Wake Forest Athletics
No Place Like Home
1/25/2021 9:52:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Junior transfers Isaiah Wilkins and Daivien Williamson pack a 1-2 hometown punch for this season’s Deacons.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The same roads that Isaiah Wilkins and Daivien Williamson traveled to their first college destinations from Winston-Salem have led them back home to Wake Forest for the 2020-21 season.
Both Wilkins and Williamson were high-school standouts during their prep careers – Wilkins at Mount Tabor and Williamson at Winston-Salem Prep, a team he helped lead to the NCHSAA 1-A state championship during the 2017-18 season and was named the game's Most Valuable Player.
Both won the Winston-Salem Journal's Frank Spencer award as the top basketball player in Northwest North Carolina, Wilkins following his junior season of 2016-17, and Williamson the following year in his state championship season.
Both give Wake Forest an interesting and unique dynamic as transfers.
With seven new players on the team this season — five of which are transfers — and a brand new coaching staff with the exception of Randolph Childress, Williamson arrived as the only player who has played for head coach Steve Forbes.
Williamson spent his first two seasons at East Tennessee State and was the starting point guard for a team that finished 30-4 and won its eighth Southern Conference championship last season.
Williamson averaged 10.4 points, 2.6 assists and 2 rebounds per game as a sophomore in starting all 34 games. As a freshman, he made 16 starts in 33 games and was a member of the SoCon's All-Freshman team.
Wilkins spent his first two seasons at Virginia Tech and understands the grind and competition of an ACC season.
Wilkins played in all 32 games for the Hokies as a sophomore and averaged 4.3 points and 2.6 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game. As a freshman, he played in 34 games and averaged 4.7 points per game.
How vital a role does having Williamson's familiarity with Forbes' style and system been to helping to develop team chemistry?
"It's been really nice to have Daivien again because he can be the coach on the floor," Forbes said. "He has a pretty good feel for what I want and how I like to do things. On the court, he has become more verbal, which isn't something that comes very natural to him but is something that he is getting better at. I know him better than anyone else since it's my third year with him and he understands what we are doing and has shared a lot of that with his teammates."
Williamson said that there can be some drawbacks to being the only player Forbes knew much about after he got the job.
"Oh yeah, when he gets mad, most of the time he just yells at me," Williamson said with a laugh. "I don't get offended by it. He knows I can handle it because I'm used to it from him from playing with him the last two years."
Williamson embraces his leadership role and knows that sharing his experience with Forbes can be influential to the rest of the team.
"I just have been emphasizing to the guys that they have to bring it every day," Williamson said. "Coach is going to put his best foot forward every time he's on the floor, whether that be in practice or in a game. We have to do the same thing. If we are going to make mistakes, we need to make them because we are going 100 miles per hour. We have to make them because we are playing hard. He won't like them, but he will understand them if we are playing hard when we make them. I think that's the most important thing I've told them about how Coach is. Just be sure to bring it every time you step on the floor."
Wilkins was initially recruited by Wake Forest before ultimately deciding to go to Virginia Tech and play for Buzz Williams. He transferred to Wake in the spring before Forbes was named the new coach and will be playing for his third coach in three years.
"We hope he doesn't have too much brain clutter from playing for three different coaches the last three years so he can get used to our terminology," Forbes said with a laugh. "We've asked him to play a couple of different positions for us early on. He's a knowledgeable player who's been around the league."
Wilkins, who acquired the nickname "Chico" while in high school, said that Forbes has given him another one since team workouts began.
"Coach describes me as the 'junkyard dog,' " Wilkins said. "I'm pretty much the dirty work guy. I knock down shots when I have to, get my teammates involved, go and get everything. Coach has had me play the 3 (small forward) and 4 (power forward) and has moved me around. It all fits in with how I've always played the game. I'm enjoying every minute of it and soaking it all in."
Neither Wilkins nor Williamson ever played together at any competitive level while they grew up in Winston-Salem. They attended different middle schools and high schools and played for separate AAU programs.
