Even though the games won’t count until November, Wake Forest men’s basketball will face one of its toughest tasks at the end of this month.
On Oct. 29, the Demon Deacons will host reigning SEC champion Alabama in a Sunday afternoon scrimmage at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Admission to the 1 p.m. showdown is free; however, there is a $20 suggested donation, as all proceeds of the exhibition game will be donated to the Atrium Health Wake Forest Baptist Comprehensive Stroke Center.
Wake Forest Basketball Head Coach Steve Forbes became emotional when talking about the importance of the upcoming charity scrimmage, a cause that has become personal over the last few months.
On Aug. 8, Steve Forbes was in Kuwait participating in Operation Hardwood, a basketball outreach program for military service members, when his wife, Johnetta Forbes, suffered a stroke. It took the basketball coach nearly 24 hours to reunite with Johnetta Forbes in Destin, Fla., where she was hospitalized for 10 days. She was transferred to the Shepherd Center, a neuro-rehabilitation facility in Atlanta, Ga., before being released on Sept. 22. After 45 days in two hospitals, Johnetta Forbes is still recovering back in Winston-Salem.
“It’s been tough, so it does mean a lot,” Steve Forbes said through tears after Tuesday’s practice. “It didn’t start out that way, really. Alabama contacted me before I went to Kuwait, and we wanted to play. We were just trying to figure out what to do and how to do it.
Forbes continued: But you know, I’ve seen a lot in the last couple of months, not just my wife but places that I’ve been. There are some people in some tough situations, not just with strokes, but with brain injuries. We can help alleviate somebody’s pain, and it means a lot.”
Alabama Head Coach Nate Oats shared similar sentiments in a statement, saying “we are excited and honored to partner with Wake Forest for this meaningful event. To be able to play an exhibition game and help people in need is a great opportunity that goes beyond basketball. At the same time, it will also give us an opportunity to test ourselves against a quality program in Wake Forest.”
The Crimson Tide spent all of the 2022-23 season ranked in the AP Poll, including 10 straight weeks in the top five. Alabama earned the No. 1 overall seed of the NCAA Tournament but ultimately lost to national runner-up San Diego State in the Sweet Sixteen.
After a Tuesday practice, Wake Forest junior guard Cam Hildreth expressed excitement about the chance to go up against the nationally ranked competition.
“I can’t wait,” Hildreth said. “I’m itching to play a game. I say to these guys all the time, ‘I’m tired of playing against you guys, I’m ready to have an opponent.’ I’m really excited to have that first test to see where we stand as a team.”
