Opponent Preview: What to know about Wake Forest

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With Syracuse having an inconsistent January, winning out will be what it takes to have a chance to make the NCAA Tournament following a five-point loss against Boston College. Its first challenge on that front is on the road versus Wake Forest.

Head coach Steve Forbes’ Demon Deacons are closer to the bubble than the Orange but have played inconsistent for most of the month. For both teams, Saturday could serve as a jumping-off point for the final month of the season.

Here’s everything you need to know about Wake Forest (13-7, 5-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) before it takes on Syracuse (14-7, 5-5 ACC):

All-time series

Syracuse leads 11-3.

Last time they played…

The Orange fell to WF in the 2023 ACC Tournament 77-74. In what turned out to be Jesse Edwards’ and Joseph Girard III’s final games with Syracuse, the two combined for 21 points and shot 7-of-16 from the field, contributing to the team’s 39% field goal percentage.

The game went down to the wire, but the Demon Deacons’ Daivien Williamson nailed a fast break 3-pointer to knock out Syracuse.

But the game will be more known for what happened after the game rather than the game itself. Along with Girard and Edwards, it was Jim Boeheim’s final game in a 47-year coaching tenure at SU. Boeheim gave a cryptic response about retirement in the postgame presser. Yet by 5 p.m., Adrian Autry was head coach.

KenPom odds

Wake Forest has a 74% chance of winning, with a projected score of 78-71.

The Demon Deacons report

After starting out 2-3, Wake Forest steamrolled to a nine-game win streak, going undefeated all through December. But since Jan. 9, the Demon Deacons have gone 2-4, picking up wins over Virginia and Louisville.

Wake Forest leans heavily on its starters — Hunter Sallis, Kevin Miller, Andrew Carr and Cameron Hildreth — to create the production. It doesn’t rely on its bench, which averages the 331st-most bench minutes in the country per KenPom. But even with this reliance on its starters, the Demon Deacons have the 35th-best adjusted offensive efficiency, the 29th-highest 3-point percentage (37.6%) and the No. 43 effective field goal percentage in the country (54.3%).

How Syracuse beats Wake Forest

Syracuse will need to keep one of the best shooting teams at bay by playing some of its best man defense all season. The Orange have kept great offenses like North Carolina from having efficient long range shooting games, but also struggled against Boston College Tuesday. Judah Mintz, Quadir Copeland and Maliq Brown all have the ability to play tight, aggressive defense, though they will have to show out again to stop players like Sallis and Miller.

On the other end of the floor, making free throws will be crucial. Missed free throws prevented SU from completing a comeback against the Eagles. If the Orange can improve on that front, then they should score at least 80 points.

Cole Ross | Digital Design Editor

Stat to know: 26.6%

While the Demon Deacons can knock down shots, they struggle to get second chance points. Wake Forest offensive rebounds ranks 7th in the ACC (26.6%). Carr has averaged 2.2 offensive rebounds a game, but has put up five or more in a single game twice. Aside from Carr, there is only one other Demon Deacon who averages more than one offensive board per game.

Player to watch: Hunter Sallis, guard, No. 23

Sallis is the only WF player within the top 10 of ACC point scorers, averaging 18 points and shooting 48% from the field. He came to Winston-Salem this season after holding a bench role at Gonzaga. In two seasons with the Bulldogs, he averaged just four points. But he has become the leading man for Wake Forest.