Wake Forest Basketball: Breaking down 2017-18 non-conference schedule

DAYTON, OH - MARCH 14: Head coach Danny Manning of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons reacts during the First Four game against the Kansas State Wildcats in the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 14, 2017 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

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DAYTON, OH – MARCH 14: Head coach Danny Manning of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons reacts during the First Four game against the Kansas State Wildcats in the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 14, 2017 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Paradise Jam

With a relatively weak non-conference schedule, Wake Forest may have to make a splash in the 2017 Paradise Jam, a tournament that is held in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Wake Forest will open the tournament with a game against the Drake Bulldogs on November 17. Last season, Drake finished dead last in the Missouri Valley Conference, finishing with a dismal 7-24 record. The Demon Deacons should win this one easily.

Based on results, however, they will face either the Quinnipiac Bobcats or Colorado Buffaloes. Last season, Quinnipiac finished eighth in the MEAC with a 20-21 record, while Colorado finished seventh in the Pac-12 with a 19-15 record that includes a trip to the NIT.

The most likely scenario here is that Colorado and Wake Forest face off in the semifinals on November 19.

Once again based on results, the Demon Deacons will have a chance to face the Drexel Dragons, Houston Cougars, Mercer Bears, or Liberty Flames (again).

Due to their weak non-conference schedule, winning this tournament would look extremely good on their NCAA Tournament resume. While Colorado and Houston are no powerhouse teams, they should finish the season with a decent RPI and a way to compare results against other bubble teams.

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