Demon Deacons Set to Face South Carolina in Thursday Exhibition Game

Thursday, October 15

Rock Hill, S.C.

6 p.m.

Wake Forest University

South Carolina

Buy Tickets

Demon Deacons Set to Face South Carolina in Thursday Exhibition Game

10/14/2026 11:11:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Tickets Watch Listen Live Stats Game Notes

Wake Forest and Gamecocks tip off at 6 p.m. Thursday from Rock Hill Sports & Events Center in Rock Hill, S.C.

ROCK HILL, S.C. – The Wake Forest men's basketball team is set for its second of two preseason exhibition games Thursday night when the Demon Deacons take on South Carolina from the Rock Hill Sports & Events Center. Tipoff from Rock Hill, S.C. is slated for 6 p.m.

FOLLOW ALONG
TICKETS: Tickets
WATCH: Spiideo
LISTEN: Wake Forest Sports Network
LIVE STATS: StatBroadcast
GAME NOTES: Wake Forest Game Notes | South Carolina Game Notes

OPENING TIPS

The Demon Deacons are set for their second of two preseason exhibition games Thursday when Wake Forest squares off with the SEC's South Carolina from the Rock Hill Sports & Events Center in Rock Hill, S.C.
Wake Forest took on Georgetown in an early-October preseason exhibition game on Oct. 4. Sophomore Kevair Kennedy shined with a team-high 19 points, four steals, two assists and two rebounds. Freshman twins Gavin and Gallagher Placide made strong debuts in the Old Gold & Black as Gavin finished with 14 points and Gallagher added 13 points and a team-high six rebounds.
The Demon Deacons enter the 2026-27 season with a talented and reloaded roster featuring a mix of proven collegiate talent, highly-regarded newcomers and strong international experience.
In addition to returning sophomore Isaac Carr who saw action in 26 games last season, Wake Forest welcomes MAAC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year Kevair Kennedy, versatile Kansas transfer Jamari McDowell and sharpshooter Justin Ray, along with size in Ring Nyeri, Antonio Dorn, Xander Pintelon and Justin Abson. The Deacs also add top-100 freshman twins Gallagher and Gavin Placide, as well as Lukas Bojovic, who helped lead Slovenia to the 2026 U18 European Championship.
The 2026-27 team has significantly more size than was on the 2025-26 roster, including 7-foot center Antonio Dorn, Xander Pintelon (6-11), Gavin Placide (6-11), Gallagher Placide (6-9), Justin Abson (6-9) and Ring Nyeri (6-8).
Behind the passion of Deacon Nation and the tutelage of head coach Steve Forbes, Wake Forest has built one of college basketball's premier home court advantages over the last five seasons, as the Demon Deacons have collected a 74-17 record at LJVM Coliseum since 2021—tied nationally for the seventh-most home wins over that period.
Steve Forbes enters his seventh season as the leader of the Demon Deacons. He owns a 110-82 record throughout his tenure in Winston-Salem. A 30-year coaching veteran, Forbes is a proven winner and builder of championship cultures with more than 400 wins as a head coach.

SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA

The Gamecocks are coming off a 2025-26 season that saw South Carolina finish 13-19 overall and 4-14 in SEC play.
The 2026-27 Gamecocks have a revamped roster with 12 new faces. South Carolina returns three lettermen from last year's roster, headlined by Grant Polk who appeared in 30 games, averaging 12.9 minutes per game and 3.8 points per outing, while registering a 32.9 percent clip from deep.
South Carolina played a pair of summer exhibition games in the Baha Mar Hoops Summer League. The Gamecocks took down Victoria (Canada) 94-81 before besting The Bahamas National Team, 86-46. Kory Mincy and Aleksas Bieliauskas scored in double figures both games with Mincy averaging 16.5 points while Bieliauskas averaged 13 points per game in The Bahamas.

