Prosser's recruiting class keeps his memory alive

"The thought of him not being here tomorrow or the next day hit me kind of hard," Aminu said.

Then came the phone calls and messages from other coaches, some calling to offer genuine condolences while others - the players wouldn't name names - subtly attempting to persuade them to reconsider their nonbinding verbal commitments to Wake Forest. Woods said soon after Prosser's death, he received roughly eight text messages each day.

"As soon as Coach died, my phone started blowing up again," Woods said. "When you commit, they kind of back off. But as soon as he died, my phone would blow up again, and I was getting text messages, calls. It was like my recruiting just opened up on its own all over again."

Added Aminu: "They weren't negative, but a coach just might say something like, 'Oh, I hope you get through it,' trying to be more like my friend in order to get me to roll to their team."

Ultimately, all three players remained committed to Wake Forest, signing their letters of intent in November. Walker - a Wilmington native and North Carolina prep co-player of the year - insisted he never wavered, and Georgia AAU teammates Aminu and Woods kept in contact with assistant Pat Kelsey, who Woods said was referring to Gaudio when he assured them "the right guy was going to get the job."

Gaudio went on to propel Prosser's program forward last season by finishing 17-13, upsetting then-No. 2 Duke and not only keeping the Demon Deacons together but giving them reason to smile again.

Through it all, the late coach has never been - and may never be - far from anyone's mind.

"I wouldn't say (it's) bittersweet - I am disappointed that I'm not getting to play for him," Woods said. "He was a great guy for the short time that I knew him."