Wake Forest Basketball Starts ACC Play on the Road at NC State

The Demon Deacons are ready to kick off the new year with a trip to Raleigh

Nov 28, 2025; Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Juke Harris (2) drives to the basket against Northeastern Huskies guard Miles Newton (10) during the first half at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The Wake Forest Demon Deacons are ready to turn the page from non-conference play to ACC play as the new year is about to begin. Their first challenge is a big one, a quad 1 game on the road against a Big Four Rival. The game will be broadcast at noon on Wednesday on ESPN2.

The Deacs have had over a week off for the holidays, and last time we saw them, it was not pretty. Vanderbilt was able to put down Wake by over 30 points. It was certainly a low point in the season. The saving grace is that the Deacs are competing in a much deeper ACC this season. Opportunities will be plentiful to boost their resume, and one is staring them right in the face in Raleigh.

Opponent Preview

Dec 6, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; NC State Wolfpack guard Tre Holloman (5) with the ball goaded by Liberty Flames guard JJ Harper (9) during the first half of the game at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

The NC State Wolfpack is coming into this one fresh off a long break as well. Will Wade is in his first season as coach. The team had very high preseason expectations and showed some flashes; however, they sit at the same 9-4 mark as the Deacs do after non-conference play. At KenPom, the Wolfpack are ranked 27th, with the 21st-ranked offensive efficiency in the country. They are 32nd in the NET.

This NC State is full of talent and can really shoot the ball. They are 18th in three-point percentage among all D-1 teams at 39.1%. They are well-balanced with five players averaging double figures. Senior transfer Darrion Williams leads the way at 14.8 per game, followed by sharpshooting sophomore Paul McNeil Jr. at 14.3 per game and McNeese transfer Quadir Copeland at 14.1 per game. Transfers Ven-Allen Lubin and Tre Holloman pitch in with 13.2 and 11.5 points, respectively. Stopping this high-powered Wolfpack offense will certainly be a challenge.

Game Preview: Throw Wolfpack Off Their Game

As already stated, this NC State offense needs the Demon Deacons' full attention. We knew Vanderbilt had a high-powered offense going into that one, and they got hot early and never let off the gas. In this one, the Deacs must create some turnovers and chaos defensively to throw the Wolfpack off their game in their own gym.

Wake Forest's offense has shown they can be explosive at times, and they have the depth necessary to compete. However, if the Wolfpack get off to a fast start, I could easily see Wake falling behind like against Vandy. Getting off to a fast start on the road is a huge key, and to do that, they must be able to slow NC State down. The Wolfpack relies heavily on threes, so it is paramount to get hands on open shooters.

The biggest thing to watch in this one is simply to see if Wake Forest can come out with the heart that was severely lacking against Vandy. They are playing another good offense and need to look to correct mistakes. The motivation to get a season-defining win needs to be present. The Deacs have not fared well in Raleigh recently. Let's see if this is the year they can finally reverse the trend. Go Deacs!