Wake Forest Basketball

Kansas State’s Crisp Offense Eliminates Wake Forest In First Four Game

... drained several clutch jumpers and scored 14 points. Together, they seemed to have an answer for every Wake Forest push. The result gave K-State coach Bruce Weber his first NCAA Tournament victory since moving to Manhattan in 2012. This was a play-in game for a pair of No. 11 seeds hoping to reach the main bracket and to play No. 6 seed Cincinnati on Friday in Sacramento, but it felt every bit as tense as any other NCAA Tournament game. In some ways, it felt bigger than your typical first-round game. Neither team could have asked for a better atmosphere. A capacity crowd crammed into the historic arena that has hosted more NCAA Tournament games than any other site and made the game feel just as important as the Wildcats and Demon Deacons treated it. The game started with energy, and sharp execution from K-State. The Wildcats jumped to a 9-4 lead behind aggressive plays from Wesley Iwundu, D. J. Johnson and Dean Wade. They are a team that plays their best when they start well, so the first few moments were a positive omen. Indeed, K-State played well enough to win this game ...

Wake Forest In For Nervous Selection Sunday

... from the Carrier Dome. Even with wins over Duke, Florida State and Virginia, they have an RPI in the high 70 s. That is not a good sign. Syracuse has hope, but could use a run in the ACC tournament. Vanderbilt Commodores. Teams are usually on the bubble because I think they have some shot at an at-large bid. Vanderbilt does not really meet that standard. The Commodores are trying to become the first team to get an at-large bid with 15 losses. They definitely have some nice wins, including a sweep of Florida, but if they don’t beat the Gators again in the SEC tournament, the Commodores won’t even be four games above.500. Historically speaking, that is the minimum mark to get an at-large bid. Probably out. Illinois State Redbirds. The Redbirds won a share of the Missouri Valley title, which in most seasons would mean they did enough to earn an at-large bid, if necessary. That is not the case this season, with the league at its lowest point in more than a decade. Illinois State has ...

Wake Forest Gets Signature Win Over No. 8 Louisville

... 15. Donovan Mitchell, the Cardinals’ sophomore star, battled foul trouble and managed only seven points and four rebounds in 30 minutes. The Deacons, after falling behind by 14 in the first 11 minutes, finished the first half with a flourish to pull to 43-42 on Mitchell Wilbekin’s 3-pointer with four seconds left. Capitalizing on foul trouble by Louisville, Wake Forest barged back into contention by outscoring the Cardinals 12-2 over the final three and a half minutes of the half. The rally began after Donovan Mitchell, Louisville’s sophomore candidate for ACC Player of the Year, was assessed his second foul with 5:20 left, forcing him to the bench for the rest of the half. Crawford began the surge with a pullup jumper, but the rally picked up steam two possessions later when Wilbekin took a pass from Brandon Childress and drained a 3-pointer from the right corner to pull the Deacons to 41-35. With Louisville being held scoreless for four straight possessions, Wake Forest kept up the ...

Deacons Pull Off Rally Against Pittsburgh

... forwards Sheldon Jeter (21) and Michael Young (2). The shot missed but set up a put-back basket by John Collins (20) with 18 seconds left in the Deacons’ 63-59 victory. Bruce Chapman/Journal. Wake Forest guard Brandon Childress (0) is defended by Pittsburgh guard Justice Kithcart (5). Wake Forest made its defensive stand of the season in the second half Wednesday, which was what was required to pull out a 63-59 victory over Pittsburgh at Joel Coliseum. “I thought the effort on the defensive end was the best that we’ve played all year for a half,” coach Danny Manning said. “We really locked in and the guys were focused, determined, had a great sense of urgency, guarded and rebounded the ball very well. “And that gave us a chance to get back in the game.”. The Deacons, after falling behind by 19 points late in the first half, clawed their way back by holding Pitt to four second-half field goals on 24 attempts. In doing so, they tied a school record for largest comeback resulting in a victory. The Panthers’ 16.7 field-goal percentage in the second half was also second lowest by an ACC opponent in a half, eclipsed only ...

