So I honestly feel like looking back is a bit pointless given that we’re inside 48 hours to the next game, so I figured, let’s look ahead instead.
1. Can the Deacs contain Marcquise Reed?
The leading scorer for the Tigers has been a Wake killer in the past, and with Donte Grantham done for the year, containing Reed could be simultaneously more important and even more difficult than before. Nothing is scarier than a man with nothing to lose, and something tells me Reed will have a bright green light in the Joel.
2. Brandon Childress needs to assert himself.
In the FSU game, we saw a lot of Brandon Childress running point with Bryant Crawford off the ball, and it was so much better. Keep in mind, when I say asserting himself, I don’t just mean with shots (please God no), I mean him getting comfortable in the fact that he’s the floor general when he’s out there.
3. Work it inside.
This is true of every opponent Wake will face this season, but with Clemson in particular, it could be a strong advantage. Grantham was their second leading rebounder, and the leading rebounder, Elijah Thomas, is only 6’9”. If Doral Moore and Olivier Sarr can be nice and sure handed, the front court could be a real advantage this game.
4. Make your free throws.
The Deacs went 18-28 from the line, an outing that made the game significantly more tense than it needed to be, especially when Keyshawn Woods missed the front end of a 1 and 1, and BC, genuinely a fantastic shooter from the line, actually missed two in a row. That can’t happen this game under any circumstances.
5. Bottle that second half three point defense.
In the second frame we held the most prolific three point shooting team to 0-7 from deep. That’s good stuff and granted, some of it was luck, as is pretty much any instance of good D, but you can buoy luck with execution, and that’s what we need to do against the Tigers.
Obviously this is not exhaustive, and there’s a lot more that could be discussed, but these are the five that popped into my head, discussed in brief. Any other thoughts? Let me know in the comments.
