Saturday, January 17
Tallahassee, Fla.
6 p.m.
Wake Forest University
at
Florida State
Photo by: Seth Seebaugh / Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest Travels to Tallahassee to Face Florida State
1/16/2026 10:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Demon Deacons are in search of their second ACC win of the season in Saturday’s matchup.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Wake Forest men's basketball will travel to Florida this weekend to face Florida State in a Saturday evening showdown at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center.
Tip-off for the contest is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will air nationwide on ESPN2.
Last Time Out
The Demon Deacons' second half comeback came up just short on Saturday evening at No. 17 North Carolina, falling to the Tar Heels 87-84 inside the Dean E. Smith Center.
Senior guard Nate Calmese and sophomore Juke Harris combined for 56 of the team's 84 points against the Tar Heels as the pair scored 28 points each.
Calmese set a career-high with seven three-pointers while finishing the game shooting 10-for-16 (62.5 percent) from the field. The Gilbert, Ariz., native also led the Deacs with nine assists, as well as four rebounds and two steals.
Meanwhile, Harris recorded his seventh game of at least 20 points as he went 10-of-18 (55.6 percent) from the floor, including going 5-of-12 from beyond the arc. The Salisbury, N.C., native also logged six rebounds, two steals and an assist.
Junior forward Cooper Schwieger notched a season-high nine points over nearly 29 minutes of action off the bench, while senior guard Mekhi Mason added nine points, three rebounds and a steal off the bench.
Deacs In ACC Play
Wake Forest's 48 total wins in ACC play since the beginning of the 2021-22 season are fifth-most in the conference during that span.
Turning Them Over
Wake Forest's active defense has recorded 265 turnovers so far this season, second-most in the ACC this season.
Most Steals In Single Game In Steve Forbes Era
Strong Start To The New Year
In Wake Forest's first three games in January, senior guard Nate Calmese is averaging 24 points and 6.7 assists per game while shooting 62 percent from three.
In the win over Virginia Tech, Calmese scored the game's go-ahead three with less than 7 seconds remaining. Then in last Saturday's comeback attempt against No. 17 North Carolina, the Arizona native made a career-high seven three pointers.
Additionally, his seven three-pointers were tied for the ninth-most by an opponent inside the Smith Center.
His 62 percent three-point percentage is also tied for the second-highest in the country by players with 20 or more attempts in the month of January, trailing only Wofford's Nils Machowski.
Continued Point Production
Sophomore guard Juke Harris continues to pace the Demon Deacons in scoring this season, as he's reached a double-digit scoring total in all 17 games while ranking fourth in the ACC in points per game (20.4).
After averaging 6.1 points per game as a freshman, Harris' 14.3 points per game this year ranks tied for the highest increase year-over-year in the nation.
Additionally, Harris is one of only four ACC players – and one of just 10 nationally – averaging 20 points and 6 rebounds per game this season, joining Duke's Cameron Boozer, Miami's Malik Reneau and Syracuse's Donnie Freeman.
Scoring Increase Leaders (Nationally)
ACC Scoring Leaders
Series History: Wake Forest vs. Florida State
The Seminoles enter the contest with seven victories on the season, four of which have come by 30 points or more. Collectively, Florida State is the ACC's top team in forcing turnovers (274).
Individually, Robert McCray V leads the team in points (13.7) and assists (6.6) per game.
Television Information
Saturday's game will air on ESPN2 with Kevin Brown and Randolph Childress on the call. Fans can follow along via the Demon Deacons Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts (@WakeMBB).
Up Next
Wake Forest will return to Winston-Salem for a key conference clash with SMU on Tuesday evening for a 9 p.m. tip. The matchup between the Demon Deacons and Mustangs will be Wake's Wear Black game.
Tip-off for the contest is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will air nationwide on ESPN2.
Last Time Out
The Demon Deacons' second half comeback came up just short on Saturday evening at No. 17 North Carolina, falling to the Tar Heels 87-84 inside the Dean E. Smith Center.
Senior guard Nate Calmese and sophomore Juke Harris combined for 56 of the team's 84 points against the Tar Heels as the pair scored 28 points each.
Calmese set a career-high with seven three-pointers while finishing the game shooting 10-for-16 (62.5 percent) from the field. The Gilbert, Ariz., native also led the Deacs with nine assists, as well as four rebounds and two steals.
