NCAA Basketball: 10 sleeper teams to watch heading into 2023-24 season

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

Steve Forbes. Master of guard play.

In Forbes’ last two seasons at Wake Forest, he was able to land Oklahoma transfer Alondes Williams in 2021 — who would wind up to win the 2021-2022 ACC Player of the Year in his lone season in Winston Salem and Cleveland State/Florida transfer Tyree Appebley in 2022 — who was voted First Team All-ACC in his lone season as a Demon Deacon.

In 2023, Forbes was able to land two quality transfer guards in Gonzaga transfer/former five-star recruit Hunter Sallis and Central Michigan transfer Kevin Miller. Either of these guards may put up ACC First/Second Team numbers.

Forbes also added former LSU/Gonzaga big man Efton Reid and UCLA transfer Abramo Canka to add more depth at both the guard and center spots.

What has been the driving point of Wake Forest’s past two successful seasons was their success in transition. According to HoopMath, the Demon Deacons were eighth in the country in effective field goal percentage, posting a 61.5 percent clip.

Expect that number to stay the same with junior guard Cameron Hildreth in the fold. Take a look at some of his transition clips:

Alongside Hildreth, the Demon Deacons also return Andrew Carr, Jao Ituka and Damari Monsanto.

Although the Demon Deacons may not be in the upper echelon of the ACC this season, they will certainly be competitive if they continue to get out and run and develop at the guard spot in year four of the Steve Forbes era.