"Keep the Streak Alive" - How this Mantra has Guided a Wake Forest Run
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It was less than two weeks ago when Wake Forest basketball reached its lowest point. After yet another close loss at home to Louisville, they sat at the rock bottom of the ACC standings with a 2-8 record.
Steve Forbes' frustration was palpable after that loss to the Cardinals. He stressed that he never questions his team's effort level, but the execution down the stretch needs to be better. There was also outside noise about the Deacs being a soft team after continually getting beaten on the boards; the team knew it.
Just when you thought they were headed towards a lost season, Wake Forest now sits at 5-8 in conference play and winners of three straight. The most recent development was a wire-to-wire victory over an NCAA tournament Clemson Tigers team at home Wednesday night. This wasn't a fluke; Wake led this game for all but 47 seconds.
After the game, Steve Forbes told the media the same phrase he had told his team both before and after the Clemson victory: "Keep the streak alive." This phrase may sound very simple, but it has powered a Demon Deacon win streak that they look to just keep growing. They have the momentum; now they are just going out and trying to keep it going. Let's go through how this has happened.
Guards Finding Their Mojo
It's no mystery that some of Wake Forest's lead guards have struggled in ACC play. Coach Forbes went as far as to say they got "physically whipped" against Duke. When Nate Calmese went down with an injury, it seemed like all hope was lost. However, it seems like they are finally starting to find their form again.
The biggest spark has come from Mekhi Mason. After scoring 20 in the Deacs' first game of the season, Mekhi has struggled to get things going. He did not play a single minute against Pitt. In this win streak, though, Mekhi has been a key. He has scored in double figures in each game, but what's maybe most impressive is the defensive presence he brings to the floor.
Sebastian Akins and Isaac Carr have both really come on in the absence of Nate Calmese to help carry the point guard production. Carr did not get much time at the beginning of the season, but has shown some nice development as of late. He's had three or more assists in the last three games, playing backup point guard minutes, including some huge minutes down the stretch against Stanford, a game where he also scored six points.
Coach Forbes speaks very highly of Carr and said he may be the best on-ball defender on the team. This defense is coming up huge over the win streak. Akins had a rough outing against Stanford but showed tremendous resiliency, battling back to have a big game against Clemson.
Akins had 16 points against the Tigers, including an almost flawless 7-of-8 from the free-throw line to go along with just one turnover. This is the type of play you need out of your point guard to win big games.
Consistent Weapon
I think we've all become too accustomed to what Juke Harris has been doing this season. He has given the Deacs a consistent scoring punch every night, grabbing double figures in every game he has played in this season. He is averaging 21.3 points per game and is the runaway choice for ACC Most Improved Player, along with First Team All-ACC.
Recently, the output has become even more noticeable. Juke has scored at least 20 points in his past five straight games and seven of his last eight. Other contributors are certainly helping power this run by the Deacs, but it is important to acknowledge the fact that they have a weapon that can go out and score at will on every given night.
What's Next for Wake Forest Men's Basketball
The Deacs will be in Blacksburg to take on Virginia Tech this Saturday. Will they get their first Quad 1 win? We don't know, but I think the one thing we know is the team will certainly come out hungry to "keep the streak alive".
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.