Wake Forest

The first two weeks of the college basketball season are incredibly important for any team regardless of the size of the program or the team's preseason expectations. For teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference, almost every opponent faced thus far is one that is expected to be defeated. While there is not a lot that can be derived from a handful of performances, here are some early impressions of the ACC that are expected to remain true for the entire season. 

 

Gani Lawal has arrived for Georgia Tech

Heading into this Saturday it seemed like the Notre Dame Fighting Irish were well on their way to a seventh victory and a berth in either the Gator or Sun Bowl. All they had to do was beat Syracuse, playing for a recently dismissed head coach in Greg Robinson and dead last in the Big East. But while the Orange haven't played particularly well this season, you can't accuse this team of quitting. What ensued was one of the more stunning results of the day, with Syracuse stunning the Irish 24-23 on a late touchdown pass. Where do the Irish go from here?

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest head coach Dino Gaudio announced today that two prospective student-athletes have signed National Letters of Intent to attend Wake Forest beginning in the fall of 2009.

Guard C.J. Harris (Winston-Salem, N.C.) and forward Ari Stewart (Marietta, Ga.) signed their official commitments on Wednesday to join the Demon Deacon basketball family next season.

A solid frontcourt is a must-have component of a national championship team. Good rebounding gives a team second and third chances to score on offense and eliminates those chances on defense. Shot blocking can take the wind out of the opponents sail. Versatility is a must as is the ability to the run the floor. Scoring inside the paint adds another dimension when the shooters go cold.  To sum it up, the men down low and on the wing are huge difference makers for their team, offensively and defensively.

 

Conference Rank: 2nd

 

ACC Player Grades

 

 

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

 

In a powerhouse conference like the ACC, high-quality talent is everywhere to be found. Unfortunately, many do not look past the Tyler Hansbroughs, the Tyrese Rices, or the Jack McClintons when acknowledging such talent. We take a look at five players who, to this point, have been largely uncelebrated in the conference but will be difference-makers for their teams in the 2008-2009 season.

 

This is the first of my annual six statistical projections of BCS conference starters. The lineups are based on the Starting Fives series of articles released two weeks ago, along with a couple of changes due to recent developments.