Wake Forest should have a different makeup with center Efton Reid III becoming eligible.
Reid will play his second game with the Demon Deacons (5-3) as they vie for their fourth straight win on Saturday night against visiting NJIT in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Reid, a transfer from Gonzaga, was deemed eligible earlier this week and played against Rutgers. He was granted a waiver from the NCAA to play after an appeal in his case.
In his Wake Forest debut, Reid finished with 12 points and a career-high 14 rebounds for his second career double-double.
Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes claimed Reid “changes our team” for the better.
“He’s that guy,” Forbes said. “Obviously gives us a tremendous presence around the basket. He can alter shots, rebound. I think the offense will get better. We’ll put some more things in.”
This will be Wake Forest’s second game in a row against a visiting team from New Jersey after rolling past Rutgers 76-57 Wednesday night.
Wake Forest has four starters who are averaging more than 15 points per game. Hunter Sallis, Kevin Miller, Cameron Hildreth and Andrew Carr have also ensured the Demon Deacons have had at least one player score 20 or more points in every game this season.
But no other player averages even four points per game, so Reid could become a key scoring option.
Reid, a 7-footer, might also help Wake Forest in rebounding. Opponents hold a 279-278 edge on the boards this season.
NJIT (2-6) will play its sixth road game, though it is coming off its lone road victory after winning 80-77 on Wednesday at Fordham. That marked the Highlanders’ second-highest-scoring game of the season, so reaching 80 points might be the magic number.
“We’ve been struggling lately with injuries and stuff like that, (but) everybody is starting to build their confidence,” NJIT guard Elijah Buchanan said after the Fordham game.
NJIT will face its second Atlantic Coast Conference opponent of the season after losing 101-60 in its season opener at Miami.
All of the Highlanders’ losses have come by double-figure margins except for last Saturday’s 71-68 setback to visiting Fairleigh Dickinson.
The Demon Deacons are aiming for their 26th consecutive nonconference home victory. Saturday’s outing will be the fourth game in Wake Forest’s seven-game homestand.
–Field Level Media
