Wake Forest Demon Deacons NCAA Basketball Betting
In just four years, Steve Forbes has completely rebuilt Wake Forest and has had the Demon Deacons consistently in the top half of the ACC. He hasn’t gotten over the hump and into the NCAA Tournament yet, though, something that should be the expectation this season. This roster has top-end talent, high-potential transfers, and plays in a conference that will be wide-open this season outside of UNC and Duke.
If there’s one reason for you to buy into this Wake Forest team, it’s returning senior guard Hunter Sallis (18 ppg). Sallis would likely be a top two conference player of the year candidate in any conference outside of the ACC and SEC, but he unluckily plays in the same conference as RJ Davis and Cooper Flagg. The return of Sallis not only gives the Demon Deacons a great boost of experience, but truly elite scoring at all three levels. With Sallis back, this team has second-weekend potential headlined by one of the best scorers in college basketball.
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Sallis isn’t the only player back, though, as Cameron Hildreth (14 ppg, 5 rpg) and Efton Reid III (10 ppg, 8 rpg) also return from last season’s starting lineup. Hildreth adds more scoring to the backcourt alongside Sallis, along with his ability on the defensive end. Reid returns after getting a late start to last season before the transfer ruling was changed, transferring into Wake Forest as a two-time transfer. Reid was elite on the boards for the Demon Deacons and was efficient from the field (54.6% FG) throughout the season. Rounding out Forbes’ list of returners are sophomores Parker Friedrichsen (5 ppg) and Marqus Marion (1 ppg).
Five players left Wake Forest this offseason, most notably starting point guard Kevin “Boopie” Miller (16 ppg, 4 apg). The other loss in the backcourt was senior guard Damari Monsanto (5 ppg). In the frontcourt, the Demon Deacons lost Andrew Carr (14 ppg, 7 rpg), Matthew Marsh (2 ppg) and Zach Keller (2 ppg).
Steve Forbes landed five transfers from the portal this offseason, with a primary target of high-potential incoming sophomores. The guy I’m most excited about in the class is Ty-Laur Johnson (9 ppg, 4 apg at Louisville). It is a bit scary to hype a guy who was a part of that disastrous Louisville team last season. Still, Johnson’s ability to defend and to create for his teammates excites me, especially when you think about the fact that he’ll share a backcourt with Hunter Sallis and Cameron Hildreth. If Johnson can become a more efficient scorer with the better talent surrounding him, the sky is the limit for this Wake Forest backcourt. Davin Cosby Jr. (4 ppg at Alabama) is the other guard arriving via the transfer portal, another high-major recruit transferring in after his freshman season. Cosby Jr. saw just eight minutes per game last season at Alabama, but with more time as a sophomore, he could develop into an important piece for the Demon Deacons.
The frontcourt also saw its fair share of newcomers, highlighted by Appalachian State transfer TreVon Spillers (13 ppg, 9 rpg at Appalachian State). At just 6-7, Spillers was an impressive rebounder in his lone season for the Mountaineers after transferring up from the JUCO level. If he can continue to be a force inside, his partnership with Reid could be one of the best in the ACC. Another pair of sophomores round out the transfer class for Forbes, with Omaha Biliew (2 ppg at Iowa State) and Churchill Abass (4 ppg, 4 rpg at DePaul) entering the program. Both Biliew and Abass didn’t quite have the freshman seasons they would’ve hoped for but are looking for a new beginning and should have a role in the Wake Forest frontcourt.
Wake Forest will now try and break through despite its lack of comparable NIL resources.
Latest NCAA Tournament Results
| YEAR |
RESULT |
| 2017 |
Lost First Four vs. (11) Kansas State 88–95 |
| 2010 |
Lost Second Round vs. (1) Kentucky 60–90 |
| 2009 |
Lost First Round vs. (11) Cleveland State 69–84 |
| 2005 |
Lost Second Round vs. (7) West Virginia 105–107 (2OT) |
| 2004 |
Lost Sweet Sixteen vs. (1) Saint Joseph's 80–84 |
| 2003 |
Lost Second Round vs. (10) Auburn 62–68 |
| 2002 |
Lost Second Round vs. (2) Oregon 87–92 |
2024-2025 NCAA Basketball Top Teams
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