Demon Deacons Open 2026-27 Men’s Basketball Season Monday Night Against Maryland Eastern Shore

Monday, November 2

Winston-Salem, N.C.

8 p.m.

Wake Forest University

Maryland Eastern Shore

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11/1/2026 7:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball

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Opening night tipoff from LJVM Coliseum slated for 8 p.m. in backend of women’s-men’s basketball doubleheader.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The 2026-27 Wake Forest men's basketball season officially tips off Monday night when the Demon Deacons host Maryland Eastern Shore at 8 p.m. inside of LJVM Coliseum on Opening Night.

FOLLOW ALONG

GAMEDAY INFORMATION: Gameday Central
TICKETS: Tickets
PROMOTIONS: Opening Night – use your men's basketball Opening Night game ticket for free admission to the 5 p.m. women's basketball game vs. USC Upstate. Seating at women's basketball is general admission.
GIVEAWAYS: Quarterzip giveaway for the first 500 students in attendance
WATCH: ACCNX – Kevin DiDomenico (pxp) & Stan Lewter (color)
RADIO: Wake Forest Sports Network with Voice of the Demon Deacons Stan Cotten
NATIONAL RADIO: SiriusXM App Ch. 995
LIVE STATS: Live Stats
GAME NOTES: Wake Forest Game Notes | Maryland Eastern Shore Game Notes

OPENING TIPS

The 120th season of Wake Forest men's basketball officially begins Monday night when the Demon Deacons host Maryland Eastern Shore in the 2026-27 season opener inside of LJVM Coliseum.
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 Demon Deacons have collected a 74-17 record at LJVM Coliseum since 2021. The 74 home wins are tied nationally for the seventh-most home wins over that period.
Head Coach 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. He currently serves on the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Oversight Committee and the NABC Board of Directors.

IF WAKE FOREST BEATS MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

Wake Forest would win its season opener for the seventh-straight year. It would mark the first time the Demon Deacons have won seven-straight season openers since winning seven-straight between the 2003-2010 seasons.
The Demon Deacons would improve to 7-0 in season openers under head coach Steve Forbes.
Wake Forest would improve to 4-0 all-time vs. Maryland Eastern Shore.

SCOUTING THE HAWKS

The Hawks are coming off a 2025-26 season that saw UMES go 9-23 overall and 5-9 in MEAC play.
Maryland Eastern Shore returns just one player from last year's squad in returning starter Levi Beckwith (2.0 ppg, 2.9 rpg).
Beckwith and newcomer Saadiq Moore were both named to the MEAC Preseason Watch List ahead of the 2026-27 season. The Hawks were projected to finish eighth in the MEAC Preseason Poll.

AGAINST MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE

Wake Forest and Maryland Eastern Shore meet for the fourth time in program history and the first time since 1999 when the Demon Deacons and Hawks match up on opening night Monday.
The Demon Deacons are 3-0 all-time against the Hawks, with the three previous victories all coming by 20-plus point margins. All three of the previous meetings have been home games for Wake Forest.

NON-CON HOME SUCCESS

Wake Forest is 37-2 (.949) in home regular-season non-conference games under the direction of head coach Steve Forbes.
- 2025-26: 7-2
- 2024-25: 6-0
- 2023-24: 7-0
- 2022-23: 6-0
- 2021-22: 8-0
- 2020-21: 3-0

TEST RUNS

The Demon Deacons opened the doors for two October preseason exhibition games against Georgetown (Oct. 4) and South Carolina (Oct. 15).
Freshman Gavin Placide led the Deacs in the two exhibition games combined with 17.5 points per game behind a staggering 90.9 FG% (10-11). Sophomore Kevair Kennedy followed with 12.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game in the two exhibition games. Freshman Gallagher Placide and junior Justin Ray both averaged 10.0 ppg.

NEW-LOOK DEACS

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 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 and Xander Pintelon. 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.

HOME COURT ADVANTAGE

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. The 74 home wins is tied nationally for the seventh-most home wins over that period.

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.

FORBES FORGING THE WAY

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.
With a 111-73 victory over Queens on Dec. 14, 2026, Forbes became the third-fastest coach in program history to reach 100 wins at Wake Forest, trailing only Wake Forest Sports Hall of Famers Dave Odom and Skip Prosser.
Under Forbes' leadership, Wake Forest was the only program in the conference to have four-straight first-team All-ACC selections from 2021-25 (Alondes Williams, Ty Appleby and Hunter Sallis twice).
Forbes won his 400th game as a head coach (NCAA Division I and Junior College levels) in an 83-67 victory over Georgia Tech on Feb. 11, 2026.
Forbes currently serves on the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Oversight Committee and the NABC Board of Directors. He entered both the National Junior College Athletic Associate Hall of Fame and Southern Arkansas University Sports Hall of Fame earlier this year, and was a recipient of the NABC Guardians of the Game award.

UP NEXT

The Demon Deacons face their first road test of the season Thursday night when Wake Forest heads to #24/21 Vanderbilt. Tipoff from Nashville is slated for 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT on ESPN2.