Wake Forest Unveils 2026-27 ACC Basketball Schedule
Demon Deacons will host Duke, North Carolina and NC State as part of a nine-game home conference slate
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Wake Forest will have plenty of familiar ACC competition coming through LJVM Coliseum during the 2026-27 season.
The Demon Deacons released their 2026-27 ACC men's basketball schedule, featuring nine conference home games and matchups against all three of the program's Big Four rivals — Duke, NC State and North Carolina — in Winston-Salem.
Wake Forest opens ACC play at home Saturday, Jan. 2, against Virginia Tech.
The Big Four portion of the schedule begins Wednesday, Jan. 20, when Duke visits LJVM Coliseum. NC State comes to Winston-Salem on Wednesday, Feb. 10, followed by North Carolina on Saturday, Feb. 20.
The home conference schedule also includes Notre Dame on Jan. 12, Florida State on Jan. 16, Boston College on Feb. 2, Pittsburgh on Feb. 13 and Georgia Tech on March 3.
On the road, Wake Forest will face SMU, Clemson, NC State, Miami, Louisville, Notre Dame, Stanford, California and Syracuse.
Tipoff times and television information have not yet been announced.
Wake Forest's 2026-27 ACC Schedule
Saturday, Jan. 2 — Virginia Tech — LJVM Coliseum
Tuesday, Jan. 5 — at SMU — Dallas, Texas
Saturday, Jan. 9 — at Clemson — Clemson, S.C.
Tuesday, Jan. 12 — Notre Dame — LJVM Coliseum
Saturday, Jan. 16 — Florida State — LJVM Coliseum
Wednesday, Jan. 20 — Duke — LJVM Coliseum
Saturday, Jan. 23 — at NC State — Raleigh, N.C.
Saturday, Jan. 30 — at Miami — Coral Gables, Fla.
Tuesday, Feb. 2 — Boston College — LJVM Coliseum
Saturday, Feb. 6 — at Louisville — Louisville, Ky.
Wednesday, Feb. 10 — NC State — LJVM Coliseum
Saturday, Feb. 13 — Pittsburgh — LJVM Coliseum
Tuesday or Wednesday, Feb. 16-17 — at Notre Dame — South Bend, Ind.
Saturday, Feb. 20 — North Carolina — LJVM Coliseum
Wednesday, Feb. 24 — at Stanford — Stanford, Calif.
Saturday, Feb. 27 — at California — Berkeley, Calif.
Wednesday, March 3 — Georgia Tech — LJVM Coliseum
Saturday, March 6 — at Syracuse — Syracuse, N.Y.
Home games are listed without an "at" designation.
LJVM Coliseum Has Been a Stronghold for Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons will enter the season looking to maintain one of the stronger home records in college basketball.
Wake Forest is 74-17 at LJVM Coliseum since the start of the 2021-22 season. According to Wake Forest Athletics, that total ranks tied for seventh nationally in home wins during that span.
Houston leads the listed group with 80 home victories, followed by Saint Mary's with 79 and Duke with 78. Arizona and Iowa State each have 76, while Kentucky has 75.
Wake Forest is tied at 74 wins with Arkansas, Grand Canyon, Tennessee and UConn.
That home success could become particularly important during a conference schedule that brings three major in-state opponents to Winston-Salem.
A New-Look Demon Deacons Roster
Wake Forest will enter 2026-27 with a roster that combines returning experience, transfers and international talent.
Sophomore Isaac Carr returns after appearing in 26 games last season, including four starts. He finished the regular season with four consecutive starts in ACC play against Boston College, Syracuse, Virginia and California.
The Demon Deacons also added several players with significant collegiate experience.
Kevair Kennedy
Kennedy arrives at Wake Forest after a standout freshman season at Merrimack. He became the first player in MAAC history to earn both Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors in the same season.
He averaged 18.4 points and 4.2 assists per game while scoring at least 20 points in 16 games. Kennedy also recorded a career-high 32 points against Siena.
His freshman season included two MAAC Player of the Week honors, seven Rookie of the Week awards and a spot on the NABC All-North Atlantic District First Team.
Jamari McDowell
McDowell comes to Wake Forest from Kansas after playing in 66 games over three seasons with the Jayhawks.
The versatile guard can play across three perimeter positions and brings defensive ability and leadership to the backcourt. He scored 10 points in Kansas' win over No. 1 Arizona last season and earned Academic All-Big 12 honors twice.
Justin Ray
Ray joins the Demon Deacons after two seasons at Monmouth.
He averaged 11.3 points per game last season while leading the team with 66 3-pointers. Ray scored at least 20 points four times, including a 25-point performance at Syracuse.
Through two collegiate seasons, he has scored 492 points and owns a career 40.8% shooting mark from 3-point range.
Ring Nyeri
Nyeri transferred to Wake Forest from Northern Colorado, where he averaged 8.5 points and a team-best 6.3 rebounds per game.
The forward shot 53.6% from the field and added 28 blocks while connecting on 35.3% of his 3-point attempts.
He was also a College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selection during his collegiate career.
Antonio Dorn
Dorn gives Wake Forest additional size at 7 feet.
The former Virginia Tech player appeared in 24 games as a freshman and shot 64.3% from the field. He finished with eight points, seven rebounds and two blocks in the ACC Tournament.
Dorn also has professional experience in Germany's second division and represented Germany at the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship.
Xander Pintelon
Pintelon arrives from Florida Atlantic after starting 25 games and averaging 6.2 points per game.
The Belgian forward shot 35.2% from 3-point range and connected on 85.4% of his free-throw attempts last season.
Pintelon also has international experience with the Belgian national team and helped the country reach the semifinals of the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship.
Wake Forest Adds Highly Regarded Freshmen
The Demon Deacons' incoming class includes twin forwards Gavin and Gallagher Placide, both of whom were highly regarded recruits coming out of Texas.
Gavin Placide is a four-star, 6-foot-11 forward who was ranked among the top 10 prospects in Texas. He brings versatility, rebounding and the ability to score both inside and outside.
His twin brother, Gallagher Placide, is a four-star, 6-foot-10 prospect who also ranked among the top 100 recruits nationally. Gallagher is known for his defensive versatility and ability to defend multiple positions.
Both players competed at Faith Family Academy in Texas.
Wake Forest also added 6-foot-6 freshman Lukas Bojovic, who arrives with international experience after helping Slovenia win its first U18 European Championship.
Bojovic scored 21 points on 60% shooting in the championship game.
He also put together a productive 2025-26 season with Partizan Belgrade's U19 team in Serbia, averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game while shooting 54.7% from the field.
His season earned him multiple Serbian Junior League honors, including Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year recognition.
What to Watch for in 2026-27
For Wake Forest, the ACC schedule provides an early test and several marquee opportunities at home.
The Demon Deacons will face Virginia Tech to open conference play before traveling to SMU and Clemson. From there, the schedule features a steady rotation of home and road games before Wake Forest closes the regular season with Georgia Tech at LJVM Coliseum on March 3 and a road matchup with Syracuse on March 6.
But the dates that will likely draw the most attention are already set.
Duke. NC State. North Carolina.
All three will make the trip to Winston-Salem.
With a reworked roster and nine ACC home games on the calendar, Wake Forest will have plenty of opportunities to make LJVM Coliseum a major part of its 2026-27 season.
Source: Wake Forest Athletics.
