Let there be a schedule!
ACC releases basketball schedule; Wake Forest slated to play Virginia twice in first four games, 11 of 20 ACC games have flexible dates.
Well, we’ve *almost* got a full basketball schedule for Wake Forest.
The ACC released its conference schedule Tuesday morning (#onaTuesday) on the ACC Network’s “Packer and Durham” show.
The Deacons play Virginia, likely the preseason favorite to win the league, twice in the first four ACC games. Other repeat opponents for the Deacons are Duke, N.C. State, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech and Pittsburgh.
Eleven of Wake Forest’s 20 ACC games have flexible dates, which is more a function of TV than COVID-19.
Wake Forest announced its nonconference multi-team event (MTE, as they’re more commonly referred to online) two weeks ago, so we know those teams and dates. The last few openings will be filled later.
Here is a game-by-game listing of Wake Forest’s schedule, with notes and KenPom ranks for each opponent:
Nov. 25-27 – Mako Medical Wake Forest Classic: Wake Forest vs. Longwood/Alabama State/Delaware State
Longwood: 328th KenPom | 14-18 last year | coached by Griff Aldrich, a teammate of Ryan Odom who was an assistant coach at UMBC in 2018 when the Retrievers knocked off Virginia in the NCAA Touranment.
Alabama State: 352nd KenPom | 8-24 last year | coached by Mo Williams, 13-year NBA veteran who was on the 2016 champion Cleveland Cavaliers team.
Delaware State: 348th KenPom | 6-26 last year | You see last year’s record? That includes wins in 3 of their last 5 games.
Dec. 2 - vs. Troy
267th KenPom | 9-22 last year | Wake Forest has never played Troy, but former walk-on Troy Rike is playing professional basketball in the Philippines.
Dec. 13 – vs. Presbyterian
342nd KenPom | 10-22 last year | Wake Forest is on a one-game winning streak in series history.
Dec. 16 – vs. Virginia
16th KenPom | 23-7 last year | Virginia has won eight straight against Wake Forest; Danny Manning never beat UVA.
Dec. 29 or 30 – vs. Syracuse
29th KenPom | 18-14 last year | Syracuse had three players in the ACC’s top 10 for 3-pointers made per game and returns two of them, Buddy Boeheim and Joseph Girard.
Jan. 3 – at Georgia Tech
73rd KenPom | 17-14 last year | Josh Pastner’s teams in the last six seasons (four at GT, two at Memphis) are a combined 102-96.
Jan. 5 or 6 – at Virginia
(see above) | Virginia’s top player is projected to be Sam Hauser, a transfer from Marquette who sat out last season.
Jan. 9 – at Duke
3rd KenPom | 25-6 last year | Wake Forest is on a one-game winning streak against Duke (remember the double OT thriller that was roughly 8½ months or 8½ years ago, depending on your understanding of time and space?)
Jan. 12 or 13 – vs. Louisville
14th KenPom | 24-7 last year | Coach Chris Mack released the greatest video of college basketball’s offseason.
Jan. 17 – vs. Virginia Tech
30th KenPom | 16-16 last year | Steve Forbes is good friends with coach Mike Young, going back to their days in the Southern Conference (Forbes at East Tennessee State, Young at Wofford).
Jan. 19 or 20 – at North Carolina
23rd KenPom | 14-19 last year | Preseason projections for the Tar Heels to bounce back from last year are reliant on Roy Williams getting the most out of some limited wing players.
Jan. 26 or 27 – at N.C. State
55th KenPom | 20-12 last year | Coach Kevin Keatts has won at least 20 games in each of the last five seasons (three at N.C. State, two at UNCW), but has also lost 12 games in each of his three seasons in Raleigh.
Jan. 30 – vs. Miami
41st KenPom | 15-16 last year | Diminutive and dynamite scorer Chris Lykes (5-7, 160) is still at Miami.
Feb. 2 or 3 – at Notre Dame
100th KenPom | 20-12 last year | Prentiss Hubb will be one of the ACC’s biggest breakout stars this season.
Feb. 7 – vs. Pittsburgh
83rd KenPom | 16-17 last year | Ended Wake Forest’s season (and Manning’s tenure) in Greensboro.
Feb. 9 or 10 – at Boston College
106th KenPom | 13-19 last year | Coach Jim Christian is still here, sitting on perhaps the hottest seat in the league.
Feb. 13 – at Florida State
19th KenPom | 26-5 last year | The last time we saw Leonard Hamilton and his team, they were partaking in the strangest trophy ceremony … maybe ever.
Feb. 16 or 17 – vs. Duke
(see above) | Last year’s Duke team was the first since 2012-13 that the Blue Devils didn’t have a top-3 NBA draft pick on the roster.
Feb. 20 – vs. N.C. State
(see above) | Wolfpack will create matchup problems on interior with forwards D.J. Funderburke (6-10, 225) and Manny Bates (6-11, 230).
Feb. 23 or 24 – vs. Clemson
40th KenPom | 16-15 last year | Another “he’s still there” reminder: Brad Brownell is still Clemson’s coach.
Feb. 27 – at Virginia Tech
(see above) | Walkertown native Jalen Cone shot 45.7% on 3-pointers (64-140) as an early enrollee freshman last season, eighth-best in the country (per KenPom).
March 2 or 3 – at Pittsburgh
(see above) | Justin Champagnie should be well known to Wake Forest fans for his 31-point game in the ACC Tournament, and will be well known by ACC fans by the end of the year.
March 5 or 6 – vs. Georgia Tech
(see above) | Let’s make each of these last three highlight-a-player notes: Michael Devoe does not get nearly enough credit as one of the ACC’s most-complete players.
March 9-13: ACC Tournament. Washington, D.C.
Wake Forest’s last three coaches (yes, including Dino Gaudio) were a combined 2-13 in the ACC Tournament.