Who's Playing Big Minutes in Wake's Men's Basketball's Backcourt? The Picture is Now Becoming Clear

What players and style can we expect from Steve Forbes and his staff in terms of gaurd play as the season is less than a week away

February 8, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Steve Forbes instructs against the California Golden Bears during the first half at Haas Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Believe it or not, the college basketball season kicks off in less than a week, and many fans are looking forward to seeing what they'll get out of this new look Demon Deacon squad. The Deacs brought in new coach Nick Friedman alongside five transfers and three freshmen. They complement the returners, Juke Harris, Tre'Von Spillers, and Omaha Biliew.

As the season nears, we've gotten a few opportunities to hear from Coach Steve Forbes himself, and there is certainly reason for optimism. We have almost completely identified the starting backcourt for the Deacs, so below are the pieces of the puzzle that have already fallen into place:

Nate Calmese will start at PG, and Sebastian Akins will play backup

Oct 8, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Wake Forest player Nate Calmese answers questions from the media at The Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

Nate Calmese starting at PG shouldn't come as a surprise to Deacon fans. He was a four-star transfer guard with loads of experience. According to the coaches, it appears that Nate's biggest strength is his playmaking and scoring abilities.

Everyone has commented on his ability to get to the rim whenever he wants to. He is very quick and very crafty around the basket, and Deacon fans should expect him to be able to go get a bucket when needed. He also commands the offense and can give his teammates opportunities. If Nate can be that type of point guard for this team, it will give the Deacs a huge advantage.

Maybe more surprising is the fact that Sebastian Akins won the backup point guard minutes. According to Forbes, Akins, Calmese, Isaac Carr, and Mekhi Mason can all play point guard minutes for this team. However, Akins has beaten out Carr for the backup point guard minutes, so he will likely be in command of the offense while Calmese is sitting.

A trio of big wings who can shoot may carry scoring load

Mar 13, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Juke Harris (2) handles the ball against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Three wings will fill two spots in the Deacs' starting lineup. One is Juke Harris, with whom Deac fans are very familiar. He is expected to take a sophomore leap, and Forbes said Juke has been shooting 42% from three in practice. If this comes to fruition in games, this would be a huge improvement from Juke.

Alongside Juke at the wings will be transfers Mekhi Mason and Myles Colvin. Mekhi is a smooth shooter from Washington who is known for his ability to hit threes. In practice, Mekhi has already hit 74 three-pointers. Myles Colvin has been leading the team in scoring during the offseason and has also hit 70+ threes in practice. All of these guys should be big-time scorers that this team will lean on.

The good thing about this trio is that they are all 6'5 or taller, giving the Deacs great positional size to work with. I expect these three to rotate and take on similar loads in the minutes played category.