Wake Forest

The 2010-11 season marks the beginning of a new era for Demon Deacon basketball. With the departure of former head coach Dino Gaudio, along with four of last year’s starting five, Wake Forest will be one of the youngest and least experienced teams in the ACC. Yet, with the arrival of head coach Jeff Bzdelik comes great optimism that the Demon Deacons may be a larger threat than the preseason predictions indicate.

“I think we’re going to surprise some people,” Bzdelik said. “We’ve got good shooters, and we’ll be able to spread the court.”

Touting the 12th-best recruiting class in the nation according to ESPN, Wake Forest can certainly claim a bevy of talent entering the season. Freshmen J.T. Terrell and Travis McKie, both ranked in the top 15 at their respective positions by Scout.com, will make immediate impacts in the starting lineup. Terrell is praised as a big-time scorer with a great mid-range game, while McKie has one of the best 3-point shots in the recruiting class.

But the player to watch this year for the Demon Deacons is point guard C.J. Harris. As the only returning starter from a season ago, Harris will be the clear leader of the team despite his status as a sophomore. The shooting guard-turned-point guard is quick and strong, with a very good outside jumper. Though Harris’s consistency wavered at times last year, he is much improved and will have to be the go-to man on offense until the freshmen learn the ropes.

The biggest weakness for Wake Forest will be its interior game. With the loss of Al-Farouq Aminu and Chas McFarland, and the recent transfer of center Tony Woods, the Demon Deacons have virtually no returning players in their frontcourt. Wake Forest’s biggest interior threat is Ari Stewart, a 6-foot-7 sophomore with an aggressive inside game and a nice jump shot. However, Stewart is still inexperienced and must make large strides for the Demon Deacons to be effective.

On the whole, Wake Forest has plenty of talent, but little experience to back it up. Harris is the Cavaliers’ highest returning scorer—yet he averaged just under 10 points per game last season. Still, if the freshmen can acclimate themselves early on—which, given their easy non-conference schedule, is entirely possible—the Demon Deacons just might turn some heads this season.