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Will lose when ... Eric Williams is slowed down inside, making Wake's offense too perimeter-oriented. Famous Last Words This team will be a tough out, thanks to one of the nation's best backcourts (Gray and Paul) as well as a great X-and-O man in Prosser. Complete team report Before filling in your bracket, check out Insider's Tournament Guide. Insider Tour | Sign up now

TO THIS POINT    
How They Got Here: At-Large Bid
The Demon Deacons entered the NCAA Tournament as the nation's second-highest scoring team (83.2 ppg) and one of its youngest (no scholarship seniors). Thanks to the mature-beyond-his-years leadership of prize freshman Chris Paul (51 total points in two NCAA tourney games), Wake Forest was able to register a pair of razor-close wins over Virginia Commonwealth (79-78) and Manhattan (84-80) to reach the Sweet 16 for the first time in eight years.

Now, the competition gets a whole lot stiffer as the East Rutherford bracket is the only one where the top four seeds held serve. First up for the Demon Deacons is a Thursday night date with No.1 seed and once-beaten Saint Joseph's in the Billy Packer Invitational.

While most of the pre-game talk will center on the feuding follically-challenged duo of Phil Martelli and CBS announcer Billy Packer (who sparred on the air on Selection Sunday), the game itself features two of the nation's best backcourts as the aforementioned Paul, the 2004 ACC Rookie of the Year, and deadly shooter Justin Gray match wits and crossover dribbles with Saint Joe's dynamic duo of Jameer Nelson and Delonte West. If Paul and Gray can outscore the Hawks' sensational and more experienced guards, then Wake would face the Oklahoma State-Pittsburgh winner for a trip to the Final Four.

Prior to the NCAAs, the Deacs were all about peaks and valleys. Winners of its first 11 games, Wake then lost four straight in January to the likes of Texas, Duke, GaTech and FSU. But in mid-February, it was back to winning. Wake reeled off six straight wins, beating Duke, Cincinnati, GaTech and Maryland. Ah, but a quarterfinal loss to the Terps meant Wake headed to the Dance with three straight losses. The NCAAs are all about getting hot. If the Deacs' season-long pattern holds, Wake certainly was due to do just that this month.

PLAYER TO WATCH      
Chris Paul | G | Freshman
Sure, Justin Gray is the Demon Deacons' main scoring threat and Wake Forest counts on Eric Williams in the middle, but it's freshman Chris Paul who makes the Deacons go. The lightning-quick guard leads Wake in assists, steals and minutes.