My Take on Wake - Who’s Aboard Tomorrow’s Trip to New Orleans?

Who’s Aboard Tomorrow’s Trip to New Orleans?

The only thing worse than not being invited to the NCAA Tournament is to get invited and not show up.

Sportswriters, being the cynical lot that we are, call it the Empty Plane Scenario, where the chartered plane touches down at some far flung site for a first-round post-season game with nobody aboard. Or at least there’s nobody aboard still willing and able to give the kind of effort it takes to beat the team they’re there to play.

Dave Odom took two trips on an empty plane, one to Tempe to not play Louisville in the 1992 NCAA Tournament (81-58 Cardinals) and one to Kansas City to not play Butler in the last game of his Wake Forest career in the 2001 NCAA Tournament (79-53 Bulldogs). Skip Prosser took one to the Twin Cities to not play Minnesota in the first round of the 2006 NIT (73-58 Gophers).

And Dino Gaudio arrived sans team last season when the Deacons flew to Miami to not play Cleveland State, a regular-season also-ran of the Horizon League seeded No. 13 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament (84-69 Vikings).

The way the Deacons arrived back in Winston-Salem in an empty bus after not playing No. 12 seed Miami last week in the ACC Tournament raised the questions of whether Wake Forest is still a team intact. It’s a question no coach wants to hear, much less answer, but it’s one I asked Gaudio yesterday following the Deacons’ assignment to play Texas in Thursday’s first round in New Orleans.

“Oh absolutely,’’ Gaudio said. “I don’t think that’s even a question. You can ask those questions to those kids.’’

So he has no doubt whatsoever?

“Absolutely none,’’ Gaudio said. “If you had asked me that question last year, I wasn’t sure. (This year), it’s not a question.’’

So the chemistry of his third team as head coach is better than that of his second?

“It’s night and day,’’ Gaudio said.

Let the record show I took Gaudio’s advice and asked the players if their team was still intact.

“Oh absolutely,’’ Ish Smith said. “I truly believe that. And it doesn’t hurt that you did get in the tournament. It doesn’t hurt.

“Obviously to have the tough loss like we did against Miami, the team can obviously go here or go there. But you’ve been around us all year. When our backs are against the wall and we hit the floor hard – splat – we usually put stuff together and find some way to win. And I think we have to do that now because there’s no tomorrow.’’

I asked a senior and I asked a sophomore, Al-Farouq Aminu.

“Definitely,’’ Aminu said. “Everybody is really together. Everybody is happier. Everybody is just wanting to get better still and it’ll take a whole team effort.’’

And will the Deacons be aboard the same plane as their coaches?

“Yes,’’ Aminu said. “Everybody still believes in our coaches, and that’s the way we have to be.’’

Back to the main page.

By Dan Collins on 03/15/2010 (6:47 pm)

Comments

Dan:
1. One of your best insightful reports. Just terrific.
2. Bring back a ‘Orlens song for us.
3. Lutz is a fine person; good coach; he was super at Pfeiffer, too.
4. Yep, compared to most the big time coaches bank big bucks.
5. This is opportunity for Deacs to prove that “losing” is not in its DNA.
6. So, I’ve reserved my favorite seat from my wife so I can watch with gusto.

Bobby

bobby h griffin on 03/16/2010 (4:55 pm)

RB,
I sat through every second of all 11 games at the ACC Tournament and I would agree that Wake was the only team that seemed to be unprepared mentally (or otherwise). It was very disappointing for me as a fan for over 40 years. I hope the Deacs give it everything they have on Thursday night. That’s all I ask.

Steve on 03/16/2010 (12:59 pm)

Well regardless of who is playing better, we are in the NCAA Tournament and Virginia Tech isn’t. We again have an opportunity to do something special this season, and it is unthinkable (at least to me) to even consider giving up that opportunity for fear of falling short.

So my attention is devoted entirely to Texas on Thursday. Notwithstanding the fact that we laid a major egg against Miami in the ACC Tournament, I have appreciated the effort put forth by this year’s group. The quality of basketball can get pretty ugly sometimes, but this team fights. I fully expect that kind of effort against Texas. And then again against Kentucky.

