Wake Forest Basketball Runs into the Red Raiders in the Bahamas
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The Wake Forest Demon Deacons will face their second big test of the season as they kick off the Baha Mar tournament in the Bahamas by facing off against No. 15 Texas Tech. The tournament includes the Deacs and the Red Raiders, along with Memphis and Purdue. This game will certainly be a tough one, but against Michigan, the Deacs proved they can hang with the best of them. So it should be a good battle.
Opponent Preview
The Red Raiders are coming off an extremely strong season a year ago. They made the Sweet Sixteen and had the reigning national champion Florida Gators on the ropes before ultimately falling. This year, they brought back a lot of production from last season. They are No. 15 nationally now and are expected to be in the mix for the Big 12 title. The Red Raiders are 3-1, like the Deacs. They dropped a true road game to the top 10-ranked Illinois Fighting Illini.
As for individual players, it does not get much better nationally than Texas Tech forward JT Toppin. The returning All-American is one of the top players in the country and has demonstrated this early on in the season. So far, he is averaging a double-double of 24.3 points and 11.7 rebounds. He has had two 30-point games already, including an incredible 35-point performance against Illinois despite the loss. Containing him will certainly be a handful.
The Red Raiders also bring back highly skilled guard Christian Anderson for his sophomore season. Like Toppin, he has already made his mark with a 34-point performance in their opener. He is also a good distributor, averaging nine assists per game along with an impressive 2.8 steals. Transfers like Donovan Atwell and Lejuan Watts help fill out the Red Raiders' roster.
Key for the Deacs: Keep Secondary Scorers in Check
I would like to believe that the Deacs' new-look defense will make life difficult for JT Toppin and Christian Anderson, but in reality, these guys will likely still have a major offensive impact. This may seem a little disheartening; however, against Illinois, JT Toppin went off for 35 points, and the Red Raiders still lost.
The key to this game may not be to zero in on Toppin, but rather to focus on stopping the other playmakers on this Texas Tech offense. Even if Topin gets his points, the Red Raider offense will ultimately struggle if the Deacs make it hard on the other guys. Just like against Illinois, Texas Tech will fall if they do not get contributions from other guys besides Toppin and Anderson. I think the Deacs should try their best to slow down these guys, but then play lockdown defense on everyone else to make this Red Raider offense one-dimensional.
It will certainly not be easy, but that's never the case against a nationally-ranked opponent. This is a fantastic opportunity for the Deacs to make a statement. If they do make a statement and win this game, it will likely be the top team in the land, the Purdue Boilermakers, waiting for them in the championship. This is an exciting time for the Deacs, and I am excited to see them get out there and execute against another top team.
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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.