WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Wake Forest is getting the chance to reverse last year's NCAA Tournament debacle.

        The Demon Deacons, the No.7 seed in the Midwest Region, face 10th-seeded Pepperdine on Thursday. Last year, Wake Forest entered the NCAAs in the same position, only to watch Butler jump to a 43-10 halftime lead en route to a 79-63 win.

        “We are finally back in it and we have a lot of making up to do from last year,” said senior Craig Dawson, who missed the game with a shoulder injury.

        “I had to just sit and watch that game with Butler. We are going to try and go out there and redeem ourselves from last year.”

        A concern for the Demon Deacons (20-12), who will be making their ninth NCAA appearance in the last 12 years, is the health of junior Josh Howard, who is still bothered by a high left ankle sprain.

        Howard, the team's second-leading scorer, originally hurt the ankle Feb.6 against North Carolina. He reinjured it in Wake Forest's 79-64 loss to Duke in the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Saturday.

        Howard called the injury “frustrating” but said he hopes to play Thursday. Butt he Demon Deacons will be without reserve guard Steve Lepore, who ruptured a tendon in his left knee in the ACC Tournament and will require surgery.

        Though the NCAA Tournament committee hoped to place as many teams as it could close to home for the early rounds, Wake Forest must travel to Sacramento, Calif., to face the Waves.

        Coach Skip Prosser, in his first season at Wake Forest, didn't seem to mind that his team was shipped across the country. He said he was thrilled his team received an at-large bid.

        “Sometimes what happens is when you get into the national tournament a whole bunch you become a bit jaded and it loses its innocence,” Prosser said. “I try very hard to keep that focus, because there are a lot of good coaches and players who never get to play in the national tournament. When you get that opportunity, you should savor it.”

        Prosser said he can't be concerned with what happened in last year's tournament.

        “I think we have to be more concerned with how we play than how Pepperdine plays,” Prosser said. “I wasn't here last year, so I would think that the kids have a bad taste in their mouth about that.

        “That's not going to beat Pepperdine, but hopefully it will sharpen the edge in terms of our practice and we'll be better for it.”

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