Wake Forest Basketball Player Profile: Keyshawn Woods

Keyshawn Woods transferred to Wake Forest last school year, but was forced to sit out this past season due to NCAA rules. He is now eligible and will be a redshirt sophomore. What kind of impact can we expect the shooting guard from Charlotte to make?

I’m bullish on what Woods will bring to Wake this season. He averaged 8.4 points per game during his freshman campaign at Charlotte, and was very efficient in the process. He made 41 of 88 three point attempts (46.6%) on the season, which was the 14th-best percentage in the country. He’s not just an outside threat, as he converted slightly more than 50% of his field goal attempts from inside the arc. This translated to an offensive rating of 111.1.

Woods averaged nearly 14 points per game during Wake Forest’s three exhibition games in the Bahamas this August, and he should be one of Wake’s top three or four best players. I expect him to start in the back court along with Bryant Crawford. He will create excellent floor spacing with his ability to make shots from outside, and he will also be able to attack the basket and convert. He would have likely started over Mitchell Wilbekin last season had he been eligible.

Sports Illustrated’s Luke Winn projects that Woods will play just over half the game for the Deacs this season. Luke does some excellent work over at SI, and I think these projections are mostly solid, but believe that he’s underrating Woods’ impact this season. I expect him to average closer to 10+ points per contest, and I expect him to play 25+ minutes.

Woods will need to improve defensively, but at 6’3” 205 pounds, he has the physical presence to defend either guard position. It’s helpful that this will be his second year in the defensive system, and that he’ll be more familiar with Manning’s philosophy. Overall, Woods will probably be another player in Wake’s starting lineup who is a very good offensive player, but not a plus defender.

Woods is a quasi member of the 2015 recruiting class along with Bryant Crawford, John Collins, and Doral Moore. The rebuild under Danny Manning will depend on how much this group can contribute. I believe that’s an excellent foundation, and Woods will prove to be a very valuable member of the program. I’m expecting good things from Woods this season. What about you all?