DePaul University Athletics
Men's Basketball Exhibition Set for Friday
11/6/2008 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
Lewis (0-1) at DePaul (0-0)
Friday, November 7, 2008 8:00 p.m. (CST)
McGrath Arena Chicago, Ill.
Lone Exhibition
Tonight’s game is the lone exhibition game of the 2008-09 season. The Blue Demons spent last Saturday scrimmaging Iowa in Iowa City. DePaul is 5-0 all-time in exhibition games under Jerry Wainwright. Last season the Blue Demons beat Trinity Christian, 83-56, on November 2 at McGrath Arena. Lewis is in the middle of a three-game exhibition swing. The Flyers lost at Bradley, 74-61, on Monday and will play at Illinois on Sunday. The audio broadcast of Friday's game can be heard at www.depaulbluedemons.com with Zach Zaidman and Laurence Holmes mikeside.
Season Opener Back On Campus
For the first time since November 20, 1999 DePaul will play a regular season game on its Lincoln Park campus. The Blue Demons will host Albany at McGrath Arena in the season opener on November 17 at 7:30 p.m.. The last time DePaul played on its Lincoln Park campus was March 14, 2007 when it beat Hofstra, 83-71, in the opening round of the NIT. The last regular season game on campus was a 105-61 victory over Howard on November 20, 1999 at Alumni Hall.
Young Demons
The 2008-09 DePaul roster has 11 scholarship players who will be eligible to see action (sophomore Eric Wallace will sit out after transferring from Ohio State) and eight of those players are freshmen and sophomores (72.7-percent). This is the youngest DePaul team since the 1996-97 squad had 66.7-percent of its roster as underclassmen. DePaul is the third-youngest team in the BIG EAST this season based on underclassmen. Only St. John’s and Pittsburgh have more freshman and sophomores (by percentage) on their rosters.
Rookies Get It Done
Last season two of DePaul’s three leading scorers were freshmen (Mac Koshwal 13.6 ppg and Dar Tucker 10.7 ppg) it was the first time DePaul has boasted that since 1998-99 (Quentin Richardson and Bobby Simmons). DePaul’s leading rebounder was also a freshman (Mac Koshwal 8.4 rpg) for the first time since Richardson accomplished the feat in 1998-99.
It Was 30 Years Ago Today...
This is the 30th anniversary of DePaul’s run to the 1979 Final Four and ironically the 2008-09 Blue Demons will face three of the five teams the 1978-79 squad played during its magical March run. This season DePaul will face Indiana State, UCLA and Marquette (the 1978-79 squad also faced USC and Pennsylvania).
Home Sweet Home
DePaul will play eight non-conference home games in 2008-09, the most in the Jerry Wainwright era.
Conference Foes
The Blue Demons will face BIG EAST foes Marquette, Pittsburgh and USF twice during the 2008-09 league portion of the schedule. DePaul will also host Cincinnati, Connecticut, Notre Dame, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Villanova while traveling to Georgetown, Louisville, Providence, Rutgers, Syracuse and West Virginia.
Jabari Ranks
Senior Jabari Currie enters his final season in a Blue Demon uniform ranking 22nd in school history with 248 assists. He has led the squad in assists in two of his three seasons in Lincoln Park.
Mac Attack
Sophomore Mac Koshwal will look to build upon a stellar rookie season at DePaul. He was the first freshman in school history to serve as captain and was a member of the BIG EAST Conference All-Rookie Team. He finished fifth in the league in rebounding and 13th in field goal percentage and was named to the national All-Freshman team by The Sporting News. His rebound total (251) was the third-best ever by a DePaul freshman while his rebounding average (8.4) was fourth and field goal percentage (.496) was fifth.
Dar Returns
Dar Tucker is coming off a solid freshman campaign as well. He was a member of the BIG EAST Conference All-Rookie team and was named to the national All-Freshman team by The Sporting News. The BIG EAST Rookie of the Week on January 2, he finished the season ranked 21st in the league in scoring. Both his season total of 394 points and scoring average of 13.6 points per game were the sixth-best ever by a DePaul freshman and two of his dunks were featured on ESPN’s “Top 10 Plays of the Day.”
Will Shoots It
Junior Will Walker had a solid finish to his sophomore season. Over the final 13 contests of last season the 6-foot guard averaged 12.5 points per game while shooting .434 (23-53) from 3pt. range. He scored in double figures in 10 of the 13 games including a career-high 21 in the win over USF and 20 at Seton Hall (where he was 5-for-5 from 3pt. range).
Take the Red Shirt Off
DePaul has two players coming off redshirt seasons. Guard Michael Bizoukas played in five games before having to sit the remainder of the season due to mononucleosis while center Kene Obi spent the season practicing with the squad. Both players will have four years of eligibility remaining. Mario Stula will be a sophomore in 2008-09 after sitting out last season.
New Faces
The Blue Demons will welcome three fresh faces to the roster in 2008-09. Center Krys Faber (6-11, 245), forward Devin Hill (6-8, 200) and guard Jeremiah Kelly (6-1, 165) will all make their collegiate debuts this season.
Transfer Pass
DePaul will also have a transfer sitting out this season. Eric Wallace, a 6-5, 215-pound guard/forward, will practice will the squad but will sit out games per NCAA transfer rules after spending last season at Ohio State. Wallace will have three seasons of eligibility starting in 2009-10.
DePaul Greats Return
DePaul added two of the greats in Blue Demon history to the program this year. Dave Corzine, the third-leading scorer and all-time leading rebounder in school history was named the Director of Basketball Operations in October. Tom Kleinschmidt, the fifth-leading scorer and first player in school history to have 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, 300 assists, 100 steals and 100 3pt. field goals is serving as an intern while returning to school to earn his undergraduate degree after a successful professional career.
Feeding the Flames
DePaul will play two non-conference games this season against teams nicknamed the Flames. The Blue Demons will travel to UIC on November 22 and host Liberty on December 17.
New Year’s Eve
DePaul will open the BIG EAST Conference portion of the season by hosting Notre Dame on New Year’s Eve. The Blue Demons are a perfect 5-0 all-time on the final day of the calendar year.
California Dreaming
For the first time since the 1981-82 season the Blue Demons will play two games in the state of California. DePaul will play at California on December 3 before meeting UCLA on December 13 in Anaheim as part of the annual Wooden Classic. The last time DePaul played two games in California were games at Santa Clara (December 12, 1981) and UCLA (December 19, 1981) and the Blue Demons split those contests beating Santa Clara and losing to UCLA.
Everyone Goes
For the first time since the league expanded in 2005-06, all 16 teams will play at the annual BIG EAST Conference Tournament at Madison Square Garden. The five-day event opens on March 10.
Vegas Baby!
DePaul will play in Las Vegas for the first time since 2001 when it participates in the Las Vegas Classic. The tournament will feature a pair of home games at the Allstate Arena (Liberty and Southern) before the teams head west. DePaul opens play in Las Vegas against Saint Louis on December 22 and then plays either Creighton or Fresno State on December 23.
First Time Opponents
DePaul will face five first-time opponents during the 2008-09 season. Albany, Alcorn State, Liberty, Morgan State and Southern are all first time Blue Demon opponents.
Up Next
The Blue Demons open the 2008-09 regular season by hosting Albany at McGrath Arena on November 17. Game time is 7:30 p.m. (CST) and the contest will be broadcast on WSCR (670 AM).
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