A New Chapter for the Demon Deacons
The 2026 Battle 4 Atlantis tournament will unfold from November 25‑27 at Imperial Arena on Paradise Island, Bahamas, gathering a quartet of programs in a compact, high‑stakes format. Organizers have promised a full slate of matchups, with tip‑times and television coverage to be announced as the event approaches.
Wake Forest will meet Penn State, Mississippi State and Memphis, each bringing a distinct profile to the bracket. The Demon Deacons have a 5‑2 record against Big 10 opponents under head coach Steve Forbes, a statistic that adds intrigue to their opening test against Penn State, a team that finished last season with twelve wins, nine of them in non‑conference play.
Mississippi State enters the tournament under fifth‑year head coach Chris Jans, who has guided the Bulldogs to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances. Memphis, coached by Penny Hardaway, arrives after a 29‑win campaign in 2024‑25 and a narrow victory over Wake Forest in a previous meeting that hinged on a perfectly executed end‑to‑end play with just 1.5 seconds left.
The Demon Deacons’ recent experience at the Baha Mar Championship, where they fell 84‑83 to then‑No. 15 Texas Tech in a heart‑stopping finish, provides a blueprint for close‑game resilience. That loss, coupled with a win over Memphis, underscores the team’s capacity to execute under pressure, a trait that will be tested against a diverse set of opponents in the Bahamas.
While the tournament’s broadcast plan remains pending, the exposure offers each program a platform to showcase talent ahead of the regular season. For Wake Forest, the event marks a pivotal early‑season benchmark as Forbes’ rebuild continues, and fans will be eager to see how the new roster responds to the challenge of facing both Big 10 and SEC competition in a single weekend.