Takeaways from Wake Forest's 68-65 win over Utah Valley
Wake Forest earned their third victory of the season on Tuesday, grinding out a 68-65 overtime win behind a buzzer-beating three from Tyree Appleby. It was far from the Deacs’ best performance, but they did enough to get the job done. Here’s what we learned from the hard-fought victory.
Steve Forbes has found his closers
After testing out numerous different lineup combinations through the first two games, Forbes didn’t make a substitution through the last 14:28 of yesterday’s game until Matthew Marsh checked in for the final play of overtime. The lineup consisted of Cameron Hildreth, Andrew Carr, Bobi Klintman, Tyree Appleby and Daivien Williamson. While this group isn’t exactly “small”, it’s an NBA-style group because there is no traditional big man. Carr and Klintman can both stretch the floor with their ability to make plays from the perimeter, while adding enough height to play defense in the post. Plus, this team hasn’t been better at rebounding with Davion Bradford or Marsh on the floor compared to without.
READ: Key Stats from Wake Forest's win over Utah Valley
Forbes’ reluctance to play a true five down the stretch is something to keep an eye on. Bradford was awesome against Georgia but he got in early foul trouble in this one and only played 10 minutes. Against some of the dominant big men in the ACC, Bradford could end up being needed in the closing lineup. But if Klintman can continue to prove himself as reliable and Carr can continue to rebound at a high clip (14 boards against UVU), this lineup will likely be the one that the staff trusts the most at the end of games.
This team knows how to play in close games
Wake has handled all three of their non-conference opponents so far, but none of these wins have been blowouts. Against Fairfield, Wake led by only seven points at half and the Stags eventually cut the lead to a single point. The Deacs were up 19 at half against Georgia, but a big run from the Bulldogs shrank the lead to single digits. And in the second half on Tuesday, Wake trailed by seven at one point — they even fell behind by 4 early in the overtime period. But Forbes’ group didn’t panic and got the result they were looking for on each occasion.
For a team with so many new pieces, this trait is incredibly encouraging. It’s also a reflection of the revelation Forbes and his staff have been to this program. When a good mid-major team comes in and punches you in the mouth (the Wolverines started the game on a 9-0 run), the game can slip away. The win wasn’t pretty, but as Forbes said post game, “There’s no such thing as a bad win.” ACC play will be a gauntlet as it always is, but a team that demonstrates composure under pressure the way Wake has will certainly prove to be a tough out. I think these early tests will prove invaluable for the Deacs as the season gets in full swing.
The Cameron Hildreth experience is in full effect
Hildreth has been a big boost off the bench this season. The sophomore from England shattered his career high with 37 minutes played against Utah Valley, and he scored nine points to go along with six rebounds and two assists. He also was 1-1 from behind the arc for the second straight game, drilling a crucial three-pointer from the corner with three minutes to go in regulation which cut the Wolverine lead to one.
Hildreth is fourth on the team in scoring this season (10.3 ppg), second in rebounding (6.7 rpg) and second in assists (2.7 apg). On the flip side, he’s turning the ball over much more than anybody else, giving it away 3.3 times per game thus far. Hildreth turned it over four times against Utah Valley, because several times he was out of control and tried to do too much with his dribble. Hildreth has been an impact player so far so he needs to continue to play big minutes, but it’s imperative that he slows down and makes better decisions when ACC play rolls around.
Lucas Taylor isn’t ready to contribute
In a previous edition of takeaways, we wrote about Taylor potentially stepping into an Isaiah Mucius-esque three-and-D role. Even though Taylor has started in three games this year, he’s been a complete non factor. Taylor is 1-6 from the field and 1-4 from deep in 40 minutes of playing time this season. He’s grabbed six rebounds, and added a single assist and a steal. In 10 scoreless minutes yesterday, his +/- was a team worst -15. Taylor has been fine defensively and he hasn’t turned the ball over this season, so Forbes could continue to trot him out there as a starter. However, the 6-5 sophomore from Raleigh seems hesitant offensively and hasn’t been able to make his presence felt at all this season.
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