Wake Forest Picked To Finish Third in ACC Preseason Men's Basketball Poll
Deacon freshman Al-Farouq Aminu tabbed as Preseason ACC Rookie of the Year

Oct. 26, 2008

ATLANTA, Ga. - Wake Forest was picked to finish third in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season by a vote of the media members attending the 2008 ACC Operation Basketball on Sunday at the Marriott Marquis in downtown Atlanta.

Demon Deacon freshman Al-Farouq Aminu was voted as the Preseason ACC Rookie of the Year. Aminu, a 6-9 forward from Norcross, Ga., received 18 out of a possible 40 votes for the honor.

Wake Forest, coming off a 17-13 campaign in 2007-08, received 354 points in the preseason voting. This marks the highest the Deacons have been picked in the preseason poll since being slotted third prior to the 2005-06 season.

Last season, the Deacs went 17-13 overall and 7-9 in conference play. Wake finished in a tie for seventh place in the final league standings, four slots above where it was picked in that season's preseason poll.

Wake Forest returns 11 letterwinners and all five starters from last year's squad. The Deacs also welcome back over 97 percent of their production in all major statistical categories.

The Deacons received 354 points in the voting, finishing just a mere 10 points ahead of Miami, who was fourth.

This marks the fourth time in the last six preseason polls that Wake Forest has been picked to finish in the top three in the ACC.

Aminu ran away with in the voting for Preseason Rookie of the Year. His 18 votes out-distanced Sylven Landesberg of Virginia, who received four votes. Wake Forest freshman center Tony Woods was one of three players to receive two votes for the honor.

The Deacons were shut out of the preseason All-ACC team for the third straight season.

North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough was named the ACC Preseason Player of the Year for the third straight season. The reigning consensus National Player of the Year, Hansbrough was a unanimous selection for the preseason conference honor.

Hansbrough and the Tar Heels were once again a unanimous selection as the preseason favorite in the league, earning the honor for the second straight season. Duke followed in second with 436 points in the poll.

After Wake Forest and Miami in third and fourth respectively, Clemson rounded out the top five with 306 points. Virginia Tech was picked sixth, Maryland seventh, Georgia Tech eighth, NC State ninth, Florida State 10th, Boston College 11th and Virginia 12th.

Wake Forest opens the 2008-09 season against North Carolina Central on Friday, Nov. 14, at 7 p.m.

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