Comments

Country,
Noted one of the replies here is from L.D. I assume from the reply that is none other than I believe Larry Demetrius Williams, if my memory serves me…Good to hear from a member of the team…Others on the team should occasionally post here. Shows me the integrity and outstanding character of L.D. Get your acts together and take out UNC, FSU and Clemson…nothing else will suffice. Two home games and one away! Just Do It!!!

Tom on 02/22/2010 (8:54 pm)

DC,
I’ve wondered myself if a long season has caught up with the team. I wrote a story today that will run in the Journal tomorrow about the recent slump of the freshmen, C.J. and Ari, and posed the question if they’ve hit the wall. The week off came at a good time.
Cliff, I guess they’ve had so few opportunities to hit the Wolf Howl button this season that they wanted to take advantage of the opportunity.

Dan on 02/22/2010 (6:51 pm)

My thoughts exactly: disturbingly reminiscent of Cleveland State. In a crucial game, at a crucial time of the year, the team not only can’t capitalize on their momentum but seemingly can’t even compete. Dino will again be facing some hard questions if his players can’t seem to get motivated when it counts…

Wake Alum on 02/22/2010 (5:14 pm)

Every team has ups and downs, Saturday was about as down as it has been for Wake this season. Even though I said earlier that I didn’t worry of the Deacs tiring, it seemed as though Ish may have been a step slow on Saturday.
That being said, even though they shot HORRENDOUSLY and turned the ball over at ease, they were still in the game in the final six minutes. The dagger came in the form of the two 3-pointers. They were the same play with different shooters and the outcome on Wake’s defensive alignment was the same, consisting of a player running desperately to reach the top of the key. I’m not gonna bash Dino, but perhaps Sidney Lowe outcoached big D on this particular occasion? It happens. Anyway, I was just disappointed to see that it was the Deacs vaunted defense who ultimately let the game slip away at the close. But it also hurts when you, as my dad says, “can’t hit a bull in the *** with a bassfiddle.”

Gotta beat the Heels to secure a Tourney bid. At least one more win should do, but two or three would be realllllyyy nice.

Stay strong Dan.

Thomas on 02/22/2010 (4:42 pm)

Is it too much to ask college kids to box out once in a while, or (God forbid) take a charge?? How come Gary Clark did not play much when no one can hit a three?? Do we ever think about changing defenses especially against VT when they scored 52 in the second half?

Sonny on 02/22/2010 (4:07 pm)

Thought we played hard and well at VT, but was terribly disappointed in the teams play at the RBC. Repeat performance from last year there. I think this team has better chemistry than last year and will bounce back. It all starts with a win over the Heels on Saturday and hopfully three in a row. At least two out of three and we should be OK. To heck with this doom and gloom talk. Let’s be poisitive. GO DEACS!!!

LD on 02/22/2010 (2:23 pm)

Dan,

To what extent, if any, do you think that our Deacs have run out of gas?  Our offensive success relies primarily on Ish’s ability to create and our ability to pick up points by rebounding, both of which require a tremendous amount of energy.  We also rely on the outside shooting of two freshmen who have never gone through a season like this.  And the jumpshot is the first thing to go when fatigue starts to set in. 

And then there is the mental fatigue.  Stewart’s and Harris’ inexperience with the ACC schedule must certainly come into play here as well.  I think that Ish is prepared to handle the mental toll of the season, but I think that he also recognizes that he has to carry the team for stretches, which may cause him to try to do too much.  And, to put it as politely as possible, no one has ever described our best player, Aminu, as mentally tough. 

Put that together with a coach who has to coach a team that has finished anything strong, and I am left with the less-than-comforting hope that the team has basically decided to lie in the weeds until the postseason, at which point it will step up its performance.

DC on 02/22/2010 (11:42 am)

How Wake responds will be in direct correlation to how Dino approaches these practices.  If he shows desperation, indecision, etc., so will the players.  Can you imagine how Coach K would be in practices after such a fiasco?  C’mon Dino, it’s time to step up as the leader of these young men.

Jim on 02/22/2010 (9:00 am)

Dan - thanks for calling that “loss” accurately.  I drove down from DC for the game, and this looks a lot like the teams from the recent past that fold gently at the end of the year.  What’s most frustrating for me is watching the seniors go through the motions.  No intensity, no emotion, just getting through another game.  They owe themselves and the fans a heckuva lot more, but I’m afraid we’re in for another letdown this year.

