This is the first of many posts following the ACC/Big 10 challenge. This post will cover player ratings for Wake Forest, and recap their game against Rutgers last night. No, I did not see a reason to write out player ratings for Rutgers, sorry, but not really.
I also watched Clemson vs Minnesota, but I am not sure when/if I will get a chance to create a post for that matchup. Because...
The next two nights are two of the biggest nights in college basketball thus far this season.
Tuesday's Games:
Michigan @ NC State
Northwestern @ Virginia Tech
Wofford @ Georgia Tech (yeah, this one doesn't really belong, but I have yet to see GT)
10 Virginia @ Ohio State
11 Purdue @ Pittsburgh
21 Miami @ Nebraska
2 Maryland @ 9 UNC (Season debut of Marcus Paige)
Wednesday's Games:
South Carolina Upstate @ Clemson (again, not Big 10 match up, but I owe Clemson a game at some point)
24 Louisville @ 3 Michigan State
Wisconsin @ 14 Syracuse
Penn State @ Boston College
Indiana @ 7 Duke
Notre Dame @ Illinois
Florida State @ Iowa
This is a ridiculous slate of games. I will be working on player ratings and recaps for almost all of them, at least the ACC/Big 10 match ups, throughout the remainder of the week. I will be writing player ratings for both ACC and Big 10 teams for most of the match ups as well. I just didn't for Rutgers. So, get excited. It is going to be a great couple of days. Feel free to comment, and let me know which games you are most excited for!
Also, for the record, I decided my ratings were a little low--6.70 for Kentucky's dismantling of Duke a couple weeks ago. So, I have adjusted accordingly. A 6.0 is somewhere about average, but it is a work in progress of course.
WAKE FOREST @ RUTGERS
Wake Forest Demon
Deacons
F Devin Thomas: 9
Devin
Thomas was the best player on the floor this game. Thomas was Wake
Forest's only source of offense for most of the second half. He kept
the team in the game single handedly before a few timely 3pt shots
allowed them to take over late. Thomas scored 23 points on 9-16
shooting. He showed off some good footwork and moves in the post. He
scored multiple times after spinning in the paint. Thomas also scored
on second chance opportunities close to the basket. He grabbed six
offensive rebounds, and 11 rebounds total, for a total of 17, which
ties a season high for him. Thomas did struggle holding onto the ball
at times, and passing, especially when he was pushed back farther
away from the basket, and tried to drive all the way to the basket.
He turned the ball over seven times, which is a ridiculous number,
but you have to remember Thomas was handling the ball way more than
he should with the rest of the team struggling for much of the game.
Thomas played good defense against a smaller Rutgers lineup, and had
three blocks, which also tied a season high. Prior to the season I
named him to my All-ACC third team, but if he continues the way he
has been playing he could be a darkhorse contender for ACC Player of
the Year honors. Thus far this year, Thomas has four double-doubles,
and has also scored more than 20 points on four occasions this year.
F Konstantinos
Mitoglou: 4
Mitoglou
is a player Wake needed to step up this season as a starter in order
for the team to improve. For the most part he has thus far. He is
averaging 12 points, and 7.7 rebounds per game. Unfortunately,
Mitoglou had his worst shooting performance of the year against
Rutgers. He shot just 1-7 from the field, and missed all five of his
3pt attempts. Mitoglou's poor 3pt shooting has been a trend this
season. His 3pt shooting % has dropped from 38.5% his freshman season
to 28.6% this season. This is worrisome for the team as they approach
the start of the ACC season. Mitoglou's ability to stretch defenses
will be essential to the team competing against the conference's best
teams. Mitoglou also struggled rebounding the ball. He had just five
rebounds, and three on the defensive end. Rutgers consistently
grabbed offensive rebounds around Mitoglou, especially when he was
paired up with John Collins or Doral Moore. He did do a decent job in
the post on defense though, and even blocked a couple of shots.
F Greg McClinton: 3
Despite
getting the start, McClinton only played 11 minutes, and took no
shots. McClinton is often sparingly used, as Wake prefers Hudson on
the floor when playing small, or either of the freshman: Collins or
Moore, when playing big. McClinton usually gives the team another
solid rebounder, but he only had one this game, and turned the ball
over twice in limited minutes.
G Mitchell Wilbekin:
6
With
Codi Miller-McIntyre out the first month and a half of the season,
one would think Mitchell Wilbekin would be one of the focal points of
this Wake Forest offense. However, Wilbekin has a tendency to
disappear offensively at times. He struggled in both of the team's
two losses, taking only five shots against Richmond, and putting up a
goose egg against Vanderbilt. Wilbekin nearly disappeared again in
the second half of this game, until he rifled a 3pt shot to bring
Rutger's lead down to six points with eight minutes remaining. Those
were his only points of the half though. Wilbekin is a good 3pt
shooting. He shot 4-7 from that distance this game, and is shooting
39.5% from three this season. However, his offensive game has not
developed beyond being a marksman at this point. Wilbekin also
struggled defensively matched up against Rutgers' star freshman,
Corey Sanders.
