NC State will hope that history repeats itself on Friday.

NC State cruised to a 91-82 win over Wake Forest in the first meeting Dec. 7 in Winston-Salem, N.C. NCSU went up 79-64 with 2:44 left in the game, and Wake Forest started to press and created some turnovers. The ensuing drama had NC State clinging to a 85-80 lead with 29 seconds left, but the Wolfpack took care of business from there.

NCSU had six players in double figures and shot 52.3 percent from the field. Wake Forest eschewed fouling in the game, allowing NC State several easy dunks and layups in the game.

NC State (18-12 overall, 9-10 ACC) hosts Wake Forest (13-16, 6-13 ACC) at 7 p.m. Friday for Senior Day on the ACC Network. Here is a scouting report on the Demon Deacons.

The veteran trio of senior point guard Brandon Childress, junior small forward Chaundee Brown and junior center Olivier Sarr have been the backbone of the program this season. All three players are averaging at least 12 points per game, with Sarr and Brown showing improvement from last year.

Wake Forest has been playing better of late in trying to save head coach Danny Manning’s job. The Demon Deacons topped Duke 113-101 in double overtime Feb. 25, and defeated Notre Dame 84-73 on Feb. 29. WFU had dropped eight of its first 10 ACC games.

Rankings

In the newly established NET rankings done by the NCAA, Wake Forest is ranked No. 102 this season.

KenPom.com has Wake Forest at No. 93 in the country this season, and ESPN’s College Basketball Power Index (BPI) has the Demon Deacons at No. 97.

The Demon Deacons are ranked No. 137 in the old RPI formula used by the NCAA — according to RealTimeRPI.com.

Shooting

Wake Forest ranks seventh in the ACC at 73.8 points per game this season. The Demon Deacons are eighth in field-goal percentage (43.0) and fourth in three-point field-goal shooting percentage (34.9).

Freshman wing Jahcobi Neath leads the Demon Deacons with 47.8 percent on three-pointers, but it’s a smaller sample size (11 of 23). Fellow freshman forward Ismael Massoud is second at 41.2 percent and senior guard Andrien White is third at 37.8 percent.

Rebounding

WFU, thanks to Sarr, is fourth in the ACC with 38.1 rebounds per game, tied for eighth with 10.1 offensive rebounds a contest and fifth in rebounding margin with 2.7.

Sarr leads the Demon Deacons with 8.9 rebounds per game, but he does get some help. Three other players are averaging at least 4.1 rebounds per game, with junior small forward Chaundee Brown chipping in 6.3 boards a contest.

Defense

The Demon Deacons are dead last in the ACC in allowing 74.3 points per game. WFU is 13th in the league in allowing 43.1 percent from the field, and 10th in allowing 33.0 percent from three-point land.

Sarr leads the way with 32 blocks, and freshman backup center Ody Oguama, who attended Raleigh Cardinal Gibbons, has 24 blocks. Childress has a team-high 34 steals and White has 22.

Depth

Wake Forest plays four players off the bench in freshman center Ody Oguama, sophomore wing Sharone Wright Jr., Massoud and White. Johnson had played in every game, but the Northern Arizona graduate transfer missed the UNC game with a leg injury.

White, who is the younger brother of former Kansas/Nebraska/Syracuse wing Andrew White, transferred in from Charlotte for his last year. He’s averaging 9.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. The 6-8 Massoud chips in 5.1 points and 2.2 rebounds a contest.

Wake Forest junior center Olivier Sarr would be a strong candidate for an all-improved team in the ACC.

The 7-0, 255-pounder from France averaged a modest 6.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game last year, but has jumped to 13.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game this season.

Sarr has had some monster games to show his ultimate potential as a pro prospect. He dominated Notre Dame with 30 points and 17 rebounds in a 84-73 win Feb. 29. Sarr also had 25 points before fouling out in the 113-101 double overtime victory against Duke. He has gone a combined 24 of 33 from the field and 19 of 24 at the free-throw line for 67 points and 33 rebounds over his last three games.

Sarr has 10 double-doubles for points and rebounds this season, including having 21 points and 13 boards in a 73-66 loss against Arizona on Dec. 1. He’s reached double figures in all but five ACC games this season.

NC State held Sarr relatively in check with 12 points and nine rebounds in the first meeting Dec. 7. His collision over a loose ball with NCSU sophomore forward Jericole Hellems affected both teams due to concussion issues.

NC State

PG — 11 Markell Johnson (6-1, 175, Sr., 13.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 6.5 apg, 1.9 apg)

SG — 13 C.J. Bryce (6-5, 210, 5th-Sr., 13.4 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.2 spg)

G — 24 Devon Daniels (6-5, 205, R-Jr., 12.4 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.7 spg)

PF — 0 D.J. Funderburk (6-10, 225, R-Jr., 12.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 0.3 apg)

C — 15 Manny Bates (6-11, 230, R-Fr., 5.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.3 apg, 2.9 bpg)

Wake Forest

PG — 0 Brandon Childress (6-0, 195, Sr., 15.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.7 apg, 1.2 spg)

SG — 4 Jahcobi Neath (6-3, 200, Fr., 5.0 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.0 apg)

SF — 23 Chaundee Brown (6-5, 220, Jr., 12.5 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.4 apg)

PF — 1 Isaiah Mucius (6-8, 195, Soph., 7.0 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 0.9 apg)

C — 30 Olivier Sarr (7-0, 255, Jr., 13.5 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.1 bpg)

1 Wins this season when trailing at halftime for Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons are 1-11 when trailing at halftime.

3 Wake Forest players who have had at least 30 points and 15 rebounds in an ACC game. Junior center Olivier Sarr had 30 points and 17 rebounds against Notre Dame on Feb. 29, joining Rodney Rogers and John Collins in do.

24.3 Free-throw attempts per game for Wake Forest, which leads the ACC. The Demon Deacons are also third in the league at shooting 75 percent.

Childress has been a lightning rod his four years at Wake Forest, but he has squeezed everything out on the floor.

The former High Point (N.C.) Wesleyan standout is the son of Wake Forest star and current assistant coach Randolph Childress. When Brandon Childress first committed to Wake Forest, some wondered if he’d walk-on with his dad on the staff. He was a scholarship recruit and has ended up scoring 1,379 points and 437 assists going into the NC State game. He’s one of six WFU players to have reached 1,300 points and 400 assists, joining his father among others.

The 6-0, 195-pounder is leading the squad with 15.4 points, plus 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He’s shooting 39.8 percent from the field, which is actually a career best, and 31.4 percent from three-point land.

Childress had 30 points against NC State in the first meeting, easily his season high. He has scored 24 points in three different contests, including his last game. Childress had 24 points and nine assists in the 93-83 loss at North Carolina on Tuesday.

NC State senior point guard Markell Johnson had 14 points and seven assists in the first meeting against Wake Forest. He’s averaging 13.0 points and 6.5 assists per game this season.

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