Wake Forest, SMU Meet In Key February ACC Matchup

Saturday, February 15

Dallas, TX

6:00 p.m.

Wake Forest University

SMU

2/14/2025 9:15:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Saturday will feature a top-five ACC matchup as the Demon Deacons will look for their third-straight road victory.

By: Stephen Czarda & Keion Robinson

DALLAS - Wake Forest men's basketball will return to the state of Texas on Saturday evening, facing SMU for a 6 p.m. EST tip-off at Moody Coliseum. The game will air live on the ACC Network.

With six regular-season games remaining on their schedule, the Demon Deacons stand at 18-7 overall this year and are 10-4 in conference play.

Wake Forest has picked up five road victories so far during the 2024-25 campaign, all against league opponents.

Last Time Out
The Deacs hosted Florida State on Wednesday at LJVM Coliseum, falling just short in a 72-70 decision.

The senior backcourt of Cameron Hildreth and Hunter Sallis combined for 42 points, as both shot over 50 percent from the field. Sallis also added six rebounds and three steals.

Senior Efton Reid III grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds, his second-best mark in ACC play, while also adding eight points. Fellow senior Tre'Von Spillers contributed an all-around showing of 13 points, four rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. Freshman Juke Harris was a spark as a reserve, chipping in seven points.

As a team, Wake Forest registered a 47.3 field goal percentage. On the defensive end, the Deacs forced nine turnovers by the Seminoles while scooping four steals.

On The Road Again
With five road wins this season – all of which have come in ACC play – the Demon Deacons will be looking to earn a sixth victory away from LJVM, most in a single season since the 2021-22 season.

So far in ACC action, the Demon Deacons have scored road victories at Syracuse, Miami, Virginia Tech, Stanford and Cal.

Hildreth's Hot Streak
Cameron Hildreth has been on an offensive surge recently, having posted 20-plus points in each of the team's last four games while leading the Demon Deacons in scoring in each of those contests. The Worthing, England, native was also recently named ACC Co-Player of the Week after averaging 22.5 points per game during Wake Forest's West Coast sweep of Stanford and Cal.

Recent ACC performances

Florida State (2/12/25) – 22 points, 57.1 FG%
Cal (2/8/25) – 23 points, five rebounds, three assists, five steals, 72.7 FG%
Stanford (2/5/25) – 22 points, two steals, 70.0 FG%
Pitt (2/1/25) – 24 points, five rebounds, four assists, 58.3 FG%

Since the start of conference play, Hildreth has increased his shooting numbers to 47.4 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three-point territory, good for a 17.1 points per game average in his 14 ACC appearances, the 10th-highest mark in the conference.

Overall, for the full season up to date, Hildreth is sixth in free throw percentage (83 percent) and ninth in steals (1.6 per game) within the conference.

A Look At The Standings
Entering its Saturday matchup, Wake Forest is fifth in the ACC standings.

Rank	School	ACC Record	ACC Pct.	Overall Record	Overall Pct.
1	Duke	13-1	.929	21-3	.875
T-2	Clemson	12-2	.857	20-5	.800
T-2	Louisville	12-2	.857	19-6	.760
4	SMU	10-3	.769	19-5	.792
5	Wake Forest	10-4	.714	18-7	.720
6	Stanford	8-6	.571	16-9	.640
7	North Carolina	7-6	.538	14-11	.560
T-8	Florida State	6-7	.462	15-9	.625
T-8	Virginia Tech	6-7	.462	11-13	.458
10	Georgia Tech	6-8	.429	12-13	.480
T-11	Pitt	5-8	.385	14-10	.583
T-11	Virginia	5-8	.385	12-12	.500
T-11	Notre Dame	5-8	.385	11-13	.458
T-14	California	5-9	.357	12-13	.480
T-14	Syracuse	5-9	.357	11-14	.440
T-16	Boston College	2-11	.154	10-14	.417
T-16	NC State	2-11	.154	9-15	.375
T-16	Miami	2-11	.154	6-18	.250

Defensive Dominance
All season long, the Demon Deacon defense has ranked highly in several statistical categories in the ACC. The team has consistently created scoring issues for opponents, holding the top spot in three-point field goal percentage defense (30.3 percent) and second in overall field goal percentage defense (39.4).

Wake Forest has forced an ACC-high 343 turnovers and opponents have been forced into 10 or more turnovers 21 times in 25 contests.

Rim protection has been another standout area for Wake Forest, as the Deacs have totaled 104 blocks to rank third with a 4.16 per game average. Wake Forest has enjoyed similar success in steals (7.48 per game), also ranking third in the ACC.

Series History: Wake Forest vs. SMU

All-Time: Wake Forest leads, 2-0
Last Matchup: Dec. 15, 2003 at Moody Coliseum
- Result: W, 78-66

The Matchup
SMU (19-5, 10-3 ACC) is coming off an 83-63 home win over Pitt earlier this week on Tuesday. Four Mustangs reached double figures in points during that outing, as Samet Yiğitoğlu and Kario Oquendo recorded 17 points apiece.

SMU's 82.8 points per game average leads the conference, as the team is also first in both field goal percentage (48.3) and three-point field goal percentage (39.3).

Television Information
Saturday's game will be televised on the ACC Network with Doug Sherman and Eric Devendorf on the call. Fans can follow along via the Demon Deacons Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts (@WakeMBB).

Up Next
Wake Forest will have a week off before returning to the court next Saturday to face NC State in a Big Four Showdown at the Lenovo Center.

Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. and the matchup will be televised nationally on The CW.