G Bryant Crawford: 4
I
was really excited to watch Crawford play. He has been Wake's second
best player, behind Thomas, while getting the start at PG in Codi
Miller-McIntyre's place. Unfortunately, like Mitoglou, Crawford had
his worst game of the season. He shot just 1-8 from the field.. Wake
Forest tries to push the ball up the court quickly on offense, and
that gets the four-star freshman into trouble at times. Crawford
often takes difficult shots early in the shot clock. Also, although
he had only one this game, turnovers have been a problem for him. He
has averaged 4.0 a game, to go with 4.2 assists per game. Ironically,
3pt shooting was not thought to be a strength of Crawford's coming
into college. But, he has shot 39.1% so far, and was one of two from
beyond the arc against the Scarlet Knights. Crawford shows a lot of
talent, and it is good he is getting so much experience early in the
season. However, Crawford will benefit from playing behind
Miller-McIntyre when the senior point guard returns. Crawford's
aggressive style is better suited for the bench right now.
F Cornelius Hudson:
6
Hudson
looked like a nice versatile defender, and role player. On offense,
he is best when using his length, and athleticism to drive to the
basket. He was three for six from the field, scoring eight points,
but missing both of his 3pt attempts. For the season, Hudson is
shooting just 27.8% from the field, and 12.5% from deep. It should be
noted, both of these numbers are subject to a very small sample size,
as Hudson has played in only two games this year. Hudson offers
little upside offensively, but looks like a good defensive asset. He
covered Corey Sanders much better than Wilbekin, especially down the
stretch.
F John Collins: 7
Collins
received playing time early this year in Hudson's absence, and became
a nice surprise for Wake Forest. Collins is averaging nearly 10
points per game, and had 11 against Rutgers. He shot 5-7 from the
field, and showed good potential scoring in the post. Having an
additional post threat, should free up Devin Thomas further, as well
as Wake Forest's shooters like Mitoglou and Wilbekin. Collins also
has some raw tools on defense, and had two blocks this game. However,
he also picked up four fouls in just 16 minutes.
G Rondale Watson: 4
Rondale
Watson played in just his second game of the season against Rutgers.
He is not a big threat to score. He missed all three of his field
goal attempts this game, and is shooting just two for eight through
two games. He shot just 25% last season in limited minutes. Watson
grabbed five rebounds this game, but that is likely an aberration, as
most of them came far away from the basket. Watson's playing time
will drop once Miller-McIntyre returns.
C Doral Moore: 5
Doral
Moore is one of Wake Forest's most promising players. The 7'1,
four-star, freshman has good tools on the defensive end, and looks
pretty light on his feet. He impressively grabbed four rebounds, and
blocked two shots in just eight minutes
this game. Moore looks incredibly raw on the offensive end though,
and does not know how to properly post up yet. He also picked up
three quick fouls, and did not play down the stretch with the game on
the line.
G Trent VanHorn: N/A
Did
not play enough minutes to qualify.
Team Rating: 5.90
Wake Forest struggled in the second half against Rutgers, and was only able to take the lead back in the closing minutes of the game. Wake Forest's shooters particularly found it difficult to find the back of the net. The team shot 27.8% from beyond the arc, and Mitchell Wilbekin had all but one of their made 3pointers. The Demon Deacons also turned the ball over 18 times, and was out rebounded by a smaller Rutgers team, who they allowed to grab 16 boards off the offensive glass. Wake Forest did defend well in the post, other than their inability to block out when rebounding. They blocked a total of ten shots. The frontcourt also has a ton of depth, with Mitroglou, Collins, and Moore (all of whom are 6'10 or taller) rotating beside Thomas, and three of the four bigs played together at times. Devin Thomas was especially dominate on both sides of the court, and has been an anchor for the team all season. His assertiveness when the team struggled in the second half was impressive. Rutgers is not a team you want to squeak a win out against. However, Wake has otherwise had an encouraging start. They have only lost two games, and one of those losses came against Vanderbilt. Meanwhile, they have beaten both UCLA, and Indiana who was ranked 13th at the time. Most impressively though, Wake Forest has been playing thus far without senior point guard Codi Miller-McIntyre, who was their co-best player last season, along with Thomas. They should get Miller-McIntyre back this month, and it will be very interesting once they do.
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