Category: Wake Forest Demon Deacons

All-ACC first teamer Hunter Sallis latest transfer portal success for Steve Forbes at Wake Forest

Hunter Sallis was named to the All-ACC first team, another successful transfer portal guard addition for Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes.

Wake Forest junior guard Hunter Sallis was among the five players selected to the All-ACC first team on Monday, becoming the third consecutive Demon Deacons guard to earn that honor after transferring to Steve Forbes’ team.

Sallis, who spent the first two years of his career out west at Gonzaga, was joined on the All-ACC first team by RJ Davis at North Carolina, PJ Hall at Clemson, Kyle Filipowski at Duke, and Blake Hinson at Pitt.

This has become a trend at Wake Forest under coach Forbes. First it was Jake Laravia, who transferred from Indiana State and earned All-ACC honors in 2021-22 – and was selected 19th overall in the 2022 NBA draft. Then it was Tyree Appleby, a grad transfer from Florida who averaged 18.8 points for the Demon Deacons in 2022-23 on his way to an All-ACC nod as well.

Now the honor goes to Sallis, who paced Wake Forest in scoring at 18.3 points per night, while adding 4.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.0 steals per game on 41.6% shooting from three – a huge increase from the 25.8% he shot from distance in two years with the Zags.

Wake’s second leading scorer this year is Kevin Miller, another transfer guard coming over from Central Michigan and averaging 15.4 points per game.

Forbes’ success with transfer portal guards is no accident, as he has been able to find players who fit his system and help them thrive both offensively and defensively.

However, the influx of talented guards has yet to result in an NCAA Tournament for the Demon Deacons under Forbes, and this year’s team is squarely on the bubble heading into the ACC Tournament which gets underway this week.

Everything Brad Brownell said after Tigers’ loss to Wake Forest

Here’s everything Clemson coach Brad Brownell said after Saturday night’s 81-76 loss to Wake Forest.

Clemson couldn’t find a way to get it done in a clutch game on the road Saturday at Wake Forest in Winston-Salem.

The Demon Deacons (19-12 overall, 11-9 ACC) defeated Clemson, 81-76, to finish their season 16-1 at home.

Hunter Sallis led all scorers with 22 points for Wake Forest, which made 12 of its last 13 shots in Saturday’s contest. The ‘Deacs’ also got a boost to their own NCAA Tournament hopes with a solid victory over a Quadrant 1 opponent.

PJ Hall had 18 points for Clemson (21-10, 11-9), and Chase Hunter added 17.

The loss cost the Tigers the double bye in the ACC Tournament (awarded to the top four teams in conference standings), which begins Tuesday in Washington, D.C. Because of Pitt’s win over NC State Saturday night, the Tigers will now play Wednesday at D.C.’s Capital One Arena instead of Thursday. Their opponent will be the winner of Tuesday’s first-round matchup between Boston College and Miami.

Clemson is still in good shape for the NCAA Tournament, however; nothing Saturday was going to impact the Tigers’ chances of reaching the Dance.

Now, the team will see if it can go deep in the conference tournament for a chance at higher seeding in the selection committee’s final brackets. Those will be announced on Selection Sunday, March 17.

Here’s everything Clemson coach Brad Brownell said after Saturday’s loss to Wake Forest.

Clemson falls in crucial regular season finale at Wake Forest, 81-76

Needing a win to clinch a double bye in the ACC Tournament, Clemson came up short in an 81-76 loss to Wake Forest Saturday at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem.

Needing a win to clinch a double bye in the ACC Tournament, Clemson came up short in an 81-76 loss to Wake Forest Saturday at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem.

Hunter Sallis led all scorers with 22 points for Wake Forest, which received a boost to its NCAA Tournament hopes with a solid victory over a Quad 1 opponent.

The Demon Deacons (19-12 overall, 11-9 ACC) made 12 of their last 13 shots to overcome a five-point deficit earlier in the second half.

“We had chances… we just weren’t quite tough enough to finish the win,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell said afterwards. “Give (Wake Forest) credit. Their shot-making was elite.”

Clemson (21-10 overall, 11-9 conference) got 18 points from PJ Hall but turned in an otherwise disappointing finish in the team’s regular season finale.

The Tigers got off to a sluggish start and trailed at halftime, 34-28. Wake Forest pushed its lead to eight early in the second half before Clemson used a 21-8 run to take a five-point lead at 49-44 around the 12-minute mark of the half.

