Big shots big part of Wake's game

By Andy Johnston

For the AJC

Big shots have become a big part of Ishmael Smith’s game.

Smith, Wake Forest’s senior point guard, hit game-winners against Virginia Tech and Miami as a sophomore two years ago and is flourishing in late-game situations again this year.

• He made a 3-pointer to halt a second-half Richmond run in a 74-68 overtime victory on Dec. 31.

• Smith scored nine of his career-high 28 points in the two overtimes to help defeat Xavier 96-92 on Jan. 3.

• He helped knock off Maryland with a game-winning basket in yet another overtime victory, 85-83, on Tuesday.\

“He’s a big shot maker,” Wake Forest coach Dino Gaudio said this week.

Smith may be unwatchable from the foul line (43.9 percent), but his maturation at the point enables the Demon Deacons (12-3, 2-1) to play at a fast pace. He has 90 assists to 40 turnovers this season and is averaging 13 points a game.

“He’s not a real good free-throw shooter, but if he misses 10 straight free throws, it has absolutely no effect on the rest of his game,” Gaudio said. “He guards, continues to rebound, continues to run the offense. He doesn’t dip his head. ... He’s been really good for us.”

Wake Forest plays at No. 8 Duke at 8 p.m. Sunday (FSN) and then at No. 12 North Carolina at 7 p.m. Wednesday (ESPN).

Unstoppable sophomore

North Carolina’s Ed Davis has been mostly spectacular thus far, with nine double-doubles in 17 games. But he struggled terribly in the Tar Heels' 83-64 loss at Clemson on Wednesday.

Smith, a sophomore forward, was 2-for-11 from the field for four points with four rebounds after he had 20 points and 11 rebounds in a victory against Virginia Tech on Sunday.

Despite his poor performance, he leads the ACC in field-goal percentage (59.9 percent) and blocks (2.88) and is second in rebounding (9.9).

Free-falling

Florida State has lost two consecutive games and likely will fall out of the polls after barely cracking both of them at No. 25 this week.

The Seminoles are 13-4 and 1-2 in the league and have lost to Maryland and North Carolina State after a seven-game win streak.

The 88-81 defeat to the Wolfpack on Tuesday was the Seminoles’ first home loss of the season (10-1).

On the ball

• Virginia Tech’s Malcolm Delaney leads the conference in scoring with 20.8 points a game and is second in free-throw shooting at 86.4 percent.

• Scott Wood, who was 7-for-11 from 3-point range, scored a career-high 31 points in North Carolina State’s victory at Florida State. That tied him for the 11th-best single-game total by a freshman in ACC history.

• Clemson’s Trevor Booker leads active conference players in career rebounds (936), blocks (226) and double-doubles (28).

• Adrian Thomas has made at least one 3-point field goal in 33 of his past 36 games for Miami, but was only 1-for-7 in Wednesday’s loss at Virginia Tech.

Must-see TV

Check out surprise conference leader Virginia (2-0 in the ACC), fresh off its upset of Georgia Tech, when the Cavaliers host No. 23 Miami at 8 p.m. today on ESPNU. Miami has won three straight against Virginia.