I think in the midst of the agony of the last 6 years some of our fan base have begun to question whether Wake even belongs in the ACC. Nothing ruffles my feathers more than folks who don't think that this program can be among the best in NCAA Division 1. I was in school during the Bob Staak years and many expressed that same LOWF sentiment back then. What followed was a tremendous 20 year run of success. Here is a little historical perspective:
Sometimes we lose perspective being next door neighbors of UNC and Duke, especially in light of our recent struggles. The reality, however, is that this is a proud program with a tremendous history. We have a commitment to improve the Joel and to our practice facilities. There is absolutely no reason we cannot return to at least the level that we experienced during the Odom and Prosser years. That should be the norm, and should be the expectation of our fan base. Not denying in any way that Danny inherited a rebuilding situation, but by year 4 he should without a doubt have us back in the NCAA Tournament. Anything less is simply not acceptable.
- Wake has been to 22 NCAA Tournaments which ranks 7th of the current 15 ACC members.
- Between 1991 and 2010 Wake went to 14 NCAA's in 20 years.
- Wake has 8 Sweet 16 (7th among current ACC members) and 6 Elite 8 (6th in ACC) appearances.
- Wake ranks 4th in ACC history in both Tournament and Regular Season Championships.
- Wake ranks #12 in number of current NBA players, tied for 4th among the 15 current ACC members.
Sometimes we lose perspective being next door neighbors of UNC and Duke, especially in light of our recent struggles. The reality, however, is that this is a proud program with a tremendous history. We have a commitment to improve the Joel and to our practice facilities. There is absolutely no reason we cannot return to at least the level that we experienced during the Odom and Prosser years. That should be the norm, and should be the expectation of our fan base. Not denying in any way that Danny inherited a rebuilding situation, but by year 4 he should without a doubt have us back in the NCAA Tournament. Anything less is simply not acceptable.