Meanwhile, Harris recorded his seventh game of at least 20 points as he went 10-of-18 (55.6 percent) from the floor, including going 5-of-12 from beyond the arc. The Salisbury, N.C., native also logged six rebounds, two steals and an assist.
Junior forward Cooper Schwieger notched a season-high nine points over nearly 29 minutes of action off the bench, while senior guard Mekhi Mason added nine points, three rebounds and a steal off the bench.
Deacs In ACC Play
Wake Forest's 48 total wins in ACC play since the beginning of the 2021-22 season are fifth-most in the conference during that span.
| Rank | Program | ACC Wins Since 2021-22 | ACC Winning Percentage Since 2021-22 |
| 1. | Duke | 69 | 81.2% |
| 2. | North Carolina | 58 | 69.0% |
| 3. | Clemson | 56 | 65.9% |
| 4. | Virginia | 52 | 61.2% |
| 5. | Wake Forest | 48 | 57.1% |
Wake Forest's active defense has recorded 265 turnovers so far this season, second-most in the ACC this season.
| Rank | ACC School | Total Turnovers Forced |
| 1. | Florida State | 274 |
| 2. | Wake Forest | 265 |
| 3. | Stanford | 251 |
| 4. | Miami | 246 |
| 5. | NC State | 242 |
| Date | Opponent | Total Number Of Steals |
| Nov. 25, 2020 | Delaware State | 20 |
| Nov. 3, 2025 | American | 16 |
| Nov. 28, 2025 | Northeastern | 14 |
| Nov. 16, 2025 | UMass Lowell | 14 |
| Nov. 10, 2021 | William & Mary | 14 |
| March 8, 2025 | Georgia Tech | 13 |
In Wake Forest's first three games in January, senior guard Nate Calmese is averaging 24 points and 6.7 assists per game while shooting 62 percent from three.
In the win over Virginia Tech, Calmese scored the game's go-ahead three with less than 7 seconds remaining. Then in last Saturday's comeback attempt against No. 17 North Carolina, the Arizona native made a career-high seven three pointers.
Additionally, his seven three-pointers were tied for the ninth-most by an opponent inside the Smith Center.
His 62 percent three-point percentage is also tied for the second-highest in the country by players with 20 or more attempts in the month of January, trailing only Wofford's Nils Machowski.
Continued Point Production
Sophomore guard Juke Harris continues to pace the Demon Deacons in scoring this season, as he's reached a double-digit scoring total in all 17 games while ranking fourth in the ACC in points per game (20.4).
After averaging 6.1 points per game as a freshman, Harris' 14.3 points per game this year ranks tied for the highest increase year-over-year in the nation.
Additionally, Harris is one of only four ACC players – and one of just 10 nationally – averaging 20 points and 6 rebounds per game this season, joining Duke's Cameron Boozer, Miami's Malik Reneau and Syracuse's Donnie Freeman.
Scoring Increase Leaders (Nationally)
| Rank | Player | School | Points Per Game Increase |
| T1. | Juke Harris | Wake Forest | 14.3 |
| T1. | Darin Smith Jr. | Central Connecticut | 14.3 |
| 3. | Tai'Reon Joseph | Prairie View A&M | 14.2 |
| 4. | Chandler Cuthrell | Elon | 14.1 |
| 5. | Asjon Anderson | Alabama State | 13.3 |
| Rank | Player | School | Points Per Game |
| 1. | Ebuka Okorie | Stanford | 22.9 |
| 2. | Cameron Boozer | Duke | 22.8 |
| 3. | Boopie Miller | SMU | 20.8 |
| T4. | Juke Harris | Wake Forest | 20.4 |
| T4. | Malik Reneau | Miami | 20.4 |
- All-Time Record vs. Florida State: 28-31
- Last Matchup: Feb. 12, 2025 (Florida State won 72-70)
The Seminoles enter the contest with seven victories on the season, four of which have come by 30 points or more. Collectively, Florida State is the ACC's top team in forcing turnovers (274).
Individually, Robert McCray V leads the team in points (13.7) and assists (6.6) per game.
Television Information
Saturday's game will air on ESPN2 with Kevin Brown and Randolph Childress on the call. Fans can follow along via the Demon Deacons Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts (@WakeMBB).
Up Next
Wake Forest will return to Winston-Salem for a key conference clash with SMU on Tuesday evening for a 9 p.m. tip. The matchup between the Demon Deacons and Mustangs will be Wake's Wear Black game.
Players Mentioned
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