One of these years, Danny Manning is going to get on the hot seat for his lackluster performance. I think it might be next year. Or maybe it will be the year after that? He has a guaranteed contract through the 2025 season and a monster buyout. It'll take a lot of losing for Wake Forest to bite the bullet and terminate the coach. At just 8-6 overall and 1-3 in conference, Manning is doing his part to make the decision for the AD.
Despite returning many top scorers from last year's team, the Demon Deacons are just so-so. Duke fans should recognize several names on the roster. Leading the charge is 6'0" SR PG Brandon Childress. The dynamic PG is not shooting the ball as well from distance (30%) this season as in years past, but is taking and making more shots from inside the arc and is averaging a career best 16 points per game to go along with 4.6 assists. Joining Childress in the backcourt is 6'5" JR G Chaundee Brown. Brown is progressing as a high quality scoring complement to Childress and is one of the better rebounding guards in the country, pulling in 6.5 boards per game. Childress and Brown are joined in the backcourt by a pair of 6'3" seniors, including starter Andrien White and reserve Torry Johnson. White, a transfer from Charlotte, is the better shooter of the pair while Johnson, in his second year at Wake after a transfer from Northern Arizona, is more of a slasher. Both see about 23 minutes per game, so expect to see them on the court. Freshman Jahcobi Neath (6'3") provides a couple of backup PG minutes to Childress.
Up front, The Demon Deacons are anchored by 7'0" JR C Olivier Sarr, from Toulouse, France. Perhaps Sarr is the reason for Danny Manning's struggles in Winston-Salem as Sarr was born Toulouse. Dad jokes aside, Sarr is a good if not great big man. He has doubled his production from his sophomore year, averaging more than 12 points and 9 rebounds per game in about 25 minutes per game. And he is doing that off the bench this season. In place of Sarr, Manning starts the game with a pair of young forwards, 6'8" SO Isaiah Mucius and 6'9" FR Ody Oguama. Neither Mucius or Oguama have much more than 205 pounds on their thin frames. Another thin forward, 6'8" FR Ismael Massoud from East Harlem, NY, rounds out the frontcourt options. Massoud might be the best shooter on the team. One wonders how the team will contain Vernon Carey, Jr. when they are starting players that more physically resemble wings and small forwards up front. Sarr might have to check in right away and avoid foul trouble throughout the night.
Overall, Wake Forest is a fairly mediocre team. They do not foul much at all and are a good defensive rebounding team. They appear averse to forcing turnovers and, outside of Sarr, do not have much size to throw at Duke. They are reasonably experienced in the backcourt and have a couple of dynamic playmakers in Childress and Brown. On paper, this will be the easiest game Duke has to play the rest of the season. After almost getting stung in Atlanta, look for Duke to exorcise some demons at home on Saturday night.