2007-2008 ACC Team Preview #7

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

After going through a very traumatizing offseason, Wake Forest looks to move on after the passing of their head coach Skip Prosser. Dino Gaudio takes over a team that was 5-11 in conference last year and just 15-16 overall. With one of the youngest teams in the ACC, Wake Forest will have to rely on its solid guard play in order to improve on last year's disappointing season. Currently, there are no Seniors on the roster as the Demon Deacons continue to rebuild after several successful seasons with players like Chris Paul, Josh Howard, and Justin Gray.

Key Losses: The biggest loss Wake faces is that of Prosser. He was a very skilled coach as well as a strong recruiter, and how the team responds to his passing is likely the key to their season. On the floor, replacing former center Kyle Visser will be the most difficult task. Visser led the team in scoring and rebounds last year while motivating the team with high energy. Other losses include forward Kevin Swinton, who transferred to UNC-Wilmington after last season, and shooting guard Anthony Gurley who recently transferred to the University of Massachusetts. Wake also lost senior Michael Drum to graduation. Although I'm not able to find confirmation, Shamaine Dukes (who also goes by Joe) is no longer listed on the roster but appears to be playing at Georgia State University this year.
(50% of scoring, 46% of rebounding, 25% of assists).

New Additions: Although next year's freshman class is the one Wake Forest fans are waiting for, three scholarship freshmen join the Demon Deacons this season, all three of whom figure to have major roles on the team. PG Jeff Teague (4 Stars by Rivals) and SG Gary Clark (3 Stars) will be asked to provide depth in the backcourt in order to give Harvey Hale and Ishmael Smith some limited rest. F James Johnson (4 Stars) will likely have a larger impact because of the lack of depth at forward. He may start if Coach Gaudio goes with a smaller lineup.

Projected Lineup:
PG - Ishmael Smith (5'11", So.)
SG - Harvey Hale (6'2", Jr.)
SF - L.D. Williams (6'4", So.)
PF - James Johnson (6'8", Fr.)
C - Jamie Skeen (6'8", So.)

Key Reserves:
SF - Cameron Stanley (6'6", Jr.)
SG - Gary Clark (6'4", Fr.)
PG - Jeff Teague (6'2", Fr.)
C - Chas McFarland (7'0", So.)
PF/C - David Weaver (6'10", So.)

Outlook: This year's success hinges on how the team responds to Coach Prosser's death. If the team plays inspired basketball, their guards are quick and offensively skilled enough to compete with most teams on their schedule. However, the team must cut down on turnovers as the team averaged nearly 15 a game last year versus only 12 assists per game. If Gaudio runs an uptempo offense, this team will have a chance to win against everyone but the upper echelon of the ACC. Their lack of size and depth down low will necessitate a faster pace. Rebounding and scoring in the paint will also be very difficult for this team because of the lack of size. However, if one of the sophomore centers emerges to fill the offensive void left by Visser's departure, Wake Forest can upset some teams and finish in the middle of the ACC. Regardless, Wake will need very solid years from its two best players, Hale and Smith, in order to accomplish any success this season. Trips to Iowa for the ACC-Big Ten Challenge and to Vanderbilt early in the year will be indicators of how far this team can go.

Prediction: 2-14 Finish, 12th in ACC; 11-18 Overall

ACC Preview #6 - Virginia Tech
ACC Preview #5- Miami
ACC Preview #4- Florida State
ACC Preview #3- NC State
ACC Preview #2- Clemson
ACC Preview #1- Georgia Tech