Steve Forbes walked into Winston-Salem with a mask on his face and a massive rebuilding project on his hands. It was 2020. The world was shut down, and Wake Forest men's basketball was, frankly, in the basement of the ACC. Danny Manning had been let go after years of stagnation. The Joel Coliseum felt like a library. People forgot that this program once produced Tim Duncan and Chris Paul.
Honestly, it was grim.
Fast forward to 2026, and the vibe has shifted entirely. Wake Forest men's basketball isn't just a "tough out" anymore; they are a legitimate problem for the blue bloods. If you haven't been paying attention to how Forbes used the transfer portal like a magician, you’ve missed the blueprint for modern college hoops success. He didn't just recruit players. He recruited "dudes."
The Portal King and the Identity Shift
For a long time, the knock on Wake Forest was that they couldn't compete with the NIL budgets of Duke or the recruiting gravity of North Carolina. That might still be true on paper, but the court tells a different story. Forbes realized early on that high school recruiting is a slow burn he couldn't afford.
He went hunting for experience.
Think back to Alondes Williams. He was a bench piece at Oklahoma who became the ACC Player of the Year at Wake. That wasn't a fluke. Then came Jake LaRavia. Then Tyree Appleby. These weren't just lucky finds; they were specific evaluations of high-IQ players who fit a free-flowing, pro-style offense. Wake Forest men's basketball has become the premier destination for guys who felt stifled elsewhere.
The system relies on "five-out" spacing. It’s a nightmare to guard because the bigs can shoot and the guards are relentlessly downhill. It's basketball's version of a spread offense in football.
Why the "Joel" is Loud Again
There was a decade where opposing teams loved playing in Winston-Salem. It was quiet. It was comfortable. That’s dead. The "Screamin' Demons" student section has been revitalized, mostly because the product on the floor is actually fun to watch.
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Winning helps, sure. But it's the way they win.
Wake Forest men's basketball currently plays with a chip on its shoulder that reflects its head coach. Forbes is a guy who spent years in the JUCO ranks. He’s a grinder. You see it in the defensive intensity—the "Junkyard Dog" mentality that they lost during the mid-2010s. They aren't just out-skilling teams; they are out-working them in the dirty areas of the game.
The Hunter Sallis Factor and Beyond
You can't talk about the current state of the program without mentioning the impact of elite scoring guards. When Hunter Sallis arrived from Gonzaga, he wasn't just looking for more minutes; he was looking for a platform. He found a system that allowed him to showcase his mid-range game and elite athleticism in ways Mark Few’s structured offense didn't.
- Player Development: The coaching staff, including guys like BJ McKie, has a track record of fixing jump shots.
- The Analytics Edge: Wake is heavily invested in ShotQuality data, ensuring they take the highest-value looks possible.
- NBA Readiness: Scouts are back in the building. Having guys drafted (like LaRavia) proves to recruits that you don't need to be in Lexington or Lawrence to get to the League.
Facing the ACC Reality
Let’s be real: the ACC is weird right now. With expansion bringing in teams like SMU, Cal, and Stanford, the travel is brutal and the schedules are lopsided. For Wake Forest men's basketball to remain a top-tier contender, they have to navigate a landscape where every road game is a potential trap.
The biggest hurdle has consistently been the "NET" rankings. In recent seasons, Wake has found themselves on the wrong side of the bubble because of a weak non-conference schedule or a few "quadrant 3" losses. It’s been heartbreaking for the fans. To fix this, the administration has started scheduling more aggressively. They need the Quad 1 opportunities to prove they belong in the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
Defending the Home Floor
If you look at the stats from the 2023-2025 seasons, Wake Forest had one of the best home-court winning percentages in the country. They’ve turned the Joel Coliseum back into a fortress. Teams like Duke and Virginia have struggled there because the court is tight and the fans are right on top of you.
But winning at home is only half the battle. To be a "Program" with a capital P, you have to win in environments like the Dean Dome or Cameron Indoor. That’s the next evolution for this group.
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The NIL Game in Winston-Salem
We have to talk about the money. Wake Forest isn't a massive state school with 50,000 alumni in the immediate area. However, "Roll the Quad," the school's primary NIL collective, has been surprisingly punchy.
They’ve been able to retain key talent—which is almost harder than recruiting new talent these days. Keeping guys for a second or third year in the program is the secret sauce. Continuity is the rarest currency in college basketball, and Wake is starting to accumulate it.
The philosophy is simple: don't overpromise, but take care of your people.
What the Critics Get Wrong
A lot of national pundits still treat Wake Forest like a flash in the pan. They see a good season and assume it’s just a "one-off" year driven by a single transfer. They’re wrong.
The infrastructure is different now. The practice facilities have seen upgrades. The recruiting net has cast wider, reaching into international waters and deep into the portal's underbelly. Forbes has built a culture where the players actually seem to like each other. You see it on the bench. You see it in the way they share the ball.
It’s not just a collection of mercenaries. It’s a team.
How to Follow the Deacs This Season
If you're looking to actually get involved or follow the trajectory of Wake Forest men's basketball, you can't just check the box scores. You have to watch the flow of their offense.
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- Watch the first eight minutes: Wake tends to script their opening plays to exploit specific mismatches. If they get an early lead, their pace-and-space game becomes almost impossible to stop because you can't sit in a zone against them.
- Track the "Kill Shots": This is a stat the team tracks—three consecutive defensive stops. When Wake gets a "kill shot," they usually follow it with a transition three that breaks the opponent's spirit.
- Check the KenPom metrics: Don't just look at the AP Top 25. Look at their adjusted offensive efficiency. Usually, Wake ranks in the top 30 nationally, which is the hallmark of a tournament-ready squad.
Actionable Steps for the Dedicated Fan
To truly understand where this program is headed, take these specific steps. First, ignore the preseason polls; they rarely account for the chemistry of a transfer-heavy roster. Instead, look at the "returning minutes" percentage. That is the best indicator of how fast Wake will start the season.
Second, pay attention to the mid-week ACC games in February. This is where Wake has historically stumbled. If they are winning on a Tuesday night in Blacksburg or Chestnut Hill, they are legit.
Lastly, support the local ecosystem. The atmosphere at the Joel is driven by ticket sales and local energy. If you’re within driving distance of Winston-Salem, get to a game. The difference between a half-full arena and a sellout is about six points on the scoreboard for the home team.
Wake Forest men's basketball has moved past the "rebuilding" phase. They are in the "contending" phase. The days of being an easy out are over, and the rest of the ACC is starting to realize that a trip to Winston-Salem is usually going to end in a loss and a very long bus ride home.
The Demon Deacons are back, and they aren't going anywhere.
Next Steps for Deac Fans: Keep a close eye on the early-season tournament matchups. These neutral-site games are where Wake Forest men's basketball builds its tournament resume. Focus on the defensive rebounding percentages; if the Deacs are winning the boards against bigger frontline teams, they are a lock for a deep March run. Check the official athletic site for the updated "Roll the Quad" initiatives if you want to see how the program is staying competitive in the NIL era.