# 2021–22 Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball team

The 2021–22 Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball team represented Wake Forest University during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Demon Deacons were led by second-year head coach Steve Forbes and played their home games at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The Demon Deacons finished the season 25–10 overall and 13–7 in ACC play, to finish in fifth place. They lost to Boston College in the Second Round of the ACC tournament. They received an at-large bid to the NIT, where they defeated Towson and VCU in the first two rounds. Their season then ended in a quarterfinal loss to Texas A&M.

## Previous season

The Demon Deacons finished 2020–21 season 6–16, 3–15 in ACC play, to finish in fourteenth place. They lost to Notre Dame in the First Round of the ACC tournament. They were not invited to either the NCAA tournament or NIT.

## Offseason
### Departures

Departures :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for Departure |
| Jahcobi Neath | 0 | G | 6'3" | 200 | Sophomore | Toronto, ON | Transferred to Wisconsin |
| Jalen Johnson | 2 | G | 6'6" | 195 | Graduate Student | Durham, NC | Graduated transferred to Mercer |
| Ian DuBose | 11 | G | 6'4" | 225 | Graduate Student | Durham, NC | Graduated |
| Quadry Adams | 13 | G | 6'3" | 190 | Freshman | Piscataway, NJ | Transferred to St. Bonaventure |
| Jonah Antonio | 20 | G | 6'5" | 195 | Graduate Student | Perth, Australia | Graduated |
| Isaiah Wilikins | 23 | G | 6'4" | 220 | Junior | Winston-Salem, NC | Transferred to Longwood |
| Ismael Massoud | 25 | F | 6'8" | 220 | Sophomore | East Harlem, NY | Transferred to Kansas State |
| Emmanuel Okpomoy | 30 | C | 6'10" | 225 | Freshman | Jackson, MS | Transferred to Temple |
| Blake Buchanan | 31 | F | 6'5" | 205 | Junior | Durham, NC | Transferred |
| Ody Oguama | 33 | F | 6'9" | 225 | Sophomore | Raleigh, NC | Transferred to Cincinnati |
| Sunday Okeke | 34 | F | 6'8" | 250 | Senior | Lagos, Nigeria | Walk-on; graduated |

### Incoming transfers

Incoming Transfers :
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
| Jake LaRavia | 0 | F | 6'8" | 235 | Junior | Indianapolis, IN | Indiana State |
| Dallas Walton | 13 | F/C | 7'0" | 230 | Graduate Student | Arvada, CO | Colorado |
| Khadim Sy | 20 | F | 6'10" | 240 | Graduate Student | Dakar, Senegal | Ole Miss |
| Damari Monsanto | 30 | G | 6'6" | 225 | RS Sophomore | Pembroke Pines, FL | East Tennessee State |
| Alondes Williams | 31 | G | 6'5" | 210 | Graduate Student | Milwaukee, WI | Oklahoma |

### 2021 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Robert McCray V #38 SG | Columbia, SC | A. C. Flora High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Jul 15, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 79 ||||||
| Lucas Taylor #47 SG | Wake Forest, NC | Heritage High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Apr 2, 2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 78 ||||||
| Cameron Hildreth SG | Worthing, England | Surrey Scorchers | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 09/24/2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: NR ||||||
| Matthew Marsh C | Cornwall, England | | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | 07/30/2021 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: N/A 247Sports: N/A ESPN: N/A ESPN grade: NR ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Wake Forest Demon Deacons". ESPN.com. "2021 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. ||||||

