Wake Forest Basketball Looks to Stay Hot Against Longwood

The Deacs will be back in action tonight at the Joel Coliseum

Dec 14, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Juke Harris (2) grabs the rebound in front of forward Omaha Biliew (0) against the Queens University Royals during the second half at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are riding what you can call a hot streak over the past couple games. After a disappointing loss to Oklahoma, the Deacs have rattled off two good performances in a row and look to make it three for three tonight.

Myles Colvin was the catalyst behind the Demon Deacon charge last time out. He scored a career high 33 points to lead the charge, which was also the most points a Deac has scored in a game this season, and he was named ACC Player of the Week. The team as a whole played very well, especially offensively, where they put up a season high 111 points. A big challenge awaits this weekend against Vanderbilt, but Wake must first take care of business tonight and continue to stack good performances. Let's preview it:

Opponent Preview

Longwood's Jesper Granlund (35) dribbles the ball during the first round game between University of Houston and Longwood University in the 2024 NCAA Tournament at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on Friday, March 22, 2024. | Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Longwood Lancers compete in the Big South Conference. They went to the NCAA Tournament in 2024, where they faced the Houston Cougars. So far this season, Longwood sits at 6-6 and is rated 314 at KenPom. They pushed fellow ACC school, Pitt, earlier in the season before eventually falling 78-60.

In terms of players, the Lancers have three players averaging in double figures this season. Junior guard Jacoi Hutchinson leads them in scoring at 13.1 per game and also leads the team in assists at 3.2 a game. Senior forwards Johan Nziemi and Elijah Tucker each contribute with 12.8 and 11.7 points per game, respectively. The Lancers have a defensive efficiency that is rated 334 at KenPom, so the Deacs should be able to exploit this with good offense.

Key to the Game: Play Second Half Defense the Whole Time

Last time out, the Deacs gave up 39 points to Queens in the first half, and Steve Forbes said they came out of the gates slow defensively. They were able to score a lot offensively, but their defense needed to be tighter.

In the second half, we saw that switch flip. Wake held Queens to just 34 points and only 11 made field goals. The Deacs also ramped up the pressure, turning Queens over eight times in the second half compared to just five times in the first half. The second half felt much more lopsided in general, and Wake Forest allowed their defense to drive their offense, outscoring Queens 54-34 in the second half.

This is the type of defensive intensity the Deacs will need to bring throughout the game to win big games against conference opponents. Playing a full game of hard-core defensive intensity would be a really positive sign from this team and is something that will certainly pay dividends their next time out against Vandy. Go Deacs!