Comments

Just watched Virginia beat the Deacs like a drum..Were up by 30+ most of the 2nd half..Does anyone think that this coach can get the job done at Wake? If you do, you either don’t know much about college basketball, or you are under the influence of something illegal. This is getting more than rediculous. Something has to be done asap..

beach deac on 02/08/2012 (11:12 pm)

90 Deac: I’m 59 and I do remember as a child both Packer and Len Chappell. I just did not think in such a short time the Wake program would end up like this. I cannot and will never accept how these kids are now coached. It was wrong to bring in Bzdelick and the sooner that a new coach is hired (that can coach) the better off we are. Those who think we should just shrug our shoulders and say nothing do not realize that we are losing fans every day, fans that say they just don’t care anymore and stop going to or watching Wake Basketball. Granted we have never won a National Championship, but we have had National Championship Teams AND WE WILL AGAIN. Our program is so bad now that we are never mentioned on sports talk shows anymore (even if it is negative). It is so sad to see the things that Prosser, Odom, Tacey, and Bones work so hard for evaporate because of one man’s actions to hire a coach not on his merits but becuase he knew him and he wanted the culture at Wake to change. This is so sad and those who really care about this program should continue to object. As far as the others, just continue to shrug your shoulders.

Craig Carter on 02/07/2012 (5:50 pm)

I’ll be 40 end of this month. I attended my first Wake Forest game with my cousins in 1980. I grew up a Wake fan in the Staak years attending games in the old coliseum. We sucked and it was tough being a teenager and living through the misery.

The problem we had then was our facilities were awful and we just didn’t have any talent. Once we opened the new arena and brought in Coach Odom, we started down the right path.

I came in with Tree and Rodney and Randolph (the greatest class) but there was talent here when we arrived Derrick and Chris and Tuck. We had all the pieces to be a successful basketball program. And we have had, with rare exception a program ever since.

We still have all the pieces and there is no reason for us to be backing up into the 80s. For the last 20 years we have been the 3rd best program in the ACC. We should not expect or accept anything less than that. It baffles me why anyone thinks that because we were once pathetic, it’s ok to be pathetic again.

JoeyD on 02/07/2012 (11:11 am)

I’m sorry, but Wake just isn’t very good at any sport any more.  I’ve just lost interest - and I was a diehard for most of the last 50 years.

the doctor on 02/07/2012 (12:45 am)

to 90deac.  I am a lot older than you, I saw Hemric in the Dixie Classic, I saw Chappell and Packer play Lucas and Havilcek in old War Memorial.  (I remember the crowd, the distance to the court — I was in upper left corner with my brother while Mom and Dad were in their seats behind the Deacon bench.  We wore red socks because Bones wore red socks.) 

and the situation today is unacceptable.  Something has to change and someone held accountable for where we are.  Yes I expect to be good again but this is worse than Stack.

Paul on 02/06/2012 (8:45 pm)

Dan - It would be interesting to get a breakdown of the ages of the folks clamoring to fire Bzz and Wellman. I would suspect that most of this camp is of the under-40 variety, while a larger percentage of the “stay the course, we’re getting better” crowd is older than that.

Think about it…when I graduated in 1990, we were just starting to become a force with Rodney and Tucker and Randolph. Then came Duncan, Howard, CP3, etc. and Wake was near the top of the ACC every year since then.  Anyone who was around for this time easily could be spoiled by that success.

But prior to that, it was a victory just to be able to compete with the big boys. We didn’t expect to be at the top, and we did appreciate effort from our undermanned squads more than just expecting results.

My point is that Wake is not UNC or Duke, and our success will be cyclical.  We had 16 or so very good years, which has unfortunately been followed by a couple of bad years.  But we will be good once again, I think we just need to be patient. Screaming for the coach’s and AD’s heads after every loss isn’t productive, nor is it realistic.

Just my humble opinion.

90 Deac on 02/06/2012 (7:40 pm)

A squad of Skip Brown, Guy Morgan, Frank Johnson, Anthony Teachey and Rod Griffin probably could hang against this Bzz Bunch. But you got to remember they are all 50 years old.

Class of 1977 on 02/06/2012 (4:43 pm)

Lee,

We have absolutely considered the kids.

One of Coach K’s golden rules of success is never ask a kid to do something he can’t do. Succeeding breeds confidence. Confidence breeds success.

The reverse is true also. The more times a kid is put in a position to fail, the more times he fails, the less confident he becomes. Playing players out of position retards their development.

It also cripples their future prospects at the next level.

Travis McKie is an NBA 3. He will never, never, never be a 4. Carson Desrosiers, if he has an NBA future, will be a 3 or a wing 4. The more opportunities they have to hone their skills at their natural positions, the better their futures are.

It is admirable that these players are willing to do whatever they’re asked to do for the good of the team. But it’s not in their best interests.

JoeyD on 02/06/2012 (4:09 pm)

For those using the “he’s too old” story, after watching UM beat Duke yesterday, I looked up Jim Laranaga’s DOB: 10/02/1949.  Jeff Bzdelick’s DOB is 12/01/1952.  Guess age can’t be used, since it doesn’t seem to be handicapping Laranaga,huh?

Jim on 02/06/2012 (3:22 pm)

I gotta say, JoeyD’s post makes a lot of sense.  A good coach has to address mismatches & use those mismatches to the team’s advantage, and Bzdelik did not do that when it counted.  Instead took advantage of our substitutions, which they probably did their homework on and could see coming.
State KILLED us inside (& the outside) in the 2nd half for many of the reasons JoeyD expressed.

