The Demon Deacons have fared well during Steve Forbes’ tenure. Wake Forest came close in the 2023-2024 season but ultimately failed to make the NCAA tournament due to a weak out-of-conference record. That shouldn’t be an issue this year as they have a couple of difficult non-conference games, but most of which are winnable. Nonetheless, they’ll need to play well against in-conference opponents, as they may not be the best college basketball team in the state of North Carolina. Let’s dive into a full Wake Forest Basketball Preview, as the team tries to make the Big Dance.
Wake Forest Basketball Preview: Deacons Ready for Postseason
As previously mentioned, Wake Forest will need to step up their game if they wish to avoid being invited to the NIT again. That starts with winning their non-conference games early on. Their toughest opponents include Michigan, Xavier, Texas A&M, and James Madison. If they can win all four of those games the team will look great heading into conference play. Still, like many others in the college basketball landscape, Wake finds itself with a fresh roster after losing eight players to the portal. So who did they bring in to replace said transfers?
Demon Deacon Time
Head Coach Steve Forbes wasted no time getting down to business. As he stated back in March, you’ve gotta adapt.
Steve Forbes said, in terms of the roster right now, first step is retention of players. Then the portal comes into play.
Asked him about if portal work is occurring now: “Every day…It’s just early for this, but hey, you adapt or you don’t get no players. You gotta get on it.”
— Essex Thayer (@essexthayer7) March 21, 2024
And adapt they have, as Forbes grabbed a haul of terrific transfers. Omaha Biliew was a highly coveted prospect out of high school but didn’t get much playing time at Iowa State. That should change, as the Deacs will definitely need Biliew’s rebounding skills and athleticism. Ty-Laur Johnson comes from fellow ACC member Louisville. A true point guard, Johnson will likely play backup to Hunter Sallis. Davin Cosby didn’t see the floor much at Alabama, but he may find a rotation spot now that he’s transferred to Wake. Tre’Von Spillers comes off a great year at Appalachian State, where he averaged 12.8 points, and nine rebounds a game, and made the 2023-24 All Sun-Belt team. Churchill Abass, like Cosby and Biliew, didn’t get many minutes last year. Nevertheless, Steve Forbes is excited about Abass’s potential, meaning he will at least have a chance to crack the rotation.
Wake Forest Freshman
Juke Harris, a combo guard from Salisbury, North Carolina, is the only incoming freshman for Wake Forest. Salisbury is roughly 40 minutes from Wake Forest, so Harris should be comfortable playing so close to home. The 93rd-ranked prospect and 9th-best in North Carolina, Harris uses his athleticism and court awareness to get to the bucket on a regular basis. He may need to work on his outside shot before he’s a complete offensive weapon. Yet, Harris’s tenacity inside will allow him to score at the college level immediately. Forbes has a great talent on his hands, and surely Harris can learn from Sallis. Sallis shot 25% and 26% from deep in his first two seasons at Gonzaga, but then shot 40% from downtown in 2023-2024 with Wake Forest. If anyone knows how to improve their outside jumper, it’s Hunter Sallis.
Schedule Outlook
Wake Forest’s non-conference schedule is a mixed bag. Coppin State, North Carolina A&T, USC Upstate, and Detroit combined records last season were 20-103. Those should all be easy wins. Texas A&M, Western Carolina, and James Madison should be formidable opponents that can test Wake early. Michigan and Xavier are hard to call, as both teams are coming off disappointing seasons. On the other hand, they both have phenomenal head coaches who can quickly turn a program around. If Wake can win the majority of their non-conference games, and remain in the top five of the ACC standings, they have a stellar shot at making the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
