How big is the game at Wake Forest? Relatively speaking, really big.

Actually, this crucial game has come out of nowhere to remind me of the good old days of Carolina’s once-bitter rivalry with the Demon Deacons.

You remember when their coaches were Carl Tacy and Dave Odom and Skip Prosser. And among their players were Charlie Davis, Skip Brown and Rod Griffin; Rodney Rogers, Randolph Childress and Tim Duncan; Josh Howard and Chris Paul.

And what battles they were! The famous “scoreboard game” in the ACC tournament, the No. 10 Deacs’ upset of fourth-ranked UNC in Carmichael on Jerry Schellenberg’s late free throws; Childress’ spectacular 1995 ACC championship performance; Carolina returning the favor by dethroning two-time champ and ACC Player of the Year Duncan on the way to the 1997 Final Four.

In Roy Williams’ first year back, his Tar Heels went three overtimes with Wake Forest before Paul and the fourth-ranked Deacons pulled out the 119-114 barn burner in an absolutely wild Smith Center.

Fast forward to this season and the 8 p.m. game at Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem. Neither team is ranked, with one not quite living up to expectations and the other far exceeding them. Carolina is suffering from severe inconsistency, with dominating performances against lesser opponents and struggling to find the offense and defense to stay with stronger foes.

The Heels have frustrated their fan base that debates whether the players’ effort and toughness or executing suspect game plans are doing them in.

North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis calls out to Caleb Love during UNC’s game against Tennessee, Sunday, Nov. 21, 2021. Davis’ Tar Heels are coming off a 85-57 defeat to Miami on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Rookie head coach Hubert Davis, who missed by a few years in college but later tried to guard 5-foot-3 Wake legend “Muggsy” Bogues in the NBA, squares off against second-year coach Steve Forbes who will be available after missing Wednesday night’s win at Georgia Tech with an illness.

His Deacs were picked 13th in the ACC but currently have the most overall wins (15) in the conference and are 5-3 in the standings compared to Carolina’s 4-2. If you think Miami had some guys you never heard of, watch Wake’s 6-5 guard Alondes Williams, who leads the league in scoring and assists in his fifth college season after playing Division II and being Brady Manek’s teammate for one year at Oklahoma. Williams is contending for ACC Player of the Year honors.

None of the players on both teams are the ilk of the UNC-Wake glory days, but their teams are fighting for relevance in an ACC that right now projects only four entries in the NCAA tournament. So, in 2022 at least, this is a very big game.

 

Photo via AP Photo/Erin Edgerton

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