Wake Forest’s preseason schedule now has a second exhibition test on the calendar, and this one sends the Demon Deacons down the road to face South Carolina.
The matchup is set for Thursday, Oct. 15 at Rock Hill Sports & Event Center in Rock Hill, S.C., with tipoff scheduled for 6 p.m. It will be Wake Forest’s second exhibition game of the 2026-27 preseason.
The Demon Deacons are also set to host Georgetown inside LJVM Coliseum at 12:30 p.m. on Oct. 4.
Tickets for the Wake Forest-South Carolina exhibition are on sale now, and the game will be streamed via Spiideo.
Wake Forest will open its official 2026-27 season on Nov. 2 at home against Maryland Eastern Shore.
South Carolina enters the exhibition after a 2025-26 season that ended at 13-19 overall and 4-14 in SEC play. The Gamecocks’ 2026-27 roster is loaded with turnover, featuring 12 newcomers, including seven transfers. South Carolina does bring back three lettermen from last season, led by Grant Polk, who played in 30 games, averaged 12.9 minutes and 3.8 points per game, and shot 32.9 percent from three.
Wake Forest, meanwhile, is bringing in a roster that looks very different and very deep. The Deacs have blended returning experience, major transfer additions and international talent as they head into the new season.
Sophomore Isaac Carr is back after appearing in 26 games last year and making four starts. He finished the regular season with four straight starts in ACC play against Boston College, Syracuse, Virginia and Cal.
The biggest headline among the newcomers is Kevair Kennedy, the MAAC Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year at Merrimack. He averaged 18.4 points and 4.2 assists per game, scored 20 or more in 16 games as a freshman, and dropped a season-best 32 against Siena. Kennedy also earned two MAAC Player of the Week honors, seven MAAC Rookie of the Week awards and a spot on the NABC All-North Atlantic District First Team.
Wake Forest also adds Jamari McDowell from Kansas, where he played in 66 games across three seasons. A guard with the ability to work all three perimeter spots, McDowell brings defense, leadership and some battle-tested production, including 10 points in Kansas’ win over No.
1 Arizona last season. He also picked up two Academic All-Big 12 honors.
Justin Ray arrives from Monmouth after averaging 11.3 points and leading the team with 66 made three-pointers. He scored at least 20 points four times last season, including 25 at Syracuse, and owns a career 40.8 percent mark from beyond the arc.
The frontcourt additions are just as notable. Ring Nyeri comes in from Northern Colorado after posting 8.5 points and a team-high 6.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 53.6 percent overall, blocking 28 shots and hitting 35.3 percent from deep.
Antonio Dorn, a 7-footer from Virginia Tech, played in 24 games as a freshman and shot 64.3 percent from the field. In the ACC Tournament, he finished with eight points, seven rebounds and two blocks.
Dorn also spent time competing professionally in Germany’s second division and represented Germany at the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship.
Xander Pintelon adds another international piece. The Belgian forward started 25 games at FAU, averaged 6.2 points and shot 35.2 percent from three, while also hitting 85.4 percent of his free throws last season. He previously played for the Belgian National Team and helped Belgium reach the semifinals of the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship.
Wake Forest’s recruiting class also includes twin brothers Gavin and Gallagher Placide, both highly touted additions. Gavin is a consensus top-50 recruit and a top-10 prospect in Texas, a four-star 6-foot-11 forward known for versatility, rebounding and scoring inside and out.
Gallagher is a four-star, top-100 recruit and a 6-foot-10 wing with defensive versatility and the ability to guard multiple positions. Both starred at Faith Family Academy, with Gavin also helping Sunrise Christian Academy to a 17-win season.
Together, they are part of Wake Forest’s highest-ranked recruiting class in more than a decade. Lukas Bojovic rounds out the international newcomers after helping lead Slovenia to the 2026 U18 European Championship.
In Other News...
Gio Lopez Just Gave Wake Forest A Reason To Believe
Gio Lopez gave Wake Forest something it has been searching for early in the season: a quarterback performance that could travel. In the double-overtime win at Purdue, the redshirt junior did plenty through the air and even more with his legs, accounting for three touchdowns and steering the Demon Deacons through one of those September games that can define a teams mood for weeks.
The ACC took notice, naming Lopez its Week 2 Quarterback of the Week, and the numbers behind the honor only added to the appeal. He hit several statistical milestones for Wake Forest quarterbacks and stood out nationally among ACC passers through the first two weeks, but the part that will linger most in Winston-Salem is the late-game finish that helped turn belief into an actual road victory. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Faces Its First Real Test As Darian Mensah Stays Red Hot
Wake Forest heads into Week 3 with the kind of unbeaten start that forces people to pay attention, even if the bigger spotlight belongs to Miami. The Hurricanes have rolled through the first two weeks, but the Demon Deacons have done enough to put themselves in a rare early-season position: undefeated, still believing they can make noise, and now staring at a far more polished opponent that has already looked every bit like a contender.
Darian Mensah has been central to that buzz, with the Miami quarterback drawing Heisman Trophy attention as the Hurricanes keep piling up points. Still, this matchup gives Wake Forest a chance to measure itself against a team that has separated from the pack quickly, and the Deacons defense will be under real pressure to prove it can hold up when the talent level rises. [Read more 🡒]
Gio Lopez Is Giving Wake Forest Real Hope Heading Into Miami
Gio Lopez gave Wake Forest a much-needed spark in his first start against Purdue, showing a mix of calm and creativity that the Demon Deacons have been searching for at quarterback. Even with the offensive line under pressure, Lopez handled the situation well, throwing for 225 yards and a touchdown while also making plays with his legs as Wake Forest tried to settle in on offense.
What stood out most was how composed he looked when the game tightened, especially on a late critical fourth-and-15 where he found a way to keep the drive moving. With Miami next on the schedule, Wake Forest has reason to feel better about the direction of its offense, and Lopez has already done enough to make the matchup feel a little more intriguing. [Read more 🡒]