Wake Forest is playing efficient basketball, while Miami, having already lost its coach, is spiraling downward.
Two teams on entirely different trajectories will meet Saturday when the Demon Deacons visit the Hurricanes in Coral Gables, Fla.
Wake Forest (11-4, 3-1 ACC), which hasn’t lost consecutive games all season, has won four of its past five contests.
The Deacons are coming off 77-59 win over North Carolina State last Saturday. Wake Forest shot a season-best 54.9 percent from the floor.
For the season, Wake Forest is led in scoring by former Gonzaga guard Hunter Sallis (18.3), who had a team-high 20 points against NC State. Appalachian State transfer Tre’Von Spillers leads Wake Forest in rebounds (9.1) and blocks (1.5). Cameron Hildreth, in his fourth year at Wake Forest, leads the Deacons in assists (3.5) while scoring 12.4 points per game.
Then there’s true freshman forward Juke Harris, who shoots 37.5 percent from 3-point percentage and averages 6.1 ppg. He scored a career-high 17 points last Saturday.
“The way he has been practicing has been great,” Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes said of Harris, his only freshman in this class. “He defends with physicality.”
Miami (4-11, 0-4) has lost four straight games, including an 80-65 defeat to Florida State on Wednesday. The Hurricanes have also lost 13 straight ACC regular-season games, dating to last season.
The Hurricanes are hurting at point guard where Nijel Pack has missed five straight games due to a foot injury. Freshman backup Divine Ugochukwu suffered a left hip injury against Florida State.
Their status for Wake Forest is uncertain, and that’s a problem, according to interim coach Bill Courtney.
“It’s very difficult when your depth leaves you,” said Courtney, who replaced Jim Larranaga after the latter announced his sudden retirement on Dec. 26.
“When Divine went down, that was hurtful. We’re now playing guys who have never played point guard.”
For the season, Pack leads Miami in scoring (13.9) and assists (4.3.). Matthew Cleveland is second in scoring (12.9), and center Lynn Kidd ranks third in scoring (11.1) and first in rebounds (7.4).
“Nobody is feeling sorry for us,” Courtney said. “We’ve been good for so long. People are taking their shots now, and we have to respond. We have to fight.”
–Field Level Media
