After a solid win at Syracuse, Hunter Sallis and Wake Forest understood the assignment: keep the momentum rolling. Even that may be an understatement in the rout that took place in Winston-Salem. Going into the matchup, KenPom had the Demon Deacons ranked 93rd in the country to NC State’s 83rd, projecting a 3 point margin for Wake. Yet, with only 7 players seeing the floor, Wake Forest blew past expectations with their 18 point win over their rivals.
A Game of Runs
While the final score and key moments of the game are good indicators of dominance, the key to Wake’s victory was a pair of runs. The early minutes of the game saw Wake Forest go on a 17-1 run, giving the Deacs an early 19-4 lead. The Wolfpack spent much of the first half clawing back from the early deficit, bringing the game to within 2 at one point.
Despite the effort from their opponent, Wake kept pushing and ultimately found another run in them. This one was a 12-2 run that began with about 15 minutes to go in the contest, and left the Deacons with a 57-43 lead that they never looked back from. Sallis was of course a key component of each run, scoring 7 of the 17 points in the first run, and 6 of the 12 during the second. Not to mention, two additional buckets from the runs were assisted by Sallis.
Sallis’s Huge Performance
Today’s KenPom MVP was, you guessed it, Hunter Sallis. With 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists on 8 of 14 shooting, Sallis’s performance was both efficient and highly productive. Additionally, in his past 4 contests, he’s been charged with 2 fouls or less; Sallis is someone who needs to be on the floor as much as possible, so staying out of foul trouble has been massive.
This also marks the 4th straight game where Sallis has hit multiple threes, shooting 8-17 (47%) from deep in those games. Sallis’s latest star-studded performance not only is great news for the Deacs but is sure to generate more attention from NBA scouts. His success has also opened the floor for many other scoring options in Wake Forest’s talented offense.
More Key Performers
While Sallis had a terrific day, let’s not forget to shine light on some other Deacs with key performances of their own. Freshman Juke Harris had a season-high 17 points on 6 of 8 shooting from the field, and went 4 for 6 at the free throw line. Harris also had 5 rebounds, all being on the defensive glass. The former 4-star is a budding and exciting talent for Wake Forest.
Forward Trevon Spillers had another solid game of his own, scoring 12 and shooting 6 of 7 from two on the offensive end, and grabbing 5 boards and 4 blocks on the defensive end. In the two seasons prior, Wake enjoyed having Andrew Carr at the 4, but after he became part of a historic Kentucky transfer class, Steve Forbes had to make a move of his own. In came Spillers from Appalachian State, certainly aware of the shoes he was tasked with filling. Thus far, however, Spillers looks up to the task. He’s already 8th in the ACC in block rate, and while his shooting has expectedly dipped against better competition, he’s still a key cog in Forbes’ system.
Looking Ahead
Wake’s next matchup comes in a week (Sat. 1/11) as they’ll head to Miami to challenge a struggling (4-10, 0-3) Hurricanes squad. An exhausted Jim Larrañaga and his midseason departure from the program reflects the struggles this program faces. On the other hand, Miami still ranks 113th in KenPom, and in a conference like the ACC, Sallis and his squad know better than to assume victory, especially on the road.
Like Miami, N.C. State has experienced a fall from their recent Final Four run, finding themselves 8-6 after their defeat. Much work remains if Kevin Keatts wants to take his squad back to the promised land, but without any true bad losses, they remain ‘In Position to be In Position’. Wake Forest continues to veer in the opposite direction, now 11-4 on the season and 3-1 in ACC play.
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