Second Round Preview – East Rutherford Region
by Matthew Moll
(4) Wake Forest vs. (12) Manhattan
Team Not-So-Upsetting-Upset’s next stop is slaying another major conference powerhouse in the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Wake Forest.
Wake comes off a first round scare courtesy of coach Jason Capel and VCU. If Wake lets the high powered offense of the Jaspers remain close the results will send Wake back to Winston-Salem for their third straight failed attempt at advancing past the second round.
Super freshman Chris Paul leads the Demon Deacons’ offensive machine that is the second highest scoring in the nation (83.2 ppg). Sharp shooter Justin Gray is the Deacs major scoring threat and 6’9″ sophomore Eric Williams is the team’s inside neutralizer, but Paul, who leads the team in assists, must be his lighting quick self dishing out dimes and swiping steals if Wake wants to go to the round of 16.
Against VCU Wake allowed the outside game of their opponents run rampant. In the second half VCU went 8-for-13 from behind the three-point stripe and allowed the Rams to shoot 51 percent for the game. Wake must clamp down on Rutgers transfer Luis Flores and the Jaspers’ exterior game to avoid a shootout and another game that is decided in the last minutes. Manhattan also has an inside game with which the Deacs must manage. Dave Holmes and Peter Mulligan combined for 29 points in their win over Billy Donovan’s toothless Gators.
The Jaspers need to rattle the confident Paul early. Paul scored 22 points including hitting the deciding free-throws in the win over Virginia Commonwealth.
Flores, who led his team with 26 points against Florida, will have to do more of the same to match the potent offense of Wake. Flores is the only player in the nation to average over 20 points the last three seasons.
What both teams need to find is defense. This game has all the makings to be a shoot out because neither team could stop the team they played earlier. VCU was hot and Wake had no answers. Florida’s is a team that was fading all year and when Florida was frustrated they plain quit. Wake will not quit and neither can Manhattan’s defense.
