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Deacs Comeback Can’t Close the Gap
The Deacs run in the 2026 ACC tournament came to a close on Wednesday in a 71-62 loss to the Clemson Tigers. Wake Forest held the lead for a little under 5 minutes in the first half and at one point were down by as much as twenty. The Deacs only had three players score more than three points despite having an eight man rotation. The box score was not particularly reflective of how the game went.
The Bright Side
Nate Calmese had a monster performance despite only playing twenty-five minutes. Calmese had 20 points on 7-14 from the field and 3-5 from three. Tre’von Spillers had 15 points on 6-9 shooting including 33-4 from beyond the arc. Spillers also had 12 rebounds and 3 assists, but 4 turnovers. Omaha Biliew only had 3 points but also had 6 rebounds. Sebastian Akins had 2 points on 1-5 shooting and had 2 assists but also 3 turnovers. As a team, the Deacs shot 44% from the field, 45% from three, and 62% from the free throw line.
Not So Bright Side
The Deacs had 12 turnovers yet only forced 4 from the Tigers. That is not good enough to win in the ACC. This also allowed Clemson to score 20 points off of those 12 turnovers. Wake Forest got down 52-32 with about 13 minutes to go in the game. It never really got close after that, not reaching single digits until near the end. The Deacs also had 2 players that did not score a single point. The Deacs had 3 more players that scored 3 points or less. Wake Forest was also outrebounded 40-33. They allowed the Tigers to shoot 41% from the field, 32% from beyond the arc, and 60% from the free throw line.
Moving Forward
This was a really tough loss for the Demon Deacons. This team clearly has the talent to make a run to the final four but was hindered by an injury to a key player. The good news is, the Deacs may not be over just yet. Wake Forest is in many projections to receive a bid to the NIT, and the program has indicated they will play if they get the invite. This is a team that can still play for a championship, and is absolutely good enough to win one.
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