Deacs Finally Figure out Winning Recipe
After Wake Forest dropped four of their first six games early in the season Tye Dye Nation was a bit shook, fast forward a few weeks and currently the Demon Deacons are riding five consecutive wins.
Over the weekend they took care of business against a scrappy Army team who nailed 10 threes in the first half, Wake overcame the sharpshooting Black Knights with an improved effort on D in the second and a balanced offensive effort.
The program and University really believe in Coach Manning, he has this program trending up and the Lawrence Joel is rocking once again.
After losing star forward and current Atlanta Hawks rookie John Collins, no one was certain who’d anchor the middle. 7’1 Doral Moore has stepped up on both ends; offensively he provides a reliable post presence to operate the inside-outside- game, he’s averaging 11 ppg on 84 percent from the field, and defensively Moore is the anchor for Wake. Moore has blocked 17 shots in 10 games and is also grabbing seven boards a game.
Juniors Bryant Crawford and Keyshaun Woods have stepped up in year three and given the Deacs one of the most formidable backcourts in the ACC. Crawford is the leader of the unit, a true combo guard he’s really shown more versatility than ever this season. He’s been counted on to be more of a playmaker and vocal leader on both ends.
Woods has been the most consistent player for Manning this year, he leads the team in scoring with 16 ppg. Woods has only started in four games but he’s the ultimate spark plug, and their top three point threat. Woods is shooting 48 percent from the field and has added noticeable depth, he seems more confident handling the rock and attacking the cup.
Chaundee Brown and Brandon Childress also contribute solid minutes to this deep backcourt, Brown is averaging nine points a game in his freshman campaign, he’s got upside offensively and Brown isn’t trigger shy. At 6’5 Brown is capable of guarding multiple spots on the wing, and he’s a solid rebounder at the guard position.
Childress is a true pass first point guard, the Winston- Salem, Native looks to be the floor general of the future for Wake. Childress is fifth in minutes and is usually on the floor in crucial moments late in games. Childress has legitimate court vision and exceptional passing ability, whenever he has the rock it’s in movement.
This group has a nice blend of veterans and youth that took some time to gel but with patience and commitment they’ve found a successful recipe.