Correlation does not equal causation. 

But when you look at how Wake Forest men’s basketball has played since junior forward Efton Reid III has joined the lineup, they might as well be the same thing.

After Saturday’s overtime win over Miami, the Demon Deacons have now played as many games with the seven-foot forward as they have without him — and they look like a totally different team.

Reid started his collegiate career at LSU in 2021 before transferring to Gonzaga and making his way to Winston-Salem this past summer. He was forced to sit out the first seven games of the season as two-time transfers need a waiver from the NCAA to play immediately. The Wake Forest administration lobbied on behalf of Reid’s case for months before the Richmond, Va. native was given good news on Dec. 5. (Thirteen days after the NCAA granted Reid’s waiver request, a West Virginia judge ruled that multi-time transfers would be allowed to play immediately without a waiver for the remainder of the academic year.)

The Dec. 5 announcement led to his debut the next day that showed fans why the former five-star recruit was as impactful as advertised. Reid’s statline included 12 points, a career-high 14 rebounds, two blocks, an assist and a steal on the way to a 76-57 victory over Rutgers. As Head Coach Steve Forbes said postgame, Reid’s presence on the court gives Wake Forest a new dimension. 

“He’s that guy,” Forbes said. “[He] obviously gives us a tremendous presence around the basket and can alter shots. He rebounds … got some vice grips for hands. I think the offense will get better, even though it wasn’t bad […]. I think he changes our team … [and that] was pretty apparent tonight.”

It’s true. 

After starting 2-3, Wake Forest is currently on a nine-game win streak — their longest since the 2008-09 season in which a 16-game win streak propelled them to a No. 1 AP Poll ranking. Wake Forest is also 3-0 to start conference play for the first time since that season and is hoping to start 4-0 in conference play for the first time since 2004-05 in which the Demon Deacons were ranked in the top 10 of the AP Poll for the entire year.

After seven games (including four starts), Reid averages 8.0 PPG, 9.3 RPG (team leader), 2.3 ORPG (second-most on team) and 2.0 BPG (team leader). The ACC only includes players who have played in 75% of their team’s games in the statistical leaderboard — Reid will not reach this threshold until the Feb. 27 matchup against Notre Dame — but the big man’s total rebound and block numbers are both good for 4th-best in the conference. 

After Saturday’s performance, which left Miami Head Coach Jim Larrañaga astounded (2 PTS, 1-4 FG, 11 REB, 7 OREB, 5 BLK, 2 AST), Forbes went a step further, calling Reid a “first-team All-ACC player.” 

But Reid’s true impact isn’t just measured by his individual contributions but how he elevates the rest of the team. 

Since Dec. 6, Wake Forest’s offensive production has increased by six points while the defense has allowed six fewer points; total rebounding jumped up by four and offensive rebounding jumped up by three; assists have increased by 2.3 per game and blocks have improved by 0.4 per game. 

Wake Forest’s conference standing in these statistical categories has also risen since Reid joined the lineup. Based on each seven-game period, offensive production increased from tied-No. 6 to No. 3; defensive production increased from No. 12 to No. 7; total rebounding increased from No. 15 to tied-No. 7; offensive rebounding increased from No. 14 to No. 8; assists increased No. 13 to No. 9; blocks increased from No. 7 to tied-No. 2.

By putting a more traditional center in at the 5-spot, senior forward Andrew Carr has been given a defensive break, and sophomore forward Zach Keller has seen a minutes reduction, which gives Keller fewer high-stakes situations and offers more opportunities for development. It also gives point guard Kevin “Boopie” Miller the option to dump the ball down low and let Reid bully his way to the basket — although the reliability and usage of this type of offense isn’t at a high level yet.

Despite his game-altering rebounding ability and dominating post presence — both offensively and defensively — it’s Reid’s veteran leadership that impresses his coach and teammates the most.

“He’s a big dude, and he’s a really great team player,” Forbes said after the overtime win against Miami. “He’s smart, and he says all the right things [that] keeps everybody positive.”

“Efton, you know, he has that it-factor for us,” former Gonzaga teammate and current Wake Forest teammate Hunter Sallis said. “There’s a lot of things that a lot of people don’t see. Just the energy he brings — you know, just his aura, his presence — definitely just gets us going.” 

Will “it” be enough to give the Demon Deacons their first NCAA tournament berth since 2017, their first AP Poll ranking since 2010 or their first ACC Championship since 1996? It certainly seems possible for the Demon Deacons to compete. 

Granted, this is a small sample size, and not every game has been perfect. Reid’s individual numbers and Wake Forest’s collective numbers may see a drop-off at some point in the season. ACC teams may figure out ways to limit Reid’s impact as more tapes are added to the film room. Or, this is just the beginning, and the strong individual and team play continues. 

Regardless, Forbes’ squad is playing at levels the LJVM Coliseum hasn’t seen in years in no small part to the Efton Effect.