Wake Forest basketball loses its star guard duo of Hunter Sallis and Cameron Hildreth, welcoming in a new group to help keep the Demon Deacons in the top half of the ACC.
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Wake Forest basketball.
In five years at Wake Forest, Steve Forbes has done a halfway decent job, leading the Demon Deacons to a 92-65 record. However, despite three seasons of 20+ wins, none of them have resulted in a trip to the NCAA Tournament. That’s been a disappointment, but the consistency of winning makes it seem as if a trip to the big dance is coming sooner rather than later.
Still, life without Hunter Sallis and Cameron Hildreth will be difficult. Instead, the starting point guard figures to be journeyman Nate Calmese, with former Purdue player Myles Colvin by his side. It may not be as potent as a one-two punch, but it still figures to keep Wake competitive in the ACC.
This year, there’s reason to be excited about Wake’s big men. Graduate senior Tre’Von Spillers and Valaraiso transfer Cooper Schwieger make for an interesting combo inside, especially with Schwieger’s ability to stretch out and hit the three.
The odd man out – yet most intriguing player in the projected starting five – is Juke Harris, who had a compelling freshman year. He could be in for a big season as a sophomore with many proven players around him in the starting five.
Off the bench are former five-star recruit Omaha Biliew, Washington transfer Mekhi Mason, and Denver transfer Sebastian Akins. While they won’t totally blow you away, they make for a deep bench, especially when you factor in Marqus Marion, who was a depth piece for Wake last season.
Overall, Steve Forbes loses star power, but returns some solid pieces and hit the portal well enough to potentially have a fourth 20-win season in six years in North Carolina. Only this time, fans hope it ends in a tournament berth.
Head coach:Â Steve Forbes (6th season at Wake Forest, 11th season overall)
2024-25 record:Â 21-11 (13-7)
2025 postseason finish:Â No postseason
Notable departures:Â
- Hunter Sallis (18.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.2 SPG)
- Cameron Hildreth (14.7 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.7 APG, 1.7 SPG)
- Efton Reid (8.8 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.0 BPG, 54.8 FG%)
- Ty-Laur Johnson (6.1 PPG, 2.7 APG, 1.9 RPG, 1.5 SPG)
- Davin Cosby Jr. (5.6 PPG, 1.4 RPG, 0.9 APG, 17 GP)
Notable non-conference games:Â
- vs. Michigan (Nov. 11)
- vs. Texas Tech (Nov. 20) – Baha Mar Championship
- vs. Memphis OR Purdue (Nov. 21 – Baha Mar Championship)
- vs. Oklahoma (Dec. 2)
- at West Virginia (Dec. 6)
- vs. Vanderbilt (Dec. 21)
Projected Rotation
PG: Nate Calmese (6-2, 181, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 15.2 PPG, 4.4 APG, 3.0 RPG, 1.6 SPG (Washington State)
SG: Myles Colvin (6-5, 212, Jr.)
2024-25 stats: 5.4 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 0.5 APG, 37.4 FG% (Purdue)
SF: Juke Harris (6-7, 200, So.)
2024-25 stats: 6.1 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 0.3 APG
PF: Tre’Von Spillers (6-7, 215, Gr.-Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 9.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 0.8 APG, 1.3 BPG, 51.0 FG%
C: Cooper Schwieger (6-10, 235, Jr.)
2024-25 stats: 15.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 1.1 APG, 2.0 BPG (Valpo)
6: Mekhi Mason (6-5, 202, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 9.9 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.4 APG, 1.0 SPG, 40.2 3P% (Washington)
7: Omaha Biliew (6-8, 230, Jr.)
2024-25 stats: 2.8 PPG, 1.5 RPG, 0.5 APG, 9.5 MPG, 13 GP
8: Sebastian Akins (6-2, 175, So.)
2024-25 stats: 12.7 PPG, 2.7 APG, 2.2 RPG (Denver)
9: Marqus Marion (6-9, 220, Rs.-So.)
2024-25 stats: 1.1 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 0.1 APG, 11.0 MPG
Wake Forest Basketball team MVP: Nate Calmese
The proof is really in the pudding with Calmese. On a Wake Forest hoops team in need of a lead guard, the former Washington State player seems like the best fit to take over at point guard and possibly even lead the Demon Deacons in scoring.
At Lamar, Calmese averaged over 17 points per game, getting to showcase his scoring abilities as a freshman. He transferred to Washington, where scoring took a hit – and so did his time on the floor. Calmese only played in 16 games and about 11 minutes per game. But at Washington State, he was back to being a scorer, a better floor general, defender, and more efficient.
I don’t see transferring to an ACC school for his senior year as a problem. There might be more scoring options on this team than on the Cougars, but I still figure Calmese will have a similar season, just with better overall talent around him. He’s a been there, done that type of player and now we will get to see it on a bigger stage in a power conference and under a coach in Steve Forbes who gets the best out of his guards.
Wake Forest Basketball make-or-break player: Myles Colvin
While Juke Harris may be the player who could have the biggest jump in production, Colvin is a sneaky one to look at.
With the Boilermakers, he didn’t get a lot of opportunities to really show what he could do as a scorer. Instead, Colvin was there to come in and give good minutes – but to fill his role – and not step out of line. He had a solid sophomore season, but bigger things could be in store for his junior year at Wake Forest.
In a new system – and a guard-friendly one – it will be interesting to see what coach Forbes wants out of Colvin. Will he be a fourth or fifth option, or can Colvin be counted on to be more of a consistent and reliable scorer? It’ll be fun to watch what Colvin can become with Wake Forest.
Key analytic: Assists per game
I know I’ve been saying how great Wake Forest’s guards were last year, but getting others involved may not have been their recipe for success.
The Demon Deacons ranked 332nd in assists per game, averaging just 11.3 as a team last year. Not every team needs to dish out 20 dimes per game, but I’d like to see Calmese, Mason, and Akins drive home the point of being pass-first instead of score-first every possession. This year Wake has some great frontcourt players, so they’ll have to make sure to use them correctly.
Wake Forest Basketball 2025-26 projections
Projected conference finish:Â 11th in the ACC
Projected postseason ceiling:Â NCAA Tournament First Round Exit