ROSTER 2002-03 PREVIEW 2002-03ROSTER u alphabetical No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Class Ppg. Rpg. Hometown (Previous School) 2 Scott Benken F 6-7 215 So. --- --- Cincinnati, OH (Elder HS) 13 Vytas Danelius* F 6-8 228 So. 6.6 4.2 Kaunas, Lithuania (Indianapolis {IN} Park Tudor) 4 Taron Downey* G 6-2 171 So. 4.7 1.4 Oxford, NC (Fork Union Military Academy) 0 Chris Ellis F 6-8 250 Fr. --- --- Marietta, GA (Marietta) 1 Justin Gray G 6-2 185 Fr. --- --- Charlotte, NC (Oak Hill {VA} Academy) 5 Josh Howard*** F 6-6 203 Sr. 13.9 7.7 Winston-Salem, NC (Hargrave {VA} Academy) 23 Richard Joyce G-F 6-5 200 Fr. --- --- Mount Airy, NC (Oak Hill {VA} Academy) 33 Steve Lepore* G 6-5 202 Sr. 4.5 2.5 North Olmsted, OH (Northwestern University) 10 Jamaal Levy* F 6-9 180 So. 2.7 2.0 Panama City, Panama (Berkshire {FL} Academy) 53 Dshamal Schoetz C 7-0 263 Jr. --- --- Cottbus, Germany (High Point {NC} Wesleyan Academy) 34 Trent Strickland G 6-5 190 Fr. --- --- East Flat Rock, NC (Hargrave {VA} Academy) 20 Alan Williams** G 6-3 177 Jr. 0.5 0.2 Memphis, TN (Briarcrest Christian) 31 Eric Williams C 6-9 270 Fr. --- --- Wake Forest, NC (Wake Forest-Rolesville) * letters won u numerical No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Class Ppg. Rpg. Hometown (Previous School) 0 Chris Ellis F 6-8 250 Fr. --- --- Marietta, GA (Marietta) 1 Justin Gray G 6-2 185 Fr. --- --- Charlotte, NC (Oak Hill {VA} Academy) 2 Scott Benken F 6-7 215 So. --- --- Cincinnati, OH (Elder HS) 4 Taron Downey* G 6-2 171 So. 4.7 1.4 Oxford, NC (Fork Union Military Academy) 5 Josh Howard*** F 6-6 203 Sr. 13.9 7.7 Winston-Salem, NC (Hargrave {VA} Academy) 10 Jamaal Levy* F 6-9 180 So. 2.7 2.0 Panama City, Panama (Berkshire {FL} Academy) 13 Vytas Danelius* F 6-8 228 So. 6.6 4.2 Kaunas, Lithuania (Indianapolis {IN} Park Tudor) 20 Alan Williams** G 6-3 177 Jr. 0.5 0.2 Memphis, TN (Briarcrest Christian) 23 Richard Joyce G-F 6-5 200 Fr. --- --- Mount Airy, NC (Oak Hill {VA} Academy) wakeforestsports.com 31 Eric Williams C 6-9 270 Fr. --- --- Wake Forest, NC (Wake Forest-Rolesville) 33 Steve Lepore* G 6-5 202 Sr. 4.5 2.5 North Olmsted, OH (Northwestern University) 34 Trent Strickland G 6-5 190 Fr. --- --- East Flat Rock, NC (Hargrave {VA} Academy) 53 Dshamal Schoetz C 7-0 263 Jr. --- --- Cottbus, Germany (High Point {NC} Wesleyan Academy) * letters won Head Coach - Skip Prosser (Merchant Marine Academy ‘72); 21-13 (.618) in 2nd year at Wake Forest; 186-91 (.671) in nine years overall Assistants - Jeff Battle (Marshall ‘85), Dino Gaudio (Ohio ‘81), Chris Mack (Xavier ‘92) Director of Basketball Operations - Pat Kelsey (Xavier ‘98) Pronunciations By Class By State/Country By Height By Position Scott Benken Seniors North Carolina 7-0 Dshamal Schoetz Guards Scott BANK-in Josh Howard Taron Downey (Oxford) 6-9 Eric Williams Taron Downey Vytas Danelius Steve Lepore Justin Gray (Charlotte) 6-9 Jamaal Levy Justin Gray vee-tus dan-a-loose Juniors Josh Howard (Winston-Salem) 6-8 Vytas Danelius Richard Joyce Jamaal Levy Dshamal Schoetz Richard Joyce (Mt. Airy) 6-8 Chris Ellis Steve Lepore Ja-mal Lev-E Alan Williams Trent Strickland (E. Flat Rock) 6-7 Scott Benken Trent Strickland Steve Lepore Sophomores Eric Williams (Wake Forest) 6-6 Josh Howard Alan Williams Steve la-pour Scott Benken Georgia 6-5 Richard Joyce Forwards Dshamal Schoetz Vytas Danelius Chris Ellis (Marietta) 6-5 Steve Lepore Scott Benken Ja-mal Shetz Taron Downey Ohio 6-5 Trent Strickland Vytas Danelius Jamaal Levy Scott Benken (Cincinnati) 6-3 Alan Williams Chris Ellis Freshmen Steve Lepore (N. Olmsted) 6-2 Justin Gray Josh Howard Chris Ellis Tennessee 6-2 Taron Downey Jamaal Levy Justin Gray Alan Williams (Memphis) Centers Richard Joyce Panama Dshamal Schoetz Trent Strickland Jamaal Levy (Panama City) Eric Williams Eric Williams Germany Dshamal Schoetz (Cottbus) Lithuania Vytas Danelius (Kaunas) 38 WAKE FOREST BASKETBALL 2002-03 RADIO/TV ROSTER 2002-03 PREVIEW PhotoROSTER Chris Ellis Justin Gray Scott Benken Taron Downey Josh Howard 0 u Fr. u F u 6-8 u 250 1 u Fr. u G u 6-2 u 185 2 u So. u F u 6-7 u 215 4 u So. u G u 6-2 u 171 5 u Sr. u F u 6-6 u 203 wakeforestsports.com Jamaal Levy Vytas Danelius Alan Williams Richard Joyce Eric Williams 10 u So. u F u 6-9 u 180 13 u So. u F u 6-8 u 228 20 u Jr. u G u 6-3 