Wake Forest: Virginia Tech Players to Watch

Who are the impact players for the Hokies?

Our Deacs did a fantastic job on Wednesday taking down a top 10 ranked Louisville squad to bolster the NCAA Tournament resume. On Saturday, Wake Forest heads to Blacksburg to take on the Hokies in their last ACC game of the season. While it probably isn’t a “must win” game, getting to 9-9 in the ACC and finishing the season on a 3 game winning streak would certainly help our chances at getting into the Big Dance. Here are the guys from Virginia Tech that could have a huge impact (it is their Senior Day after all) on Saturday.

Seth Allen | (r) Senior Guard | #4

Allen is averaging 12.9 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.3 rebounds per game this season. The lefty is having an incredible year shooting the basketball, shooting 55% from the field and a scorching 48% from beyond the arc (3rd best in the ACC) for the year. With his incredible range, he is always a threat to score when he has the ball, so the Deacs will need to make sure they are always close enough to contest his shot.

While Allen isn’t as explosive as guys like Donovan Mitchell or Dennis Smith Jr. on the drive, he is still very good around the basket. He likes to get in the lane and use the jump stop and pump fakes to get guys out of position so he can get an easier look at the hoop. It will be important for our guys to avoid biting on the fake (especially Collins), as getting stuck in the air will likely end up in free throws or an easy layup.

If the Deacs can repeat the defense that held Donovan Mitchell to 22% shooting and just 7 points, they should be able to make it difficult for Allen to score. Final point about Seth Allen: if the game is on the line, he is probably taking the shot.

Zach LeDay | (r) Senior Forward | #32

LeDay is averaging 15.3 points, 7 rebounds, 1 block, and 1.2 assists per game this season. He is shooting 52% from the floor and just 27% from beyond the arc. At 6-7, 235lbs, he can be a force down low in the post and on the perimeter. While he isn’t a back to the basket style player, he is a great at driving his man all the way to the hoop and using his strength to finish through any contact. He gets to the line 5.9 times per game likely due to his tendency to attack the basket.

He is also a big threat in the pick and roll, especially when the defense has to worry about a great shooter like Allen pulling up from deep.

While his 3-point shooting has been pretty mediocre this season (10-37), it is important to remember that last year in Blacksburg he went 4-4 from beyond the arc in a win over the Deacs (again, this seems to happen to Wake Forest a lot). So while I want to say he isn’t a huge threat from beyond the arc, he has already proven that if he is left open, he is capable of doing plenty of damage.