Daniel on 02/21/2010 (11:28 pm)

History is often a pretty good indicator of the future…

Steve on 02/21/2010 (10:26 pm)

“The Doomsayers will be out in full force after 2 consecutive losses and the Dino haters will reload their venom.  Expect to hear and read how the Deacs cannot finish and will fold with the approach of March.”

jcg on 02/21/2010 (9:47 pm)

I WAS ALSO AT THE GAME SAT. WORST GAME I CAN REMEMBER A WAKE TEAM PLAYING. 18 PTS AT HALF TIME? WAKE CUT THE LEAD TO 6 IN THE 2ND HALF, STATE CALLS TIMEOUT, DINO INSERTS MACFARLAND, AND HE IMMEDIATELY TURNS THE BALL OVER.
LOOK AT THE STATS DINO—20 MINUTES, 1 REBOUND, THAT’S RIGHT, 1 REBOUND, AND 6, THAT’S RIGHT 6 TURNOVERS..HOW CAN YOUR 7’ CENTER GET 1 REBOUND AND 6 TURNOVERS AND STILL PLAY 20 MINUTES?? IT’S APPARENT THAT DINO CANNOT MAKE ADJUSTMENTS DURING GAMES TO STEM THE TIDE, AND IT’S APPARENT THAT HE DOESN’T SEE WHEN A PLAYER IS HURTING (NOT HELPING) THE TEAM. I WOULD GIVE AMINU AN “A”—EVEN THOUGH HE CONTINUALLY DROPPED DOWN TO HELP DEFENSIVELY AND LEFT 3 POINT SHOOTERS ALONE, L.D. AN “A”, MACFARLAND AN “F”, GAUDIO A “D-”, AND THE OTHERS THAT PLAYED A “C.” WAKE HAD SO MUCH TO PLAY FOR, YET SEEMED ELSEWHERE?? IF WAKE PLAYS LIKE THIS THE NEXT 4 GAMES, NOT MUCH CHANCE OF AN NCCA BID…

mcglaughon on 02/21/2010 (7:05 pm)

Got to admit, kinda disappointed in the game yesterday.  I thought the Deacs would find a way to win even after the miserable 1st half.  The Doomsayers will be out in full force after 2 consecutive losses and the Dino haters will reload their venom.  Expect to hear and read how the Deacs cannot finish and will fold with the approach of March.

I am going to take a different approach this year…sort of a glass half full versus half empty.  The Deacs are not a good shooting team but they are better than they showed yesterday.  I expect Dino and his staff to work hard in preparation for Carolina and finish the season with 3 wins as they prepare for the ACC tournament.  Let’s have some faith Wake fans.

jcg on 02/21/2010 (10:27 am)

Dan,
I was in Raleigh for this “game” too.  What I saw was a complete lack of an offensive plan or back up plan. Dribbling around for 30 seconds against State’s zone is NOT an offensive plan. I have played on YMCA rec teams that set more and better screens to get players open.  State packs in a tight zone and Wake crumples.  It appeared to me that once their original game plan fell apart, there was no back up.  You have got to make a zone pay by shooting over the top of it and you have got to have some motion to your offense to get your shooters some space in which to operate. You bust some threes and your bigs magically get open. If one was looking for how to run that offense, State used it to put the nails in Wake’s coffin in the last 5 minutes of the game.

Michael Smith on 02/21/2010 (10:05 am)

Dan that was the worst game I think I’ve watched those guys play all season.  It pains me to say State kicked Wake’s butt but that’s what they did although neither team looked very good.  They really shot themselves in the foot today.  Not hitting a 3 point shot is baffling to me.  It shows that if the freshmen or for that matter anyone on the team don’t step up and hit some shots and esp. some 3’s,  Wake is not going to go anywhere this year.  Not only that it didn’t seem like Ish was on his game today and the guys didn’t play with any intensity or toughness except maybe Al Farouq.  I’m not sure what happened today but the Deacs looked like the last place team today and that worries me now that we’re in the final few games of the season.  I hope this doesn’t start to end like last year because if it does,  I’m not sure I can watch this team collapse again.  I think this team is better than that though and with a week off and a struggling UNC team coming to the Joel may be just what the doctor ordered to help get the guys back on track.  Just go 2-1 in the last 3 and I’ll be fine with that.  Of course 3-0 would be even better.  I also wonder with Stewart and Harris struggling lately,  have they hit that freshman wall we all like to talk about?  God I hope not we really need their 3 point production to have any chance of beating those zones you just know people are gonna keep throwing at Wake.  Hang in there guys and finish strong.  We know you can do it!! Go Deacs!

Btw Dan, if you were at the game please answer this.  Was it me or did they play that wolf howl ten million times today? It started to get on my nerves and I guess because those guys are so bad yet they kicked our butts today.  It seems any State game I see or listen to it sounds like the “wolf howl button” gets stuck and I hear it 85 times a game.  Anyways my gripe is over. Bad loss move on.

Cliff Daniel on 02/21/2010 (12:08 am)

I hope that this is not a repeat of last year’s slide when no one—coaches or players—had an answer for the season ending slump.  This is not the way the Deacs want to enter March.

Colleen on 02/20/2010 (10:27 pm)

Country,
I felt ominous events would occur if/when they became ranked. Would have been much better in a Cinderella role.

Best to put away the razor, do not think you will need it if today’s performance is any indication of the remainder of the season.

Agree with you, reminded me of Cleveland State…continue this type of performance and there will be no NCAA only the NIT will beckon.

Also noted during the game the immature Chas running his mouth to an opposing player. Guess he will never learn, that it makes him look like an immature child!

I mentioned earlier in the week NCSU would be a challenge, especially in Raleigh. Note, UNC is playing better @ BC. I look for UNC to make it a close game next Saturday.

Tom on 02/20/2010 (8:44 pm)