Things slowly slipped away after that. Parker Friedrichsen and Efton Reid made clutch 3-pointers on back to back trips down the floor to open up a 56-52 Wake Forest led with 9:20 to play.

When Andrew Carr and Kevin Miller added their own 3-point baskets, the ‘Deacs’ had extended their lead to nine at 70-61.

Chase Hunter hit a step-back 3-pointer with 15 seconds left that cut the lead to three at 77-74, but Wake Forest closed the game 4-for-4 from the foul line to lock up a much-needed victory headed into the conference tournament.

Hunter had 17 points for Clemson, Joe Girard added 14 points, and Jack Clark had 10.

Carr had 17 for Wake Forest.

The Tigers could still get a double bye if NC State beats Pitt Saturday night. A Pitt win would give the Panthers the ACC’s No. 4 seed and the double bye. In that scenario, Clemson would have to play a Wednesday game in the tournament, which begins Tuesday at Washington D.C.’s Capital One Arena.

Clemson vs. Wake Forest: Where to Watch/Stream/Listen

Clemson can lock up a double bye in the ACC Tournament this weekend when it travels to Winston-Salem to take on Wake Forest in the regular season finale for both teams at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Clemson can lock up a double bye in the ACC Tournament when it travels to Winston-Salem to take on Wake Forest in the regular season finale for both teams at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum Saturday.

The Tigers (21-9 overall) come into the weekend fourth in ACC standings. They’re tied with Pitt at 11-8 in conference play, but a tiebreaker would belong to Clemson since the team swept both games against the Panthers this season, including 69-62 on Feb. 27 at Littlejohn Coliseum.

A win by the Tigers would cap an 8-2 finish to the regular season after a rough 3-6 start against ACC opponents at the start of January.

In Tuesday’s 90-75 victory over Syracuse on Senior Night, Clemson got big nights from its seniors: 25 points from PJ Hall and 21 from Joe Girard. Chase Hunter added 17 points, and junior Ian Schieffelin tallied 16 points with 16 rebounds as the Tigers got a balanced effort on offense and defense.

With the NCAA Tournament looming, Clemson has been on the upswing in recent March Madness and bracketology forecasts. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has Clemson as a No. 5 seed in his latest tournament projections while CBS Sports’ Jerry Palm sees Clemson as a No. 6 seed.

Facing the Tigers is a Wake Forest team that has fallen flat since its 83-79 home victory over Duke two weekends ago. The game ended in a controversial court storming with Duke center Kyle Filipowski suffering an injury.

Since beating Duke, the Demon Deacons (18-12, 10-9) have lost three straight, all to mid- to lower-tier ACC competition: Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, and most recently Georgia Tech. That fall has taken Wake Forest as a team on the NCAA bubble to being an afterthought in NCAA Tournament projections.

Georgia Tech’s Baye Ndongo made a game-winning shot with 0.4 seconds left in a crushing Wake Forest loss on Tuesday. The game was the first home loss of the season for Wake, which was led by Hunter Sallis’ 22 points.

Series History and Recent History

Wake Forest leads the all-time head to head series with Clemson, 101-66, but Brad Brownell has compiled a 15-4 record against the Demon Deacons in his 13 seasons as Tigers head coach. Wake Forest is Clemson’s second most common opponent in school history behind North Carolina. The Tigers have won four of the past six meetings against the ‘Deacs’ dating back to 2020.

How To Watch

Here’s a look at how and where Clemson fans can watch, listen, and stream Saturday’s game.

Date: Saturday, March 9

Time: 6 p.m. EST

Where: Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum

TV Channel: ACC Network

Live Stream: ESPN+

Radio: Clemson Athletic Network | TuneIn App | SiriusXM (Channel 383)

Broadcast Teams

ACC Network: Wes Durham, Eric Devendorf

Clemson Radio: Don Munson, Tim Bourret

Friday bracketology: Joe Lunardi has Clemson facing this Ivy League school

In his latest projections, updated Friday morning, ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has Clemson facing the Princeton Tigers from the Ivy League in a No. 5 vs. 12 seed battle.

Clemson has reeled off wins in seven of its last nine games, including this week’s 90-75 victory over Syracuse at Littlejohn Coliseum.

Last week, veteran ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi moved Clemson (21-9 overall, 11-8 ACC) up to a projected No. 5 seed in his March Madness predictions for the NCAA Tournament after the Tigers defeated Pitt, previously a Quadrant 1 opponent, 69-62.

In his latest projections, updated Friday morning, Lunardi has Clemson facing the Princeton Tigers from the Ivy League in a No. 5 vs. 12 seed battle.

