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One day.
That’s all. It’s time.
The Wake Forest hoops season is about to begin.
My thoughts immediately turn to Parking Lot Parker Friedrichsen. Met him a few weeks ago. Told me he popped 400 shots a day this offseason. Mastering muscle memory is a must and marvelous.
We’re in for a treat. This guy’s shot is right out of a basketball textbook manual. But has more flair and beauty to it. It’s a feather. Reminds me of the effortless releases of Caitlin Clark and Steph Curry.
Parking Lot’s ready to jack ‘em up from the parking lots all season long.
Watch this shooting show unfold.
Afterward, he’ll guzzle his favorite drink, a Shirley Temple, and so will we, toasting our guy Parking Lot. I see this being a Shirley Temple-filled season.
Then there’s Hunter Games Sallis (18 points per game) who proved last year that he’s a legit star in the ACC and, more admirably, a humble guy. So glad Hunter Games is back for more Wake games. Easy to like him. A star who doesn’t act like it.
Impossible to forget Cam Stamina (13 points per game, 4.7 rebounds) who played much of last year at high levels with an injured wrist. Everything this guy does on a basketball court is worth admiring and exactly how the game is supposed to be played. He’s the consummate all-around basketball player – and a terrific teammate. Winning – that’s all he’s about.
Then there’s Boop-dee-Boop (15 points per game). He’ll be booping around the court again and giving us all a good feeling every time he scores cuz we’ll be able to say Boopie which is fun always.
Efton Do What We Need Reid (9 rebounds per game) is like Cam Stamina. All about doing what’s needed to win.
Joining these returners is a nice crew of newcomers One was a McDonalds All-American coming out of high school (as was Sallis). Omaha Biliew is a 6-foot-8 sophomore forward transferring from Iowa State.
He was the number one high school player in Iowa and 11th overall in the country. A big scorer he was in high school – averaged 22 a game in high school; and a serious rebounder – hauled in 9.
A five-star recruit Omaha is.
Nice add.
Joining the new crew is Juke Harris who in high school was first-team all-state in North Carolina – a big deal always. He averaged 29 points per game and is a big shooting guard at 6 foot 7.
Another tantalizing transfer from Louisville is sophomore Ty-Laur Johnson. Made big contributions last year at Louisville with a 27-point, 11-rebound outburst against Florida State. Hailing from Brooklyn, New York, he won New Jersey Prep Player of the Year in 2022 – Jersey has plenty of ballers so this impresses. And he hits the books: All-ACC Academic Team last year. Admirable he is – a student-athlete.
Studying this team’s roster, you get the sense it’s an interesting experience for these guys to practice and travel together given how diverse their backgrounds are.
It starts with Cam Stamina from Worthing, England, and his fellow European on the team, Marquis Marion from Denmark. From another continent is Churchill Abass from Edo State, Nigeria.
Throughout North America there are players on this team from across America’s wide heartland:
Will Underwood, Mahtomedi, Minnesota
Vince Ricchiuti, San Diego, CA
R. J. Kennah, Parker, CO (no relation to Parking Lot)
Hunter Sallis, Omaha, NE
Parking Lot, Bixby, Oklahoma
Omaha Biliew, Denison, Iowa
Sitting around a post-practice dinner table, you can imagine the discussions being stimulating, traversing from insights about Southern California, cutting across the Midwest through Colorado, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, and Oklahoma, and flying across the Atlantic to Western Europe.
Imagine all that worldliness brought to the same basketball team. Oh, the richness of human beings we’re about to see displayed by the Wake Forest basketball team.
From the parking lot, inside the stadium, and on our sofas.
Carolina travels to Winston-Salem on January 21st and Duke four days later on January 25th.
Cooper Flagg who?
Last season Wake got on a good run and went 17 and 2 at home. Overall a 21-14 record and 2-9 in away games. Must win more on the road.
Missed the March Madness field last year. A disheartening ending.
New season, more hope, rising belief.
A coach who keeps bringing in talented players.
Bolstered by Biliew and Booby, the tri-continent culture, and the parking lot loft-ins by Parking Lot, it feels like this is the year Coach Steve Forbes leads Wake back to the biggest basketball tournament in the world.
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Sammy Sportface, a sports blogger, galvanizes, inspires, and amuses The Baby Boomer Brotherhood. And you can learn about his vision and join this group's Facebook page here:
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