The Demon Deacons have had an adventurous season to this point as they stand 11-7 overall and 2-4 in league play. Wake Forest has held halftime leads in five of their last six losses; however, they held on to beat Miami. Wednesday night Wake Forest picked up a huge win defeating Miami 96-79, their 96 points were the most Miami has surrendered all season. What do you need to know about the Demon Deacons before Saturday’s 2 o’clock tip?

Wake Forest has already matched their ACC win total from last season. They have improved in many aspects but especially offensively.

The Demon Deacons have pushed their scoring average to 80.2 PPG an improvement from last seasons 74 PPG. Danny Manning has a group of players that can get it done offensively with four players averaging double figures PPG. Wake Forest shoots 47% from the field and 39% from three. Their balance offensively really stretches opponents defensively. The Deacons proved when things click offensively they can score with the best of them. Miami considered one of the best defensive teams in the ACC gave up 96 points to the Deacons! Wake Forest likes to push the ball at every chance, make or miss.

John Collins and Bryant Crawford are a dynamic duo.

John Collins is averaging 16.4 PPG and 8.8 RPG. The 6-10 sophomore displays excellent body control, skill, and athleticism to beat defenders offensively. The Demon Deacons have done a great job at finding Collins as he rolls to the basket for the high percentage lob pass. Collins is shooting an outstanding 59% from the field as well as 71% from the free-throw line. Collins also possesses a quick second jump which makes him a terror on the offensive glass.

https://youtu.be/Piso-fLULG4

Pairing with Collins is guard Bryant Crawford who gives Wake scoring from the perimeter. Crawford is an athletic guard who likes to use his quickness and jumping ability to finish inside. This season Crawford is averaging 14.7 PPG while shooting 45% from the field. Head Coach Danny Manning likes to put Crawford in high ball screen action from the wing where he excels at turning the corner hard to get to the rim. In the UNC game, he was able to probe inside finishing 7-10 from the field for 22 points. In addition to scoring Crawford is second in the ACC in assists per game averaging 5.9.

Defensively the Deacons need to continue improving if they are going to take the next step as a team.

Many players openly talked about how they have got to get better on defense if they are going to win consistently. Sophomore Keyshawn Woods said after the Miami game that his team can be one of the top programs in the ACC if they defend start to finish. Defensively Wake Forest opponents are averaging 74.9 PPG and shooting 45% from the field. Wake needs to replicate their defensive effort in the first-half of the Miami game where they held the Canes to 35% shooting if they want to make some noise in the ACC.

Wake Forest has improved dramatically from a season ago. Power Forward John Collins gives the Deacons a matchup nightmare that teams struggle to defend. Bryant Crawford has the ability to score in bunches as well as play hard nose defense. Danny Manning wants his team to be more aggressive at attacking the paint and recognizing game situations. Offensively Wake can score with any team in the country although getting stops is what wins games. Can Wake Forest get stops consistently enough to finish in the top half of the ACC?

NC State Basketball

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James Commits to NC State!

Published

8 hours ago

April 23, 2024

Matthew Bradham

Louisville Transfer Guard Mike James (6’5″/200) has announced his commitment to NC State!

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This past year, James averaged 12.6 points per game (3rd on the team) and 5 rebounds. He’s extremely physical and aggressive, taking 47% of his field goal attempts at the rim (making 46%). As a result, he draws a lot of fouls, ranking 10th in the ACC in Fouls Drawn, and 4th in Free Throw Rate. James made opponents pay this year when they put him on the line, making 81.8% from the charity stripe, which ranked 15th in the ACC.

James shot the ball better as a Redshirt Freshman, than he did this past season. His Effective Field Goal Percentage in 2022-23 was 55.8%, which ranked 19th in the ACC, and his True Shooting Percentage of 59.6% ranked 14th.

News broke about James entering the Transfer Portal back on March 25th, and NC State was quick to reach out. Kevin Keatts and his staff recruited the former 4-star prospect out of high school heavily, but he ultimately chose the Cardinals.

After redshirting his first year in Louisville due to torn achilles, James has been a starter for the Cardinals the past two years.

He does have the ability to knock down a three, making 34.8% for his career.

James has 2 years of eligibility remaining. With James’ commitment, NC State currently has 1 scholarship available for next season.

NC State Basketball

Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill is on a Visit to NC State

Published

1 day ago

April 22, 2024

Matthew Bradham

Bowling Green Transfer Guard Marcus Hill (6’4″/185) confirmed with me that he is currently on a visit at NC State.

Hill averaged 20.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game for the Falcons this season. He earned 1st Team All-MAC honors. Even though he was only at Bowling Green one season, he had one of the best seasons in school history, scoring 698 points, which ranks 5th all-time in program history for a single season.

For his first two years of collegiate ball, Hill played for Southern Union State College (JUCO) in Alabama. In 2022-23, Hill earned 3rd Team NJCAA All-American honors, and ranked as the #32 overall Junior College prospect.

247Sports ranks Hill as a 4-Star Transfer Prospect, and the #78 overall player in the Transfer Portal, and the #11 Shooting Guard.

According to a source, the NC State Coaching Staff is extremely high on Hill, and they are recruiting him as a Point Guard.

NC State Basketball

What did an ACC Title & Final Four Mean to NC State Legend Dennis Smith Jr.?

Published

1 day ago

April 22, 2024

Matthew Bradham

What did an ACC Title & Final Four mean to NC State Legend Dennis Smith Jr.? The man who won the ACC Rookie of the Year Award in 2017 gave me a statement.

It means a lot. It means a lot to the university, the state of North Carolina and a lot more to my dad, grandma, and myself. They have been NC State fans since forever, so their excitement level was though the roof when they saw BOTH of our basketball teams shining like that. It was a great feeling!

2017 was Smith Jr.’s only year of College ball, averaging 18.1 points, 6.2 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.9 steals. He earned 2nd Team All-ACC honors, and obviously, he earned a spot on the ACC All-Freshman Team.

DSJ was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the 9th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Smith Jr. just wrapped up his 7th season in the NBA. This was his 1st season with Brooklyn, playing in 56 games for the Nets. He averaged 6.6 points, 3.6 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, averaging 18.9 minutes per contest.