Wake Forest just got absolutely torched on defense, letting Georgetown shoot a ridiculous 60% from the field and drain 16 threes at 55% in a 94-77 loss. This isn’t just a tough outing, it’s a flashing red light for a team that’s basically starting from scratch. After losing their top eight players from last season, the Demon Deacons brought in a whopping 12 newcomers, including eight transfers. That’s a massive overhaul, and the early returns against the Hoyas are pretty alarming.
New Faces, Old Problems: Defense and Consistency
Coach Steve Forbes has generally kept things consistent since taking over after three straight losing seasons under Danny Manning. Forbes is sitting at a respectable 110-82 overall in six seasons in Winston-Salem, and the team had five straight winning campaigns, including an 18-17 record last season. But here’s the kicker: they posted their first conference losing season in ACC play since 2021-22, finishing 13th with a 7-13 record. Now, this new group just showed us a glimpse of their potential, and that defense against Georgetown was porous. Giving up 60% from the field and letting guys hit 16 deep balls at 55%? Yikes. On the bright side, transfer Kevair Kennedy looked solid, dropping 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting and grabbing four steals in 27 minutes. And the twin freshmen, Gavin and Gallagher Placide, combined for 27 points on 9-of-16 shooting with four steals. Those are some promising flashes from the new blood.
One Starter Back, Transfers Stepping Up, and an Early Injury Scare
When you lose eight top players, you are going to be rebuilding, not reloading. Wake Forest returns just one starter and four players total. Six-foot-4 sophomore guard Isaac Carr is their top returnee, averaging 2.2 points over 11 minutes and 26 appearances, including four starts last year. Carr, a former four-star recruit from 2024, is expected to start in the backcourt this season and has the ball-handling and passing to be a secondary creator. Beyond him, Anson Beard Jr., Will Underwood, and Vincent Ricchiuti are back, but they are looking like depth pieces. Forbes brought in a strong transfer class, with six of the eight slated for major roles. Jamari McDowell, Justin Ray, and Kennedy are leading that group. McDowell, a lengthy and athletic wing, started against Georgetown, scoring eight points and dishing out four assists in 18 minutes. But here’s the gut punch: he’s dealing with plantar fasciitis and is expected to miss a couple of weeks. Coach Forbes was pretty blunt about it, saying, “Jamari is going to be out for a while. We tried to manage it before we played Georgetown. We had him out four or five days. He was feeling good, and then it just flared up on him during the game.” So, a key transfer is already sidelined.
So, with McDowell sidelined and the defense looking like a sieve, Coach Forbes and this new-look Demon Deacons squad have got a mountain to climb. They need to figure things out, and fast, if they want to get back to their consistent winning ways after that conference losing season last year.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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