Wake Forest Basketball Faces Queens Coming Off Week-Long Break

The Demon Deacons are back at the Joel today against Queens

Nov 28, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Myles Colvin (6) with a slam dunk against the Northeastern Huskies during the second half at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are back on the court today as they prepare to take on the Queens Royals. The game will tip off at 5 pm and can be viewed on ACC Network Extra or with an ESPN+ subscription.

The last time the Deacs were in action was last Saturday, when they went up to Charleston and beat West Virginia behind a 28-point performance from Juke Harris. This should give the Deacs some confidence going into the matchup with the Royals. However, last time at the Joel, Wake suffered their first home non-conference loss of the Steve Forbes era to the Oklahoma Sooners. The Deacs must right the ship and take back control of their home court today.

Opponent Preview

Nov 28, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Queens University of Charlotte Royals forward Avantae Parker (6) and Royals guard Jordan Watford (0) battles for the ball with Virginia Cavaliers center Ugonna Onyenso (33) during the second half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

The Royals are having an up-and-down season, currently sitting at 5-5. They lost to fellow ACC school, Virginia, in Charlottesville, 94-69. Since then, they have cracked 100 points two games in a row in blowout wins over Gardner-Webb and SC State. They are currently ranked 182nd at KenPom, which is noticeably higher than their preseason rank of 219. Overall, this Queens team can put up points in a hurry, and they will have to have the Demon Deacons' full attention.

As for players to watch, Queens has four players averaging double-figures in scoring this season. They are led by senior guard Nasir Mann, who is averaging 15.9 points per game and also leads the team in rebounding and steals. Guards Chris Ashby and Yoav Berman are also double-figure scorers that Wake will need to keep in check. Forward Avantae Parker provides an inside punch with 10.4 points per game, but can also stretch the floor, shooting a stellar 42.9% from three.

Key to the Game: Continue to Show Defensive Intensity

The Deacs had a terrific bounce-back game against West Virginia on the defensive end. After giving up 86 in their own building to the Sooners, Wake just seemed to play more connected against the Mountaineers. They forced 18 turnovers and only allowed the Mountaineers to muster 30 points in the paint. This urgency, defensively, after an ugly loss, was so promising to see.

Now, the Deacs must regroup and put together the same kind of defensive performance against Queens. The Royals as a team shoot above 35% from beyond the arc and are 30th in the nation in effective field goal percentage. These stats are obviously working in their favor, coming off two 100+ point outings. This will be a great test to see if the Demon Deacons can limit their effectiveness on offense. Wake has lacked urgency defensively at times against inferior opponents. Let's hope they can play as they did against the Mountaineers and get a big win tonight. Go Deacs!