A look at the new players on this year's Wake Forest basketball team.
It's a bye week and Wake Forest's first exhibition basketball game is less than a month away, so what better time to talk about some hoops! There was a significant amount of roster turnover this offseason, so we figured a good opening article would be to take a look at each of our incoming players - either freshmen or transfer.
Mitchell Wilbekin - 6'2" 165 pounds
I'll go ahead and get this out of the way now because you'll hear it on every telecast for the rest of Mitchell's career, but he is the younger brother of 2013-2014 SEC Player of the Year Scottie Wilbekin. He chose Wake Forest over Tulsa and Virginia, and averaged 14.9 points, 2.8 assists and 2.1 steals per game as a senior.
He is a knock-down shooter, but must continue to get bigger in the weight room and add strength. He has the ability to play the point for us this season, or could also be utilized as a two guard. That said, I suspect he'll primarily be defending opposing point guards.
Rondale Watson - 6'3" 190 pounds
Rondale Watson was a relatively unknown prospect when he initially committed to Wake Forest. In high school he was a three-time all-state selection, including first team honors as a senior. He averaged more than 20 points per game in each of his final two seasons. Rondale will bring athleticism to this roster, and he will also bring this team much-needed shooting. In my opinion, Rondale is the most intriguing player on this year's roster.
Cornelius Hudson - 6'6" 180 pounds
Cornelius Hudson's recruiting status where very much up in the air until it was confirmed in September that he made it through the NCAA Clearinghouse and is eligible to play for Wake Forest. A month ago we caught up with Jason Porter of All-Star Preps to get his thoughts on Cornelius' game.
Hudson, who received significant interest from LSU, should continue the theme of being able to help out as a shooter. Wake will not have a shooter as good as Coron Williams, but our overall team shooting should be greatly improved. Hudson is a natural scorer, but will need to add bulk to his frame before he becomes especially effective as a slasher.
Greg McClinton - 6'7" 200 pounds
Greg McClinton is a redshirt freshman who sat out last season due to an ACL he suffered in the winter of 2013. McClinton is a former 4-star recruit and chose Wake Forest over Xavier and Louisville. He has been a full-participant in all team activities and had an impressive Triad Pro-Am Summer League. McClinton is an explosive athlete who will thrive in transition and should provide good length on defense. He will allow us to play an up-tempo game that Manning likes to play and he can defend 2's, 3's and 4's.
Konstantinos Mitoglou - 6'10" 225 pounds
The guys on the team call him "Dinos," so that's what we're going to call him around here too. That's just easier on everyone. He is skilled big man who averaged 9 points and 8 rebounds per game during the 2014 U18 European Championships, while playing for the Greek U18 national team. I could see him starting, but at the very least he will give Manning much-needed depth in the front court.
Darius Leonard - 6'9" 225 pounds
Darius Leonard is a post-graduate transfer from Campbell University. He averaged 10 points and 5 rebounds per game last season, while shooting 38% from beyond the arc. He is a versatile forward who will give Manning another three-point shooter at his disposal. Leonard's skill set gives Manning a variety of options with regards to lineups. I could see Leonard starting next to Devin Thomas, but I think only two starters (Codi Miller-McIntyre and Devin Thomas) are set in stone.
Be sure to check out the newcomers and the veterans at Black & Gold Madness on Friday, October 24th at 9 p.m.
