Last Year: 21-14; 11-9, Fifth in the Atlantic Coast Conference, lost in the second round of the NIT
Head Coach: Steve Forbes (Fifth Year; 71-54 at Wake Forest, with no NCAA Tournament appearances)
Projected Starting Lineup
G Hunter Sallis – 6’5″, 185 Senior
G Parker Friedrichsen – 6’4″, 185 Sophomore
G Cameron Hildreth – 6’4″, 195 Senior
F Omaha Biliew – 6’8″, 225 Sophomore
C Efton Reid III – 7’0″, 250 Senior
Experienced Reserves
G Ty-Laur Johnson – 6’0″, 170 Sophomore
G Davin Cosby – 6’5″, 210 Sophomore
F Tre’Von Spillers – 6’7″, 215 Senior
F Marqus Marion – 6’9″, 215 Sophomore
C Churchill Abass – 6’10”, 250 Sophomore
Freshmen
G Jayden ‘Juke’ Harris – 6’7″, 200 / Top 100 recruit
At what point does ‘good’ become ‘not good enough’?
Over the past three seasons, head coach Steve Forbes has led his Demon Deacons to 65 wins. And no NCAA Tournament appearances.
The Deacs have been good, no doubt. Among those wins there have been some thrilling individual victories, and Forbes has brought in some outstanding players who have made Wake Forest quite fun to watch. They’ve been good enough to make moves and threaten the established powers of the Atlantic Coast Conference, but rarely to get far out ahead of them. To put it plainly, there have been some fun times, but three years of very frustrating near-misses have scuffed some of the shine off things.
It’s no surprise that the wise-cracking, frank, and outgoing Forbes has attracted the attention of talented players. It is clear that this fall, he has loaded up in earnest to break through with this team.
A huge part of the success Forbes has achieved so far is that he produces quality guards. The word has gotten out, and Wake has become a hot location for talented backcourt players looking to raise their games. A shining example of this phenomenon is Hunter Sallis, who arrived in Winston-Salem last fall and promptly balled out like never before. A 5-star recruit who hadn’t averaged even five points per game in two years at Gonzaga, Sallis exploded onto the ACC scene. In a first-team All-ACC debut, Sallis finished fifth in the league in scoring average and gave the Deacs some epic performances. Sallis was all over the floor for 24 points and four assists in an early win against Florida’s strong backcourt which affirmed his rise. He racked up a career-high 33 points in a wild mid-season victory over NC State, and Sallis followed up with 29 points to lead Wake over Top-10 Duke a couple of weeks later.
“You can’t un-become a McDonald’s All-American,” Forbes quipped during the press conference following Wake’s win over Duke. “Hunter was at a high level the whole game. He’s a special player.”
Two main things combined to give Sallis the confidence he needed to break out: an improved jumper, and the knowledge that he wasn’t going to get pulled from the game if he made a couple of mistakes. Given the belief that Forbes has shown in him, Sallis decided to return to Winston-Salem after trying out for the NBA Draft this spring, and is looking forward to even greater things. The evolution of his jump shot has made Sallis a pick-your-poison scorer, and he can heat up all over the floor. As a junior, Sallis became one of the most effective mid-range scorers in the country. Using his dribble and developing awareness of where the defense is trying to direct him, Sallis has honed a tremendous pull-up jumper, and it allowed him to sink 48.5% of his in-between tries last winter. Only seven players in the country shot a better rate on at least 170 such attempts, per Bart Torvik. He had only made 16 shots from downtown in 1,055 career minutes with the Zags. Last year, Sallis sank 75 deep balls and made them at a strong 40.5% rate.
“It’s very rare that you have a guy that can score at all three levels like that. Like at an elite level,” Forbes reflected. “He’s a real dude.” This year, nobody will be surprised by all that Sallis brings. He’s the unquestioned star of the Demon Deacons, and with his confidence high, Sallis has the game necessary to lead Wake where they want to go.
With Sallis as the star, Cameron Hildreth continued his steady progress towards taking his place among the ACC’s top guards. Since entering Wake’s starting lineup two years ago, Hildreth has averaged 13.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.6 assists. The British guard is terrific off the bounce, showing great physicality and shimmy on the drive, and Hildreth has the toughness to finish around the rim. Hildreth’s playmaking talents are enhanced inside, and plenty of the three-balls that Sallis rattled home last year arrived in his hands as kick-outs from Sallis in the paint.