## Schedule and results

Source:
| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| November 5, 2021* 7:00 p.m. | | Winston-Salem State | W 88–56 | – | 16 – Tied | 10 – Laravia | 4 – Tied | LJVM Coliseum (3,754) Winston-Salem, NC |
| Regular season |||||||||
| November 10, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ACCNX | | William & Mary | W 77–59 | 1–0 | 22 – Williams | 7 – Whitt | 4 – Tied | LJVM Coliseum (3,710) Winston-Salem, NC |
| November 12, 2021* 7:30 p.m., ACCNX | | Western Carolina | W 87–75 | 2–0 | 32 – Williams | 8 – Williams | 4 – Williams | LJVM Coliseum (4,359) Winston-Salem, NC |
| November 17, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ACCNX | | Charleston Southern | W 95–59 | 3–0 | 24 – LaRavia | 8 – Hildreth | 7 – Whitt | LJVM Coliseum (3,349) Winston-Salem, NC |
| November 20, 2021* 2:00 p.m., ACCNX | | North Carolina A&T Emerald Coast Classic campus-site game | W 87–63 | 4–0 | 19 – Williams | 6 – Sy | 5 – LaRavia | LJVM Coliseum (3,470) Winston-Salem, NC |
| November 23, 2021* 8:00 p.m., ACCN | | Kennesaw State | W 92–61 | 5–0 | 19 – LaRavia | 7 – 3 tied | 6 – LaRavia | LJVM Coliseum (3,554) Winston-Salem, NC |
| November 26, 2021* 6:30 p.m., CBSSN | | vs. Oregon State Emerald Coast Classic semifinals | W 80–77 $^{OT}$ | 6–0 | 24 – Williams | 7 – LaRavia | 5 – LaRavia | The Arena at NFSC (2,146) Niceville, FL |
| November 27, 2021* 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | | vs. LSU Emerald Coast Classic | L 61–75 | 6–1 | 20 – Williamson | 10 – Walton | 4 – Hildreth | The Arena at NFSC (1,700) Niceville, FL |
| November 30, 2021* 9:00 p.m., ESPNU | | Northwestern ACC–Big Ten Challenge | W 77–73 $^{OT}$ | 7–1 | 21 – Tied | 9 – Williams | 4 – Williams | LJVM Coliseum (3,711) Winston-Salem, NC |
| December 4, 2021 2:00 p.m., ACCN | | at Virginia Tech | W 80–61 | 8–1 (1–0) | 19 – Williamson | 7 – Tied | 9 – Williams | Cassell Coliseum (8,925) Blacksburg, VA |
| December 11, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ACCRSN | | USC Upstate | W 79–53 | 9–1 | 16 – Tied | 14 – Williams | 10 – Williams | LJVM Coliseum (4,296) Winston-Salem, NC |
| December 14, 2021* 7:00 p.m., ACCRSN | | VMI | W 77–70 | 10–1 | 36 – Williams | 9 – Walton | 3 – Williams | LJVM Coliseum (3,587) Winston-Salem, NC |
| December 17, 2021* 9:00 p.m., ACCN | | vs. Charlotte Basketball Hall of Fame Shootout | W 82–79 | 11–1 | 34 – Williams | 8 – Tied | 7 – Williams | Spectrum Center (0) Charlotte, NC |
| December 29, 2021 9:00 p.m., ACCN | | at Louisville | L 69–73 | 11–2 (1–1) | 15 – Tied | 7 – Tied | 7 – Williams | KFC Yum! Center (14,120) Louisville, KY |
| January 1, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPNU | | at Miami (FL) | L 84–92 | 11–3 (1–2) | 19 – LaRavia | 7 – laRavia | 7 – Williams | Watsco Center (3,376) Coral Gables, FL |
| January 4, 2022 7:00 p.m., ACCRSN | | Florida State | W 76–54 | 12–3 (2–2) | 22 – LaRavia | 10 – Sy | 5 – LaRavia | LJVM Coliseum (4,762) Winston-Salem, NC |
| January 8, 2022 2:00 p.m., ACCRSN | | Syracuse | W 77–74 $^{OT}$ | 13–3 (3–2) | 25 – Williams | 12 – Williams | 6 – Whitt | LJVM Coliseum (7,220) Winston-Salem, NC |
| January 12, 2022 7:00 p.m., ACCN | | No. 8 Duke | L 64–76 | 13–4 (3–3) | 25 – Williams | 8 – Walton | 4 – Williams | LJVM Coliseum (14,213) Winston-Salem, NC |
| January 15, 2022 4:30 p.m., ACCN | | at Virginia | W 63–55 | 14–4 (4–3) | 15 – LaRavia | 8 – Williams | 4 – Williams | John Paul Jones Arena (13,924) Charlottesville, VA |
