With all eyes on the early-season success of the football program, Danny Manning and the tip-off of his third basketball season at Wake Forest have been lost in the shuffle.
But Manning and his team already have three exhibition games in the Bahamas under their belts, practices are underway, and the opening game is less than a month away. Manning is looking to finally build momentum for a program that hasn’t seen the postseason since 2010 and hasn’t won more than 13 games under his leadership.
To make a jump in the difficult ACC, Manning will have to get great play from his sophomore leaders: point guard Bryant Crawford and big man John Collins. He’ll also need excellent shooting from Charlotte transfer Keyshawn Woods, who led Conference USA in three-point percentage at 46.6 percent shooting from long range as a freshman.
But several other players deserve close attention, and if those players can make an impact, Manning will have a much better chance of posting his first winning record in Winston-Salem.
Here are three to watch:
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