Princeton is 23-3 overall this season and is tied with Yale atop the Ivy League standings at 11-2 in conference play. Princeton and Yale split their two head-to-head regular season contests, with Princeton winning 73-62 in the most recent matchup on Feb. 17.

The Ivy League conference tournament is scheduled for next weekend, March 16 and 17, on the campus of Columbia University in New York City. Only four of the league’s eight schools reach the conference tournament each year.

Princeton last made the NCAA Tournament in 2023. The Tigers defeated Arizona and Missouri before falling to Creighton in the Sweet 16 a year ago. Princeton has 26 all-time appearances in the Dance, the most of any Ivy League member.

The projected Clemson vs. Princeton matchup would take place at Pittsburgh’s PPG Paints Arena in the Midwest Regional, Lunardi forecasts. In the same Pittsburgh site in Lunardi’s projected bracket are No. 4 seed Kentucky and No. 13 seed Appalachian State.

Lunardi now sees only four ACC schools reaching the Dance: Clemson, current ACC leader North Carolina, Duke, and Virginia. In Friday’s updated rankings, Lunardi has Virginia as his last team in. North Carolina and Duke will face off Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium with the ACC regular season championship on the line.

As has been the case for much of the season, Lunardi awards the most NCAA tournament bids by conference to the Big 12 with nine. The SEC is second with seven.

Lunardi’s projected No. 1 seeds are Purdue, UConn, Houston, and Tennessee. The Vols are ranked No. 4 in the country and have won seven straight games entering the weekend. Their last four victories have all been against Quad 1 teams: Texas A&M, Alabama, Auburn, and South Carolina.

For its part, Clemson will travel to Wake Forest on Saturday for a scheduled 6 p.m. EST tipoff against the Demon Deacons. The Tigers will be looking to lock up a double bye in next week’s ACC Tournament. Saturday’s game will be televised by ACC Network.

Hunter Sallis dominates in Wake Forest’s massive win over Duke

Hunter Sallis dropped 29 points and Wake Forest boosted their NCAA Tournament resume with a huge win over the Duke Blue Devils.

Hunter Sallis had 29 points on 11-13 shooting and the Wake Forest Demon Deacons picked up a massive win over the Duke Blue Devils, 83-79, on Saturday afternoon.

This win could not come at a more perfect time for Steve Forbes’ team, who moved to 2-5 in Quad 1 games with at least two more opportunities coming up: a road game against Virginia Tech and a home game against Clemson.

Wake Forest came into this game squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble, and needed a quality Quad 1 victory to boost their resume and hopefully break a streak of missing the Big Dance which goes back to 2017.

Forbes has done an incredible job bringing high level transfers to Wake Forest, including Jake LaRavia and Tyree Appleby, but Sallis looks like the one who will help this team breakthrough and go dancing.

The Gonzaga transfer is one of the most prolific, efficient scorers in the conference and this performance cements his legacy in Winston-Salem, a legacy that will grow even more if he leads this team back to the NCAA Tournament.

Wake Forest, Florida atop D1Baseball’s 2024 preseason rankings

The Demon Deacons and the Gators are considered the teams to beat in college baseball as the 2024 season approaches.

With the calendar turned to the start of 2024 and warmer weather theoretically on the way, college baseball season is quickly approaching. The first signs of life on the NCAA diamond came on Tuesday when D1Baseball released its preseason rankings of the 25 best teams this upcoming year.

The defending champion, LSU, is only six months removed from its College World Series title. However, the rankings think the leaders the Tigers lost, including the first two picks of last year’s MLB draft in pitcher Paul Skenes and outfielder Dylan Crews, are enough to drop LSU down to a humble fourth.

Two conference foes slot in ahead of the defending champions. Florida, the team that lost to LSU in the final series, sits second. The Gators also won the title in 2017 and were atop the national rankings with a 16-1 record in 2020 before the rest of the season was canceled due to COVID-19. Arkansas finished the regular season 39-15 last year, but a surprising 4-3 postseason campaign held them back from advancing to Omaha after TCU stunned them in their home regional.

All three of the top SEC teams are looking up at Wake Forest, however. The Demon Deacons lost to LSU in the 11th inning of a survive-and-advance game with a ticket to the championship series on the line.

