Wake Forest Demon Deacons
2014-2015 Overall Rank: #94
Conference Rank: #11 ACC
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Wake Forest went out and grabbed a hot coach in Danny Manning. Coach Manning led Tulsa to the NCAA Tournament thanks to a big run through the Conference USA Tournament. Prior to winning 11 straight heading into the NCAAs, Coach Manning’s team was just 10-12. It is a risky hire for the Demon Deacons and it will take time for Coach Manning to get his players into the system, so only time will tell. For now, the Demon Deacons have some serious rebuilding to do.
2013-14 Record: 17-16, 6-12
2013-14 Postseason: None
Coach: Danny Manning
Coach Record: 0-0 at Wake Forest, 38-29 overall
Who’s Out:
The Demon Deacons lose four of their top six scorers. Travis McKie, a 6-7 forward, averaged 10.7 points and 4.1 rebounds during his senior season. Those numbers were down from his junior campaign, but McKie could stretch out the defense with his shooting ability. The frontcourt took more hits when Tyler Cavanaugh and Arnaud Adala Moto opted to transfer. Cavanaugh was another big man who could stretch the floor with his shooting. Adala Moto may have been a bit undersized, but he was always productive. The lone loss on the perimeter is Coron Williams. During his only season with Wake Forest, Williams easily led the squad by hitting 71 three-pointers at a 40.3 percent clip.
Who’s In:
This is not a great class of three incoming freshmen, but there are plenty of minutes to go around. Point guard Mitchell Wilbekin and shooting guard Rondale Watson will have to provide depth on the perimeter. Konstaninos Mitoglou is still a raw talent, but he is brimming with potential. Redshirt freshman Greg McClinton will be asked to do quite a bit this season. The starting small forward spot is probably his to lose. A knee injury forced him to sit out the 2013-2014 campaign, but he is an effective slasher who thrives in transition. Darius Leonard, a senior transfer from Campbell, who also spent time at Kent State, is a bigger body who will be forced into action due to a general lack of size on the roster.
Who to Watch:
There is not a massive amount of returning talent that is up to ACC standards, but Codi Miller-McIntyre and Devin Thomas are a good place to start. Miller-McIntyre emerged as the team’s top scorer during his sophomore season, averaging 12.6 points and a team high 4.2 assists. He is a tough guard who uses his strength very well when attacking the basket. With a little more consistency from his jumper, Miller-McIntyre should turn into a 15 point scorer. Thomas is the interior scoring threat. After a great freshman campaign, Thomas kept getting better as a sophomore by averaging 11.1 points and 7.5 rebounds. With another year of improvement, Thomas could turn into one of the better frontcourt players in the conference and earn All-ACC accolades.
Final Projection:
If the Demon Deacons are going to pull off any surprises there will have to be some other players who step up besides Miller-McIntyre and Thomas. Point guard Madison Jones can run the offense, but is hardly a threat to score. Miles Overton, Andrew Washington and Aaron Rountree all averaged about ten minutes per game. Overton could turn into a potent shooter off of the bench and Washington is a great shot blocker. There may be a few upsets brewing for Wake Forest if Coach Manning can get the best out of his role players.
Projected Postseason Tournament: CBI/CIT
Projected Starting Five:
Madison Jones, Junior, Guard, 3.3 points per game
Codi Miller-McIntyre, Junior, Guard, 12.6 points per game
Greg McClinton, Freshman, Forward, DNP last season
Devin Thomas, Junior, Forward, 11.1 points per game
Darius Leonard, Senior, Forward, 5.6 points per game at Campbell
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 69.7 (206th in nation, 8th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 70.9 (204, 14)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.1 (130, 8)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.7 (121, 12)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 5.0 (294, 12)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 32.9 (225, 9)
Free-Throw Percentage: 65.0 (318, 13)
Rebound Margin: -1.3 (237, 14)
Assists Per Game: 13.3 (117, 5)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.4 (193, 12)
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