The days of Tim Duncan and Chris Paul leading Wake Forest to basketball success are long in the rearview mirror. These days the Demon Deacons just want to be a player in the ACC and even that has been a difficulty in recent years. Steve Forbes came to Winston-Salem to find some of those answers back in 2020 but has had limited success through his tenure to this point.
He and his staff have put in the work, but the end results haven’t been quite up to pair. Sure, Wake Forest has three 20-win seasons and three Top 5 ACC finishes, but Forbes has yet to lead the Demon Deacons to the NCA Tournament. Last season wasn’t a step in that direction either, with his team winning 18 games and finishing just 13th place in the league standings.
What further stunts that momentum is how different this season will look compared to last, though that’s to be expected in this current age of college hoops. Wake Forest returns just a couple players, losing seniors Nate Calmese and Tre’Von Spillers while watching star Juke Harris find a new home in the transfer portal. Their own transfer class is filled with talent and new faces, but will it be enough?
Seven years without making the Big Dance wouldn’t be great news for Forbes, though we’re not ready to throw in the towel quite yet. There’s plenty of new talent here and we’ll talk about the important pieces added into the fold. Also consider the NCAA Tournament expansion because the potential for the Demon Deacons to dance may have just increased if they can hold their own in this ACC.
Projected Starters
Guard – Kevair Kennedy (Sophomore)
There truly wasn’t much more that Kennedy could have proved as a freshman last season. The 6-2 guard from Philadelphia was a menace at Merrimack, averaging 18.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while becoming MAAC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. He’s ready to take that next step and should play a massive role leading the charge for this new crew of Demon Deacons, though we’ll see how he develops as a shooter further in his career.
Guard – Justin Ray (Junior)
A 6-3 guard out of South Carolina, Ray makes his way to Winston-Salem after spending two years at Monmouth in the CAA. After a bench role as a freshman, Ray took a big step forward in his development by putting up 11.3 points and 2.1 rebounds a game. He made 42% of his 3-pointers and blossoms shooting the basketball from all over the court, though we’ll see how that translates against ACC defenses.
Guard – Jamari McDowell (Junior)
The uneven road has led McDowell to the Demon Deacons, though he comes fresh from three years at Kansas. He was a bench piece for the Jayhawks as a freshman, redshirted the next year, and then put up 3.3 points and 1.6 rebounds in what was supposed to be his breakout campaign. McDowell gets a new chance to breakout in the ACC and has great potential, though we’ll see if he can improve his shooting and defense this year.
Forward – Gavin Placide (Freshman)
A 4-star forward out of Denver, Placide likely steps into a major role in this frontcourt right away. He’s got great size, strength, and mobility and has the makings of a well-rounded player who can score, rebound, and give strong effort on defense. We’ll see just what kind of role he’s thrust into, though his versatility is another key attribute.
Center – Antonio Dorn (Junior)
A 7-footer originally from Germany, Dorn headed stateside last offseason and began his college career with Virginia Tech. He started a couple games but was largely frontcourt depth, putting up 2.6 points and 1.8 rebounds in that limited role. Dorn comes with extensive overseas experience and saw plenty of ACC action last year, though the Demon Deacons are hoping he can take that monster step forward in his development in the post.
Key Reserves
Forward – Gallagher Placide (Freshman)
The other of the 4-star twin forwards from Denver, Placide is a physical athlete who was rated slightly lower than his brother but should still see plenty of court time this year. He’s a more powerful prospect who’ll do a lot of his damage in and around the paint while also standing out for his rim protection and rebounding.
Forward – Vincent Chaudhri (Freshman)
A former 3-star recruit, Chaudhri is a 6-8 forward who comes Wake Forest’s way after redshirting his first season at George Washington. We haven’t seen him on the court since his high school days, but he’s an intriguing and athletic wing who could fight for minutes on this bench thanks to his versatility.
