almost guarantee Wake a spot as long as they don't implode over the last 4 games of the season.
But if they don't beat UNC, then I think they need to win their two remaining home games (Maryland and NCSU) and take one of two on the road (against VT and GT) to be assured of a spot.
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