Wake Forest Eyes Another Chance At Clemson

... With a respectful nod in the direction of Duke and Blue Devils sophomore Luke Kennard, the Deacons loss to Clemson, at home, just six weeks ago, could be the one that haunts Wake Forest the most if it finds itself on the outside looking in come NCAA Tournament time. While the Duke loss represents a missed opportunity for a signature win over a top-25 opponent — something that is currently lacking on the Deacons’ resume — the loss against Clemson signifies a blown chance for a quality win over a fellow bubble team, much like Wake Forest, that would be considered on the cusp of an NCAA Tournament berth, if the season ended today. Luckily, for Wake Forest fans, coaches and players, the season doesn’t end today. And the Deacons get one more crack at Clemson tonight (7 p.m., FSCR), before a rematch with Duke awaits on the horizon this weekend. And while it would be natural to enter one of both of this week’s game with heavy amounts of revenge and retribution on the minds of everyone dressed in black and gold, Wake Forest ...

Duke Men's Basketball Holds Off Wake Forest 99-94

... a right-foot bone bruise with 16 points, seven rebounds and five blocks. “Collins and Crawford can play with anybody and [Wake Forest head coach] Danny [Manning has] done a great job implementing such an aggressive style offensively to play,” Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “We knew it would be difficult for us and it was.”. Like the physical battle in the teams’ first matchup in Winston-Salem, N. C., earlier this season, Saturday’s contest featured more of the same as both teams pushed the pace early. The Demon Deacons—led by Collins down low—controlled the paint throughout the game for 46 points. With both offenses in high gear from the start, neither team could take control in the first half. Duke and Wake Forest exchanged leads 14 times and were tied on seven occasions during the first 20 minutes. Despite the Blue Devils’ 7-of-14 shooting from beyond the arc, Collins kept the visitors well within reach, racking up 16 points and six rebounds before the break. A quick 9-0 spurt in the early minutes of the second half sparked by freshman Frank Jackson as well as strong ...

Predicting The First Four

... Kansas State vs. 11 Wake Forest. Bing Predicts winner: Wake Forest (58 percent). Location: Dayton, Ohio. Opening line: KSU -1. Tipoff time: 9:10 p.m. EST (Tuesday). Bruce Weber has Kansas State back in the NCAA tournament after a two-year hiatus in which the Wildcats went a combined 32-33. Kansas State was the last team selected in the field by the committee, ranking as the lowest at-large bid (No. 46). An upset over Baylor in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinal gave the Wildcats' resume a much-needed boost, and their hard-fought loss to West Virginia in the semifinal didn't hurt either. Kansas State features four players averaging between 11.2 and 12.5 points per game, so expect a balanced offensive attack. The team ranks 32 nd in defensive rating (90.71) and 31 st in net rating (22.95), and the Wildcats force just over 15 turnovers per game (34 th ...

Wake Forest's Collins Named First-team All-acc, Finishes 2nd In Player Of The Year Voting

... one. The 6-foot-8 Jackson is seventh among ACC scorers at 18.3 points per game, and his 85 made 3-pointers rank second in the conference. In 16 games this season, Jackson scored at least 20 points and has led UNC in scoring in 13 of the last 19 games. Josh Pastner from Georgia Tech was voted the league's coach of the year. Wake Forest coach Danny Manning finished fifth in that category. Below is the full list of award winners. ACC PLAYER OF THE YEAR. Justin Jackson, North Carolina, 24. John Collins, Wake Forest, 15. Bonzie Colson, Notre Dame, 8. Luke Kennard, Duke, 5. Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Florida State, 19. Matt Jones, Duke, 19. Dennis Smith, NC State, 51. Jonathan Isaac, Florida State, 51. Jayson Tatum, Duke, 50. Josh Okogie, Georgia Tech, 49. Ky Bowman, Boston College, 32. ACC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR. Dennis Smith, NC State, 36. Jayson Tatum, Duke, 8. Josh Okogie, Georgia Tech, 3. Ky Bowman, Boston College, 3. Jonathan Isaac, Florida State, 3. ACC ...

