Happy Groundhog Day!!!!!!!!! BING AGAIN! And what a perfect day for the 'Canes to see their shadow... (ok, that was a bit much). We'll get you ready for tonight's game (7 PM, ESPN2) and hopefully Wake will be able to improve their record to 5-3 in conference. There are a ton of links today from all over the place, so grab a cup of coffee and enjoy.
LOL at the Heels: Fox Sports Community - Fox Sports > goodmanonfox > Blog > NORTH CAROLINA ON WRONG SIDE OF BUBBLE
I listed my concerns with North Carolina after watching the Tar Heels in the season-opener. 1. Point-guard play 2. Perimeter shooting 3. Lack of a go-to guy Let's add another. 4. Toughness.
Midweek Preview Part 1, Feb. 2 Articles
Wake needs to keep winning to keep pace in the top half of the league standings and stay on track for an NCAA at-large bid. The Demon Deacons are currently in a three-way tie for fourth place and rank 33rd in the latest RPI. Miami is playing the role of spoiler. The Hurricanes are tied for last place, but could climb as high as ninth with an upset.
Then and Now: Tim Duncan
When you think about how Duncan's game has gotten better, or changed, the reason why nothing jumps out is because he's never had to make any sweeping changes to how he plays his position. Instead he's subtly been improving all the things he was always good at. The footwork has gotten even better, the follow through on a jump hook smoother, he's learned to position himself smarter defensively.
Major League Soccer: News: Revs re-sign Castro, Shuttleworth; add Schilawski to roster
Schilawski, 22, was drafted by the Revolution with the ninth overall selection in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft out of Wake Forest. The forward finished his four-year Demon Deacon career with 99 appearances, 40 goals and 20 assists. As a senior in 2009, he scored a career-high 14 goals to lead the Atlantic Coast Conference and had seven assists while starting all 24 games to earn All-America and All-ACC honors. He was also the NSCAA/adidas men's soccer Scholar-Athlete of the year, graduating from Wake in three-in-a-half years with a degree in biology. He graduated from Wake Forest ranked third in school history in both goals (40) and points (100).
Make the NCAA tournament bigger? Timeout, some say - USATODAY.com
Wake Forest athletics director Ron Wellman, a member of the 10-person committee that oversees the men's tournament, says he likes the idea of giving more players on more teams the opportunity to experience the event. He, too, questions whether expansion would rob conferences of regular-season and postseason tournament drama, but counters, "Those teams that have typically been out of it in February, now those games become more important. "I am interested in expansion. I think there are some benefits to it," he says. "But i think we have to be very careful as we go down this path."
Coaches overcome detours to Super Bowl - Salt Lake Tribune
When he was quarterbacking Wake Forest's football team in all those defeats, former Jazz point guard Rusty LaRue never imagined that his coach would someday direct the favored team in the Super Bowl.
Wake Forest recruits - College - NewsObserver.com
"I was surprised with how hard they went after Pahokee [High]. It's one of the top programs in the country. ... These are guys that played both ways, and those are the kind of guys that Wake Forest really likes, guys that are smart guys who can play both sides of the ball and may come in and redshirt. I really like Zach Allen. ... and A.J. Marshall from Southern Durham, I love his versatility and I think there's a chance he could play some safety." Miller Safrit, Scout.com analyst
Prep Insiders: N.C. Prep Phenom Top 50 Boys Seniors in NC
High School Sports Scoreboard | Philly
Chennault had 13 points 8 rebounds and 5 steals in a 93-61 win.
Deacs get a second chance
"I'm concerned," Gaudio said. "Chas has usually played well against the other big kids in the league, from last year's Tyler Hansbrough (of North Carolina) and the first time when we went down to Georgia Tech (two years ago) and he scored 28 and did a really good job on defense. "But he has to do a better job of that, in not allowing the ball into the post."
Johnson gives plenty in reserve role - Sports - MiamiHerald.com
He also was about 40 pounds heavier, and left bitterly disappointed when the University of Miami lost on a floater by Wake Forest guard Ish Smith as time expired. ``I know most of those guys and they gave me hell,'' Johnson said. ``I told them they were lucky I wasn't out on the floor.''
"We're in fact-finding stages right now, gathering as much information as possible for decisions to be made to take the next steps," Bower said. "It is likely there will be a surgical solution for it. We don't have a timetable (for Paul's return) right now, nor do we know a surgical procedure right now."
ACC Power Rankings 2/1 > Buster Sports
5. Wake Forest (4-3)(14-5) Very inconsistent team as of late. Getting ripped in Atlanta by 21 was very uncharacteristic considering the performances the Deacons had just put together against Virginia and at North Carolina. Aminu still looks monstrous down low, as one of the nation's best rebounders, and Ishmael Smith is proving to everyone that he can handle the team without Jeff Teague.
"Some teams just get a chip on their shoulder and buckle down," Gaudio said Monday. "Knowing this team, we’ve usually done a good job of coming back with a lot of emotion."
Deacons recruit for the long run - CharlotteObserver.com
"(Ford) reminds me a little of (former Deacon linebacker) Aaron Curry," Safrit said. "The motor is there. The football I.Q. is there. He really loves to play. "Five years from now, people are going to wonder how they missed on him."
Wake Forest commitments - CharlotteObserver.com
Class prize: Daniel Blitch is ranked among the top 20 center prospects in the country. "I was surprised with how hard they went after Pahokee. It's one of the top programs in the country.... These are guys that played both ways and those are the kind of guys that Wake Forest really likes, guys that are smart guys who can play both sides of the ball and may come in and redshirt. I really like Zach Allen.... and A.J. Marshall from Southern Durham, I love his versatility and I think there's a chance he could play some safety."
My Take on Wake - Beware the Unintended Consequence | JournalNow.com
In 2007, Prosser’s last season, 10 ACC teams played in either the NCAA Tournament (7) or NIT (3). Wake and Miami were the only two to stay home. If the NCAA Tournament had invited 96 teams that season, and Wake had been one of only two ACC teams not invited, would a coach off that staff been elevated to the head job? Given the circumstances of Prosser’s death in July, probably so. But it would have been that much more for Wellman, who was charged in finding a replacement, to consider before promoting Gaudio.
Georgia Tech's Ardossi and Wake Forest's Garcia Earn Women's Basketball Weekly Accolades - ACC OFFICIAL ATHLETIC SITE
Garcia was the game’s leading scorer in Wake Forest’s 64-57 upset over No. 21 Virginia (21 points). The newcomer recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 12 rebounds and helped her Demon Deacons take a win over the Cavaliers for just the third time in program history. Garcia also added two steals and one block in the team’s lone game of the week.