Wake Forest rediscovers itself as an adept winner

Team personalities are fickle things. Some basketball teams never develop one, and others misplace their identity along the meandering winter road.

Three losses into a two-week skid, Coach Dino Gaudio measured his team and concluded that Wake Forest didn't suddenly need a new personality. Wake Forest just needed to find the old one, which had produced a 16-0 record and No. 1 ranking before the wheels wobbled.

Gaudio assembled the Deacons and delivered the reinforcing news: Don't worry, be happy, be yourselves. Or something like that.

They got the message

The players evidently got the message. They certainly got Boston College at Joel Coliseum yesterday, trampling the Eagles 93-76 under the noisy onslaught of fast breaks, bent rims and referees' whistles. The Deacons shot 66 percent in the second half, which they dominated by 18 points, and converted 25 of 30 free throws overall.

Guard Jeff Teague scored 27 points, his distant jumpers so precise that they barely rippled the net and his foul shots so deft that he missed just once in 12 tries. Forward Al-Farouq Aminu, the freshman who floats best in open space, missed only one field-goal attempt and two free throws while scoring 26 points.

Back to basics

James Johnson swiped at BC shots early and wiped the backboard clean later. Teague (eight assists, three steals) and Ish Smith supplied the fuel injection for fast breaks that Georgia Tech had frustrated with rubber arms and Miami had suffocated with a rapidly deployed zone.

Gaudio let the 27-point Miami nightmare settle for a day and then reminded the Deacons to remember basic traits.

"The first thing is, we're a defensive basketball team," he said. "That's who we are. We used to put the fear in people when they played against us defensively, and we've got to go back to doing that. Offensively, we're a fast-break team."

Beyond the breaks, which often hinge on the opponent missing shots or mishandling the ball, Gaudio emphasized inside scoring, guard penetration and rebounding.

"As you go through the season, you're evolving," Gaudio said. "You're constantly changing -- when you're playing teams and who you're playing. This thing, as we know, it's a marathon. You know what? We're running a pretty good race so far. It's a marathon, and we're running a pretty good race. We might stumble a little bit, but…."

The Deacons, who first stumbled against Virginia Tech at home, elevated their record to 18-3 (5-3 ACC). They entered the weekend ranked seventh in the AP poll and 15th in a computer index used by the NCAA selection committee. Wake Forest was in fine shape anyway, but the players preferred their condition after disposing of BC for the second time in a month and distancing themselves from Miami lethargy.

Regaining its balance

Smith considers this a big development. "I think we were lacking a little confidence," he said.

Johnson sensed that Wake Forest had regained its balance and had planted its feet squarely on the parquet squares again. "We lost two big games," Johnson said. "That's not us, and that's not what we want to do. We're a running team. When that breaks down, we run plays, and if that doesn't work, then we crash the boards as hard as we can. The games we lost, we weren't doing that as well. We were settling for shots that weren't really our shots."

Sophomore Johnson, following his coach's example, said that he dropped some wisdom on Aminu and the other freshmen. The message: "I know where we're at right now. We're in one of those slumps. I know you're tired. Just go home and get some sleep. Forget about the loss and come back to practice ready to play."

Did the rookies listen? Johnson nodded in the affirmative. "I think they took that into consideration and went and played hard," he said.

The Deacons played crisply, particularly after halftime.

They also played BC, which failed to hit a 3-pointer and committed 10 turnovers in the second half, when floor leader Tyrese Rice hurt his leg and was restricted to eight minutes.

Wake Forest will return to the bus league Wednesday, rolling down to Raleigh for the first of two games against N.C. State, which blew an 18-point lead at Virginia Tech yesterday.

Ease under pressure

Gaudio might deliver more mental massages about the dominant personality formed through pressure defense and transition offense, or he might resort to the stronger psychological tool of competitive shock.

He used that dual approach the day before BC arrived. Gaudio cited wife Maureen's warning to avoid putting pressure on the players.

He walked into the team meeting and said: "You know what, boys? We've got a pressure game tomorrow. We've got to win tomorrow. We're in the ACC. It's important that we win tomorrow. If you feel pressure, I'm glad, because there is pressure in this one, despite what my wife said."

Gaudio laughed as he retold the story last night. It's easier to laugh when you feel like yourself, and when you win.

■ Lenox Rawlings can be reached at lrawlings@wsjournal.com.