Wake Forest Demon Deacons
2020-21 record: 6-16, 3-15 in the ACC
Head coach: Steve Forbes
Tenure at Wake Forest: 2nd season
Home court: Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Starters: G Alondes Williams, G Daivien Williamson, F Isaiah Mucius, F Jake LaRavia, F/C Dallas Walton
Bench: G Carter Whitt, G Robert McCray, G Cameron Hildreth, G Lucas Taylor, F Tariq Ingraham, F Khadim Sy
Overview: Head coach Steve Forbes walked into a new job in the shortened season last year, and the underperformance of his team reflected that fact. The Demon Deacons didn’t make a dent in an ACC that had one of the worst collective March performances in recent memory, and they will be looking to turn things around in the full campaign beginning this fall. Three of the five starters this year come from other programs, giving the black and gold a fresh face as they look to top their three-win conference total from their first season under Forbes. Given more time under a new coaching scheme, this team will look a lot different.
Wake Forest is not a team that lacks size, and Forbes will be looking to use this versatility to bring a new look to ACC competition. Coming in from Oklahoma, Alondes Williams will look to be the centerpiece of the squad that only returns a fraction of its former offense. Junior Jake LaRavia, standing at 6-foot-8 yet playing in the small forward role, transferred in from Indiana State having averaged just over 12 points and six rebounds per game on 31.3% shooting from three. If he can return to his prior season mark of 40.7% from downtown, the Demon Deacons will have a better chance to succeed. Joining LaRavia and Williams in the starting lineup are only two players with experience playing in Winston Salem, with Isaiah Mucius the only multi-year starter for the squad. Mucius averaged double digits last year in significant minutes, and will need to lead the offense at power forward if this team is to succeed.
Ultimately, an at large bid is possible for this team, though an outside chance. They’ll certainly have the chance to prove themselves in the always-stacked ACC, and if they can win some key games against the likes of Clemson, Georgia Tech and NC State, we will be looking at a much tighter middle of the pack than most anticipate. The Demon Deacons will have plenty of tune ups at their disposal before their first big test on the road in Blacksburg, Va., facing the Hokies.
Team ceiling: This team will be looking for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament through a complete reversal of the last season, gaining a slightly above .500 conference record to earn a bid over a tough slate of games through the fall and winter.
Team floor: Ultimately, this season looks stacked against the Demon Deacons. If Forbes can’t convert a fully new lineup to his system and players that haven’t played together previously fail to mesh, we could be looking at a similar result to last year’s, with Wake Forest failing to win many conference games and missing the NCAA tournament.
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