RALEIGH, N.C. — There was still plenty of time on the clock when Steve Forbes walked almost the length of the Wake Forest bench slapping hands. The Demon Deacons were in the middle of a 16-0 run to close out their first win over N.C. State in three seasons, and it was less about celebrating that Wednesday night than Wake Forest’s first 20-win season since 2010.
Wake Forest suddenly has a lot to celebrate. After Forbes’ first fitful season at Wake Forest, it’s been an instantaneous turnaround in the second. His quick-fix approach has fixed Wake Forest, and quickly. The Demon Deacons are back to where the school and its fans have always believed they should be, and on track for their second NCAA tournament appearance since that 2010 season, four coaches ago.
“Respect is a hard thing to get back once you lose it,” Forbes said after Wednesday’s 69-51 win. “We’re starting to gain back the respect Wake Forest once had in this league, where we belong. But we’re not satisfied. Twenty wins is a good season. Twenty-five or 30 is special.”
