- Matchup: Navy Midshipmen vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons
- Date: Wednesday, March 18, 2026
- Venue: LJVM Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC
- Broadcast: ESPNU
- Betting Line: Navy (+12)
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The Navy Midshipmen (26-7) are heading to LJVM Coliseum for a clash with the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (17-16) in the opening round of the NIT. Navy enters the game as 12-point underdogs, with the total points set at 148.
In their last outing, the Navy Midshipmen narrowly lost to Boston, finishing the game at 73-72. Navy committed 11 personal fouls, while Boston was tagged with 17. The Midshipmen converted 11 of 24 from beyond the arc, whereas Boston shot 83.3% from the free-throw line, making 10 of 12 attempts. Boston gathered 25 boards (4 offensive, 21 defensive) and had no blocks, dishing out 13 assists and accumulating 1 steal. Defensively, Navy allowed Boston to hit 55.3% of their field goals (26 of 47). They managed 14 assists overall, forced 13 turnovers, and secured 10 steals. In total rebounds, Navy claimed 31, with 14 being offensive; they shot 69.6% from the free-throw line, converting 16 of 23 attempts. The Midshipmen ended the game with a field goal percentage of 42.9% (27 of 63) and made 2 out of 13 three-point attempts.
Aidan Kehoe stood out during the match, shooting 73.3% from the field, contributing 2 assists, totaling 12 rebounds, and scoring 26 points on 11 of 15 shooting.
Navy holds a record of 26-7 this season. They average 74.7 points per game (ranked 211th in Division 1) and shoot 47.6% from the field. From three-point range, the Midshipmen are hitting 36.0% (217 of 603) and 73.5% from the charity stripe. They average 36.6 rebounds per contest and have recorded 537 assists this season, placing them 51st in D-1 for assist totals. On average, they turn the ball over 11.3 times and commit 14.3 personal fouls per game.
Defensively, the Midshipmen force 12.4 turnovers on average and draw 19.2 fouls per game. They rank 78th in D-1 for assists allowed, with 393 given up this season. The Navy defense permits a shooting percentage of 40.5% (750 of 1,852) and averages 30.6 rebounds per game. Their opponents are converting 29.8% of three-point attempts, while Navy ranks 5th in the nation for points allowed per game at 63.8.
In their previous game, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons faced a defeat against Clemson, finishing at 71-62. They secured 24 defensive rebounds and 6 offensive boards for a total of 30. The team committed 12 turnovers and managed to make 2 steals. Clemson accumulated 10 fouls, leading to 13 free-throw attempts for Wake Forest, converting 8 for a success rate of 61.5%. From beyond the arc, Wake Forest sank 10 of their 22 attempts (45.5%) and concluded the match shooting 22 of 50 from the field, translating to a shooting percentage of 44.0%. During the game, they allowed Clemson 26 successful shots out of 64 attempts, equating to a 40.6% shooting rate. Wake Forest struggled from distance as well, allowing Clemson a 32.3% success rate on 10 of 31 attempts, and they completed 9 of 15 free throws (60.0%). In total rebounding, Wake Forest permitted Clemson to grab 38 rebounds (including 15 offensive).
Juke Harris was a key player for the Demon Deacons, netting 22 points during his 40 minutes on the court, along with 4 assists. He shot an impressive 58.3% (7 of 12) and contributed 2 rebounds.
Wake Forest has a record of 17-16 this season. Offensively, the Demon Deacons are shooting 45.0% from the field, ranking 195th nationwide. They have scored a total of 2,602 points this season (78.8 points per game) and average 33.2 rebounds per game. The team averages 14.3 assists per game (ranked 148th in college) and turns it over 10.8 times per game. They are committing an average of 18.8 fouls per game and boast a free-throw percentage of 77.4%.
The Wake Forest defense allows opponents to shoot 33.0% from three-point range (301 of 911), while their foes convert 73.8% of free-throw attempts. They permit an average of 15.0 assists and 35.2 rebounds per game, placing them 293rd and 232nd in those categories. Overall, the Demon Deacons rank 263rd in college basketball for points per game allowed at 77.1. They force an average of 12.5 turnovers per game and allow teams to shoot 44.3% from the field (ranking 187th in D-1).
Who will triumph in tonight’s NCAA game against the spread?
Prediction: Take Navy (+12)
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