Wake Forest Basketball: 2021-22 season preview for Demon Deacons

Mar 9, 2021; Greensboro, North Carolina, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons head coach Steve Forbes directs his team against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first round of the 2021 ACC men's basketball tournament at Greensboro Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports /

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Wake Forest Basketball Daivien Williamson Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports /

Schedule outlook

Like many other major programs, Wake Forest is warming up to the hardest part of their schedule by playing a bunch of seemingly winnable games at home. In fact, they may be taking it to an even greater degree with five straight home contests to start the season, beginning Nov. 10 against William & Mary.

The meat of Wake Forest’s schedule starts on Nov. 26 with the Emerald Coast Classic, although it isn’t necessarily the toughest tournament. The Demon Deacons open with Oregon State before playing either LSU or Penn State. Then, there’s the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, which is a home game against a bad Northwestern team.

An easy non-conference schedule gives way to a harsh realty: the Demon Deacons still play in the ACC. While it may not end up being the best conference in the land this year, it’s invariably one of the top three, and Wake Forest will likely struggle with it all season.

The true start to conference play could be an opportunity for Wake Forest to get off to a good start, with a home game against Boston College and road tilts at Louisville and Miami; 2-1 feels like a possibility in that stretch. Afterward, Wake Forest gets three straight at home, giving them an opportunity to knock off Florida State, Syracuse, or Duke.

The end of the ACC schedule is tricky. Four of the Demon Deacons’ final five games include road trips to Duke and Clemson and home games against Louisville and NC State. Perhaps a home game against Notre Dame will provide a brief reprieve.

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