He’s grown each year as a shooter, but Hildreth remains more effective manufacturing looks from 10 feet and in than from the outside. He’s mostly a spot-up threat from beyond the arc, which works out in Wake’s offense and given the creativeness he shows getting inside looks with his dribble. If Hildreth can keep up his good work overall and hot up from the land of trey a bit more often, he will be a rather complete complement to Sallis.
Wake Forest truly came alive last season when Efton Reid III was able to take the floor. Another transfer from the Zags, Reid had to wait until non-graduate players were ruled eligible to play despite transferring multiple times. Once he got in on the action, Reid transformed the Deacs by giving them a granite screen-setting, shot-swatting, play-finishing anchor in the middle. Despite jumping into the stream mid-flood, Reid ranked among the ACC’s top ten in rebounding and blocked shots per game. Reid is a terrific option inside on the pick-and-roll, and shot 78.0% near the rim in his debut, per Bart Torvik. He racked up a half dozen double-doubles across his 28 games played, and Reid provided the type of physical presence needed to help Wake hold their own against anyone. This year, the challenge for Reid will be to do all of that again, but with a bit more shooting and fewer fouls. He fouled out of three games and racked up four whistles in nine others, and for Reid to be his burly best around the bucket, he needs to stay on the court. With a fully effective Reid inside as a protector of and target for Sallis and Hildreth, the Deacs have the strong foundation needed to build a contender.
“He is very unselfish with the ball and is very disruptive on defense. Watching Ty-Laur this past season at Louisville, I was very impressed with his competitiveness”
– Steve Forbes
This year’s initiate to the Steve Forbes point guard factory is Ty-Laur Johnson, who saw up close how well things worked out for Boopie Miller, last year’s breakout guy. While a freshman at Louisville, Johnson became part of a fiery disaster of a campaign – don’t ask him about his tights – and headed into his second year, the former 4-star recruit needed a refresh. Why not Wake?
“Ty-Laur possesses elite end-to-end speed and quickness on offense and defense,” Forbes enthused upon Johnson’s signing. “He is very unselfish with the ball and is very disruptive on defense. Watching Ty-Laur this past season at Louisville, I was very impressed with his competitiveness and his unwillingness to back down to anyone he played against.”
With Forbes to help guide the way – and live with a mistake here or there – Johnson has entered what appears to be a great situation to maximize his abilities. The Brooklyn-bred point guard can make things happen anywhere on the floor, and his high-end quickness allows Johnson to put the pressure on whenever he wants. He struggled mightily to shoot the ball from the outside as a rookie, and at this point Johnson is almost exclusively a spot-up guy past about 15 feet from the rim. If he can tighten up his game and make defenders respect his jumper, he could well be the next young playmaker to blossom in Winston-Salem.
Forbes is expecting good things from a couple of young shooters to provide a barrage in support of their teammates. A freshman on last year’s team, Parker Friedrichsen faded a bit down the stretch, but still sank 50 triples on the season. He’s a pure shooter; coming into March, Friedrichsen had been making 41.7% of his long balls. If he can reliably knock ’em down all year as a sophomore, Friedrichsen is going to be on the floor for a whole lot of kick-out’s to let fly. He’s a tough-minded youngster who can help out defensively, too, and projects as the sort of guy who helps at both ends without needing the ball in his hands much. His role should grow to well over 20 minutes per game this year, and Forbes is looking for Friedrichsen to become a key secondary scorer.
| Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks) |
| +7.4 – Average Score Margin (36th) |
| 79.5% – Team FT Percentage (5th) |
| 75.2% – Opponent FT Percentage (336th) |
| 10.8 – Opponent Assists Per Game (19th) |
| 12.3 – Team Assists Per Game (228th) |
While Johnson and Friedrichsen were 4-star recruits last fall, former Iowa State forward Omaha Biliew was a 5-star and among the top-rated frontcourt prospects in the nation. He’s a long, bouncy youngster who can make a huge impact on the boards, and when he attacks the rim against a defense that’s not set, Biliew can absolutely detonate. He didn’t play much as a rookie, though, for a very good Cyclone team, and Biliew remains a bit raw. His physical gifts and approach as a power forward remain elite, though. As Biliew gains his own experience and plays through some mishaps, he should start cashing in lots of cheap points around the rim. A lob threat for the passes his backcourt counterparts drop off and the sort of guy who can run tip drills on the offensive glass, Biliew is going to pile up points near the cup. His ability to be a problem defensively is also exciting. It’s not difficult to imagine Biliew combining with Reid and another of Wake’s newcomers – Tre’Von Spillers – to make the Deacs’ halfcourt defense a minefield of shot blockers.