Clark on 02/06/2012 (1:56 pm)

I have been watching WF all my life (32 years) and this is just embarrassing. I don’t even watch basketball anymore. Its hard to see losses to UNCW(last year), Stetson, Woffard, and Presb. How can you let this guy coach out his contract? You can’t blame the talent or the strength of your opponents. There are so many teams that do so much more with so much less talent. Im with Robinson (a couple post ago) on this, respect our once proud bb program and get out of town Bz.

Kelly on 02/06/2012 (1:41 pm)

Dan: I really don’t want to suggest the Jeff Bzdelik naysayers are cry babies…not at all, or that the anti-Athletic-Director crowd is a coterie of grouchy old/young men.  But I wonder if the persons who keep on hammering, pounding, grinding and pouting are in any way thinking about anybody except themselves and what they want immediately, if not sooner.  Have they even considered the young men who are out there on the court?  These guys are playing hard, giving their most and doing it as a team.  My guess is most Wake Forest fans are strongly with the Deacs, and will be as long as they live; that they, also, will support any coach or AD who has character, works hard and smart, and gives his or her best most of the time.  The ones who support WFU best are the ones who, themselves, hang tough through the tough times.  For myself, I encourage the ones who are unhappy with the losses and the leaders of the teams and programs to take a different tack.  If you want them to leave, applaud them, congratulate and uphold them, say they are the best thing possible.  Maybe they will start believing it, think so highly of themselves they become dissatisfied with the likes of “little Wake Forest” and move on to greener ($$$) pastures.  Hey! What you’re doing now isn’t working.  Give it a try.

Lee Anglin on 02/06/2012 (1:01 pm)

Lee: I don’t think anyone is trying to put the present coach out on the street. His record before he was hired and his record so far speaks for itself. If anything he is putting himself out on the street. I guess like alot of Wake Fans I feel like the person who is responsible for hiring this coach put the program out on the street the day he hired Bzdelik. I will always be a Deacon, I will always pull for them, but to see our program go from Number One in the nation to this point is something that no true fan should ever get over.

Craig Carter on 02/06/2012 (12:53 pm)

Dan,

Do you have an opinion on reviving the old Big Four tournament in Greensboro?

With the loss of the annual home and homes between Wake Forest-Duke, Wake Forest-UNC, NC State-Duke and NC State-UNC this seems like something that would help address that massive loss of tradition.

Jonathan Bennett on 02/06/2012 (11:13 am)

I liked what you had to say in this blog but I don’t understand it as it applies to WF.  It sounds a little like they wanted it more than we did.  How can one of the weakest teams in Wake history disrepect anyone but it seems to happen at Wake more often than you would expect. Vanderbuilt in football for another instance.

DE on 02/06/2012 (9:43 am)

Another perpective from the newsobserver:
“Just based on the parts in the lineup, Wake Forest is not in as bad of a position as coach Jeff Bzdelik’s ACC record (3-22) would indicate, especially compared to the other teams at the bottom of the standings. Wings C.J. Harris and Travis McKie are legitimate ACC players and point guard Tony Chennault and big man Ty Walker are functional ACC players.
Still, there’s something missing (depth? motivation? a pecking order?). McKie, who’s sixth in the ACC in scoring (at 15.9 points per game), either needs to demand the ball more or have more plays run for him.
McKie (13 points) finished with nine shots Saturday, only one more than forward Nikita Mescheriakov and one less than shot-blocker Walker.”

Jim on 02/06/2012 (9:38 am)

Respect??  I wish Bzz would respect our basketball program and R-E-S-I-G-N.  Respect?? We have won two basketball games in 2012.  We lost to Wofford.  Respect??  That is a word that cannot be attached to our program anymore.

Robinson on 02/06/2012 (8:12 am)

Dan: it’s part of our culture to see things through different lenses.  I guess my personal point to folk who want to put Coach Bzdelik out on the street is, “Please get over it and get on with your life.”  I really think the AD will stay with Jeff.  I don’t think much of what I or others opine will stick to the wall.  Additionally, it may be we ACC types are blowing some hot air now; we’re not the best in BasketB over the last few years.  Let’s hope Syracuse can hold up our bragging rights in the near future.  Anyway, it seems about the right time for WFU alums to take a few deep breaths, pull for the Deacs and “wait ‘til next year.”

Lee Anglin on 02/06/2012 (12:06 am)

Until we get a new coach (and hopefully a new AD) we will continue to have games where it seems a victory to just play better and still loose. Never have I seen a major college basketball program fall so fast as this one.

Craig Carter on 02/05/2012 (5:02 pm)

No one wants to hear it but…

The score was 29-25, the Deacs had just gone on run with a 3 guard with Desrosiers and Green manning the 4-5 positions.It was at this point that Coach B inserted Travis McKie for Daniel Green at 4.

The result was Scott Woods shooting right over the top of Chase Fischer, with Painter and Leslie grabbing every rebound on both ends of the floor and a completely stalled Wake offense.

By the time Walker and Meschirakov checked back in and moved McKie back to 3, the damage was done and the score was 40-31. A 15-2 run as the result of us putting ourselves in a position to get overpowered.

Having a real PF keeps the opposing team from setting up in the post. It keeps the defense from collapsing on an overpowered defender and thus leaving someone like Scott Wood wide freaking open.

It happens every single time we go to that lineup with the exception of Boston College. The only reason it doesn’t happen with them is they don’t have the manpower to do it.

I understand Nkitia had foul trouble and Daniel was playing extra minutes. Why do we not let Desrosiers play some 4?

I’m pretty sure Scott Wood or no other 3 in the country is going to shoot over a 7ft wing in a zone. Beat him off the dribble? Fine deal with the other 7 ftr standing under the basket waiting.

We make ourselves small when we don’t have to. It kills us, game after game after game. Will somebody please tell me why?

JoeyD on 02/05/2012 (4:38 pm)