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<table width="100%" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody><tr><td id="bluebar" colspan="2">No. 4 Wake Forest vs. No. 13 Cleveland State</td></tr> <tr><td id="headbar" colspan="2"> WAKE FOREST </td></tr><tr><td id="basics"> 
Highlights
Roster
Stats
Results
RECORD: 24-6
RPI: 16
RECORD VS. NCAA FIELD: 10-2
HOW THEY GOT HERE: At-large bid
COACH: Dino Gaudio (0-0 NCAA tournament record).
PROBABLE STARTERS:
C Chas McFarland, 7-0/235, Jr.
F Al-Farouq Aminu, 6-9/215, Fr.
F James Johnson, 6-9/245, Soph.
G Jeff Teague, 6-2/180, Soph.
G L.D. Williams, 6-4/210, Jr.
KEY RESERVES:
G Gary Clark, 6-4/200, Soph.
G Ishmael Smith, 6-0/175, Jr. </td><td id="chatter"> BACKCOURT: Teague scored in double figures in every game this season, and he also led Wake Forest in assists and ranked fourth in the ACC in scoring and steals. Williams is the Demon Deacons? best defender, and he made the All-ACC defensive team. Smith has provided a spark off the bench, scoring in double figures in seven consecutive games to close the regular season, averaging 12.3 points during the span.
FRONTCOURT: Aminu had 10 double-doubles in the regular season, tops among ACC freshmen, and has by far made the biggest impact of the three five-star players in Wake?s 2008 signing class. Johnson, coming off a big freshman season, hasn?t suffered any kind of sophomore jinx. He had nine double-doubles in the regular season and was third in the ACC in field-goal percentage and fourth in the league in rebounding. McFarland can exploit defenses in the paint, where Wake enjoys a huge advantage. The Deacons outscored their opponents 1,278-785 in the paint during the regular season, and more than half of their points came from inside the lane.
X-FACTOR: Gaudio should be mentioned in any conversation about coach of the year after leading the Deacons to a second-place finish in the ACC. Gaudio, promoted to coach after his friend Skip Prosser died of a heart attack July 26, 2007, has been able to recruit top talent and has his team playing at a high level; the Deacons won six of seven to end the regular season. But this will be his first NCAA tourney as a head coach, and it will be interesting to see how he responds to the pressures of March Madness.
THE BUZZ: Wake Forest is back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2005, and the Deacons have what it takes to make a long run. They have strong guard play, led by Teague, and solid inside play ? led by Johnson and Aminu. They also have a little history on their side: Wake was the last unbeaten team, starting 16-0 before losing to Virginia Tech on Jan. 21. In five of the past six seasons, the last unbeaten team went on to at least the Sweet 16. Two reached the NCAA title game, and one ? Florida in 2006 ? won the national championship. ? GARY MONDELLO
</td></tr> <tr><td id="headbar" colspan="2"> CLEVELAND STATE </td></tr><tr><td id="basics">
Highlights
Roster
Stats
Results
RECORD: 25-10
RPI: 52
RECORD VS. NCAA FIELD: 2-4
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Won Horizon League tournament
COACH: Gary Waters (1-2 NCAA tournament record)
PROBABLE STARTERS
C Chris Moore, 6-9/240, Sr.
F J?Nathan Bullock, 6-5/240, Sr.
G Norris Cole, 6-1/165, Soph.
G Trevon Harmon, 6-0/170, Fr.
G Cedric Jackson, 6-3/190, Sr.
KEY RESERVES
F D?Aundray Brown, 6-4/180, Soph.
F George Tandy, 6-8/210, Sr.
G Jeremy Montgomery, 6-2/190, Fr. </td><td id="chatter"> BACKCOURT: Jackson is a do-it-all point guard who ranks among the NCAA leaders in steals while also leading the Horizon League in assists and ranking eighth in the league in rebounds. He broke the school?s single-season assist record set in 1988 by Ken ?Mouse? McFadden, who led Cleveland State to the Sweet 16 in 1986. Cole has seven 20-point games this season, including two in the Horizon League tournament. Harmon, who didn?t become eligible this season until the end of the fall semester, returned to the starting lineup during the league tournament. Montgomery gives the Vikings a ballhandler off the bench.
FRONTCOURT: Bullock is a first-team all-league selection who can play either power forward or small forward. Bullock is the first player in school history to collect 1,500 points and 750 rebounds. Moore dropped nearly 25 pounds over the past year to gain agility. He provides shot blocking and rebounding, but he doesn?t contribute much scoring. Cleveland State?s frontcourt suffered a blow when Brown injured his right knee during the league tournament. His status for the NCAA tournament remains uncertain.
X-FACTOR: Brown?s health could go a long way toward determining whether Cleveland State can pull a first-round upset. He ranked second in the Horizon League in offensive rebounds, sixth in steals, seventh in assist-turnover ratio and eighth in rebounds when he got hurt. The Vikings already have played 11 games without him this season, but they?re a much better team when he?s in the lineup.
