Wake Forest at Miami: Game Information, Preview and Prediction
The Miami Hurricanes come into today’s Atlantic Coast Conference game with a 12-4 mark and a shot to eventually win the league outright.
The opposition will be Wake Forest, a squad that’s 9-6 in the ACC thus far. There will be some key matchups like the point guard matchup with Miami’s Nigel Pack going against Wake Forest’s Tyree Appleby to watch, and that’s just the beginning of the subplots.
Game information
Time: 2 p.m.
Location: Watsco Center, University of Miami
TV: Bally Sports/ACCNX
SI Sportsbook odds: Miami -7
Over/under: 157.5
Money line: Wake Forest +240, Miami -333
Statistics (national ranking)
Scoring offense: Wake Forest 77.7 (48); Miami 79 (27)
FG%: Wake Forest 46.4 (75); Miami 48.3 (22)
3-point FG made per game: Wake Forest: 9 (29); Miami 7.6 (153)
Scoring defense: Wake Forest 73.1 (272); Miami 70.5 (200)
Rebounding margin: Wake Forest 34.6/34.9, -0.3 (219); Miami 34.8/32.4, +2.4 (125)
Turnover margin: Wake Forest +1 (121); Miami +1.3 (101)
Assist-turnover ratio: Wake Forest 336/300, 1.12 (120); Miami 392/296, 1.32 (43)
Trends
Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons have won three in a row, including a 92-85 shootout win at home over North Carolina.
Miami has won five in a row, including an 80-72 road win against North Carolina, a 78-74 road win over Clemson, plus the 81-59 dominant win over Duke at home.
WF has scored below 70 points only once since the beginning of January, a 76-67 loss to Virginia at home on Jan. 21.
Miami’s last game scoring under 70 came at Pittsburgh, a 71-68 loss on Jan. 28.
Miami starting lineup
G Nigel Pack, 6-0, 185, 13, 2.6 rpg, 2.5 apg
G Isaiah Wong, 6-4, 185, 16, 4.5 rpg, 3.5 apg
G Wooga Poplar, 6-5, 192, 7.8 ppg, 3.1 rpg
G Jordan Miller, 6-7, 195, 15 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.7 apg
F Norchad Omier, 6-7, 250, 13.8 ppg, 9.9 rpg
Wake Forest starting lineup
G Tyree Appleby, 6-1, 165, 18.6, 6.2 app
G Cameron Hildreth, 6-4, 195, 12.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg
G Domari Monsanto, 6-6, 225, 13.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg
G Daivien Williamson, 6-1, 180, 7.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg
F Andrew Carr, 6-10, 220, 11.3 ppg, 6 rpg
Situations to watch
Miami’s Omier only scored five points and grabbed seven rebounds versus North Carolina; the reason stemmed from him being in foul trouble. Look for the multi-faceted big man to play well versus Wake Forest. He’s more powerful than anyone in the opposition’s starting lineup, and he’s going to be motivated after the last game.
Another scenario to watch for will be loose balls and hustle plays. Miami should be considered one of the most tenacious teams in the country, and it has been unselfish as well.
If the Canes win the long rebound and loose ball battles, look for some easy layups and dunks on the other end. That could be one of the key points to the game.
Both of these squads can really shoot the basketball from downtown. For the Demon Deacons, they have to hit upwards of 10 3-point shots to win today, if not going into double digits for made shots behind the 3-point arc.
Miami has not lost a home game this season, and generally feeds off the home crowd. WF hitting some early 3-point baskets would keep the crowd out of the contest and provide a chance to legitimately pull off the upset. If not, the Canes could pull away.
The player to watch some may not think about would be Wake Forest’s Hildreth, as he went for 19 points versus Georgia Tech in the last game. He did not hit a 3-point shot, but found ways to create scoring opportunities.
Miami’s Miller, and perhaps Poplar, will probably be assigned to guarding Hildreth. Their length might be valuable to slow down his scoring chances.
Watch out for #Miami's Jordan Miller today, and that's on both ends of the court. His length will be key to helping slow down a talented Wake Forest offensive attack.#TheU | @Jordan_miller11 pic.twitter.com/2Z3E52g3lT
— All Hurricanes (@AllHurricanes) February 18, 2023
Of course there’s Appleby, who’s a dynamo on the court. Miami will match him with Pack for a tremendous battle of point guards.
The point guard that truly leads his team, i.e. not necessarily making plays that go into key statistical categories, will probably be the winner today. That can be calling the right plays, shooting when needed and not because they want to, and simply controlling the game flow.
In the end, Miami’s better overall defense (again, the length of Miami’s big guards will be key), and playing at home will be the difference. Expect a tight game, however, as Wake Forest will not go away quietly.
Miami 78 Wake Forest 73
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Fan Nation High school football recruiting analyst covering the state of Florida, as well as across the Southeastern United States and the state of Texas.