Wake Forest’s first public look at the 2026-27 team came with plenty to file under concern, as the Deacons dropped an October 4 scrimmage to Georgetown, 94-77.
The final score is one thing. The bigger issue was how familiar it all looked.
Wake was beaten on the glass 38-25, allowed 17 second-chance points, and had real trouble keeping Georgetown off the 3-point line as the Hoyas went 16-29 from deep. The offense never really found a rhythm, either, with Wake shooting 45% from the field, 24% from 3-point range, and 61% at the free throw line.
Even with 22 forced turnovers that turned into 33 points, the Deacons were never truly in it. Georgetown built a lead as large as 25 with five minutes left, and the whole thing had the feel of a team that looked a lot like last year’s group - just without a Juke Harris caliber player to bail things out when the offense stalled.
There were a few bright spots. The Placide twins both made strong first impressions in their first collegiate game action. Gavin Placide scored 14 points and went 4-5 from the floor, while Gallagher Placide added 13 points and 6 rebounds.
Jamari McDowell also stood out as a useful pickup. The Kansas transfer posted 8 points, 4 assists, 3 steals, and 3 rebounds in 18 minutes. He and Slovenian guard Lukas Bojovic were the only Wake players to finish with a positive +/- at +10 and 0, respectively.
Still, it’s only a scrimmage, and Georgetown’s season outlook is far from settled. The Hoyas were picked 10th in the Big East, but preseason polls don’t mean much once the games actually start.
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Wake Forest's First Exhibition Exposed Problems Fans Can't Ignore
Wake Forests first exhibition game of the season gave the staff an early look at where things stand, and the picture was a little rough. The Demon Deacons fell to Georgetown 94-77, with Kevair Kennedy pacing Wake Forest with 19 points, but the bigger story was the way the offense bogged down when the shots from deep stopped falling. Against a Georgetown team that handled the perimeter battle better, Wake Forest never really found the kind of rhythm that can make an exhibition feel like a tune-up instead of a warning sign.
Forbes framed the night as useful in the long run, even if the result was hard to ignore in the moment. Early exhibitions are supposed to reveal problems before the games count, and Wake Forest got a clear dose of that here, especially on the outside shooting front. The next stretch will show whether the loss was simply a messy October checkpoint or a preview of issues the Demon Deacons will have to clean up quickly. [Read more 🡒]
Bearcats' First Loss Just Put Their Season Outlook In Question
ESPNs latest FPI update brought a little movement for Wake Forest after a convincing win, with the Demon Deacons among the teams to climb in the projections as the model recalibrated around the weekends results. The broader picture around college footballs metric still reflects how quickly one game can alter the outlook, with Kansas and Missouri also getting boosted while Virginia and Stanford slid after losses.
Wake Forests rise matters because these ratings are doing more than just sorting teams from top to bottom. They feed into playoff and bowl probability estimates, which means every jump or drop changes the conversation around what the rest of the season can still become. For a program trying to build momentum, the latest FPI movement is another reminder that the margin for error in the coming weeks is already shrinking. [Read more 🡒]
Wake Forest Just Got The Confidence Boost Deacs Fans Needed
Wake Forest finally has the kind of statement win that can reset the conversation around the rest of its season. The Demon Deacons rolled past Stanford 57-3, and in doing so delivered the biggest conference victory in program history while improving to 4-1 overall. It was the sort of complete performance that gives a locker room belief and gives fans something tangible to point to beyond just the record.
Gio Lopez was at the center of it, accounting for five total touchdowns as the offense kept humming from start to finish. Just as important, the defense made Stanford look out of sorts all afternoon, holding the Cardinal to 197 total yards and three points. For a Wake Forest team trying to build momentum, the challenge now is turning one emphatic win into something more lasting. [Read more 🡒]