Steve Forbes can’t refer to Alondes Williams as Tragic Johnson anymore.

Forbes refers to players in practice who commit turnovers when trying to make difficult passes as Tragic Johnson – the wordplay is because there’s only one Magic Johnson, and it’s tragic to try to do what he did. But after Williams’ left-handed rope of a pass for a Cameron Hildreth layup last weekend, the Oklahoma transfer elevated himself above that particular nickname.

“I don’t know if I’ll be able to call him Tragic Johnson anymore,” Forbes said earlier this week.

What the Deacons also know is that they don’t have to rely on Williams and Jake LaRavia to be their leading scorers every time out.

The pair of transfers scored 21 apiece in Wake’s overtime win over Northwestern last week, but it was Daivien Williamson (19) and Dallas Walton (17) leading the scoring at Virginia Tech. It was the second time in the last three games that Williamson has been Wake’s leading scorer – every other game this season, it’s been Williams or LaRavia.

“You’ve heard me say that, right? The strength is in our numbers, we don’t have to rely on one person to have a great game every game to win,” Forbes said. “I think it proved itself out this week.”

Wake Forest scored 80 points on the road against a Virginia Tech team that’s allowed more than 60 one other time this season (a 69-61 loss to Memphis).

Williams and LaRavia had a combined three points at halftime, though they finished with 10 each as the Deacons pulled away in the second half.

“I know I ain’t going to be the leading scorer all the time, Jake knows he ain’t going to be the leading scorer all the time,” Williams said. “We’ve got a lot of whippers on this team. We just knew that we were going to have somebody have our back if we ain’t score that much.

“I told them, ‘Yeah man you’re doing your thing out there, man, go ahead keep doing it.’”

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Here’s what to know ahead of Saturday night’s USC Upstate-Wake Forest game:

Time: 7 p.m.

TV: Regional Sports Networks

Announcers: Tom Werme (play-by-play) and Mike Gminski (analyst).

Series; last meeting: Wake Forest leads 1-0; Wake Forest won 72-48 in 2007.

Records: USC Upstate 2-6; Wake Forest 8-1.

Stat to watch: 63.5%.

And you probably thought Wake Forest wouldn’t continue shooting lights out in its ACC opener, which also was the Deacons’ first true road game.

Wake Forest was 33 of 52 (63.5%) at Virginia Tech on Saturday, the best against an ACC team since a 2007 double overtime win against Georgia Tech in the first round of the ACC tournament.

Now, even dropping back down to play a low-major, you wouldn’t expect Wake Forest to put up the same type of efficiency.

But there also might not be a harsh drop-off.

The Deacons have shot better than 50% in 6 of 9 games this season. Within that, their effective field goal percentage (a KenPom stat that is regular field goal percentage, with weight given to made 3s) is 57.4, which is eighth-best in the country (entering Thursday’s games).

“I know we look like … sometimes we’re reliant on the 3, but I think it comes down to what teams give you and what they try to take away. And then you have to expose it,” Forbes said.

Spartan to watch: Mysta Goodloe, guard.

It’s a homecoming game for Goodloe, who’s a Winston-Salem native and Reynolds High School alum.

The junior has started the last four games and has scored in double figures three times this season, including 10 points against Western Carolina in the Spartans’ last game. Goodloe only played in five of 23 games last season, and as a freshman he played sparingly and had 41 points in 24 games.

Deacon(s) to watch: Robert McCray and Lucas Taylor.

Given this seems like it’ll be a lopsided game, it should represent a good time to get one or both of the Deacons’ freshman guards (not named Cameron Hildreth) into the game for a large chunk of time.

Wake’s rotation has been solid at eight players, but it would behoove Forbes and the staff to have McCray and/or Taylor ready. The Deacons are bound to, at some point, need minutes because of injuries or foul trouble at some point down the line.

McCray has seemed to have a slight edge over Taylor, given he played against LSU in the second half of the Deacons’ only loss. Getting McCray to embrace a defensive stopper role is the key to the 6-3, 185-pound guard seeing his minutes increase.

KenPom prediction: Wake Forest wins 84-60.

Deacons Illustrated predictions: Phase 3 of Wake Forest’s non-conference schedule is the trap phase – three games against teams ranked 200-plus in KenPom that should be rather simple tasks for the Deacons.

One of these next three games – VMI on Tuesday and Charlotte next Friday – will probably be trickier than you might think.

I don’t think this game against USC Upstate is that game. You’ve always got to be wary of the post-exam stumble, but again – Saturday night’s game shouldn’t be the one for that.