Wake Forest bounced back from a loss to Florida State with a convincing victory over Virginia. The Demon Deacons held the Cavaliers to 28.1 percent shooting and won the rebounding battle 40-27. The Deacs boasted a 28-10 scoring advantage in the paint.

NC State responded to its loss to UNC with a six-point victory over Louisville. The Wolfpack shot 54.2 percent overall, including 10-for-20 from beyond the arc, and 88.2 percent at the free-throw line. Senior guard DJ Horne paced NC State with 27 points on 9-for-14 shooting.

The Wolfpack are in for a tough challenge from a Demon Deacons team that excels on both ends of the floor. They rank third in FT percentage, shoot nearly 39 percent from long range, and make 65 percent of their shots at the rim. NC State's perimeter defense is mediocre (244th in opponent 3PT%) and while ranked 68th in adjusted defensive efficiency, it has only faced an average offense ranked 187th, per KenPom. 

The Wolfpack rely too heavily on Horne on offense to keep pace with the deadly Demon Deacons' attack. Wake Forest's interior defense is stout, as the Deacs block nearly 17 percent of their opponents' rim FGs, so the Wolfpack will likely need to shoot well above their season average from the mid-range and three to win this game. I don't see that happening against a very good Demon Deacons team.