THE BUZZ: Butler was the Horizon League team that earned national recognition this season, but Cleveland State was playing equally well by the end of the season. The Vikings nearly beat Butler on the road at the end of the regular season, then beat the Bulldogs on their home floor in the Horizon League final. Cleveland State has the experience and athleticism to give a higher-seeded team fits. This isn?t a team anybody wants to see in the first round. ? STEVE MEGARGEE
</td></tr></tbody></table>
Highlights Roster
Stats
Results
RECORD: 24-6
RPI: 16
RECORD VS. NCAA FIELD: 10-2
HOW THEY GOT HERE: At-large bid
COACH: Dino Gaudio (0-0 NCAA tournament record).
PROBABLE STARTERS:
C Chas McFarland, 7-0/235, Jr.
F Al-Farouq Aminu, 6-9/215, Fr.
F James Johnson, 6-9/245, Soph.
G Jeff Teague, 6-2/180, Soph.
G L.D. Williams, 6-4/210, Jr.
KEY RESERVES:
G Gary Clark, 6-4/200, Soph.
G Ishmael Smith, 6-0/175, Jr. </td><td id="chatter"> BACKCOURT: Teague scored in double figures in every game this season, and he also led Wake Forest in assists and ranked fourth in the ACC in scoring and steals. Williams is the Demon Deacons? best defender, and he made the All-ACC defensive team. Smith has provided a spark off the bench, scoring in double figures in seven consecutive games to close the regular season, averaging 12.3 points during the span.
FRONTCOURT: Aminu had 10 double-doubles in the regular season, tops among ACC freshmen, and has by far made the biggest impact of the three five-star players in Wake?s 2008 signing class. Johnson, coming off a big freshman season, hasn?t suffered any kind of sophomore jinx. He had nine double-doubles in the regular season and was third in the ACC in field-goal percentage and fourth in the league in rebounding. McFarland can exploit defenses in the paint, where Wake enjoys a huge advantage. The Deacons outscored their opponents 1,278-785 in the paint during the regular season, and more than half of their points came from inside the lane.
X-FACTOR: Gaudio should be mentioned in any conversation about coach of the year after leading the Deacons to a second-place finish in the ACC. Gaudio, promoted to coach after his friend Skip Prosser died of a heart attack July 26, 2007, has been able to recruit top talent and has his team playing at a high level; the Deacons won six of seven to end the regular season. But this will be his first NCAA tourney as a head coach, and it will be interesting to see how he responds to the pressures of March Madness.
THE BUZZ: Wake Forest is back in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2005, and the Deacons have what it takes to make a long run. They have strong guard play, led by Teague, and solid inside play ? led by Johnson and Aminu. They also have a little history on their side: Wake was the last unbeaten team, starting 16-0 before losing to Virginia Tech on Jan. 21. In five of the past six seasons, the last unbeaten team went on to at least the Sweet 16. Two reached the NCAA title game, and one ? Florida in 2006 ? won the national championship. ? GARY MONDELLO
</td></tr> <tr><td id="headbar" colspan="2"> CLEVELAND STATE </td></tr><tr><td id="basics">
Highlights Roster
Stats
Results
RECORD: 25-10
RPI: 52
RECORD VS. NCAA FIELD: 2-4
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Won Horizon League tournament
COACH: Gary Waters (1-2 NCAA tournament record)
PROBABLE STARTERS
C Chris Moore, 6-9/240, Sr.
F J?Nathan Bullock, 6-5/240, Sr.
G Norris Cole, 6-1/165, Soph.
G Trevon Harmon, 6-0/170, Fr.
G Cedric Jackson, 6-3/190, Sr.
KEY RESERVES
F D?Aundray Brown, 6-4/180, Soph.
F George Tandy, 6-8/210, Sr.
G Jeremy Montgomery, 6-2/190, Fr. </td><td id="chatter"> BACKCOURT: Jackson is a do-it-all point guard who ranks among the NCAA leaders in steals while also leading the Horizon League in assists and ranking eighth in the league in rebounds. He broke the school?s single-season assist record set in 1988 by Ken ?Mouse? McFadden, who led Cleveland State to the Sweet 16 in 1986. Cole has seven 20-point games this season, including two in the Horizon League tournament. Harmon, who didn?t become eligible this season until the end of the fall semester, returned to the starting lineup during the league tournament. Montgomery gives the Vikings a ballhandler off the bench.
FRONTCOURT: Bullock is a first-team all-league selection who can play either power forward or small forward. Bullock is the first player in school history to collect 1,500 points and 750 rebounds. Moore dropped nearly 25 pounds over the past year to gain agility. He provides shot blocking and rebounding, but he doesn?t contribute much scoring. Cleveland State?s frontcourt suffered a blow when Brown injured his right knee during the league tournament. His status for the NCAA tournament remains uncertain.
X-FACTOR: Brown?s health could go a long way toward determining whether Cleveland State can pull a first-round upset. He ranked second in the Horizon League in offensive rebounds, sixth in steals, seventh in assist-turnover ratio and eighth in rebounds when he got hurt. The Vikings already have played 11 games without him this season, but they?re a much better team when he?s in the lineup.
THE BUZZ: Butler was the Horizon League team that earned national recognition this season, but Cleveland State was playing equally well by the end of the season. The Vikings nearly beat Butler on the road at the end of the regular season, then beat the Bulldogs on their home floor in the Horizon League final. Cleveland State has the experience and athleticism to give a higher-seeded team fits. This isn?t a team anybody wants to see in the first round. ? STEVE MEGARGEE
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