Arriving following a huge year at Appalachian State, Spillers made the transition from junior college straight onto the All-Sun Belt first team. A highly disruptive forward who hammers the glass relentlessly, Spillers and Biliew bring similar skills and ought to push one another inside. Spillers grabbed 103 offensive boards last winter, and turned an excellent 45 of them into putback tries, converting them at a 66.7% rate inside, per Hoop-Math. He threw down 56 dunks, and Spillers can complement his hammers with developing touch in close and a reliable hook shot. Overall, in his Division I debut, Spillers shot 60.4% from the floor, which was the 19th-best field goal percentage in the country. If he can show continued defensive versatility in guarding on the perimeter, Spillers could combine with Biliew and Reid to form a fearsome frontline which anchors a tougher, more effective interior defense for the Deacs.
Also new to Wake but not to post play in the high major level is Churchill Abass. As a freshman at DePaul last year, he started 13 games and showed some of the talent which had earned him a spot at the NBA Academy Africa in Senegal prior to coming stateside. A somewhat smaller but more mobile and athletic post than Reid, Abass should offer a bit of contrast and, possibly, allow the Deacs to run a bit more than Reid. While he remains raw and isn’t likely to seriously challenge Reid for his spot, Abass might start to level up quickly surrounded by good players. He can swat shots, rim-run, and set solid screens before a roll inside, and if Abass can avoid fouls and turnovers, Wake’s interior will have a bunch of good options. Marqus Marion, a multi-talented young forward from Denmark, will also be around looking for more minutes. He can shoot and handle the ball, offering stretch skills as a contrast to Biliew and Spillers.
| Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on |
| @ Texas A&M – December 3 |
| N Florida – November 28 |
| @ Xavier – November 16 |
| N Michigan – November 10 |
| vs James Madison – December 17 |
In his own debut at Alabama last year, Davin Cosby, Jr, attempted 71 shots, and 64 of them were triples, nearly a match for the 92.0% rate of triples to field goals that Friedrichsen produced. He’s a swift youngster who will be looking to launch on the wing, and Cosby has the keen ability to help stretch defenders deep outside. Freshman Jayden ‘Juke’ Harris will push him, though. They don’t call him Juke by accident; Harris likes to have the ball in his hands, make fakes, dekes, and exciting moves, and leave defenders in his…well, wake. A big guard whose confidence in his handle and tough-bucket-getting ability are very high, Harris will go right at college defenders and look to score. If he can be decisive at both ends and avoid too many aggressive mistakes, Harris should start to rise quickly in a system which will give opportunities both in transition and the halfcourt.
With the established stars Wake Forest has coming back and another transfusion of young talent, there is little question that this should be the Demon Deacons” best squad in years. Everyone around the program can see that. Everyone also understands that expectations, following all of the frustration, are going to be bitterly felt if they’re not met. On a personal level, Forbes dealt with a serious family health emergency last season on top of all the things demanded of a contending coach at an ACC school. It’s a lot for one man’s plate, and now that he’s assembled a group which looks as good as this one, the fires around him will only crackle more urgently.
This team’s schedule is dotted with big-time matchups which will afford the Deacs lots more chances to cash in signature victories. Their win against Duke at home wasn’t enough even late as it was last winter, and Wake clearly understands that to reach their goals, it will take more impressive dubs – and more of them. Removing all of the pressure which will be heaped on this bunch is probably going to be impossible no matter what Wake does to block out other peoples’ noise, but with the talent that’s decided to coalesce in Winston-Salem, these Deacs are ready for the smoke. They look every inch an NCAA Tournament team, and nothing less will be acceptable.
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