Wake Forest Ranked 11th in ACC Men’s Basketball Preseason Poll
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons men’s basketball team was ranked 11th out of 18 teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) preseason poll released today, October 15, 2025.
Duke topped the poll with 34 first-place votes, followed by Louisville (15 first-place votes), and North Carolina. The complete rankings are: 1. Duke, 2. Louisville, 3. North Carolina, 4. North Carolina State, 5. Virginia, 6. SMU, 7. Clemson, 8. Miami, 9. Syracuse, 10. Notre Dame, 11. Wake Forest, 12. Virginia Tech, 13. Georgia Tech, 14. Pitt, 15. Florida State, 16. Cal, 17. Stanford, and 18. Boston College. This ranking comes as the Demon Deacons look to continue a recent run of success despite significant roster turnover.
The ranking may surprise some observers, given Wake Forest’s consistent performance in the ACC in recent years. Under Coach Steve Forbes, the team has avoided a losing conference record since the 2020-2021 season, improving from a fifth-place finish in 2023-24 to fourth place in 2024-25 – their highest placement in several years. Forbes’s teams have been on the NCAA Tournament bubble in three of the last four seasons. The team faces the challenge of replacing key players like Hunter Sallis and Cameron Hildreth, but Forbes has a track record of successfully integrating transfer players, as seen with previous additions like Alondes Williams and Tyree Appleby. The ACC is widely considered one of the premier basketball conferences in the nation, and a strong showing is crucial for NCAA Tournament aspirations.
Analysts have noted that several other ACC teams also face significant roster reconstruction, including North Carolina, Clemson, and Miami, yet received higher rankings. Wake Forest boasts a strong home-court advantage, having recorded the fourth-most home wins nationally since 2021-22, and the third-best home win percentage in the ACC during that period, trailing only Duke and North Carolina. You can find more information about college basketball rankings at NCAA.com. The team’s ability to leverage this advantage will be key to exceeding preseason expectations. For more on the ACC, visit the official ACC website.
The ACC season is scheduled to begin in November, and Coach Forbes stated the team will focus on development and cohesion as they prepare for conference play.
