2009-2010 Team Preview: Wake Forest Demon Deacons

2008-2009 Record: 24-7, 11-5 ACC (t-2nd)

Key Losses: Jeff Teague (18.8 ppg, 3.3 apg, 3.5 rpg), James Johnson (15.0 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 1.5 bpg, 1.4 spg)

Key Returners: Al-Farouq Aminu (12.9 ppg, 8.2 rpg), Chas McFarland (8.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg), LD Williams (8.0 ppg)

Newcomers: Ari Stewart, Konner Tucker, CJ Harris

Wake Forest caught a break when Al-Farouq Aminu decided to return to school.
(photo credit: Slam)

Wake Forest lost Jeff Teague and James Johnson to the NBA after their sophomore season's, but that doesn't mean that the Demon Deacon's off-season was a bust. Dino Gaudio caught a huge break when Al-Farouq Aminu, who many believed could have been a lottery pick this past season, decided to return for his sophomore campaign.

Aminu has a shot to be a special player for Wake. Combining excellent athleticism, body control, length, and a ton of energy, Aminu's potential leaves NBA scouts drooling. The problem is that Aminu is still too dependent on his tools. Last season he excelled when he was able to use his athleticism to his advantage - getting out and running the floor, crashing the offensive glass, or cutting to the rim, but when he was forced into half-court isolation situations, he was much less effective. The biggest problem is Aminu is stuck between being a power forward and small forward. He has the quickness to play on the perimeter on both ends of the floor, but unless his jumper, his handle, and his decision making and understanding of the game improves he will have to play the four. To be honest, he reminds me a bit of where James Johnson was after his freshman season (although Johnson who was two years older at the time, was probably a bit more advanced). With Teague and Johnson gone, Wake's season will depend on how well Aminu develops.

Wake will once again have one of the better front lines in the ACC. In addition to Aminu, the Demon Deacons return four guys standings 6'11" or taller. The best of the group is Chas McFarland. A starter the past two seasons, McFarland's role on the offensive end will expand this season. The seven footer has always had a really nice touch in the paint, with range out to the three-point line. His post moves are decent, and he is about what you would expect from an average seven-footer on the glass and blocking shots. The biggest issue McFarland has is decision-making and ability to pass out of the post - he turned the ball over almost two times per game last season despite playing just over 20 minutes per. If he is going to see his offensive workload increase, he needs to cut down on his mistakes.

The other three bigs are senior David Weaver and sophomores Ty Walker and Tony Woods. Woods and Weaver are the two that will probably see the most playing time. They are both essentially the same player - big, strong kids that will grab a few rebounds, block a few shots, dunk the ball when they are near the rim, and provide Gaudio with a lot of muscle up front. Walker has the most upside of the three, as he is athletic and very long, even for someone listed at 7'0". An excellent shot blocker, Walker was not strong enough to handle the physicality of major college basketball as a freshman. If he puts on some strength, he could become an excellent defensive presence at this level.

Perhaps the most important player for the Demon Deacons this year will be Ishmael Smith. Ish had an excellent freshman season, but over the last two years has seen his numbers tail off with Teague on the team. Now that he is a senior, Smith will have the ball in his hands a majority of the time. Looking at this roster, the Demon Deacons don't have a ton of guys that can create their own shots. Smith averaged 6.0 apg as a freshman, and Gaudio is going to count on his ability to create shots for his teammates, be it on the break or in the half court. Joining Smith in the starting back court will be LD Williams. Williams' role on this Demon Deacons team is as a hustler and a defender. There are not many players in the country with the overall athletic profile that Williams has, which makes him an excellent defender and a terror on the break.

Gaudio will add two freshman to the mix this season. The most highly touted recruit is Ari Stewart. Stewart, a 6'7" small forward that loves to run the floor and can jump out of the gym, will excel in the open court for Gaudio. Stewart's another guy that is still relies a bit too much on his tools, but he is more of a wing than Aminu as he has range out to the three-point line. CJ Harris is the other recruit. Harris is a lead guard, but it will be intriguing to see where Gaudio plays him as a freshman. Harris is a heady player with a high basketball IQ that gets praised for his leadership abilities and unselfishness. But he is also an excellent scorer and much less of a play maker than a guy like Ish Smith. Harris could be the next in the line of scoring point guards from Wake (Randolph Childress, Justin Gray, Taron Downey, Jeff Teague)?

One of Wake's biggest weaknesses last season was their lack of a consistent perimeter shooter. As a result, defenses were able to slough off their man, clogging the lane at times. Two guys - junior Gary Clark and sophomore JuCo transfer Konner Tucker - have the potential to fill that role.

Outlook: I like this Wake Forest team. They have a number of athletes playing different positions, a lot of size on the inside, and an underrated senior point guard. The problem is that unless Aminu realizes his potential this season, Wake is going to be without a go-to scorer. While they will no doubt be a tough defensive team and a pleasure to watch on the break, if you can slow them down I'm not sure they are going to be able to score in the half court. If Aminu can become that go-to scorer and Smith can regain the form he showed as a freshman, Wake could be a top 25 team. If not, they might be an NIT team. I'd lean toward the former, with Wake racking up 20 wins and a 10 seed come March.