DC on 03/16/2010 (12:12 pm)

correction to my last post…..I was responding to Dave O not Bart….mia culpa.

RB on 03/16/2010 (11:40 am)

Bart….you are correct, Tech did lose 4 out of their last 6 games….and they are still playing better basketball than we are (ask Bobby Knight)

I attended the tournament last weekend and the only team that was not prepared mentally was Wake. If you can’t get up for the ACC tournament you really have to question what’s going on…..that’s why you play big time basketball.

I have lived and died with the Deacs since I was eight years old (55 years).....I have seen the good, the bad and the really really ugly. Most of the time the last category has resulted from not having talent….I can support kids with limited talent giving everything they’ve got and falling a little short.This is different.

And yes on Thursday night I’ll be sitting in a hotel room in Chicago screaming my lungs out for the Deacs…...but at the end of the day a good dose of reality is exactly what is needed.

RB on 03/16/2010 (11:37 am)

I went to the Austin newspaper and read their fans comments. They mirror the comments of a lot of WF fans in regard to their team. It looks like it will be a situation as to which team wants to turn their season around the most.

Jim on 03/16/2010 (9:37 am)

Bart, good catch. Thanks. Upon reflection, I don’t know really what to call it, in that he didn’t play much in the second half. But I am editing out the adjective in question, making it a stronger post. I appreciate the help.

Dan on 03/16/2010 (12:42 am)

Not entirely sure it’s accurate to call Aminu’s effort against Miami “uninspired” considering he still got 11 points and 7 rebounds with an injured hand and only 25 minutes.

Bart on 03/15/2010 (11:50 pm)

It saddens me to see our fan base in full out meltdown mode. There is plenty of time after the season is over for us to vent, and for the powers to be to make reasoned evaluations of the direction of our program. The rush to be the first and the loudest seems to me to be only distracting,and counterproductive at this time, for our team. Do these fans really expect something to be done this week? So why the hurry?

The frenzy only distorts some peoples perception of reality. RB wants us to “re gift” our invitation to Va Tech, since “they are playing much better basketball than the Deacs.” Actually VT lost 4 of their last 6 including a 20 point loss to BC.

Dave O on 03/15/2010 (10:58 pm)

As long as the plane arrives AND returns full, I’ll be good, win or lose. I want a good, solid effort played with determination, emotion and confidence.

Ken Green on 03/15/2010 (9:52 pm)

Country,
BTW, Should have mentioned that Bobby Lutz’s wife is my cousin. Bobby was raised in Catawba County which BTW is the home of Texas Coach Rick Barnes… I do not know Bobby well but agree that he is a fine gentleman in a brutal business.

And as I mentioned in an earlier post, you are only as good as your “last dance”...

Tom on 03/15/2010 (8:20 pm)

As the man once said….this is dejavu all over again! The only sure thing about this one is that whoever underachieves the most between Texas and the Deacs (I have a suspicion who that will be…...at least they have a recognizable name) gets eradicated in the next game. Rather than just show up in an empty plane could we “re-gift” our spot to the Hokies…..strength of schedule not withstanding….and it kills me to say this but they are playing much better basketball than the Deacs.

RB on 03/15/2010 (8:07 pm)

Tom, Will do, and thanks for the good thoughts. I imagine Dino has heard the news, but we’ve both been flying around and haven’t talked about it. Bobby Lutz was always really helpful every time I covered him. It’s a tough business. I work, but I can’t work like those guys work. They’re paid well, and they either earn it or they’re not doing it for long.
Here’s hoping Coach Lutz lands on his feet. My suspicions are that he will.

Dan on 03/15/2010 (8:04 pm)

Country,
Travel safe to N.O. tomorrow. Enjoy the cuisine and hope you can catch some music while there… Hope the plane will be full. Recall vividly everyone of those horrible games under Odom, Prosser and of late Gaudio…

BTW, wonder if Dino is aware that Bobby Lutz was dismissed after 12 years @ UNCC. He is also an alum of that fine institution. Bobby’s record this season was similar to Wakes. Main difference is the overall level of competition and the fact that Wake’s AD was on the selection committee…

Tom on 03/15/2010 (7:43 pm)