Guard – Isaac Carr (Sophomore)
The most notable returning player from last year, Carr wasn’t exactly a major playmaker as a freshman, getting limited minutes and just a few starts. He averaged just 2.2 points and 1.7 rebounds but the Portland native is ready to take a big step. He becomes one of the most notable backcourt pieces in this lineup and projects as a top-level scorer who can put the ball in the basket from nearly anywhere on the court.
Forward – Ring Nyeri (Junior)
Nyeri is an interesting prospect who finds his way to Wake Forest after a year each at Kansas City and Northern Colorado. He made strides in limited action as a freshman before taking a step forward with the Bears, averaging 8.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in the Big Sky last year. Nyeri plays really well around the rim and can also hit outside shots and adds some experience into this new-look frontcourt.
Forward – Justin Abson (Senior)
If he’s ruled eligible you can probably pencil Abson into the starting lineup, though a lot remains up in the air. A 6-9 forward from Florida, he had two years apiece at Appalachian State and Georgia, though he was mostly a reserve in the SEC. Abson was previously the Sun Belt’s best shot blocker and brings great physicality and rim protection on the defensive end while also making 66% of his 2-pointers last year with the Bulldogs.
Forward – Xander Pintelon (Senior)
Another great new option in the frontcourt, Pintelon is a 6-11 forward from Belgium who got his first taste of D1 hoops at Florida Atlantic last year. Mostly a starter for the Owls, he contributed 6.2 points and 3.7 rebounds a night. He has impressive size but is still developing as a rim protector, actually standing out for his outside shot, making 35% of his 3-pointers as a junior.
Schedule Outlook
We’ll learn pretty quickly just what this team is capable of as they travel to Vanderbilt for a tough road contest on November 5th. Fortunately, the early weeks of the season are filled with winnable home games, though a big trip awaits. The Demon Deacons head to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis and will face Mississippi State and either Memphis or Penn State to finish up November.
Another road test comes as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge, with Wake Forest traveling to LSU on December 1st. Five days later comes the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic and a game against UMass. There are three more easy home games on the schedule surrounding Holiday Hoopfest, with the Demon Deacons heading over to Greensboro to face West Virginia on December 19th.
ACC play brings early difficulties, as the Demon Deacons have tough contests at SMU and Clemson early. They fortunately get Duke and North Carolina at home in their only matchups with their in-state rivals but do have to travel to Miami and Louisville. There are actually a lot of winnable games on the schedule in February before Senior Night against Georgia Tech and the regular season finale at Syracuse.
Season Outlook
With new faces and new players thrust into bigger roles, it’s a season of significant change in Winston-Salem. There’s plenty of pressure mounting, especially after last year’s 13th place finish even with stars like Harris on the roster. The pressing question is if the Demon Deacons have added enough talent to get back in the ACC race and finally break that NCAA Tournament drought.
There’s a lot to like about this new backcourt, especially if McDowell plays up to the potential he never realized with the Jayhawks. After his brilliant play as a freshman, Wake Forest is really depending on Kennedy to be a scorer and leader and take that next step though we’ll see how he handles that pressure. Other pieces like Carr and Ray will certainly play notable roles, though it may be a concern how limited the depth is beyond these four guards.
Wake Forest added plenty of size in the frontcourt, even if things are quite up in the air. Abson would be the best forward on the team if he’s ruled eligible, while the Placide twins may play larger roles than expected if they can smoothly transition to the college game. Pintelon’s size and Dorn’s playmaking ability virtually guarantee significant minutes for each of them but there’s a lot still to be figured out with these rotations.
Forbes is being paid to figure out those decisions and put Wake Forest in the best position for success. When looking just at the talent, it’s fair to see why the preseasons expectations aren’t super high for the Demon Deacons, but there’s a lot of potential here. If someone can take that big step forward like Harris last season, perhaps Wake Forest surprises people and can be a middle of the pack or better team in the ACC.
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