FAYETTEVILLE — For two exhibition games against Central Oklahoma and Pittsburg State and last Sunday’s season opener against Alabama State, Arkansas Coach Mike Anderson knew the school names on the jerseys just couldn’t command the entire respect of his Razorbacks like an opponent should.
That should prove no problem tonight. At 8 p.m. a late tip-off appeasing SEC Network television, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, 2-0, meet the Razorbacks, 1-0, at Walton Arena in one of Arkansas’ premier games of its nonconference season.
“There are some games that you really don’t have to say anything,” Anderson said. “These guys watch college basketball.”
Historically the Demon Deacons aren’t a Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, Duke or UCLA but they are next in line top tier. They annually compete rim to rim with Duke and North Carolina in the prestigious ACC.
Tim Duncan, the San Antonio Spurs’ NBA icon and reigning championship center, is among Wake Forest’s prestigious alums as is Los Angeles Clippers star point guard Chris Paul.
Danny Manning, one of the greats of the college game recalled for leading the 1988 Kansas Jayhawks to a monumental upset of Oklahoma to win the national championship and go on to a fine 15-year NBA career, is Wake’s first-year head coach hired away from Tulsa.
Wake is one up on Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament. The Demon Deacons of Coach Carl Tacy stormed from behind to overcome Eddie Sutton’s first great team, the 26-2 Southwest Conference champions, in the first round of the 1977 NCAA Tournament that taught the Hogs a tournament lesson they obviously learned attaining the Final Four in 1978.
Of infinitely greater relevance, the Demon Deacons arrive with one of the nation’s more touted forwards. Devin Thomas, Wake’s 6-9 junior, posted 25 points and 13 rebounds and 13 points and 12 rebounds in Wake’s 80-69 and 71-49 victories at home against North Carolina-Asheville and last Monday at Tulane in New Orleans.
The scoring averages for Thomas, Wake forward Konstantinos Mitoglou and guard Codi Miller-McIntyre, 19.0, 12.0 and 10.0, likely would range higher but Manning obviously had the bench-clearing luxury to sub against Tulane.
Of major concern for the Razorbacks, though a 97-79 victor over Alabama State trying to rebound from being outrebounded, 38-27, the Demon Deacons truly are demonic on the boards outrebounding UNC-Asheville, 49-25 and Tulane, 47-29.
“We have got to be better in the rebounding department,” Anderson said, noting that when big men Bobby Portis, 6-11, and Moses Kingsley, 6-10, commit to shot-blocking, the Razorbacks small forwards and guards must compensate crashing the boards.
Between them guards Ky Madden, Anthlon Bell and Jabril Durham and swingman Michael Qualls netted just four rebounds against Alabama State.
“Ky and the big guards have got to get rebounds,” Anderson said. “Our small forwards, Mike has got to get it and rebound.”
Qualls concurred.
“We’ve got to get down there and help the bigs out,” Qualls said. “They do a lot of work boxing out and sometimes when they’re boxing out, they won’t be able to get a hand on the ball.”
Wake did commit 24 turnovers against UNC-Asheville, an area that Anderson’s Hogs will try and exploit having outscored Alabama State 27-10 on turnovers. The Hogs’ committed 14 turnovers to Alabama State’s 23.
Arkansas showed its depth wearing down Alabama State in a 49-31 second half after a 48-48 first half and posted four double-figures scorers. Portis and Bell scored 24 and 20 and Qualls and power forward Alandise Harris 13 each.
Through two exhibition games and the season-opener, sophomore walk-on guard Manny Watkins, good defense and 3 for 3 eight points against Alabama State, and junior forward Jacorey Williams have proven the most improved Razorbacks over last season off the bench.