RALEIGH — Only four games remain, and there’s just not enough time.
We may be looking at the final days of Danny Manning coaching Wake Forest. Sad as it is to say, because he was an outstanding talent when he played and is a terrific guy, but the Demon Deacons just are not winning.
In the ACC, we know what that means.
He’s well liked in Winston-Salem, and by the right people. But there are not a lot of indicators the program will trend upward soon.
Sunday night in PNC Arena, N.C. State blistered the Demon Deacons 94-74. It was like a lot of Wake Forest games this year, the Deacs looking very young and inconsistent.
Whatever momentum was to be carried forth after winning at Notre Dame on Tuesday was lost quickly when the Wolfpack scored the first nine points. Wake got hot for a stretch and closed the gap, but that’s an optimistic microcosm of the program right now, too.
There’s little to no consistency.
Manning is in his fifth season with the Demon Deacons, and the star of Kansas’ national title run in 1988 has brought few wins and certainly no miracle. Wake is 64-89 under the college basketball Hall of Famer.
It’s been a long decade in this corner of the Big Four, what with Jeff Bzdelik’s four years before Manning. The high water mark was 19-14 two years ago, and that included 10th place in the ACC at 9-9.
The roster has been in shambles since, not the kind of thing expected for years four and five of a rebuild. The top three scorers from a year ago had eligibility remaining, but chose not to return.
The nine newcomers are the most in six years. Sunday’s starting lineup included two freshmen, two graduate transfers and a sophomore filling in for injured big man Olivier Sarr.
Wake has shown it can play at times. Tuesday in South Bend was one of them, and beating a Markell Johnson-less Wolfpack in Winston-Salem a month ago was encouraging.
Then they lost five straight.
So Sunday wasn’t totally unexpected. Johnson was back, pouring in 25 points. Sarr’s absence was very noticeable, with little rim protection for the black and gold.
Now the Deacons have Miami, Syracuse, at Duke and back home with Florida State to wrap the season. They may still be at 10 wins going to the Queen City for the ACC Tournament. If so, that’s going to mean 20 losses.
That’s pink slip territory.
Wake Forest lost games to Houston Baptist and Gardner-Webb, and didn’t overwhelm Western Carolina and North Carolina A&T by any means. Their 11 ACC losses have included just one of less than five points, and six by gaps of 22, 22, 23, 28, 37 and 38 points.
It’s been a long season at Wake Forest. And an even longer nine years.
The Deacs need to be relevant in basketball. That probably means it’s time to say so long to a guy we all like.
Wake Forest head coach Danny Manning talks with Brandon Childress (0), Torry Johnson (4), Isaiah Mucius (1) and Sharone Wright Jr. (2) during the second half Sunday night.