u 177 23 u Fr. u G-F u 6-5 u 200 31 u Fr. u C u 6-9 u 270 Steve Lepore Trent Strickland Dshamal Schoetz 33 u Sr. u G u 6-5 u 202 34 u Fr. u G u 6-5 u 190 53 u Jr. u C u 7-0 u 263 Skip Prosser Jeff Battle Dino Gaudio Chris Mack Pat Kelsey u Head Coach u Associate Head Coach u Assistant Coach u Assistant Coach u Director/Basketball Operations WAKE FOREST BASKETBALL 2002-03 39 THE OUTLOOK 2002-03 PREVIEW percentages returning in ‘02-03 Scoring 37.3% Rebounding 46.4% TheOUTLOOK Assists 33.1% u All-American Candidate Josh Howard To Lead One Of Steals 40.5% Nation’s Youngest Teams In 2002-03 Blocked Shots 41.4% To say the 2002-03 Wake Forest team will have a rebounds, and he led the team in steals. 3-Point Field Goals 36.3% different look is more than a mild understatement. “I wouldn’t trade him for anybody in the league,” To call this year’s Demon Deacon team young is like Prosser said. “He can have a break-out senior year. career games saying Tiger Woods can play a little golf. If he gets stronger and improves his shooting played/started Gone are five veteran seniors who combined to range, he could have a spectacular season.” GP GS play in more than 600 career games, including for- Howard was playing the best basketball of his ward Darius Songaila, a second team All-ACC selec- career just before suffering a high ankle sprain in Josh Howard 96 88 tion and a second-round pick in the NBA Draft. Also early February. He scored 21 points in a key win at Taron Downey 34 10 gone are three other starters -- Antwan Scott, NC State, tossed in a career-high-tying 24 points in Vytas Danelius 34 2 Broderick Hicks and Craig Dawson -- as well as Ervin a home win over North Carolina and he had a dou- Murray. ble-double (18 points, 15 rebounds) in a narrow Steve Lepore 31 2 “I am very proud of those seniors,” said head road loss at eventual national champion Maryland. Jamaal Levy 30 1 coach Skip Prosser, who enters his second year at After finally recovering from the ankle injury, Alan Williams 16 0 Wake Forest after seven successful seasons at Howard was slowed once more during the off-sea- Xavier. “They worked hard and did everything we son with a stress reaction in his shin. He should, Scott Benken 0 0 asked of them.” however, be at 100 percent when practice begins Chris Ellis 0 0 This year’s Deacon team includes 11 scholarship Oct. 12. Justin Gray 0 0 players including five freshmen, four sophomores This season, Howard will have to be a leader and and one junior. The junior -- 7-0 center Dshamal set an example for the host of young players on the Richard Joyce 0 0 Schoetz -- has never played in a college game. squad. Dshamal Schoetz 0 0 The good news for Wake Forest is that the nine “Josh has been a very good complementary play- Trent Strickland 0 0 freshmen and sophomores are talented. er,” Prosser said. “This year his role will be much dif- Sophomores Taron Downey, Vytas Danelius and ferent.” Eric Williams 0 0 Jamaal Levy played key roles for last year’s 21-13 Howard will receive strong consideration for ACC team that advanced to the second round of the Preseason Player of the Year, and he’s on the pre- team breakdown NCAA Tournament. season list of candidates for the prestigious John R. 2001-02 Record 21-13 “I think we will be talented, but not nearly as Wooden Award. experienced,” Prosser said. “We only have two sen- The other senior is 6-5 shooting guard Steve ACC Record 9-7 iors and one junior. We have to Lepore (4.5 ppg.), who suffered a knee injury (rup- ACC Finish 3rd (tie) get contributions from fresh- tured patella tendon) in last year’s ACC men and it’s a scary proposi- Tournament. Lepore, a former Northwestern trans- wakeforestsports.com ACC Tournament 1-1 tion counting on freshmen.” fer, will be a valuable part of the rotation, but he NCAA Tournament 1-1 Wake’s best news is may not be at full strength until November or Starters Returning 1 that senior Josh Howard December. Josh Howard (Sr., F) is back. If Lepore can return quickly and to the Starters Lost 4 Howard (13.9 form he had as a two-year starter at Darius Songaila (17.9 ppg.) points and 7.7 Northwestern (118 three-point field goals, Craig Dawson (12.4 ppg.) rebounds per 477 points in two seasons), it would be a Antwan Scott (10.0 ppg.) game) will be one huge bonus for the Deacons.