Wake Forest has set the standard in turning around a program under coach Steve Forbes.

The Demon Deacons and their litany of transfers are 22-8 overall and 12-7 in the ACC. Wake Forest topped NC State 69-51 on Feb. 9 in Raleigh, with the Demon Deacons finishing the game on a 21-4 run over the final seven minutes.

WFU senior wing Alondes Williams had 17 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists, and senior post player Khadim Sy had 13 points and six rebounds off the bench.

NC State plays at Wake Forest at 7 p.m. Wednesday on RSN.

Wake Forest has incorporated senior forward Isaiah Mucius with four transfers in turning around the program.

Williams (Oklahoma), power forward Jake LaRavia (Indiana State), Daivien Williamson (East Tennessee State) and center Dallas Walton (Colorado), have transformed the program. Add in small forward Damari Monsanto (East Tennessee State) and Sy, who is on his fourth college (Virginia Tech/Juco/Ole Miss).

Rankings

Wake Forest is No. 42 in the NET rankings this season, and NC State is No. 139.

ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) has the Demon Deacons currently ranked No. 36 overall, and NC State is No. 120.

KenPom.com has Wake Forest at No. 37, and NCSU checks in at No. 132.

RealtimeRPI.com has NC State ranked No. 211 in the country, and Wake Forest is No. 72.

Shooting

Wake Forest is averaging 78.8 points per game and shooting 48.5 percent from the field, 35.2 percent from three-point land and 73.8 percent at the free-throw line.

LaRavia leads Wake Forest in three-point shooting at 41.0 percent, with Williamson right behind at 40.3 percent. The latter also leads the Demon Deacons with 88.9 percent from the free-throw line.

Rebounding

The Demon Deacons are averaging 36.7 rebounds per game and have a plus-2.9 on rebounding margin.

LaRavia and Williams are 1-2 in rebounds with a combined 13.5 boards a game. LaRavia has a team-best 63 offensive rebounds.

Defense

WFU is allowing 69.6 points per game, with opponents shooting 41.4 percent from the field and 31.7 percent on three-pointers.

Walton leads the Demon Deacons with 44 blocks and LaRavia has chipped in 26 blocks, but a team-high 47 steals.

Depth

Sy, Monsanto and two foreign imports from England make up the Wake Forest bench. Sy is averaging 6.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in 20.2 minutes per game, and Monsanto checks in with 6.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 16.3 minutes a contest.

The 7-1, 250-pound Matthew Marsh and 6-4 Cameron Hildreth are both freshmen from England.

Wake Forest shooting guard Alondes Williams has emerged as an unlikely ACC Player of the Year candidate.

The 6-foot-5, 210-pound Williams attended Milwaukee (Wis.) Riverside High and then made his way 90 minutes south to Triton College in River Grove, Ill. He averaged 17.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game his sophomore year. He helped Triton win the 2018 NJCAA Division II title his freshman season.

Williams made the move to Oklahoma for two years, where he started 24 games out of 55 appearances under coach Lon Kruger. He averaged 6.7 points and 2.8 rebounds in 18.5 minutes per game last year.

Williams exploded this season for 19.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He wasn’t much of an outside shooter in the past, but has improved to go 39 of 125 from three-point land for 31.2 percent. Williams was just 4 of 24 on three-pointers last year.

Williams served notice right away that he was one of the most improved players in the country. He had 32 points in the second game against Western Carolina. He had a triple-double against South Carolina-Upstate on Dec. 11, and followed up with 36 points against Virginia Military Institute three days later. Williams then came back for 34 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in a 82-79 win over Charlotte on Dec. 17.

Williams has proven to be just as productive in the ACC, with three games where he scored 25 points — Duke, Syracuse and Miami (Fla.).

NC State

PG — 1 Dereon Seabron (6-7, 180, R-Soph., 17.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 3.1 apg, 1.4 spg)

SG — 0 Terquavion Smith (6-4, 160, Fr., 15.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.4 spg)

G — 14 Casey Morsell (6-3, 200, Jr., 7.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 0.8 apg)

PF — 4 Jericole Hellems (6-7, 200, Sr., 13.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.1 spg)

C — 21 Ebenezer Dowuona (6-11, 225, Soph., 4.1 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 0.2 apg, 1.9 bpg)

Wake Forest

PG — 4 Daivien Williamson (6-1, 180, Sr., 12.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.1 apg)

SG — 31 Alondes Williams (6-5, 210, Sr., 19.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 5.1 apg, 1.2 spg)

SF — 1 Isaiah Mucius (6-8, 205, Sr., 9.7 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 0.8 apg)

PF — 0 Jake LaRavia (6-8, 235, Jr., 15.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 3.7 apg, 1.7 spg)

C — 13 Dallas Walton (7-0, 230, Sr., 8.4 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 1.1 apg, 1.5 bpg)

17 Games where senior wing Alondes Williams has led Wake Forest in points this season.

24: Losses when Wake Forest has a lower field-goal percentage than its opponent (6-24).

25 Seasons since Wake Forest had a player go for 30 points, five rebounds and five assists in a game, which senior wing Alondes Williams achieved. He had 34 points, eight rebounds and seven assists against Charlotte on Dec. 17.

Senior point guard Daivien Williamson is from Winston-Salem, N.C., and attended East Tennessee State his first two years.

The 6-1, 180-pounder followed coach Steve Forbes to Wake Forest, and has steadied the backcourt. He averaged 10.4 points and 2.6 assists per game his sophomore year at ETSU, and there hasn't been much of a drop-off in the bigger conference.

Williamson is averaging 12.0 points and 1.1 assists per game, and is shooting 46.0 percent from the field and 40.3 percent on three-pointers this season. He's a career 38.5 percent shooter from beyond the arc.

Williamson had 11 points in Wake Forest's 69-51 victory over NC State on Feb. 9.

The 6-4, 160-pound Terquavion Smith is averaging 15.9 points per game, and he's shooting 40.4 percent from the field and 36.9 percent on three-pointers.

Follow on Twitter:

@NCStateRivals or @JaceyZembal

Subscribe for free on YouTube:

For Jacey Zembal or The Wolfpack Central

Like on Facebook:

www.facebook.com/TheWolfpackCentral