ACC Tournament 2005: Wake Forest

Wake Forest:
Team record: 26-4, 13-3 conference
Coach: Skip Prosser

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons have the second longest name in the ACC and the second best team in the league as well. The Deacons were ranked in the top five most of the year, and started the year 15-1, rising as high as No. 2 nationally in the Associated Press and ESPN polls. They are currently ranked third in the nation, ending the regular season last Sunday with a buzzer-beating win at N.C. State. Until their loss on Jan. 18 at Florida State, their only loss was at Illinois, who finished the season 29-1. Wake Forest was 14-0 at home in Winston-Salem, N.C. this year.

They are likely to get a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament if they go deep in the ACC Tournament this weekend. They have the second seed in Washington this week. The team will lose four seniors this year, but their three leading scorers- Justin Gray, Chris Paul, and Eric Williams- all have at least one year of eligibility left. Whether Paul, a sophomore who averaged 16.3 points per game this year, leaves for the NBA this summer is yet to be seen. The trio combined for over 47 points per game this year, and Williams led the team with 7.7 rebounds each night. The Deacons only shot 69% from the foul line this season, but more than made up for their mediocrity there by shooting over 40% on three point attempts, with Paul making half the threes he put up. Paul will miss the first game of the ACC Tourney against either N.C. State or Florida State, eating the suspension after he punched the Wolfpack's Julius Hodge below the belt in the Wake win last Sunday.

Strengths:
Their offense- The Deacs shot 50% from the floor, 70% from the foul line and 40% from the three point line, averaging 85.4 points per game as a team, best in the ACC.

Weaknesses:
Turnovers- Wake's assist to turnover ratio was just 1.1:1, one of the worst in the country. They averaged 15 turnovers per game this season, an issue that plagued them in their four defeats this year.

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