Wake Forest Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Demon Deacons

Projected starters

The Demon Deacons will have a new look on their rotation for this upcoming season. They’ll have six freshmen and two graduate transfers as newcomers on the roster for the 2018-19 season so they’ll need to find chemistry on the floor right away. Last season, they ranked 228th in the NCAA in scoring defense, allowing 74.4 points per contest while scoring just 73.3 points per game (183rd) themselves.

Incoming freshmen Jaylen Hoard and Isaiah Mucius have a high likelihood of starting in the frontcourt. Hoard is Wake Forest’s highest-rated recruit since Al-Farouq Aminu. He finished ranked as the 24th overall player in the 2018 class with fellow forward Isaiah Mucius behind him as the 94th overall player. The versatile freshmen will be relied upon to shoulder some starter minutes in the frontcourt. Hoard has the ability to play inside and out while Mucius can play the wing.

Hoard will be joined on the interior by center Olivier Sarr. The 7-foot center put up 3.2 points and 3.0 rebounds as a freshman but has since gained roughly 40 pounds and weighs 243 pounds now. He could be a breakout candidate in the making given those before him.

6-foot point guard Brandon Childress will need to be prepared to play heavy minutes as well as the lone returner with starting experience. He averaged 26.2 minutes of action per contest through 30 appearances in 2017-18, producing 9.1 points, 3.6 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game.

Torry Johnson, a grad transfer from Northern Arizona, has an opportunity to earn the off-guard position along with Chaundee Brown. Johnson has two years of eligibility remaining after producing 11.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists in the Big Sky Conference.

Brown, meanwhile, averaged 7.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 30 appearances as a freshman for the Demon Deacons in 2017-18. The 6-foot-5 guard has versatility on his side, so don’t be surprised if he’s given the starting nod.