To have any outside shot at contending for an ACC title, Wake Forest will have to make outside shots.
The Deacons got an immediate reminder in last night's exhibition against Indiana (Pa.) at Joel Coliseum -- as if they needed one. They controlled the opening tap, set up on offense and saw a Crimson Hawks defense packed back in the lane.
"We see it every day in practice, too," senior L.D. Williams said. "It's nothing we haven't seen and nothing we won't see in the future."
After missing their first six 3-point attempts, often badly, the Deacons warmed up and hit eight of their final 13 attempts from beyond the arc to bury IUP of the Division II Pennsylvania State Athletics Conference, 88-57.
Sophomore Al-Farouq Aminu, who led Wake Forest with 24 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists in 25 minutes, said the biggest obstacle early wasn't the Crimson Hawks' sagging man to man.
"As a team I think we shot better as the game went on," Aminu said. "I think just nerves were high. Everybody seeing Syracuse losing (to Le Moyne, a Division II opponent) and things like that, we were just so anxious just to come out there and beat them by 30 on the first shot.
"Once we settled down and made a couple of shots, I think we were successful at showing how good we are."
Center Chas McFarland didn't start because he missed three practices last week with a concussion, but he gave Wake Forest a big boost when he checked in at the scorer's table after the first media timeout. He dominated the much smaller Crimson Hawks' frontcourt and contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds in 18 minutes.
"I thought Chas played really well tonight," Coach Dino Gaudio said. "I thought he played like a senior. And you know what, he's so much more mature. We all know he missed practices last week, so I brought him off the bench. Instead of sitting there going, `Wow, I'm the only senior not out there,' he came in when he did and he did a great job. It was a really good performance by him and a really mature approach to this evening."
No other Deacon scored more than nine points, but 10 scored and seven scored at least six points. Aminu, showing a more confident stroke, drilled three 3-pointers on five attempts, and David Weaver, C.J. Harris, Konner Tucker, Williams and McFarland all made one.
"I'm really happy for a lot of guys who worked their tails off over the summer shooting the ball," Gaudio said. "At the beginning of the game, our first three shots were threes. We were just settling, and we were rushing a little. That's natural when it's the first time you're out there in front of the people."
Aminu split his time pretty evenly between wing forward and power forward. He made seven of 10 shots from the field, seven of 10 from the free-throw line and had nine of his 11 rebounds on the defensive backboards.
The only flaw in his game was his tendency to dribble in traffic, which resulted in four turnovers. Gaudio said Aminu is a much more versatile player as a sophomore.
Aminu agreed.
"It's experience," Aminu said. "In my first year, with all the plays you try to learn in college and you're trying to learn both positions, you're like a deer in headlights. But after two years you kind of know the system, and little things like knowing the system helps you in all phases."
dcollins@wsjournal.com.
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