Louisville, KY – The University of Louisville Cardinals are set to face the Demon Deacons of Wake Forest on Tuesday, January 28th. The Cards have been on a week break, with their last game being their blowout win at SMU. With some extended rest, expect Pat Kelsey to have his team fresh and ready to play. PK and company are looking to extend their winning streak to 10 games Tuesday night, but the Cards will have their hands full with the Demon Deacons coming to town. Let’s break it down.
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons come into Tuesday’s contest with a 15-5 record and a 7-2 record in conference play (4th in the ACC). The Demon Deacons are led by head coach Steve Forbes. Forbes has been the head coach of the Demon Deacons for 5 seasons now, with an overall record of 86-59. Wake Forest is looking for a big road win on Tuesday night after coming off an at-home loss to Duke on Saturday. Saturday’s loss broke the Demon Deacons’ 6-game winning streak. Expect Forbes to have his team ready for a gritty matchup at the Yum! Center on Tuesday.
Wake Forest is led by senior guard Hunter Sallis. Sallis leads the team with 18.9ppg (4th in the ACC) on 47.5% shooting. Sallis is the number one scoring option for the Demon Deacons and can also carry his weight on the defensive end of the floor. Sallis is averaging 4.6rpg, which is 3rd on the team. Sallis is also on a solid rebounding streak, posting seven or more rebounds in the last three games.
The Demon Deacons are also led by senior forward Tre’Von Spillers. Spillers comes into Tuesday’s contest averaging 10.4ppg on 55.2% shooting, which is 3rd best on the team. Not only is Spiller an efficient shooter, but he is also a fantastic rebounder for his size. Clocking in at only 6’7, Spillers leads the team in rebounding with 8.5 rebounds per contest, which is 4th in the ACC. Forbes will need a big outing from Spillers on Tuesday night if the Demon Deacons want to upset the Cards at home.
Cards fans will see a familiar face during Tuesday night’s matchup. Former Cards point guard Ty-Laur Johnson was a freshman on last year’s team. Johnson transferred to Wake Forest after former head coach Kenny Payne was let go after the 2023-2024 season. Johnson has clocked some quality minutes for the Demon Deacons so far this season, averaging 20.6 minutes per game, which is almost a 3-minute dip in playing time from last year. He is averaging 5.2ppg on 35.4% from the field, 3.5 points lower than his average when he was with the Cards last year.
Do not expect a shootout coming into Tuesday’s contest. Both UofL and Wake Forest play very well on the defensive side of the ball. Both teams rank within the top 50 in KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency. KenPom ranks the Demon Deacons as the 21st-best defense in the country. Meanwhile, the Cards have the 47th-best defense. Forbes has his team playing fantastic defense during conference play. Wake Forest held Duke to 63 points in their 56-63 loss at home against Duke on Saturday. The Cards have the better offense, though, with the 21st-ranked offense in the country, according to KenPom. On the other hand, the Demon Deacons struggle with the ball on offense, ranking 177th in the country. If Forbes wants his team to keep it close on Tuesday, they must shoot the ball well to keep up with the Cards’ firepower.
The Demon Deacons have proven they can slow down opposing offenses, but will this trend continue on Tuesday? Wake Forest will have a big task at hand: trying to limit points from the Cardinals. Reyne Smith has been on fire as of late, hitting a career-high 10 3s in their win versus SMU, breaking Taquan Dean’s single-game record from the 2003 season. Chucky Hepburn has also continued to play at a high level, posting a career-high 16 assists versus SMU. That broke the Card’s single-game assist record set by Francisco Garcia in 2004. Pat Kelsey has this team clicking on all cylinders at the right time.
Coming into Tuesday night’s conference matchup, the Cards rank 21st in the AP poll and 25th in KenPom. KenPom ranks the Demon Deacons 73rd. Both teams rank in the top 5 of the ACC, and the Demon Deacons are only half a game behind the Cards in 3rd place. Wake Forest is looking to add a much-needed Quad 1 road win to their tournament resume. Expect a tight, low-scoring game at the Yum! Center Tuesday night. FanDuel has the Cards an 8.5 favorite in Tuesday’s matchup.
The Cards are in action Tuesday at 7 PM on the ACC Network. Go Cards!
