Game facts
NC State (10-5, 0-2 ACC) at Wake Forest (9-5, 0-2 ACC)
Game time: Sunday, Jan. 10, 8 p.m. — Lawrence Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Television: ESPNU
Probable starters
NC State
PG — 12 Anthony Barber (6-2, 190, Jr., 22.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 4.9 apg)
SG — 14 Caleb Martin (6-7, 215, Soph., 12.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.5 apg)
SF — 24 Maverick Rowan (6-7, 215, Fr., 12.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 0.9 apg)
PF — 0 Abdul-Malik Abu (6-8, 240, Soph., 11.1 ppg, 8.4 rpg, 1.0 apg)
C — 21 BeeJay Anya (6-9, 285, Jr., 5.4 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 0.7 apg, 2.9 bpg)
Wake Forest
PG — 13 Bryant Crawford (6-3, 190, Fr., 12.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.8 apg, 1.4 spg)
G — 10 Mitchell Wilbekin (6-2, 165, Soph., 7.9 ppg, 2.0 rgp, 1.6 apg)
SG — 0 Codi Miller-McIntyre (6-3, 205, Sr., 6.8 ppg, 4.8 rgp, 3.3 apg, 1.2 spg)
PF — 44 Konstantinos Mitoglou (6-10, 225, Soph., 11.6 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 0.9 apg)
C — 2 Devin Thomas (6-9, 255, Sr., 16.7 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 2.1 apg, 1.9 bpg)
Wake Forest
Location: Winston-Salem, N.C.
Nickname: Demon Deacons
2014-15 record: 13-19 overall and 5-13 ACC
2015 postseason: None
Coach: Danny Manning fourth year overall (56-51) and second year at Wake Forest (18-22)
Notes
Wake Forest overview: The Demon Deacons are showing signs of a revival this season under second-year head coach Danny Manning.
Wake Forest got an early season boost with wins over Indiana and UCLA in the Maui Invitational, followed by topping Rutgers, Arkansas and LSU. Making the start more impressive is the Demon Deacons did it without starting shooting guard Codi Miller-McIntyre for the first eight games due to a foot injury.
Wake Forest hosts NC State on Sunday and return to PNC Arena Feb. 13. Both the Demon Deacons and Wolfpack are 0-2 in the ACC.
Backcourt: Former NC State recruiting target Bryant Crawford has blossomed for the Demon Deacons and helped hold the squad together when Miller-McIntyre was out.
The 6-3, 190-pounder is averaging 12.9 points and 4.8 assists per game while shooting an impressive 41.4 percent from three-point range. He has actually struggled on two-pointers, shooting 36.9 percent. Rivals.com ranked Crawford No. 80 overall in the class of 2015.
Miller-McIntyre, who is from Concord, N.C., has played the last six games but has been trying to find his groove. He had 10 points and five assists in an 83-77 win over Coastal Carolina Dec. 18 and found a way to grab 12 rebounds in the 77-71 win at LSU Dec. 29. Miller-McIntyre broke out in the 91-75 loss to Duke this past week, going 9 of 19 from the field for 20 points, plus seven rebounds.
Miller-McIntyre has only made more than one shot in two games, and is shooting 34.7 percent from the field. A fully healthy version averaged 14.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 45 percent from the field last year. He combined for 45 points in the two games against NC State during that season.
Crawford scored 21 points in back-to-back games at Bucknell Nov. 15 and versus Richmond Nov. 18. He shot 4 of 5 on three-pointers against the Spiders. Crawford has tallied at least 13 points or more in eight contests. He started his ACC career with 14 points, seven assists, four rebounds and just one turnover in the 65-57 loss at Louisville.
The 6-2, 165-pound Mitchell Wilbekin started at point guard last year, but played unevenly. He averaged 7.2 points and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 38.6 percent from three-point land last year. He is essentially about the same this season, shooting 32.4 percent from the field and 32.9 percent on three-pointers.
Wilbekin had 17 points and four rebounds in the 90-82 win over Bucknell, a common opponent for NC State and WFU. He played his best ball in the wins over UCLA, Rutgers and Arkansas, combining to score 40 points and drain 11 threes. He also had 13 points and three three-pointers versus Indiana.
Small forwards Greg McClinton and Cornelius Hudson both have prior starting experience. The athletic 6-7, 200-pound McClinton is averaging 4.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game, and he is shooting 56.9 percent from the field. He has cracked double figures in three contests. He scored a season-high 13 points against Coastal Carolina.
Hudson is the opposite and relies on his three-point shot, but he is shooting just 27.5 percent from beyond the arc. The 6-6, 180-pounder, who attended Durham Mount Zion his senior year, is averaging 9.6 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, and is shooting just 34,3 percent overall. Hudson missed the first five games due to suspension, but had 16 points, eight rebounds and four assists in his debut against UCLA, despite a 2-of-12 shooting performance. He also had a season-high 17 points and shot 4 of 6 from three-point range against Arkansas, and 12 points and 3 of 6 on three-pointers against Duke.
Walk-on wing Trent Van Horn hasn't played in three of the last four games, but he did have 12 points in 40 minutes in the 86-64 loss versus Vanderbilt.
Guard Rondale Watson, who started the season suspended, is averaging 3.0 points per game and shooting 27.3 percent from the field (2 of 10 on three-pointers).
Frontcourt: The one-two punch of Devin Thomas and Konstantinos "Dinos" Mitoglou has helped carry the Demon Deacons. Thomas plays with his back to the basket and has been a productive four-year starter. He also is terrific at getting to the free throw line (114 attempts), though he's just a 57.9 percent shooter there.
The 6-9, 255-pound Thomas leads the team with 16.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. All are career highs if he can maintain them. Thomas set the tone for his senior year with 21 points and 17 rebounds in the season opener against Maryland-Baltimore County Nov. 13, and he later added 23 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks in the 69-68 win at Rutgers Nov. 30.
Thomas has collected eight double-doubles this season and cracked 20 points in five contests. He opened the ACC slate with 14 points and 10 rebounds at Louisville, and then had 21 points and 12 rebounds against Duke
The 6-10, 225-pound Mitoglou is from Greece and prefers to play inside and outside. He is shooting 38.5 percent from beyond the three-point arc and has made at least three treys in five games.
Mitoglou has three double-doubles, including 19 points, 16 boards and three blocks against Maryland-Baltimore County. He poured in a season-high 22 points and went 4 of 6 on three-pointers in the 81-71 win over UNC Greensboro Dec. 15.
Freshman John Collins has been a pleasant surprise as the third post player in the rotation. The 6-10, 218-pounder is averaging 8.9 points and 5.0 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per game. He is shooting at a 59.7 percent clip, and has cracked double figures in nine games. He'll smoothly take over Thomas' starting spot next year. Collins had 11 points, seven rebounds and two blocks against Duke.
NBA-sized freshman center Doral Moore, who is listed at 7-1 and 250 pounds, has played in all but one game games and is averaging 2.5 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. Rivals.com ranked him No. 70 overall in the class of 2015.
