Wake Forest Selected to NIT as No. 1 Seed, Will Face App State on Wednesday at 8 PM
3/17/2024 10:05:00 PM | Men's Basketball
This is the second postseason appearance in the four seasons of the Steve Forbes era. Wake’s second round ACC Tournament victory last week marked the 20th win of the season, the second highest total, behind 2022’s 25 wins, since 2010.
NIT Bracket
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The Wake Forest men's basketball team was selected to the National Invitational Tournament, as announced by the selection committee Sunday evening, facing App State. The Demon Deacons will host the Mountaineers on Wednesday, March 20 with tipoff scheduled for 8 p.m. The game will air on ESPN+. Wake Forest is 21-0 against App State, with the series starting in 1951 and the most recent meeting coming in November 2022 when Andrew Carr hit a jump shot at the buzzer for the win inside The Joel Coliseum.
The winner of Wednesday's game will face the winner of Georgia vs Xavier.
This is the second postseason appearance in the four seasons of the Steve Forbes era. Wake Forest beat Towson and Virginia Commonwealth in front of boisterous LJVM crowds to advance to the quarterfinals of the NIT in 2022, earning a final record of 25-10.
"I am proud of our players and staff as they have battled every day all season long," head coach Steve Forbes said. "Our fans and students' support throughout the 2023-24 season has been incredible and our entire program is appreciative of their ongoing support. It is disappointing to not be selected into the NCAA Tournament, but we are grateful for the bid to the NIT and looking forward to playing in front of Deacon Nation inside Joel Coliseum this week. I am looking forward to seeing our guys compete in this upcoming postseason opportunity."
The Demon Deacons 20 wins thus far this season and 11-9 ACC record brings the three-year win totals to 64 and 34, respectively, representing the most in a three season stretch since 2003-05. The Deacs 10+ ACC wins in each of the past three seasons is the most in three consecutive seasons since 1995-97.
"I'm proud of the effort and resilience of Coach Forbes, his staff and our student-athletes throughout this basketball season and grateful for our fans and students who helped create some incredible memories and moments for the entire Wake Forest and Winston-Salem communities," director of athletics John Currie said. "Certainly, we would prefer to have our progress recognized with an NCAA bid, but the NIT does represent an important opportunity to build momentum for Wake Forest basketball. There has been a special bond between this team and Wake fans everywhere throughout this season and thanks to the generosity of Deacon Club donors, we are able to thank Wake Forest students for their support all season long with free pregame hospitality and complimentary tickets for the first 1,250 students who claim via the the Screamin' Demon Rewards App tomorrow."
Wake Forest is coming off its second-straight appearance in the Quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament and finishing fifth in the ACC standings for the second time in the last three years. Great moments from this season include home wins against SEC runner-up Florida, ACC Champion NC State, and other NCAA teams, which includes Duke, UF and the Wolfpack.
Additionally, last week marked the first time since 2007 Wake has been in the quarterfinals in back-to-back seasons. Trailing by 19 points with 13 minutes left in the second half, the Deacs nearly completed a historic comeback before eventually falling to No. 4 seeded Pitt, 81-69, at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
An Efton Reid III layup with 12:10 left in the game ignited a 26-10 run that brought the Demon Deacons (20-13, 11-9 ACC) within three points of Pitt (22-10, 12-8 ACC) with 4:16 left in the game at 65-62. During the run, junior guard Hunter Sallis had 11 points while senior forward Andrew Carr added seven points during the stretch.
The game vs Pitt marked Wake Forest's 57th appearance in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals since the tournament's inception in 1954. It marked the first time since 2007 that Wake Forest made consecutive appearances in the quarterfinals. This is also the 32nd time in program history that the Demon Deacons have advanced in the ACC Tournament.
Wake Forest saw a resurgence in season attendance numbers this season with 153,426 fans packing Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. This marked the highest total attendance since the 2014-15 season when Wake Forest hosted 174,336 fans during the 2014-15 season.
Wake Forest now holds an impressive 47-6 record at home since the start of the 2021-22 season including an impressive 16-1 mark this season, the best since having the most home wins in program history during the 2021-22 season when Wake Forest finished with a mark of 18-2. Additionally, it is the first time since the 2008-09 season that the Deacs have had one or fewer losses at LJVM Coliseum. The Demon Deacons overall wins since the start of the 2021-22 season rank tied for second in the country and leads the ACC during that time frame.
The 16 home wins this season are tied for the second-most in program history, trailing just the 2021-22 season when the Demon Deacons finished with an impressive home of 18-2:
Single-Season Home Wins in Program History:
Rank Wins Season
Ticket Information
Tickets for the first-round matchup are available for season ticket holders and Deacon Club members by clicking the link in the exclusive pre-sale email. Reserved tickets will go on sale to all other fans beginning at 9 a.m. E.T. on Monday, March 18. Tickets are $20 for reserved lower level, $15 for youth ages 18 and under and $10 each for students. The first 1,250 Wake Forest students will receive a complimentary ticket and a free food item in the student pregame fan zone, courtesy of Wake Forest Deacon Club donors, through the Screamin' Demon rewards app, beginning Monday, March 18.