| January 19, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPNU | | at Georgia Tech | W 80–64 | 15–4 (5–3) | 19 – Williams | 8 – Monsanto | 9 – Tied | McCamish Pavilion (4,698) Atlanta, GA |
| January 22, 2022 8:00 p.m., ACCN | | North Carolina Rivalry | W 98–76 | 16–4 (6–3) | 31 – LaRavia | 10 – LaRavia | 4 – LaRavia | LJVM Coliseum (11,898) Winston-Salem, NC |
| January 24, 2022 6:00 p.m., ACCN | | Boston College Rescheduled from December 22 | W 87–57 | 17–4 (7–3) | 20 – Williams | 10 – LaRavia | 7 – Williams | LVJM Coliseum (4,928) Winston-Salem, NC |
| January 29, 2022 8:00 p.m., ACCN | | at Syracuse | L 72–94 | 17–5 (7–4) | 27 – Williamson | 7 – Williams | 5 – LaRavia | Carrier Dome (23,194) Syracuse, NY |
| February 2, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | | Pittsburgh | W 91–75 | 18–5 (8–4) | 18 – LaRavia | 10 – Williams | 9 – Williams | LJVM Coliseum (5,328) Winston-Salem, NC |
| February 5, 2022 12:00 p.m., ACCRSN | | at Florida State | W 68–60 | 19–5 (9–4) | 23 – Williams | 13 – LaRavia | 9 – LaRavia | Donald L. Tucker Civic Center (10,089) Tallahassee, FL |
| February 9, 2022 8:00 p.m., ACCN | | at NC State Rivalry | W 69–51 | 20–5 (10–4) | 17 – Williams | 10 – Williams | 8 – LaRavia | PNC Arena (11,635) Raleigh, NC |
| February 12, 2022 3:00 p.m., ACCRSN | | Miami (FL) | L 72–76 | 20–6 (10–5) | 25 – Williams | 7 – Sy | 4 – Williams | LJVM Coliseum (7,698) Winston-Salem, NC |
| February 15, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN | | at No. 9 Duke | L 74–76 | 20–7 (10–6) | 19 – LaRavia | 10 – LaRavia | 4 – Williams | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| February 19, 2022 1:00 p.m., ACCRSN | | Notre Dame | W 79–74 | 21–7 (11–6) | 23 – Williams | 10 – Tied | 5 – LaRavia | LJVM Coliseum (8,355) Winston-Salem, NC |
| February 23, 2022 7:00 p.m., ACCN | | at Clemson | L 69–80 | 21–8 (11–7) | 17 – Monsanto | 8 – LaRavia | 4 – Williams | Littlejohn Coliseum (5,782) Clemson, SC |
| February 26, 2021 7:00 p.m., ACCN | | Louisville | W 99–77 | 22–8 (12–7) | 23 – LaRavia | 7 – LaRavia | 5 – Tied | LJVM Coliseum (8,139) Winston-Salem, NC |
| March 2, 2022 9:00 p.m., ACCRSN | | NC State Rivalry | W 101–76 | 23–8 (13–7) | 28 – Williamson | 12 – Walton | 11 – Williams | LJVM Coliseum (6,917) Winston-Salem, NC |
| ACC Tournament |||||||||
| March 9, 2022 2:30 p.m., ESPN | (5) | vs. (13) Boston College Second Round | L 77–82 $^{OT}$ | 23–9 | 21 – LaRavia | 7 – LaRavia | 4 – Tied | Barclays Center Brooklyn, NY |
| NIT |||||||||
| March 16, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ | (2) | Towson First Round – Texas A&M Bracket | W 74–64 | 24–9 | 17 – Walton | 8 – LaRavia | 5 – Tied | LJVM Coliseum (4,081) Winston-Salem, NC |
| March 19, 2022 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ | (2) | (3) VCU Second Round – Texas A&M Bracket | W 80–74 | 25–9 | 19 – Williams | 7 – Walton | 5 – Williams | LJVM Coliseum (4,341) Winston-Salem, NC |
| March 23, 2022 7:00 p.m., ESPN2 | (2) | at (1) Texas A&M Quarterfinals – Texas A&M Bracket | L 52–67 | 25–10 | 15 – Mucius | 11 – Walton | 4 – Williams | Reed Arena (8,201) College Station, TX |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final |
| AP | | | | | RV | — | | RV | RV | — | | | RV | — | RV | RV | RV | — | — | Not released |
| Coaches | | | | | RV | — | RV | RV | — | | | RV | RV | 25 | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | — |
*AP does not release post-NCAA tournament rankings ^Coaches did not release a Week 2 poll.