Nijel Pack knows a thing or two about Wake Forest. The Oklahoma Sooners? Not so much.
When OU heads to Winston-Salem on Tuesday night for a showdown with the Demon Deacons in the ACC/SEC Challenge, it’ll mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs. But for Pack, the matchup is familiar territory. The junior guard faced Wake Forest three times during his time at Miami before transferring to Oklahoma this offseason - and he didn’t just show up, he showed out.
Pack’s best outing against the Demon Deacons came in 2023, when he dropped 24 points in a Miami win. Over those three games, he’s averaged 16 points per contest against Wake, and now he brings that experience - and scoring touch - into a new jersey.
So far, Pack has been everything Oklahoma hoped for and then some. Through seven games, he’s averaging 19.3 points, 3.0 assists and 2.7 rebounds, and he’s been red-hot from deep.
He’s knocked down five threes in each of his last two games and has hit that mark in four of the last five. That includes a clutch triple late in the Sooners’ nail-biting 75-74 win over Marquette in Chicago on Friday - a shot that helped seal a signature early-season victory.
“I love having the threat,” head coach Porter Moser said of Pack’s range. “He’s such a threat.
When you have shooters like that, it opens up driving lanes for others, because people aren’t really packing off him - no pun intended. You love having a threat on the floor that can knock down a shot from anywhere.”
Pack’s presence has been more than just a scoring boost. He’s helped anchor an offense that’s been both efficient and disciplined.
Oklahoma enters Tuesday’s contest averaging just 9.1 turnovers per game - a mark that ranks among the top 15 in the nation. That ball security will be tested against a Wake Forest defense that thrives on disruption, forcing 17 turnovers per game, also ranking in the top 20 nationally.
“They don’t stop moving,” Moser said of Wake Forest. “They’ve got a lot of different guys that can shoot it and score it.”
The game also brings a bit of a full-circle moment for Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes, who served as an assistant under Moser at Illinois State during the 2003-04 season. Now, they’ll be on opposite benches with both squads riding three-game winning streaks.
Wake Forest is fresh off an 86-73 home win over Northeastern, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing. The Demon Deacons gave up 44 first-half points - a season high - before clamping down after the break.
“We just didn’t come ready to play,” said forward Tre’Von Spillers. “We’ve got to have a different approach when it comes to games like this.”
Spillers has been a key piece for Wake, averaging 15.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. But the engine of the Deacons’ offense has been freshman forward Juke Harris. The 6-foot-7 standout is averaging 19.6 points and 7.1 boards, leading a balanced attack that features four players averaging double figures.
This one has all the ingredients for a compelling early-season test - a high-powered scorer with history against the opponent, two teams on a roll, and a clash of styles between Oklahoma’s careful execution and Wake Forest’s aggressive defense.
For the Sooners, it’s a chance to keep building momentum with Pack leading the way. For Wake Forest, it’s an opportunity to prove their fast-paced, high-pressure identity can hold up against a disciplined, battle-tested squad.
Tipoff can’t come soon enough.