Wake Forest announces nonconference schedule

The Wake Forest men’s basketball team announced its 2015-16 nonconference schedule Tuesday, which is highlighted by three 2015 NCAA Tournament teams visiting the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

Television broadcast designations and tip-off times have not been set yet and will be announced by the ACC at a later date, along with the conference schedule.

The Demon Deacons will have six home nonconference games, beginning with the season-opener against UMBC on Nov. 13. That contest is part of the Maui Invitational. Richmond makes its seventh trip in the past 15 years to the LJVM Coliseum on Nov. 18. A year after reaching the round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament, Arkansas becomes the first SEC team in nine years to visit Winston-Salem on Dec. 4. After an 11-day break for exams, the Demon Deacons will host UNC Greensboro on Dec. 15. Two-time defending Big South champion Coastal Carolina will visit the LJVM Coliseum on Dec. 18 for the first meeting between the schools since 1998-99. The home nonconference schedule concludes on Dec. 22, as the Skip Prosser Classic resumes with a visit by Xavier, a 2015 NCAA Sweet 16 squad. The series was first played during the 2009-10 season and honors the late former head coach of both institutions.

The home schedule also includes a preseason exhibition on Nov. 6 against UNC Pembroke, who ended last season ranked No. 17 nationally in Division II.

The road portion of the nonconference schedule is highlighted by Wake Forest’s inaugural appearance in the Maui Invitational. The tournament will run Nov. 23-25 at the Lahaina Civic Center in Lahaina, Hawaii, and the bracket will be announced at a later date. Chaminade, Indiana, Kansas, St. John’s, UCLA, UNLV and Vanderbilt will join Wake Forest in this year’s event.

As previously announced, the Demon Deacons will travel to Rutgers on Nov. 30 as part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The road schedule will also include a visit to Bucknell on Nov. 15 and will conclude with a trip to LSU on Dec. 29.