AGAINST THE GAMECOCKS

While Thursday's preseason exhibition game won't count towards either team's official record or as an official meeting, Wake Forest and Georgetown will meet for the first time since 1983.
The two squads have met 71 times in program history as Wake Forest and South Carolina were once ACC foes before the Gamecocks moved to the SEC in 1971.
Wake Forest is 49-22 all-time vs. South Carolina. The most recent matchup came on March 24, 1983 when the Demon Deacons took down the Gamecocks 78-61 in the NIT Quarterfinals inside of Greensboro Coliseum.

NEW GUARDS ON THE BLOCK

Wake Forest newcomers Kevair Kennedy, Jamari McDowell and Justin Ray bring combined collegiate marks of 1,293 points, 343 rebounds and 248 assists to Winston-Salem.
Sophomore Merrimack transfer Kevair Kennedy joins the Demon Deacons following a historic freshman season. Kennedy was the first player in MAAC history to earn Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year in the same season after averaging 18.4 points and 4.2 assists per game during his 2025-26 rookie season at Merrimack.
McDowell transferred from Kansas after appearing in 66 games for the Jayhawks over three seasons and is an athletic, versatile guard capable of playing all three perimeter positions with a reputation for defense and leadership. He tallied 10 points to help Kansas knock off No. 1 Arizona last season.
Ray arrives from Monmouth after averaging 11.3 points per game and knocking down a team-best 66 three-pointers. He owns a career 40.8 percent mark from three-point range.

LOOK OUT FOR THE ROOKS

Wake Forest's three-man true freshman class will play a key role for the Deacs this season. Twin brothers and top-100 recruits Gallagher and Gavin Placide join U18 European champion Lukas Bojovic in the Deacs' group of talented rookies.
Gavin Placide was a consensus top-50 recruit and top-10 prospect in Texas, helping lead Wake Forest's highest-ranked recruiting class in over a decade. The four-star, 6-foot-11 forward is known for his versatility, rebounding and ability to score inside and out.
Gallagher Placide is a four-star, top-100 recruit who joins twin brother Gavin in Wake Forest's nationally ranked recruiting class. The versatile 6-foot-10 wing is recognized for his defensive versatility and ability to guard multiple positions.
Lukas Bojovic joins the Demon Deacons after helping lead Slovenia to its first-ever U18 European Championship this summer, scoring 21 points on 60 percent shooting in the championship game. Bojovic is coming off a sensational 2025-26 campaign in Serbia, averaging 22.2 points, 5.6 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game for Partizan Belgrade's U19 squad. He swept the Eurobasket.com All-Serbian Junior League awards, earning Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Forward of the Year, Bosman Player of the Year, First Team All-League and All-Defensive Team honors.

ON THE DOCKET

The Demon Deacon's 2026-27 schedule features a mix of marquee matchups, neutral-site opportunities and plenty of action at LJVM Coliseum. Wake Forest officially opens the season at home against Maryland Eastern Shore on Nov. 2 before hitting the road for a showdown at Vanderbilt, returning to Winston-Salem for four straight home games and then heading to The Bahamas for the prestigious Battle 4 Atlantis tournament over Thanksgiving. The Deacs will also face LSU as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge, UMass in Springfield and West Virginia in a neutral-site matchup in Greensboro, while hosting eight non-conference opponents at LJVM Coliseum.
Once ACC play begins in January, the Deacs will have no shortage of opportunities in front of the home crowd. Wake Forest opens league play at home against Virginia Tech before welcoming Notre Dame, Florida State and Duke to LJVM Coliseum in a three-game homestand in January. The conference schedule also brings all three Big Four rivals to Winston-Salem, with NC State visiting Feb. 10 and North Carolina coming to town Feb. 20.

JOIN US AT THE JOEL

Behind the passion of Deacon Nation and the tutelage of head coach Steve Forbes, Wake Forest men's basketball has built one of college basketball's premier home court advantages over the last five seasons, as the Demon Deacons have collected a 74-17 record at LJVM Coliseum since 2021—tied nationally for the seventh-most home wins over that period.
Season tickets, single-game tickets and ticket mini-plans for the 2026-27 season are all on sale now.

UP NEXT

The 2026-27 Wake Forest men's basketball season officially begins on Monday, Nov. 2, when the Demon Deacons host Maryland Eastern Shore inside LJVM Coliseum. Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m.