Wake Forest will play Utah in its first game of the Charleston Classic before a potential matchup against Houston in its next game.

The bracket for the Charleston Classic, Wake’s non-conference tournament in mid-November, has been released. The Deacons have the latest tip, scheduled to start at 9:30 p.m. Nov. 16. Other games in the tournament, played at TD Arena in Charleston, S.C., will be Nov. 17 and 19.

Utah is coming off a 17-15 season, its second with Craig Smith as coach. The Utes ended the season on a six-game losing streak. Smith’s teams, at Utah and three seasons at Utah State, have typically been strong defensively, especially inside the 3-point arc.

The potential matchup against Houston looms large. The Cougars are a combined 93-14 in the last three seasons, which includes a Final Four trip in 2021, an Elite Eight trip a year ago, and a Sweet 16 trip this past March. Coach Kelvin Sampson has built the program into a juggernaut, and its KenPom ranks for offensive and defensive efficiency have been in the top 12 in each of the last three seasons. Houston plays Towson in its opening game.

On the opposite side of the bracket, St. John’s plays North Texas in the first game, and LSU plays Dayton.