Skip Prosser

Led by long time assistant and good friend Dino Gaudio, the Demon Deacons look to dedicate this season to their deceased coach and mentor, and are united under the slogan created by Skip a few weeks before his death “One team. One Fight.” Wake Forest has put up a banner for Prosser in the rafters of their court, and on the jersey of every sport that plays for Wake has a patch that says, “Skip”. The basketball team, feeling that that tribute was not enough to honor someone who meant so much to the program, has a patch that says only “Coach”.

Despite the strain the passing of Prosser has left on the program, things are looking up for the Demon Deacons. According to Rivals.com, Wake Forest has just signed the top recruiting class in the country for next year consisting of three 5-star recruits. These recruits include versatile wing Al-Farouq Aminu, a versatile 6’8” forward from Georgia who can score inside and out and is an excellent defender. Tony Woods is a 6’10” power forward from Georgia as well is a fantastic athlete with great size who can run the floor and rebound. Lastly Ty Walker is a 7’0” center from North Carolina has a 7’6” wingspan and will be an instant contributor to the Demon Deacons next year with his tremendous shot blocking ability and offensive potential. Many people doubted if these recruits would stay committed to Wake Forest after the death of Prosser, as he had recruited all three players. However, the sentiment among them was that sense of community that Wake showed after his death and the continuity of hiring the top assistant as head coach only cemented their plan of coming.

While there is certainly promise for the upcoming years with the recruiting class, Wake is looking to prove something with this year’s team. After Friday night’s victory, they are 3-0 and are averaging wins by just over 20 point per game. Their current roster shows a great deal of promise and they are playing well. L.D. Williams, the 6’4” sophomore who started every game as a freshman last year is the clear leader on the team and is averaging 15 points per game and always shows defensive intensity. Ishmael Smith, a sophomore point guard who led the ACC in assists last year is running the point for the Deacons last year and is complimented by sharp shooting junior Harvey Hale and a pair of talented freshmen in Jeff Teague, and dark horse pick for Rookie of the Year in the ACC in versatile James Johnson, a wing averaging 13 points and 7 rebounds. Coach Gaudio is emphasizing defense and execution and so far Wake has responded.

This year’s Demon Deacon’s haven’t been truly tested against the type of competition they will see in the ACC, but this talented team often picked to finish last in the ACC could surprise some teams and possibly contend for a tournament bid. They have some tough non-conference games in the next couple weeks including playing on the road against Iowa, Charlotte and two SEC foes, Georgia and Vanderbilt. While Wake Forest may not make the tournament this year or win many games against marquee teams, it is certain that they will be leaving it all on the court, fighting for the memory of their coach.