Wake Forest readies for No. 3 North Carolina

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Ready to celebrate another lopsided conference win, Wake Forest coach Skip Prosser stopped any potential partying by writing one word on the locker room wall: Carolina.<br> <br> That was the message that greeted the fourth-ranked Demon Deacons following their 81-66 victory over Maryland on Tuesday night. As they were putting the finishing touches on their 3-0 Atlantic Coast Conference start, the anticipation of Saturday&#39;s showdown with No. 3 North Carolina had already started.<br> <br> ``Maryland was a big game, we had just finished playing less than 20 minutes before and the first thing Coach says when he comes into the locker room is `Get ready for Carolina,&#39; `` said guard Justin Gray. ``That&#39;s how big the Carolina game is. I know a lot of people had it circled, I personally had it circled.<br> <br> ``It&#39;s one of those games that you dream about watching.&#39;&#39;<br> <br> It&#39;s also a chance for the Deacons (14-1, 3-0 ACC) to prove whether or not they are a legitimate contender this season.<br> <br> With zero national championships, no Final Four appearances since 1962, and a student enrollment under 4,000, Wake Forest has long been the pesky little brother of the ACC&#39;s ``Big Four,&#39;&#39; struggling for attention in a state dominated by North Carolina, Duke and North Carolina State.<br> <br> But times are changing at Wake Forest, where Prosser has stirred up a frenzy over his Deacons with their best overall start in eight years.<br> <br> Lawrence Joel Coliseum (capacity 14,665) sold out for the Maryland game, and the atmosphere was unusually electric. The student section where about 2,000 students have been convinced to attend every game this season doesn&#39;t yet rival Duke&#39;s ``Cameron Crazies,&#39;&#39; but is slowly starting its own in-game traditions.<br> <br> Want further proof that the Deacons are on their way? They&#39;ve got their own crazed fan who dances like an idiot in the aisle during timeouts, a spotlight on him and the entire arena cheering him on.<br> <br> The Carolina game is the toughest ticket in town. Prosser and the Deacons have turned away dozens of requests for tickets, and the high bid on a pair of lower level seats being offered on eBay.com had surpassed $500 four days before the game.<br> <br> ``It&#39;s almost impossible to get enough tickets for this,&#39;&#39; said guard Chris Paul, a Winston-Salem native.<br> <br> Now it&#39;s up to Wake Forest not to disappoint.<br> <br> The Deacons won in triple overtime at Carolina a year ago, then lost to the Tar Heels at home in the second meeting. ACC expansion has cut the rivalry to just one meeting this year, the first time since 1922 the teams won&#39;t play twice in a season.<br> <br> Wake Forest will attack North Carolina with a nine-man rotation that features the red-hot Gray (55 points, 11 3-pointers the past two games), Paul and center Eric Williams.<br> <br> But the bench is stacked, too, and reserve Trent Strickland scored style points against Maryland with two high-flying alley-oop dunks that ignited a run.<br> <br> ``We have a lot of guys coming off the bench who could probably start a lot of other places,&#39;&#39; said guard Taron Downey, sometimes a starter when Prosser uses a three-guard lineup. ``But we have a chance to do something special this year, so if it means sacrificing some minutes, that&#39;s fine.<br> <br> ``I think everyone understands that if you work hard, eventually your time is going to come. Even if you don&#39;t play a lot one night, you have to be patient because there will be a time when you&#39;ve got to step up.&#39;&#39;