"I think we played against each other seven or eight times since middle school," Williamson said. "He was always a really good player and a great shooter. He has continued to get better and better and has really developed his body since I first remember playing against him."
Wilkins said his first impression of Williamson still holds true — he's just more mature and better at each facet.
"He was very fast and very crafty," Wilkins said. "He is still fast and crafty, only now he is faster and stronger. He still has his quiet swagger. When I found out he was transferring in, I was really happy. I'm glad I finally get to play with him and not against him."
Forbes understands the significance of Wilkins and Williamson having the opportunity to play in their hometown.
"Both Daivien and Isaiah have done a really good job for us so far and I think what I'm the most happy about for both of them is that they both get to play at home in front of their family and friends," Forbes said.
That is, if the current complications of the COVID-19 pandemic don't continue to interfere.
Wake Forest opened the season by winning its first two games before the team paused activities in early December after a round of testing and contact tracing. The Deacons prepared a schedule with 25 games, including 20 against ACC competition, but it could also be fluid, much like the football team's has been this season.
Forbes has implemented his motion offense and will find ways to offset the loss of the Deacons' to four scorers from last season as well as their leading rebounder.
"At the end of the day, we're just going out and playing basketball like we've always done," Wilkins said. "Our ultimate goal is still to win. I've told a lot of the new guys what they can expect as far as the ACC goes. You've still got to play every opponent, and you've got to play hard. Players at this level are just going to be a little bigger, a little faster, a little stronger. That's why it's important that we play hard, we play smart, and we play together. That's the biggest things Coach has been telling us. And that's always been my style."
Coming from the SoCon, Williamson is ready to take on his next challenge.
"I understand at this level that I might be going against guys who are bigger than me, faster than me and stronger than me," he said. "There are some big-time athletes at this level. I played against a lot of elite players at East Tennessee State, too. I don't think it will take me long to adjust to that when I see it. That's a challenge I'm more than ready for. I'm ready to be that leader on and off the floor that Coach expects me to be. I'm ready to help bring back a winning mentality here. They were 13-18 last season, and we've got nowhere to go but up."
Both Wilkins and Williamson were high-school standouts during their prep careers – Wilkins at Mount Tabor and Williamson at Winston-Salem Prep, a team he helped lead to the NCHSAA 1-A state championship during the 2017-18 season and was named the game's Most Valuable Player.
Both won the Winston-Salem Journal's Frank Spencer award as the top basketball player in Northwest North Carolina, Wilkins following his junior season of 2016-17, and Williamson the following year in his state championship season.
Both give Wake Forest an interesting and unique dynamic as transfers.
With seven new players on the team this season — five of which are transfers — and a brand new coaching staff with the exception of Randolph Childress, Williamson arrived as the only player who has played for head coach Steve Forbes.
Williamson spent his first two seasons at East Tennessee State and was the starting point guard for a team that finished 30-4 and won its eighth Southern Conference championship last season.
Williamson averaged 10.4 points, 2.6 assists and 2 rebounds per game as a sophomore in starting all 34 games. As a freshman, he made 16 starts in 33 games and was a member of the SoCon's All-Freshman team.
Wilkins spent his first two seasons at Virginia Tech and understands the grind and competition of an ACC season.
Wilkins played in all 32 games for the Hokies as a sophomore and averaged 4.3 points and 2.6 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game. As a freshman, he played in 34 games and averaged 4.7 points per game.
How vital a role does having Williamson's familiarity with Forbes' style and system been to helping to develop team chemistry?
"It's been really nice to have Daivien again because he can be the coach on the floor," Forbes said. "He has a pretty good feel for what I want and how I like to do things. On the court, he has become more verbal, which isn't something that comes very natural to him but is something that he is getting better at. I know him better than anyone else since it's my third year with him and he understands what we are doing and has shared a lot of that with his teammates."
Williamson said that there can be some drawbacks to being the only player Forbes knew much about after he got the job.
