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Learning Fast: Gaudio says his young Deacons team has grown up in a hurry this season
AP Photo
Wake Forest players celebrate after beating Baylor 87-74 in the title game of the 76 Classic tournament.
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Published: December 2, 2008
ANAHEIM, Calif.
Wake Forest's first in-season tournament championship in more than 20 years could propel the team to greater heights, Coach Dino Gaudio believes.
"This game could be a springboard for us," Gaudio said after Sunday night's 87-74 victory over Baylor in the title game of the 76 Classic tournament at the Anaheim Convention Center.
"I think we proved something today. We grew up. To handle this win in a very prestigious tournament, 2,500 miles from home.… If we can gather ourselves and win again on Wednesday, that will be a big step for us."
No. 19 Wake Forest (6-0) will face Indiana on Wednesday in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge, the first of three straight home games at Joel Coliseum, and Gaudio said that a victory against the Hoosiers would help the young Deacons along the learning curve.
"They say a program goes through the development -- you learn to compete, then you learn to win, and then you learn to handle winning. Then you become a championship team," Gaudio said.
"I think last year, because we were so young, and we got that good win against Duke, we didn't know how to handle winning. Handling winning is the next step for this basketball team."
After beating No. 2 Duke at Joel Coliseum last Feb. 17 to improve to 16-8, the Deacons lost five of their last six games and missed out on postseason play.
Guard Jeff Teague, voted to the 76 Classic's all-tournament team after scoring 24, 29 and 14 points in victories over Cal State Fullerton, UTEP and Baylor, called Sunday's tournament final a statement game because experienced Baylor was 6-0 and coming off a win over No. 14 Arizona State in the semifinals.
"I kind of felt like we were the underdog," Teague said. "We haven't proven anything. We were ranked top 25, but that was because of the predictions after we had a great recruiting class.
"(Baylor) was proven. They made it to the NCAA Tournament last year. I felt like we had something to prove. We came out and we fought."
Guard L.D. Williams led the Deacons with 15 points Sunday. All five starters scored in double figures and three -- Williams, James Johnson and Al-Farouq Aminu -- all hit double figures in points and rebounds.
The 13-point win was Wake Forest's biggest margin of the tournament -- the Deacons beat Fullerton by six and UTEP by three. The Deacons outrebounded the Bears 62-38, the ninth highest rebounding total in program history.
It was Wake Forest's first in-season tournament title since 1984, when it beat Auburn and Jacksonville in the Gator Bowl Classic.
"Everybody knows we've had our woes on the road and at neutral courts. I think we proved a lot to ourselves," Williams said.
"We know we can win tight games on the road. Losing those tough heartbreakers in the ACC last year, we come to Anaheim, California. The town is a little bit different. We had to adjust to that. We gutted it out. We have a couple of young guys, and they gutted it up with us."
Aminu, Teague and Williams have led Wake Forest in scoring this season, and Gaudio said that such balance is a positive and a trend that could continue.
"I think they are comfortable with that. We have good players. I think they care about each other, and if we continue to do that, then this team could be special," Gaudio said.
"When we started this season, we said three things are going to define our team -- no distractions, leadership and chemistry. So far we have done all those things. We haven't had any distractions. I think we have had good leadership, and we are pretty much a together basketball team.
"That says a lot for these young guys."
BAYLOR: Rogers 5-7 0-2 10, Diene 1-1 1-2 3, Jerrells 3-12 8-9 16, Dugat 7-17 2-4 19, Carter 2-13 2-2 8, Ellis 0-1 1-2 1, Acy 1-4 0-2 2, Simpson 0-0 0-0 0, Dunn 2-11 7-8 12, Jones 1-2 1-2 3. Totals 22-68 22-33 74.
WAKE FOREST: Aminu 5-11 3-4 13, Johnson 5-16 4-7 14, McFarland 4-8 3-5 11, Teague 1-10 12-14 14, Williams 5-10 5-7 15, Clark 1-2 0-2 2, Hale 1-3 5-6 8, Smith 2-2 0-0 4, Weaver 2-2 2-3 6, Woods 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 26-64 34-48 87.
Halftime -- Baylor 31-30. 3-Point Goals -- Baylor 8-31 (Dugat 3-8, Jerrells 2-7, Carter 2-8, Dunn 1-7, Jones 0-1), Wake Forest 1-6 (Hale 1-2, Aminu 0-1, Clark 0-1, Williams 0-2). Fouled Out -- Acy, Aminu, Dugat. Rebounds -- Baylor 38 (Rogers 14), Wake Forest 62 (Johnson 14). Assists -- Baylor 9 (Carter 3), Wake Forest 14 (Teague 8). Total Fouls -- Baylor 30, Wake Forest 24. A -- 1,877.
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