The impact of Codi Miller-McIntyre's return.
Codi Miller-McIntyre is presumably going to be returning to the court in the not too distant future. It was hinted as such in a recent broadcast, and he is out of his walking boot. With two games upcoming in which Wake Forest should be double-digit favorites, it would be ideal to get him some action in those games. What will his eventual return mean for this Wake Forest team?
CMM has led the Demon Deacons in both scoring and assists during each of the last two seasons. That's what makes this year's 6-2 start all the more impressive. Codi is very athletic, can create off the dribble, and attack the basket. The ability to attack the basket and convert is rare, and Codi's skill set gives Wake an entire new dimension to the offense. While he probably won't be as explosive when he initially returns, 90% of CMM is still very explosive.
While Codi has predominantly played point guard during his career, I believe he will play a lot of shooting guard, while Bryant Crawford handles the ball. Crawford is a better pure passer, though he can be reckless at times. Meanwhile, this will utilize Codi's driving ability more. CMM is also a very capable passer, which means that side pick-and-rolls with Devin Thomas or John Collins will probably be utilized, in addition to CMM finding shooters once defenses collapse.
| Player | Rutgers | Arkansas | Expected Minutes |
| Devin Thomas | 34 | 28 | 28 |
| Cornelius Hudson | 23 | 28 | 25 |
| Bryant Crawford | 26 | 32 | 28 |
| Dinos Mitoglou | 23 | 16 | 20 |
| Mitchell Wilbekin | 37 | 33 | 25 |
| John Collins | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| Greg McClinton | 11 | 9 | 5 |
| Trent VanHorn | 8 | 13 | 5 |
| Rondale Watson | 14 | 15 | 10 |
| Doral Moore | 8 | 9 | 8 |
| Codi Miller-McIntyre | 0 | 0 | 28 |
I have roughly estimated how the minutes will be allocated for the remainder of the season. Codi probably won't play 28 minutes immediately, but hopefully the games against UNCG and Coastal Carolina will allow him to get around 20 minutes and knock the rust off. I'm sure the offense will take some time to get adjusted to his return, but it's worth that struggle in order to get his talent back on the court.
At his size (6'3", 205 pounds), he can defend opposing two guards. While he is on the court in place of Mitchell Wilbekin, that lineup will obviously lose some shooting. Still, Wake will have a lineup full of players who can attack and finish. Wilbekin's ideal role is probably as a spark plug shooter coming off the bench, so this could be an excellent development for him.
I'm excited about watching this team at full strength. They are already 6-2 without Codi, and will be a much better team with him. It was critical that Wake's record be respectable by the time Codi returned, and it has been far more than that. With Codi, Wake Forest can beat any team in the country. I'm looking forward to watching it all play out.