"Oh yeah, when he gets mad, most of the time he just yells at me," Williamson said with a laugh. "I don't get offended by it. He knows I can handle it because I'm used to it from him from playing with him the last two years."
Williamson embraces his leadership role and knows that sharing his experience with Forbes can be influential to the rest of the team.
"I just have been emphasizing to the guys that they have to bring it every day," Williamson said. "Coach is going to put his best foot forward every time he's on the floor, whether that be in practice or in a game. We have to do the same thing. If we are going to make mistakes, we need to make them because we are going 100 miles per hour. We have to make them because we are playing hard. He won't like them, but he will understand them if we are playing hard when we make them. I think that's the most important thing I've told them about how Coach is. Just be sure to bring it every time you step on the floor."
Wilkins was initially recruited by Wake Forest before ultimately deciding to go to Virginia Tech and play for Buzz Williams. He transferred to Wake in the spring before Forbes was named the new coach and will be playing for his third coach in three years.
"We hope he doesn't have too much brain clutter from playing for three different coaches the last three years so he can get used to our terminology," Forbes said with a laugh. "We've asked him to play a couple of different positions for us early on. He's a knowledgeable player who's been around the league."
Wilkins, who acquired the nickname "Chico" while in high school, said that Forbes has given him another one since team workouts began.
"Coach describes me as the 'junkyard dog,' " Wilkins said. "I'm pretty much the dirty work guy. I knock down shots when I have to, get my teammates involved, go and get everything. Coach has had me play the 3 (small forward) and 4 (power forward) and has moved me around. It all fits in with how I've always played the game. I'm enjoying every minute of it and soaking it all in."
Neither Wilkins nor Williamson ever played together at any competitive level while they grew up in Winston-Salem. They attended different middle schools and high schools and played for separate AAU programs.
"I think we played against each other seven or eight times since middle school," Williamson said. "He was always a really good player and a great shooter. He has continued to get better and better and has really developed his body since I first remember playing against him."
Wilkins said his first impression of Williamson still holds true — he's just more mature and better at each facet.
"He was very fast and very crafty," Wilkins said. "He is still fast and crafty, only now he is faster and stronger. He still has his quiet swagger. When I found out he was transferring in, I was really happy. I'm glad I finally get to play with him and not against him."
Forbes understands the significance of Wilkins and Williamson having the opportunity to play in their hometown.
"Both Daivien and Isaiah have done a really good job for us so far and I think what I'm the most happy about for both of them is that they both get to play at home in front of their family and friends," Forbes said.
That is, if the current complications of the COVID-19 pandemic don't continue to interfere.
Wake Forest opened the season by winning its first two games before the team paused activities in early December after a round of testing and contact tracing. The Deacons prepared a schedule with 25 games, including 20 against ACC competition, but it could also be fluid, much like the football team's has been this season.
Forbes has implemented his motion offense and will find ways to offset the loss of the Deacons' to four scorers from last season as well as their leading rebounder.
"At the end of the day, we're just going out and playing basketball like we've always done," Wilkins said. "Our ultimate goal is still to win. I've told a lot of the new guys what they can expect as far as the ACC goes. You've still got to play every opponent, and you've got to play hard. Players at this level are just going to be a little bigger, a little faster, a little stronger. That's why it's important that we play hard, we play smart, and we play together. That's the biggest things Coach has been telling us. And that's always been my style."
Coming from the SoCon, Williamson is ready to take on his next challenge.
"I understand at this level that I might be going against guys who are bigger than me, faster than me and stronger than me," he said. "There are some big-time athletes at this level. I played against a lot of elite players at East Tennessee State, too. I don't think it will take me long to adjust to that when I see it. That's a challenge I'm more than ready for. I'm ready to be that leader on and off the floor that Coach expects me to be. I'm ready to help bring back a winning mentality here. They were 13-18 last season, and we've got nowhere to go but up."
Players Mentioned
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