Virginia Tech Hokies Basketball Vs Wake Forest Basketball

... a combo forward and Childress a guard. Wake Forest has plenty of versatility in their lineup and should be able to adjust to any rotation that Virginia Tech puts out on the court. The question will be how much energy the Hokies can display at the start and if Ty Outlaw can continue his unbelievable shooting touch. Outlaw is coming off a record-setting evening, hitting 8-10 three point attempts in the Hokies victory over Miami. He might only be averaging 5 points per game over the entire season but he’s averaged 17 points in the last four contests. The floor spacing he brings and the pressure he takes off Le Day and Allen is invaluable. If Hill and Bibbs can continue to knock down the occasional three and be a fourth scorer to the seniors and Outlaw it will be another Virginia Tech victory. Players to Watch. Recruits who committed to Power 5 schools this week Start Slide Show. I see this game being extremely close from start to finish. Being at home and feeding off the crowd will be a huge help for the Hokies but they have no answer for Collins. Sy will have a major battle when ...

Deacs Start To Feel At Ease

... the conference tournament with 14 straight losses and an RPI above 200, and signified the last potential roadblock in that category for the Deacons. Tuesday’s win was Wake Forest’s fourth straight, and the team has an RPI rating of 32. (The lower the RPI rating the better.). No matter what happens for Wake Forest the rest of the week in Brooklyn, including during today’s second-round matchup with the seventh-seeded Hokies, the Deacons (19-12) will be considered for an NCAA Tournament berth with a perfect 10-0 record against teams currently outside the RPI’s top 100. Currently, Wake Forest’s worst loss, according to RPI, is an 81-76 defeat on the road at Syracuse. The Orange, who earned the No. 8 seed in the ACC Tournament and open play against No. 9 Miami today at noon, currently ranks 80 th in the RPI just one year after advancing to the Final Four. When asked after the victory over Boston College what this particular benchmark means for his team and its NCAA Tournament hopes, Wake Forest sophomore John Collins was full of confidence while giving his respectful advice to the selection committee. “That means exactly what it says — that we’re (an NCAA) Tournament team,” Collins ...

Wake Forest, Vanderbilt Get Big Wins, While Others Fall Out

... Syracuse basketball team did everything within its power to help its NCAA Tournament cause on Saturday, dominating Georgia Tech with a 29-point victory certain to satisfy the eye test. There were other teams on the bubble that did more for their causes than SU, and others who played their way out of contention during a busy Saturday. In the most recent Bracket Matrix update from Saturday night, Syracuse was projected as a No. 11 seed, earning one of the last four at-large bids. National experts were mixed in their most recent projections. ESPN's Joe Lunardi  continued to label the Orange a No. 10 seed on Sunday morning, while CBS Sports' Jerry Palm  continues to place the Orange outside the field. 2017 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament bracket set: See game schedule, TV times. Here's a look at all the impactful games on a busy Saturday and what to watch for on Sunday. Syracuse 90, Georgia Tech 61: Syracuse, currently projected as a No. 11 seed, did all it could against Georgia Tech. The Orange won at home in impressive fashion against a team that ...

Wake Forest's John Collins And 3 More First Four Guys You Need To Know

... the first round of the Big Dance. Two games each, Tuesday and Wednesday night, feature schools playing for spots as No. 16 and 11 seeds. When the selection committee ranked the field, these schools landed in the 65-68 slots. Even if you’ve heard of them, you might not have enough intel for an informed decision about making your picks. We’re here to help. We’re all about making you the smartest, most informed person in your office, just in time to clean up on your pool. Here are the impact players you need to know in these games. Mount St. Mary’s (16) vs. New Orleans Privateers (16), 6:40 p.m. ET, tru TV. MSM: The Mountaineers won their first Northeast Conference regular-season title in 21 years and secured the tournament title, thanks in large part to sophomore sharpshooter Elijah Long. He averages 15.4 points and 4.4 assists - the latter figure ranking first in the NEC. He is one of only 10 players in Division I this season averaging at least 15 points, five rebounds and four assists. UNO: A solid nucleus forms around Southland Conference Player of the Year Erik Thomas (19.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg.591 FG pct.). And they’ll need ...