Wake Forest will try to extend its three-game winning streak when it faces Clemson in an ACC opener on Friday night. The Demon Deacons are coming off a 78-75 win at Wisconsin on Tuesday, improving to 7-1 in non-conference play. Clemson is coming off one of the best games of the college basketball season, beating Penn State in double overtime on Tuesday.
Wake Forest opened the season on a four-game winning streak that included wins over Georgia and La Salle. The Demon Deacons were not favored by more than 13 points in any of those four games, so it was a semi-challenging start to the campaign. Their first loss came against LMU in a neutral-site matchup two weeks ago as 6-point favorites, but they have responded with a three-game winning streak. They were 20-plus point favorites in wins over South Carolina State and Hampton, covering the spread in both blowouts. Their toughest matchup of the season came against Wisconsin earlier this week, as the Demon Deacons pulled off a 78-75 upset at 6-point underdogs.
Got an @accmbb opener set for Friday Night ??#GoDeacs ????https://t.co/fe8wbMrEVm
— Wake Basketball (@WakeMBB) December 1, 2022
Former Florida guard Tyree Appleby poured in 32 points in the win over the Badgers, along with dishing out five assists. He has made an immediate impact with his new school, averaging 19.5 points, 5.5 assists and 4.4 rebounds per game. There is some balance in the lineup as well though, with four other players averaging more than 9.5 points per game. Wake Forest has been shooting the ball very well, listed at No. 31 out of 363 Division I teams in KenPom’s effective field goal percentage metrics. The Demon Deacons are knocking down 36.5% of their 3-pointers and 56.9% of their shot attempts inside the arc. They are facing a Clemson defense that is No. 82 in defensive field goal percentage.