Can Wake Forest Compete with the 13th-Ranked Virginia Cavaliers?
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The Wake Forest Demon Deacons had what one could call an up-and-down week. They had to push their game back against Boston College, then went up there on Wednesday and lost by a point on a buzzer beater to an Eagles team that is at the bottom of the league.
On Saturday, they responded appropriately by beating Syracuse at home and putting up 88 points. The promising thing was Juke Harris only had 13 points on a rough shooting night, but Myles Colvin picked up the slack with 32 points on 7-8 from three.
Now the Deacs will hit the road for the final time of the regular season as they take on the 13th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers. After so many close calls against top teams like Michigan, Texas Tech, and North Carolina, this could be Wake's last chance to pick up a marquee victory heading into the ACC tournament.
Balanced Cavaliers
If you had to pick one word to describe this Virginia team, it would probably be balance. They have a strong offense attack, 30th on KenPom, paired with a very strong defensive attack, 16th at KenPom. They have six players averaging seven points or more.
Freshman forward Thijs De Ridder leads them offensively. He is averaging 16 points per game while shooting 52.2% from the field and 6.2 rebounds per game. A trio of guards in Malik Thomas, Sam Lewis, and Chance Mallory also average double-figures in scoring.
The stat that should really spell trouble for the Deacs comes on the offensive glass. Virginia has the seventh-best offensive rebound percentage in the country at 38.5%. This is an area the Deacs have struggled with all year. They are also great defensively in the paint, holding opponents to 44.8% from two-point range and averaging 16.5 blocks per game.
The Challenge Ahead
So, as you can see, this Virginia team is far from the Syracuse team Wake just beat at home. Winning this game will not take flashy, highlight plays, but rather it will require consistent dedication from each man to do their job offensively and defensively.
Against a good team like Virginia, you cannot afford to have someone miss a boxout or fail on a defensive assignment. Good teams will take advantage of those things, and Virginia is going to be one of the best the Deacs will see.
If you are Wake Forest, you have to start by playing solid defensively. Not letting the Cavaliers get going offensively will certainly help the cause. If you get behind early, you probably don't have a chance in this one on the road. The Deacs must strike first to get Virginia off its game. Let's just sit back and see what happens.
Justin is a student at Wake Forest University. He is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and aspiring finance major interested everything sports. In his freshman year, Justin completed an internship with the Wake Forest Ticketing Department where he gained some valuable insight into the sales and operations aspects of collegiate athletics. Before working with Wake Forest On SI, Justin was a contributing writer for Wake Forest’s student publication The Old Gold and Black. Currently, Justin serves as a student manager on the Wake Forest Men’s Tennis team. In his free time Justin enjoys spending time with his family and friends on the golf course and traveling.