NCAA Basketball: Top 25 offseason winners entering 2024-25 season

No. 21 - Wake Forest Demon Deacons: Can Hunter Sallis get them over the hump?

Perhaps no player who withdrew his name from the 2024 NBA Draft is as important for a team as Hunter Sallis is for Wake Forest, which is why the Wake Forest Demon Deacons are among the top 25 offseason winners.

Over the past three seasons, Wake Forest has been knocking on the door for an NCAA Tournament bid. They have notched some big-time wins throughout the Steve Forbes era, however, the sub-par strength of the ACC, particularly in the bottom half of the league, has not been kind to the Demon Deacons.

With All-ACC first-teamer Hunter Sallis returning to Winston-Salem, can this be the year he gets them over the hump and into the Big Dance?

It’s a strong possibility. After two seasons at Gonzaga as a reserve, Sallis blossomed into a high-volume role at Wake Forest, averaging 18 PPG, 4.1 RPG  and 2.5 APG on 40.5% shooting from three. Expecting him to maintain, or even increase, those numbers is crucial thanks to his consistency from the field. 

Sallis has great positional size. He’s a three-level scorer. He can crash the boards. He’s got it all. With Hunter Sallis leading the way in Winston Salem, the 2024-25 Wake Forest Demon Deacons have all the making to finally get over the hump and hear its name called on Selection Sunday come March.