Wake Forest won’t want to miss any opportunity this season, realizing how important every game can be.
The Demon Deacons, who were on the wrong side of the NCAA Tournament bubble in each of the past three years, will begin another season expecting to make the next step. The first strides in that process will come Monday night against Coppin State at Winston-Salem, N.C.
“We kept the right guys,” Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes said of roster shuffling. “Hunter Sallis, he’s one of the best players in college basketball. Obviously, getting him back made me a better coach.”
The Demon Deacons are stocked in other areas as well. They will have the presence of 7-foot center Efton Reid III from the get-go after he sat out the start last season because of an NCAA eligibility issue.
“It’s a whole different mentality heading into this season,” Forbes said. “I think he’s one of the better bigs in our league.”
The Demon Deacons, of the Atlantic Coast Conference, ended up 21-14 last season after splitting two games in the NIT.
Senior Cameron Hildreth’s versatility is something that Forbes said he’s counting on. The Demon Deacons have athleticism.
“This is one of the fastest teams I’ve coached,” Forbes said.
Coppin State went 2-27 last season, finishing on a 13-game losing streak. Freshmen accounted for almost 50 percent of the team’s points.
It’s no surprise that the Eagles are picked to finish last in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Sophomore guard Ryan Archey was picked for the All-MEAC preseason second team after earning a spot on the all-rookie team and All-MEAC third team by averaging 13.3 points per game in league play.
Coach Larry Stewart, beginning his second season at his alma mater, wants to look ahead. He brought in 10 new players.
“Last year is over,” Stewart said. “I’m just going to look forward to the way the returning players came into this year, more focused and more determined.”
Camaren Sparrow also was on the MEAC all-rookie team.
“We’re real hungry,” Sparrow said. “This summer we went in the gym and (we) see what we have to work on and came back with a new focus.”
Coppin State and Wake Forest have met only once, with the Demon Deacons winning 69-52 at home in December 1989.
It will be a two-game trip to start the season for the Eagles, who will visit nearby High Point on Wednesday.
