Wake Forest vs Georgia: Preview and Prediction

The Demon Deacons take on the Georgia Bulldogs in their second game of the 2022 college basketball season

Steve Forbes and his 1-0 Wake Forest Demon Deacons host the Georgia Bulldogs in a Friday night matchup. Georgia is one of four Power 6 opponents that the Deacs will face in non-conference play.

Follow along with all the action from our live updates.

Gameday Info:

Tipoff: 8:30 p.m. ET

TV: ACCN

Spread: Wake Forest -7

Moneyline: Wake Forest +250, Georgia -320

Over/under: 143.5

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Georgia Team Overview:

Georgia went 6-26 last season and subsequently fired head coach Tom Crean after a four-year stint. They lost 20 of 21 games to end the season. They were abysmal on all fronts, ranking 219th in KenPom and having one of the worst defenses in the nation.

Georgia stole Mike White from Florida and gave him the keys to right the ship. White was doing a solid job for the Gators, and won seven NCAA tournament games across that same number of seasons. However, after falling on the wrong side of the bubble with a 19-13 record last season, White decided to bolt when Georgia gave him the offer. The Bulldogs have the No. 1 football team in the nation but, other than having Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards a couple of seasons ago, this program has lived in the basement of the SEC.

White was able to retain four guys who started games for the Bulldogs last season, including the top-two scorers in junior guard Kario Oquendo and senior center Braelen Bridges. They are the only team in the SEC to do so.

After struggling vs D2 Georgia College in an exhibition last week, the Bulldogs took down Western Carolina 68-55 on Monday. Georgia led by 15 at half, but the Catamounts cut it to two seven minutes into the second period.

Georgia was selected to finish 14th in the SEC preseason poll.

Key stat:

Georgia was ranked 318th in adjusted defensive efficiency last season. With new energy and a new coach in town, the Bulldogs will look to take on a “dawg” mentality and become much more engaged on the defensive side of the ball. This was White’s focus this offseason, so expect the Bulldogs to play with pride, tenacity and energy tonight, especially on defense.

Georgia X-Factor: Kario Oquendo

Oquendo is a big-time athlete and scorer. He went for 18 points in 28 minutes in the win over Western Carolina, connecting on 7-11 FGs. The 6-4, 220-lb. guard also blocked three shots. After making 27.2% of his three-pointers last season, Oquendo is off to a good start shooting it this season, connecting on 2/4 from downtown on Monday. Oquendo’s ability to create his own shot and score at all three levels could prove problematic for the Deacs, especially considering they don’t have a top perimeter defender established.

Wake Forest X-Factor: Tyree Appleby

White was Appleby’s coach last season, and Georgia will have the scouting report on Wake’s starting point guard. Appleby didn’t find a rhythm offensively in Monday’s win over Fairfield, and didn’t score a field goal until there were two and a half minutes left in the game. With Jao Ituka still sidelined with an injury, Appleby needs to step up and provide scoring production alongside Daivien Williamson. The three assists and two steals were nice on Monday, but Appleby should be taking more than five shots in a game. In his fifth collegiate season, look for the Florida transfer to score more efficiently tonight.

Why Wake Forest will cover:

This is a game the Deacs should definitely win against what will likely be one of the weaker Power 6 teams in the country. Offensively, Wake should be able to score at home against a team that was abysmal last season defensively. The Deacs scored 71 points last game while shooting just 27% from downtown (6-22), so I’m expecting some positive regression there. Georgia also has a lot of new pieces and was straight up outplayed by Western Carolina for a decent portion of their opener. The Bulldogs shot a concerning 3-10 from three-point land and turned the ball over 21 times. Georgia will struggle to get stops and keep up offensively, so Wake will win comfortably.

Why Georgia will cover:

Mike White will have his team juiced up to play on the road with a chance for a big win. Georgia has two key players back in Oquendo and Bridges, and solid transfers in Terry Roberts from Bradley, Frank Anselem from Syracuse, Matthew-Alexander Moncreiffer from Oklahoma State and Mardrez McBride from North Texas. This roster has talent and SEC athletes to compete, and Oquendo could be the best player on the floor in this one. The Bulldogs went 11-deep on Monday, and they’ve got four guys over 6-8. Georgia could dominate on the glass and keep this one close, and maybe even eke out a road win.

Score Prediction: Wake Forest 76 - Georgia 70

I feel strongly about Wake on the moneyline, but I don’t love the seven-point spread. I’m taking the points with Georgia because the Deacs still have some growing pains to deal with. Damari Monsanto playing just four minutes in the opener is concerning, and if he continues to be a non-factor with Ituka out, two of this team’s most talented scores won’t be involved. 40% of Wake’s points against Fairfield came from the free-throw line, and Georgia has bigger, faster guys to match up with the likes of Carr, Hildreth and Williamson. Forbes and his staff will put this team in a position to win, but I expect the Bulldogs to keep things close. The Deacs are very inexperienced in the frontcourt and those guys will be put to the test again when battling on the interior. I don’t strongly recommend either side here, but if I had to pick I’m scooping the seven.

F

Prediction record

1-0 ATS

1-0 Straight up

Last game: Prediction – 74-66; Actual – 71-59

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