Coach Forbes Reflects on Another Tough Home Loss
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Following a commanding loss to the SMU Mustangs, Juke Harris, Tre'Von Spillers, and the opposing head coaches were asked various questions following the night game at the LJVM Coliseum.
One thing was made abundantly clear by Juke Harris: Monday's practice did not go well. He was adamant that problems kept happening, leaving them feeling unprepared going into this game. The offset in their mindsets really presented itself on the defensive side of the ball. The Mustangs had a multitude of wide-open threes, which they accepted graciously by drilling 50% of them.
Coach Steve Forbes agreed with Harris's sentiment, saying the worst part of practice was the constant mistakes and the poor defensive execution. He said the scout team scored easily against the starters in practice, which created doubt about how the Demon Deacons would handle the Mustangs in this matchup.
Wake Forest Suffers Blow Out Loss to SMU
Tre'Von Spillers followed up by talking about the stagnant play on offense. Wake Forest and SMU both came out swinging early. Trading blows back and forth, it seemed that the Joel was in for a show. However, the Demon Deacons started losing traction, and the Mustangs kept trotting on. Spillers said there was too much dribbling. Additionally, Spillers also noted that plays were not being run correctly.
SMU's offense was all the more lethal. Coach Forbes was quick to praise the Mustangs on their offensive arsenal, explaining that they can beat you in a whole lot of ways. With great performance off the bench and an astounding performance from BJ Edwards, the Mustang offense had no trouble scoring. Coach Forbes also noted that the ball screens allowed guards to attack downhill, posing a difficult test for his guards.
One of the major fears going into this game was the size of SMU. While Coach Forbes noted that Samet Yigitoglu was only held to 6 points, it is hard not to factor the rebounding into tonight's performance. Out-rebounding the Demon Deacons by a whopping 12 boards, SMU had a clear advantage on the glass. Rebounding was all the more evident in the Mustangs' 11 offensive rebounds. Not only did SMU shoot strikingly better than Wake Forest, but they also had more second-chance opportunities.
Coach Forbes was asked a difficult question on Wake Forest's home performances this season, juxtaposed with his previous seasons. In years past, the Demon Deacons were a feared team at home. This season, however, Wake Forest has dropped three games by a considerable margin at home. Coach Forbes talked about his belief in "defending what is ours." Losing these games is tough, but it is not something he will remain complacent on.
Juke Harris emphasized a need for a spark or a flip in this team to be successful down the stretch. The Demon Deacons have a chance to light this flame with a resounding win on the road this Saturday.
What's Next for Wake Forest Men's Basketball
The Demon Deacons return to the court as they travel down Tobacco Road for a Big Four Rivalry game against the Duke Blue Devils. That game is on Saturday, January 24 at 5:45 p.m. in Durham.
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Keylor is a sophomore at Wake Forest University. He is studying finance and statistics, yet he still has a keen interest in Demon Deacons sports. Growing up in the college town of Knoxville, Tennessee, Keylor found himself drawn to a variety of athletics. He channeled that passion into his high school athletic program, announcing, broadcasting, and interviewing every sport. As a writer for Wake Forest Demon Deacon On SI, Keylor will cover football, basketball, and baseball, but he is also looking forward to covering volleyball.
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