Basketball media day was yesterday, and there were some good stuff in there from Coach Bzdelik. We also keep an eye on the Virginia Tech game this weekend. Enjoy!
Click through for Deacon Links.
Deacons' Bzdelik says he's sleeping easier this year | JournalNow.com
"Maturity," Bzdelik said. "There was a lot of immaturity on our team last year. "All you have to do is read and see just one thing after another. You have no chance to win under those kind of conditions. Or if you do win, it's not by how much you should have won. "But we're in a different place. We made great strides from last year to going where we want to go. And I'm excited about that and they are too.''
Six Pick: Week Seven | The Key Play
On My Radar: The Hokie defensive front. Wake is an extremely balanced team that runs their offense from the shotgun. They won't mash the Hokies like Miami, but they will precision block and use a lot of misdirection for running back Josh Harris to find cut back lanes. It's imperative to get penetration and stops early for the defense and for the offense to eat clock. The Hokies defense can easily be worn down late in this game, if these things don't happen.
what-to-watch-101311 - ACC Blog - ESPN
5. Wake Forest running back Josh Harris. Will he play? If he does, will he have another record-setting performance like he did last year against the Hokies with 241 rushing yards and two touchdowns? Harris has been bothered by a hamstring injury this week, but his chances of playing look good.
game-predictions-101311 - ACC Blog - ESPN
Virginia Tech 28, Wake Forest 21: Florida State probably underestimated Wake Forest. Frank Beamer will not. The Hokies, even with their injury-laden defense, will rattle quarterback Tanner Price into a costly turnover, and they will win the ground game with David Wilson.
Wake Forest welcomes Virginia Tech to Winston-Salem | firstcoastnews.com
Virginia Tech leads the all-time series by a count of 23-11-1 and has won the last four meetings, including a 52-21 romp in Blacksburg last year. Virginia Tech has won seven straight meetings in Winston-Salem dating back to 1970.
Wake Insider: Deacons go for 4-0 in ACC
These teams are meeting for only the second time in five seasons and it comes a year after Virginia Tech's 31-point home rout. Wake Forest hasn't won a home game against the Hokies since 1970, a stretch of seven meetings in Winston-Salem, N.C.
"It's fun being around these guys," the second-year Demon Deacons coach said during Wednesday's media day. "And they want to learn. I don't have to motivate guys to give an effort, I can teach. That's a great feeling for a coach. "Last year, I'd have to give a Knute Rockne speech to get guys to run up and down the court; now I can just teach. That's a great thing; that puts us in the direction we want to go."
The picks: Week 7 - Washington Times
Virginia Tech at Wake Forest (6:30, ESPN3.com): Hokies 31-16. The last time Virginia Tech visited the Dash, the Demon Deacons were coming off a stunning victory over Florida State and were promptly swatted 27-6 by the Hokies. Virginia Tech's defense isn't quite so good these days, but neither is Wake Forest's. Either way, look for order to be restored a bit and the Deacons to absorb their first conference loss (assuming you don't count Syracuse as a pre-emptive conference game).
The Deacons have the ACC's smallest enrollment, stadium and athletics budget. Yet entering Saturday's home game against Virginia Tech they sit atop the Atlantic Division standings, 3-0 in league play for the first time ever.
Both Wake Forest and Duke are – for the time being, anyway – very much for real. But both squads will receive their most accurate measurements of the season on Saturday: Florida State visits Durham and Wake Forest travels to Blacksburg, Va. to play Virginia Tech.