Wake Forest in the NIT
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The Wake Forest men's basketball team was selected to the National Invitational Tournament, as announced by the selection committee Sunday evening, facing App State. The Demon Deacons will host the Mountaineers on Wednesday, March 20 with tipoff scheduled for 8 p.m. The game will air on ESPN+. Wake Forest is 21-0 against App State, with the series starting in 1951 and the most recent meeting coming in November 2022 when Andrew Carr hit a jump shot at the buzzer for the win inside The Joel Coliseum.
The winner of Wednesday's game will face the winner of Georgia vs Xavier.
This is the second postseason appearance in the four seasons of the Steve Forbes era. Wake Forest beat Towson and Virginia Commonwealth in front of boisterous LJVM crowds to advance to the quarterfinals of the NIT in 2022, earning a final record of 25-10.
"I am proud of our players and staff as they have battled every day all season long," head coach Steve Forbes said. "Our fans and students' support throughout the 2023-24 season has been incredible and our entire program is appreciative of their ongoing support. It is disappointing to not be selected into the NCAA Tournament, but we are grateful for the bid to the NIT and looking forward to playing in front of Deacon Nation inside Joel Coliseum this week. I am looking forward to seeing our guys compete in this upcoming postseason opportunity."
The Demon Deacons 20 wins thus far this season and 11-9 ACC record brings the three-year win totals to 64 and 34, respectively, representing the most in a three season stretch since 2003-05. The Deacs 10+ ACC wins in each of the past three seasons is the most in three consecutive seasons since 1995-97.
"I'm proud of the effort and resilience of Coach Forbes, his staff and our student-athletes throughout this basketball season and grateful for our fans and students who helped create some incredible memories and moments for the entire Wake Forest and Winston-Salem communities," director of athletics John Currie said. "Certainly, we would prefer to have our progress recognized with an NCAA bid, but the NIT does represent an important opportunity to build momentum for Wake Forest basketball. There has been a special bond between this team and Wake fans everywhere throughout this season and thanks to the generosity of Deacon Club donors, we are able to thank Wake Forest students for their support all season long with free pregame hospitality and complimentary tickets for the first 1,250 students who claim via the the Screamin' Demon Rewards App tomorrow."
Wake Forest is coming off its second-straight appearance in the Quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament and finishing fifth in the ACC standings for the second time in the last three years. Great moments from this season include home wins against SEC runner-up Florida, ACC Champion NC State, and other NCAA teams, which includes Duke, UF and the Wolfpack.
Additionally, last week marked the first time since 2007 Wake has been in the quarterfinals in back-to-back seasons. Trailing by 19 points with 13 minutes left in the second half, the Deacs nearly completed a historic comeback before eventually falling to No. 4 seeded Pitt, 81-69, at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.
An Efton Reid III layup with 12:10 left in the game ignited a 26-10 run that brought the Demon Deacons (20-13, 11-9 ACC) within three points of Pitt (22-10, 12-8 ACC) with 4:16 left in the game at 65-62. During the run, junior guard Hunter Sallis had 11 points while senior forward Andrew Carr added seven points during the stretch.
The game vs Pitt marked Wake Forest's 57th appearance in the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals since the tournament's inception in 1954. It marked the first time since 2007 that Wake Forest made consecutive appearances in the quarterfinals. This is also the 32nd time in program history that the Demon Deacons have advanced in the ACC Tournament.
Wake Forest saw a resurgence in season attendance numbers this season with 153,426 fans packing Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. This marked the highest total attendance since the 2014-15 season when Wake Forest hosted 174,336 fans during the 2014-15 season.
Wake Forest now holds an impressive 47-6 record at home since the start of the 2021-22 season including an impressive 16-1 mark this season, the best since having the most home wins in program history during the 2021-22 season when Wake Forest finished with a mark of 18-2. Additionally, it is the first time since the 2008-09 season that the Deacs have had one or fewer losses at LJVM Coliseum. The Demon Deacons overall wins since the start of the 2021-22 season rank tied for second in the country and leads the ACC during that time frame.
The 16 home wins this season are tied for the second-most in program history, trailing just the 2021-22 season when the Demon Deacons finished with an impressive home of 18-2:
Single-Season Home Wins in Program History:
Rank Wins Season
- 1 18 2021-22
- T2. 16 2023-24
- T2. 16 2004-05
- T2. 16 2002-03
- 5. 15 2007-08
Ticket Information
Tickets for the first-round matchup are available for season ticket holders and Deacon Club members by clicking the link in the exclusive pre-sale email. Reserved tickets will go on sale to all other fans beginning at 9 a.m. E.T. on Monday, March 18. Tickets are $20 for reserved lower level, $15 for youth ages 18 and under and $10 each for students. The first 1,250 Wake Forest students will receive a complimentary ticket and a free food item in the student pregame fan zone, courtesy of Wake Forest Deacon Club donors, through the Screamin' Demon rewards app, beginning Monday, March 18.
Wake Forest in the NIT
- Six Appearances, 12-6 overall record
- Last appearance: 2022 Quarterfinals
- Round of 16: 2000 - The Deacs won the championship game over Notre Dame, 71-61
Players Mentioned
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