By Adam Budd

Wake Forest Basketball will be looking to bounce back from a disappointing season last year where they finished 11-20 and 14th in the ACC out of 15 teams. Last season’s turnout made it seven out of the last eight years where they have missed the NCAA tournament.

   Wake Forest will also be losing three key pieces of the team from last year. Guard Bryant Crawford and center Doral Moore made the decision to go pro last spring, while guard Keyshawn Woods will be transferring to another school.

   On the other hand, Wake Forest landed five star forward Jaylen Hoard from France (played for Wesleyan Academy) and will be bringing head coach Danny Manning back for his fifth year. They will need Hoard to step up and lead immediately.

   “I expect them to be better,” P.E. Teacher Tyler Billings said. “Coach Manning is doing a good job with the team. They will have tough competition in the ACC but should be a better team.”

   The ACC is one of the toughest conferences in college basketball with seven teams ranked in the preseason AP top 25. Teams like Duke, Virginia and North Carolina seem to dominate the conference annually, making success tough to come by.

   “There will always be challenges in the ACC regardless of the team,” basketball coach Billy Martin said. “It is one of the best conferences in America.”

   In the ACC there are no easy games. You have to be sharp each and every time you play to be successful.

  “They need to play solid team basketball because most teams in the conference have more talent than they do,” Billings said.

   The key to success in college basketball is having a deep team where anyone can step up when called upon and to be strong as a unit. Successful teams over the years, follow these same guidelines.

   Junior guard Brandon Childress will also need to step up and run the team. They will have to rely on him down the stretch to be successful as one of the more experienced players.

   Wake Forest looked sharp in their exhibition game, beating Belmont Abbey by a score of 106-74. Jaylen Hoard led the team with 19 points and 9 rebounds. Olivier Sarr had a strong performance with 16 points and 13 rebounds while Chaundee Brown contributed 15 points as well.

   The Demon Deacons open their season at home on November 10 at 2:00 PM against the North Carolina A&T Aggies. Their non-conference schedule ramps up quickly leading to a matchup with top ten Tennessee on December 22.

   The Demon Deacons will be looking to rediscover some of their past success this year and hopefully, find themselves in the NCAA tournament come March.