Wake Forest Announces Neutral Site Series with Big Ten Foe Michigan; Matchup in North Carolina Inside Greensboro Coliseum Set for Sunday, Nov. 10
6/17/2024 9:53:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Tickets for the game this fall start at $25 and will be made available first to season-ticket-holders and Deacon Club members prior to going on sale to the general public.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - In the continued effort to provide the Best Fan Experience in North Carolina and ensure Wake Forest student-athletes have the opportunity to compete at the highest level, the Demon Deacons men's basketball program and head coach Steve Forbes have announced a neutral-site series with the perennial Big Ten power Michigan Wolverines for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons.
The Triad and its 1.7 million residents will host the first installment of the series on Nov. 10, 2024, inside the venerable Greensboro Coliseum, which is located just 29 miles from Wake Forest's beautiful Reynolda Campus. The second contest will be played in Michigan during the 2025-26 season. In addition to returning big time college basketball to the historic home of the Atlantic Coast Conference, neutral site games offer an important opportunity for both the Deacs and Wolverines to bolster their NET ranking – an important metric utilized by the NCAA Selection Committee.
All fans will have the opportunity to buy tickets for the Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024 game beginning on July 24, with prices starting at just $25. Additionally, season ticket holders, Deacon Club members, and International Leadership Circle members will receive a pre-sale promo code for their priority sales windows opening on July 10. Information will be sent to eligible priority groups in the coming weeks.
"We are excited to face Michigan in the historic Greensboro Coliseum," said head coach Steve Forbes. "I've known and respected Dusty May for many years and I appreciate his efforts to make this game happen. Playing Michigan in Greensboro gives all our fans in the Triad the opportunity to watch us play a very good Big Ten opponent in a neutral site game."
"We are fired up to bring one of the biggest early-season matchups in the nation to the Triad on Sunday, Nov. 10 as Coach Forbes and his staff continue to build towards championships coming off what has been the winningest three-year stretch of Wake Forest men's basketball in nearly two decades," director of athletics John Currie said. "With the Triad rating as the No. 7 ESPN market in the entire country, I know Tobacco Road basketball fans will create a great atmosphere inside the Greensboro Coliseum. Both Coach Forbes and Coach May have exciting teams, including all-star returners like Hunter Sallis to go along with talented newcomers ready to prove their mettle in this big-time game. We are proud to bring this game to the historic home of the ACC and the thousands of Deacon fans who call Guilford County home."
For more information, Deacon fans can call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1, Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. or the Greensboro Coliseum Ticket Office at 336-373-7400. 12 p.m.-5 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays through the summer. In addition to regularly scheduled hours, the Box Office opens at 12 p.m. on Coliseum arena event days.
Exciting Core Set to Return
Wake Forest welcomes back a key group of returners from last season's squad, including Hunter Sallis, Efton Reid III, Cameron Hildreth, Parker Friedrichsen and Marqus Marion. They will look to build on the success last season that included reaching the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals for the 57th time in program history and helping them earn a place in the National Invitation Tournament where Wake Forest advanced to the second round.
Sallis had a breakout season during his first year as a Demon Deacon, being named the Associated Press ACC Newcomer of the Year while also being honored as a First Team All-ACC selection. This marked the first time since 2003, 2004 and 2005 that Wake Forest has had a First Team honoree for three-straight years. Sallis, Tyree Appleby ('23) and Alondes Williams ('22) join the likes of Josh Howard ('03), Justin Gray ('04) and Chris Paul ('05).
An Omaha, Nebraska native, Sallis led the team in scoring with 18.0 points per game while shooting 48.7 percent from the field, 40.5 percent from behind the arc and 78.3 percent from the line, scoring double-digits in points in all but one of his 34 games in a Wake Forest uniform. Sallis was the second-leading scorer in the ACC during league play, sporting an average of 18.5 points per conference contest.
New Year, New Faces
Tre'Von Spillers, a highly athletic and active forward, stands at 6'7 and was named First Team All-Sun Belt at App State University during the 2023-24 season after helping lead the Mountains to a 27-7 overall record. He ultimately racked up 12 double-doubles for the year, the most by an App State individual in program history since the 1980-81 season. Davin Cosby holds shooting prowess from beyond the arc and competed for the Alabama Crimson Tide this past year. The Richmond, Virginia native was a four-star prospect in high school and finished his prep career in the state of North Carolina at Word of God Christian Academy.
