Brent Pelella
Vs. Wake Forest
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons come into Friday’s matchup with a 1-0 record after shooting their way to an opening day victory against Radford. They shot an impressive 64.2% from the floor, which is their best mark since late in the 2007 season.
Senior C.J. Harris, who is anticipated to be in the top 15 in scoring in school’s history by the season’s end, led Wake Forest with 19 points. His perimeter scoring ability will be a point of emphasis for UConn to focus on throughout the game. Harris is coupled by another outside shooting threat, Chase Fischer, who finished with 11 points off the bench against Radford.
On the frontline, the Deacons feature two forwards who attack the glass and also have the ability to score. Junior Travis McKie is a wing player, who strives in transition and open floor opportunities. On the other hand, freshman standout Devin Thomas is the main post presence that needs to be highlighted for Olander and company.
The unsung voice for this Wake Forest team looks to be another freshman, Codi Miller-McIntyre, who started at point guard in game one. He has strength and speed, which will definitely be tested against UConn’s tough backcourt.
The Deacons have an extremely young roster led by Jeff Bzdelik in his third season. They have never played the Huskies under Bzdelik, and their last meeting came in 1991 when UConn cruised to a nine-point victory.
It is safe to say that UConn’s guard play has been more than satisfactory in their first two contests averaging 54.5 points per game out of the team’s 66.5 (including the 9.5 from wing forward DeAndre Daniels). However, their biggest question mark that still is yet to be answered is how UConn will respond to a good perimeter defending team.
In two games, the Huskies are being out rebounded by an average of 11 rebounds, and have allowed 37 offensive rebounds total. Aside, from that aspect we have seen the determined UConn team rise to a 2-0 record and a national ranking of 23.
With a win, UConn will meet the winner of Quinnipiac and Iona in the second round on Sunday at 9 pm. With a loss, they will play the loser of that matchup Sunday at 5 pm.
