Wake Forest Athletics
GOLD RUSH: Final Chapter
12/8/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
This article was originally published in the November-December edition of Gold Rush.
By Jay Reddick
As Wake Forest fans, we have watched Devin Thomas and Codi Miller-McIntyre grow up before our eyes.
They came to us as wide-eyed freshmen way back in 2012, as vessels of unrealized potential. We knew their reputations – both had their star ratings in all the recruiting magazines and were McDonald's All-America nominees – but who knew what the next four years would bring?
Both worked their way into the starting lineup from the very beginning. Miller-McIntyre made an immediate impact, scoring 21 points against UConn in November, while Thomas played consistent ball early, then turned it on later. He was ACC Rookie of the Week that January.
Now, the Pennsylvania forward and the Concord guard are the old men of the Deacons franchise, dependable members of a community eager for success.
They're often linked but take very different approaches to the game. When asked about his focus for improvement in the offseason, Thomas immediately went to the physical and mechanical.
"I worked on getting my shooting range to 17, 18 feet," Thomas said. "I also wanted to get better with my right hand. And I shot a lot of free throws – I lost a lot of points at the line last year [he made 59 percent in 2014-15]."
Thomas' emphasis on stretching the defense may come because of a new position this year. Despite being undersized at 6-foot-9, he has often played center in the Deacons' offense. If Doral Moore, a 7-foot incoming freshman from just outside Orlando, can find his potential early, Thomas could spend more time at power forward.
For his part, Thomas is taking it in stride.
"With our offense in the past, playing the 4 (power forward) and the 5 (center) have been almost the same," Thomas said. "But at the 4, I can stretch the defense more with my shot and definitely guard more often around the perimeter."
The Deacs hit a few bumps last year, compiling a 13-19 record. But with all five starters returning, Thomas sees the chance for stability at the end of a career filled with uncertainty.
"I had to grow up a lot sooner when I got here," Thomas said. "With that year's team, the freshmen didn't have too many people to lean on. It's one reason why I make sure the young guys now can lean on us."
Miller-McIntyre's approach to the season has been much more mental. He believes confidence has been the key to the development of his game over the last four years, and he's making sure that he is the best he can be.
"I've worked a few times with a psychologist," said the 6-3 guard. "They've helped me with my focus during games, not getting down on myself, learning more about what causes anxiety. I've done it a few times going back to my sophomore year, but this is the first time I did it as much as I did."
Miller-McIntyre said he needs to understand that the work he puts in matters.
"I've questioned myself in the past, but as (assistant coach) Randolph (Childress) said, I put in the work every year," Miller-McIntyre said. "It's about knowing what I can and can't do."
That's important as Miller-McIntyre enters his senior season as a highly decorated Deacon. His 14.5-ppg average is the second-highest of any returning player in the ACC. He was an honorable-mention pick for all-conference last year, and is anxious to make his season debut after a foot injury during the preseason has caused him to miss the start of the season.
A senior's job can be a lot for anyone, but Miller-McIntyre has learned to put it into the right context.
"It's all a countdown now," Miller-McIntyre said. "It makes the importance of every game, every practice more significant. That gave me a little anxiety before, but now it's more the idea of, everything counts."
Thomas, Miller-McIntyre and fellow senior Andre Washington have been through plenty together – some down times, some big wins, and a major upheaval midway through their careers with the departure of Jeff Bzdelik and the addition of Danny Manning as head coach.
Codi and Devin both say Manning brought a new energy to Winston-Salem that was sorely needed.
"He gets us to understand we have to attack everything," Miller-McIntyre said. "Conditioning, hard drills – either way, you have to do it, so you can either suck it up and do the minimum or give it your all. That's his mentality building the program, and that's how we'll win."
Thomas said he gets just as much inspiration from Manning off the court as he does on it.
"He holds me accountable and responsible for my actions," Thomas said. "The way he interacts with people off the court … gives us a bigger picture of life. He's helped me become a man after four years here, and I'll take that with me after I leave Wake Forest."
But first, there's a senior season to play. With the top five scorers back on campus and a highly regarded group of three freshmen joining the fray, a happy ending could be on the horizon.
"I'm very excited," Thomas said. "I think we can be a sleeper team. We've had so many big wins – always seeing our potential, but never reaching it. But that's why coach Manning is here, and this is going to be our best year as a team."
"The sky's the limit," Miller-McIntyre said. "We've shown we can play with any team. Last year, we played Duke and Louisville close, then go to Georgia (Tech) and get blown out. That's a mentality. We know how good we can be; we just need to bring it every day."
