Wake Forest is gifted to have one of the best frontlines in college basketball going into this season.  The trio of senior studs Len Chappell and Dickie Hemric and junior Rod Griffin combine to give Wake Forest as tough and talented crew up front as there is in the league.  These ‘Chairmen of the Boards’ can bang with anyone underneath but they do lack some height especially when matching up with the beasts of the ACC.   Chappell plays the five for the DD’s though at 6’8 240 he is better suited as a power forward.  Still, he uses his girth to his advantage and is one of the best low post scorers in the ACC.  Hailing from Portage Pennsylvania the ‘Gentle Giant’ has a solid all-around game as he can take you out to about 15 feet and has been Wake Forest’s leading scorer every year he was eligible.  His sidekick down low the erstwhile Hemric is anything but gentle.  He plays the enforcer role well and is a beast on the boards leading the ACC in rebounding the last two years.  Dickie only goes 6’6 220 but he is adept at getting inside and has a knack for drawing fouls.  Hemric comes from just up the road in Jonesville NC and is a huge fan favorite but sometimes gets overmatched guarding much bigger guys in the paint.  Still, he teams with Chappell to give the Demon Deacons the best and most experienced set of posts on the East Coast! Griffin might even be tougher than the dynamic duo and fits right in between them as far as height goes at 6’7 215.  Another North Carolina kid from Fairmont Griffin is a power player that relies on his strength in the paint and a solid mid-range game.  He does have some issues guarding some quicker wings so there is some room here for some of Odom’s recruits to get some time.  Griffin might not get the hype of his teammates but the coaches in the ACC know him all too well as he was superb last year showing he indeed belongs at this level. 

There is plenty of depth with experience up front though like the starters most of these guys are undersized a bit.  Seniors Dave Budd and Ronnie Watts gave way to Griffin’s ascendance last year and both have started games for the Demon Deacons. Both are 6’6 and skinny as rails (205, 210 respectively) and neither is exactly challenging Griffin athletically but they are tough and smart and will give the starters some rest when needed.  Unless of course they get passed up by some incoming recruits! Another senior Bob Woollard, has more than enough size at 6’10 225 but has not proven he is more than just big so far.  This Bloomfield New Jersey product has given Chappell rest but is limited offensively and not mobile enough to be a full time player.  Size does matter though so he should play again in limited minutes this season.  Speaking of size, seniors Jack Williams and Lefty Davis have virtually no chance of getting any legitimate playing time up front this year as they only go 6’3 and 6’1 (David is a too trim 151).  Both are tremendous athletes who played together in Johnson City Illinois in high school and were recruited to Winston-Salem in the day when kids played more than one sport.  They are tremendous on the diamond with Lefty being one of the best southpaws in the ACC (what did you think he threw right handed?). Junior Gil McGregor has a chance for some minutes as he goes 6’7 240 and sets a mean screen.  Sophomore to be Ken Green will play for sure as he is the only true small forward on the roster at 6’6 210.  Green, from Eustis Florida, spent most of last year on the JV but came on late when given a chance and showed he can flat score. Green will get first crack at sixth man due his athleticism and his tremendous one on one ability to put the ball in the hoop.  This front court is gifted but the one thing they lack is athleticism at the three and though Green is not exactly Lenny Bias he is the best this team has.  For now!  But Odom assures more are coming as the future of this game is all about athletic wings who can get up and down the court and defend on the perimeter.  Green will have to adjust to the defensive part but might just end up starting before the season is over if he continues to improve and keeps his abundance of confidence in check. 

The Demon Deacons are not perfect up front but they do have a solid group who can compete with anyone in this league or any other.  The problem for the Demon Deacons has always been in the back court and still is.  There are a bunch of players competing for time (and jobs) this season and with Odom bringing in some big time recruits there will be blood.  The leaders in the clubhouse are senior Billy Packer and junior Charlie Davis. Packer is a 5’9 165 point guard from Bethlehem Pennsylvania who is a bit of a basketball savant.  Street wise and tough, Packer won the MVP of the last Dixie Classic as he led the Demon Deacons to their only victory over their three local brethren in that infamous tourney two years ago.  Packer completely understands how to run a team and is adept at getting the ball to the big guys down low.  He did have some issues last season as this league evolved into a more athletic league especially in the back court.  Trying to guard Phil Ford or John Lucas can he hazardous to your health and Packer lost minutes last season as the DD’s try to stay up with the Joneses.  Junior Skip Brown pushed for time as the year progressed and by the end of last season was getting more minutes per game than Packer.  Brown is bigger but not by much at 6’0 165 and is basically a more athletic version of Packer.  This Kingsport Tennessee product is a better scorer and a solid passer but neither is going to be confused with Magic Johnson in the near future.  Odom has a plethora of sophomores who are also in the running for the lead dog of this team with a variance of strengths.  Frank Johnson is the only one who got varsity minutes last year and is similar to Brown and Packer in that he can run a team but is a bit better defensively.  6’1 185 from Summerfield Florida Johnson is more physical than his competitors but is better suited as a backup in today’s ACC.  Delaney Rudd, Danny Young and Tyrone Bogues split up the minutes on the JV.  Rudd and Young are bigger but not by much at 6’2 and 6’3 respectively and are solid defensively though neither is an upgrade over the other three.  ‘Muggsy’ Bogues brings incredible quickness and matches his nickname with an incredible ability to take the ball from opponents.  Part of a legendary high school team for Dunbar Maryland Bogues showed he can play with talent and is superior at getting the ball to his teammates for easy looks but at 5’3 battles an uphill battle to get minutes at this level.  The kid has shown he can overcome the odds against smaller guys so I would not bet against him but Odom has brought in not one but two super recruits at this position so all of these guys might be fighting uphill to get minutes by the end of the year.  If Odom figures out which of these guys will actually be able to hang physically with their not so well-liked neighbors at this position then he will get the job.  And supposedly both of these incoming freshmen, Chris Paul and Jeff Teague, are those kind of talents.  We know one thing that no team, and the hated Wolfpack from North Carolina State are in the same boat at this position, can rotate in players at this position and succeed. So though Odom has a large group of choices at this position he will have to decide who his lead dog will be sooner rather than later if the Demon Deacons are indeed going to run with the Pack in the ACC

Davis is already a legend in Winston-Salem for helping to break the color line south of the Mason-Dixie.  This Big Apple product has been a stud ever since he stepped foot down here as he can flat score.  Only 6’2 180 Charlie has a great touch and can flat fill it up from mid-range and loves getting to the hoop and is not afraid of contact and shoots almost 90% from the line. Davis was second on the Deacons in scoring last year and will almost for sure start again this year but some question his ability to guard bigger more athletic wings such as Thompson or Jordan. Seniors Bob Leonard and Paul Long are in a battle to backup Davis and Brown can also play the two but none of these guys are anywhere near the athletes of the great two guards in this league.  Leonard and Long are exactly 6’2 like Davis and like their names are pretty common overall old school two guards-they can get to the hoop and score and hit 17 footers all day but defense and long-range bombing are just not their forte.  As good as the front line is and as deep as the point guard is this team will go nowhere unless they find some wings who can match up with the tremendous athletes every other ACC team seems to be loading up on.  Odom knows this but Jordans and Thompsons do not grow on trees, even in the Deep South!