Previewing UNC Basketball's ACC Battle with Wake Forest

Next on the UNC vs. The ACC series is another Tobacco Road school, but it’s not in the Triangle but rather the Triad: the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

The Demon Deacons are coming off of a 21-11 season in the 2024-25 campaign and tied for 4th place in ACC Play, barely missing out on the tournament once again.

Steve Forbes is in his fifth season with a 92-65 overall record and has had a winning season outside of his first year on the job, meaning that the Demon Deacons have had four straight winning seasons. Three of those four seasons have had 20 wins or more.

North Carolina leads the all-time series 166-70, but the series has been split in the last six meetings. The Tar Heels defeated Wake Forest 68-59 in Winston-Salem last season behind a 23-point performance from RJ Davis.

Starting Lineup

Washington State transfer Nate Calbrese (6-2, 170, Sr.) is set to start at point guard for the Demon Deacons. Last season, he averaged 15.2 points, 4.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.

Mekhi Mason (6-5, 200, Sr.) is expected to start at shooting guard and brings impressive credentials from his last stop at Washington.

Mar 21, 2025; Milwaukee, WI, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis during the first half of a first round NCAA men’s tournament game against the Mississippi Rebels at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

With the Huskies, Mason averaged nearly 10 points per game, 2.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists while shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 40.2 percent from 3-point range. Over his career at Washington and Rice, he shot 37.2 percent from beyond the arc.

Juke Harris (6-7, 200, Soph.) returns after appearing in 31 games last season, including one start. In 19.4 minutes per game, Harris averaged 6.1 points, shooting 42 percent from the field and 30.3 percent from 3-point range.

Mar 13, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons forward Tre'Von Spillers (25) reacts in the first half at Spectrum Center. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Forward Tre'von Spillers (6-7, 215, Jr.) also returns after averaging nearly 10 points and 7.6 rebounds per game last season while shooting 51 percent from the field.

Center Cooper Schewiger (6-10, 235, Jr.) was another nice pickup from Vaparaiso out of the transfer portal. Schweiger averaged 14.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game while shooting 49.1% from the field and 33% from beyond the arc throughout his career. Last season, Scheeiger averaged 15.8 points and 7.8 rebounds, earning second-team All-Missouri Valley.

Other Players to Watch

Oct 8, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Wake Forest head coach Steve Forbes answers questions from the media at The Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

Sebastian Akins (6-2, 175, Soph.) was the Summit League Freshman of the Year after he averaged 12.7 points and a team-high 2.6 assists per game while at Denver last season. He also shot 42.1% from the field and 30.4% from three.

True freshman guard Jack Carr (6-3, 170) is expected to see significant playing time off the bench. He was a Top 150 recruit and ranked as the No. 1 prospect out of Oregon.

Mar 28, 2025; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Purdue Boilermakers guard Myles Colvin (5) shoots the ball against the Houston Cougars in the first half during a Midwest Regional semifinal of the 2025 NCAA tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | Robert Goddin-Imagn Images

Myles Colvin (6-5, 212, Jr.) joins Wake Forest from Purdue, where he played in all 36 games last season, including eight starts. Colvin averaged 5.4 points and 2.6 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per game.

Please make sure you follow us today on our Facebook page when you click right HERE!

Please follow us on X when you click right HERE!