Here are the full rankings:

Rank Team 2023 Record
1 Wake Forest 54-12
2 Florida 54-17
3 Arkansas 43-18
4 LSU 54-17
5 TCU 44-24
6 Vanderbilt 42-20
7 Oregon State 41-20
8 Texas A&M 38-27
9 Tennessee 44-22
10 Clemson 44-19
11 East Carolina 47-19
12 Duke 39-24
13 N.C. State 36-21
14 Virginia 50-15
15 North Carolina 36-24
16 Texas 42-22
17 UC Santa Barbara 35-20
18 Coastal Carolina 42-21
19 Alabama 43-21
20 Iowa 44-16
21 Texas Tech 41-23
22 UCLA 28-24-1
23 Northeastern 44-16
24 Kansas State 35-24
25 South Carolina 42-21

 

Wake Forest stays undefeated in ACC with win over Miami

Wake Forest’s trio of guards lead Demon Deacons to overtime win over Miami Hurricanes.

Wake Forest advanced to 11-3 on the season and a perfect 3-0 in ACC play win an 86-82 overtime win over Miami on Saturday afternoon.

A trio of guards did almost all the damage for the Demon Deacons, led by 27 points from Kevin ‘Boopie’ Miller on 10-19 shooting including 3-3 from three.

Cameron Hildreth added 23 on 5-9 from distance while Hunter Sallis had 18, including a game-sealing three in the final minute of overtime.

Wake is one of three teams in the ACC with a perfect 3-0 record, joining both North Carolina and NC State.

Steve Forbes’ team came into the season with limited expectations despite adding Sallis, a former five-star guard from Gonzaga, and Miller via the transfer portal.

Wins over Virginia Tech and Boston College were unsurprising, but now a win over Miami has the Deacons looking like a potential NCAA Tournament at-large team, especially if they can stay hot from beyond the arc like they did against the ‘Canes where they shot 12-31 (38.7%).

Wake Forest will take on Florida State in Tallahassee followed by a home battle with Virginia next Saturday, with tip-off slated for 2:00 PM ET.

Gonzaga transfer Efton Reid granted immediate eligibility at Wake Forest

Wake Forest will be able to play Efton Reid on Wednesday against Rutgers after the NCAA granted the two-time transfer immediate eligibility.

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons just added a big piece to their roster ahead of Wednesday’s game against Rutgers with the news that two-time transfer Efton Reid has been granted immediate eligibility by the NCAA.

The 7’0, 240-pound center was a five-star prospect out of IMG Academy and began his college career at LSU under Will Wade, where he started all 34 games as a freshman and averaged 6.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks in 2021-22.

After the season, he transferred to Spokane, Washington to play for Mark Few and the Gonzaga Bulldogs. However, the return of Drew Timme and the emergence of Anton Watson pushed Reid into a bench role and within a few weeks he was pushed just outside the rotation by backup Ben Gregg, who offered more floor spacing than Reid.

All told Reid appeared in 25 games for the Zags, playing 4.6 minutes per night and averaging 2.1 points, 1.0 rebounds, and shooting 62.2% from the field.

Reid hit the portal again this offseason and ultimately followed fellow former Gonzaga teammate Hunter Sallis to North Carolina to play at Wake Forest, where he should immediately step into a role for a team that has gotten very little production out of big men Matthew Marsh (2.5 points) and Zach Keller (2.7 points) in the frontcourt.

The Demon Deacons currently rank 328th in offensive rebounds per game and 289th in total rebounds per game, and Reid’s hulking frame and experience should provide a nice boost for coach Steve Forbes as they look to climb out of the cellar in the ACC this year.

‘You only dated him’: Wake Forest head coach on Notre Dame honoring Sam Hartman on senior night

“You only dated him,” Demon Deacons head coach Dave Clawson said when he heard what the Fighting Irish said about his former quarterback.

Notre Dame honored quarterback Sam Hartman on senior night with a heartfelt video edited to Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You.”

Wake Forest head coach Dave Clawson, Hartman’s former coach and his opponent on Saturday, was less moved than the Fighting Irish faithful.

Clawson, who coached Hartman for five years with the Demon Deacons before the quarterback transferred this offseason, questioned whether a team Hartman only spent a year with could offer such sentiment.

“Here’s a guy that we recruited and we developed,” Clawson said. “Like, you only dated him for a couple of months. It can’t be love. We’re the ones that love him. We had five years with him. You rented him for a season.”

Clawson added to his comments with how the transfer portal created such a situation.

“When that video played, it’s just like, ‘Holy cow, this is where college football is,’” he said.

Hartman threw for 277 yards and four touchdowns in a 45-7 victory over his former team.