Omaha Biliew hails from the state of Iowa and spent his first collegiate season at Iowa State University. Recognized as the 2023 Gatorade Iowa Boys Basketball Player of the Year, he played as a consensus five-star recruit during his high school tenure, making appearances in the McDonald's All-American Game and represented Team USA internationally at the 2023 FIBA Men's U-19 World Cup, in addition to the Nike Hoops Summit in both 2022 and 2023.
Ty'Laur Johnson comes from in-conference foe Louisville, having competed in 30 games for the Cardinals as a freshman in 2023-24. He led the team in assists and steals while also ranking 10th and 13th among all ACC players in assists and steals, respectively. Churchill Abass played at DePaul as a freshman, making starts in 13 of 30 appearances. Before his college days, the 6'9 forward attended the NBA Africa Academy and broke out as a four-star prospect.
2023-24 Season Highlights
Last season, the Demon Deacons defeated five teams that reached the NCAA Tournament including three wins over Elite Eight teams and a win over a Final Four team.
This core provided an exciting environment for Deacon Nation all year long. Wake Forest saw a resurgence in season attendance numbers this season with 164,931 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.
The 17 home wins this past season are the second-most in program history, trailing just the 2021-22 season when the Demon Deacons finished with an impressive home record of 18-2:
Single-Season Home Wins in Program History:
Building on Excellence
For the first time since 1995-97, Wake Forest has finished with 10 or more ACC wins in three consecutive seasons. Additionally, the 34 ACC wins during that three-year period marked the most since the 2003-05 run and when the Demon Deacons had 35 ACC wins.
With a win over Notre Dame in the 2024 ACC Tournament, Wake Forest reached the 20-win mark for the second time in the last three years. The 65 wins over the last three seasons are the most in a three-year stretch since the 2002-03 to 2004-05 run.
Wake Forest holds an impressive 48-7 record at home since the start of the 2021-22 season including a 17-2 mark last 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 regular-season losses at LJVM Coliseum. The Demon Deacons' overall wins since the start of the 2021-22 season rank second in the country and leads the ACC during that time frame:
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The Triad and its 1.7 million residents will host the first installment of the series on Nov. 10, 2024, inside the venerable Greensboro Coliseum, which is located just 29 miles from Wake Forest's beautiful Reynolda Campus. The second contest will be played in Michigan during the 2025-26 season. In addition to returning big time college basketball to the historic home of the Atlantic Coast Conference, neutral site games offer an important opportunity for both the Deacs and Wolverines to bolster their NET ranking – an important metric utilized by the NCAA Selection Committee.
All fans will have the opportunity to buy tickets for the Sunday, Nov. 10, 2024 game beginning on July 24, with prices starting at just $25. Additionally, season ticket holders, Deacon Club members, and International Leadership Circle members will receive a pre-sale promo code for their priority sales windows opening on July 10. Information will be sent to eligible priority groups in the coming weeks.
"We are excited to face Michigan in the historic Greensboro Coliseum," said head coach Steve Forbes. "I've known and respected Dusty May for many years and I appreciate his efforts to make this game happen. Playing Michigan in Greensboro gives all our fans in the Triad the opportunity to watch us play a very good Big Ten opponent in a neutral site game."
"We are fired up to bring one of the biggest early-season matchups in the nation to the Triad on Sunday, Nov. 10 as Coach Forbes and his staff continue to build towards championships coming off what has been the winningest three-year stretch of Wake Forest men's basketball in nearly two decades," director of athletics John Currie said. "With the Triad rating as the No. 7 ESPN market in the entire country, I know Tobacco Road basketball fans will create a great atmosphere inside the Greensboro Coliseum. Both Coach Forbes and Coach May have exciting teams, including all-star returners like Hunter Sallis to go along with talented newcomers ready to prove their mettle in this big-time game. We are proud to bring this game to the historic home of the ACC and the thousands of Deacon fans who call Guilford County home."
For more information, Deacon fans can call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1, Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. or the Greensboro Coliseum Ticket Office at 336-373-7400. 12 p.m.-5 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays through the summer. In addition to regularly scheduled hours, the Box Office opens at 12 p.m. on Coliseum arena event days.
Exciting Core Set to Return
Wake Forest welcomes back a key group of returners from last season's squad, including Hunter Sallis, Efton Reid III, Cameron Hildreth, Parker Friedrichsen and Marqus Marion. They will look to build on the success last season that included reaching the ACC Tournament Quarterfinals for the 57th time in program history and helping them earn a place in the National Invitation Tournament where Wake Forest advanced to the second round.
