Juke Harris is shining bright amid a challenging season for Wake Forest, offering fans a beacon of hope.
After delivering a career-best performance, Harris is set to lead the Demon Deacons against Syracuse this Saturday in Winston-Salem, N.C. Harris dropped an impressive 38 points, shooting 12-of-19, in a nail-biting 68-67 loss to Boston College on Wednesday.
His consistent scoring, hitting double figures in every game, has elevated his average to 21.7 points per game, ranking him third in the Atlantic Coast Conference. This is a significant leap from his 6.1 points per game as a freshman.
Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes had high praise, saying, "He's probably as good as any player I've coached in terms of improvement from freshman to sophomore year. He's just a really fabulous player."
The Demon Deacons, with a record of 14-14 and 5-10 in the ACC, have hit a rough patch, losing two straight after a three-game winning streak. They currently sit 14th in the 18-team conference. Syracuse, not far ahead with a 15-13 record and 6-9 in conference play, is also fighting to secure a spot in the 15-team ACC Tournament in Charlotte as the regular season winds down.
The Orange are eager to rebound from a rocky season, coming off a 77-64 loss to then-No. 16 North Carolina, despite J.J.
Starling's 22-point effort. The rest of the Syracuse starters struggled, combining for just 24 points on 9-of-29 shooting.
Syracuse coach Adrian Autry reflected on the season, saying, "Obviously we would have liked it to go a little bit better. You have always got to be hopeful. We have got to get ready for the next game, and then pick your head up when all is said and done, and you deal with it."
Wake Forest has had the upper hand in recent encounters, winning three straight against Syracuse. In their last meeting, the Demon Deacons secured an 81-71 victory, shooting 47.4% from beyond the arc while holding the Orange to just 22.7% from three-point range.
Fans will be watching closely to see if Harris can continue his stellar play and lead Wake Forest to another triumph over Syracuse.