Sallis had a breakout season during his first year as a Demon Deacon, being named the Associated Press ACC Newcomer of the Year while also being honored as a First Team All-ACC selection. This marked the first time since 2003, 2004 and 2005 that Wake Forest has had a First Team honoree for three-straight years. Sallis, Tyree Appleby ('23) and Alondes Williams ('22) join the likes of Josh Howard ('03), Justin Gray ('04) and Chris Paul ('05).
An Omaha, Nebraska native, Sallis led the team in scoring with 18.0 points per game while shooting 48.7 percent from the field, 40.5 percent from behind the arc and 78.3 percent from the line, scoring double-digits in points in all but one of his 34 games in a Wake Forest uniform. Sallis was the second-leading scorer in the ACC during league play, sporting an average of 18.5 points per conference contest.
New Year, New Faces
Tre'Von Spillers, a highly athletic and active forward, stands at 6'7 and was named First Team All-Sun Belt at App State University during the 2023-24 season after helping lead the Mountains to a 27-7 overall record. He ultimately racked up 12 double-doubles for the year, the most by an App State individual in program history since the 1980-81 season. Davin Cosby holds shooting prowess from beyond the arc and competed for the Alabama Crimson Tide this past year. The Richmond, Virginia native was a four-star prospect in high school and finished his prep career in the state of North Carolina at Word of God Christian Academy.
Omaha Biliew hails from the state of Iowa and spent his first collegiate season at Iowa State University. Recognized as the 2023 Gatorade Iowa Boys Basketball Player of the Year, he played as a consensus five-star recruit during his high school tenure, making appearances in the McDonald's All-American Game and represented Team USA internationally at the 2023 FIBA Men's U-19 World Cup, in addition to the Nike Hoops Summit in both 2022 and 2023.
Ty'Laur Johnson comes from in-conference foe Louisville, having competed in 30 games for the Cardinals as a freshman in 2023-24. He led the team in assists and steals while also ranking 10th and 13th among all ACC players in assists and steals, respectively. Churchill Abass played at DePaul as a freshman, making starts in 13 of 30 appearances. Before his college days, the 6'9 forward attended the NBA Africa Academy and broke out as a four-star prospect.
2023-24 Season Highlights
Last season, the Demon Deacons defeated five teams that reached the NCAA Tournament including three wins over Elite Eight teams and a win over a Final Four team.
This core provided an exciting environment for Deacon Nation all year long. Wake Forest saw a resurgence in season attendance numbers this season with 164,931 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.
The 17 home wins this past season are the second-most in program history, trailing just the 2021-22 season when the Demon Deacons finished with an impressive home record of 18-2:
Single-Season Home Wins in Program History:
| Rank | Wins | Season |
| 1. | 18 | 2021-22 |
| 2. | 17 | 2023-24 |
| T-3. | 16 | 2004-05 |
| T-3. | 16 | 2002-03 |
| 5. | 15 | 2007-08 |
| T-6. | 14 | 2013-14 |
| T-6. | 14 | 2008-09 |
| T-6. | 14 | 1995-96 |
| T-6. | 14 | 1993-94 |
Building on Excellence
For the first time since 1995-97, Wake Forest has finished with 10 or more ACC wins in three consecutive seasons. Additionally, the 34 ACC wins during that three-year period marked the most since the 2003-05 run and when the Demon Deacons had 35 ACC wins.
With a win over Notre Dame in the 2024 ACC Tournament, Wake Forest reached the 20-win mark for the second time in the last three years. The 65 wins over the last three seasons are the most in a three-year stretch since the 2002-03 to 2004-05 run.
Wake Forest holds an impressive 48-7 record at home since the start of the 2021-22 season including a 17-2 mark last 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 regular-season losses at LJVM Coliseum. The Demon Deacons' overall wins since the start of the 2021-22 season rank second in the country and leads the ACC during that time frame:
| Rank | Team | Home Wins | Winning Percentage |
| 1. | Houston | 49 | .942 |
| 2. | Wake Forest | 48 | .887 |
| T-3. | Arizona | 47 | .940 |
| T-3. | Texas | 47 | .855 |
| T-5. | Saint Mary's | 46 | .885 |
| T-5. | Kentucky | 46 | .852 |
| T-5. | Kansas | 46 | .939 |
| T-5. | Duke | 46 | .885 |
| T-5. | Purdue | 46 | .939 |
| T-10. | Vermont | 45 | .957 |
| T-10. | Auburn | 45 | .938 |
| T-10. | UConn | 45 | .918 |
| T-10. | Grand Canyon | 45 | .882 |
| T-10. | Iowa State | 45 | .849 |
| T-10. | Providence | 45 | .849 |
| T-10. | UAB | 45 | .833 |
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