DePaul University Athletics
DePaul Hoops Host Texas State
12/18/2009 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO - The DePaul Blue Demons play the final non-conference home game of the regular-season schedule with a Saturday matinee against the Texas State Bobcats. Saturday's action also concludes a three-game homestand that saw the Blue Demons open with a win over UIC on Sunday before falling to American on Wednesday night.
The Blue Demons are 6-4 overall and 2-3 in the last five games. DePaul posted a 4-1 record in November with wins over Columbia, Northern Iowa, Saint Joseph's and Detroit. In December, the Blue Demons are 2-3 with wins over Alabama State and UIC sandwiching losses to Vanderbilt and Mississippi State before falling to American on Wednesday night.
Texas State is 3-7 overall and playing for the first time since an 87-54 loss at No. 2/2 Texas on Dec. 12. Saturday is the first meeting between DePaul and Texas State and the eight all-time game for the Blue Demons against teams from the Southland Conference.
Saturday's game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start at Allstate Arena and can be seen and heard on Blue Tube at www.depaulbluedemons.com. Laurence Holmes (play-by-play) and Steve Olken (analyst) call all the action courtside at Allstate Arena beginning with the pre-game show at 12:45 p.m. In-game scoring updates and notes can also be found at www.twitter.com/depaulsid.
Following the Texas State game, the Blue Demons close the non-conference schedule at Florida Gulf Coast on Dec. 22 before opening BIG EAST play at Pittsburgh on Dec. 28.
Noting the Blue Demons: The men's basketball program is 1,363-817 (.625) all-time... the Blue Demons have knocked down at least one three-pointer in 500 straight games... DePaul's last game without a three was Feb. 16, 1993 against UAB at Allstate Arena... Will Walker has started 43 straight games... the win over Columbia in the season opener ended an 18-game losing streak in regular-season games... the Blue Demons have won four of their first five games in two straight seasons... in three of Jerry Wainwright's four seasons at DePaul, the Blue Demons have defeated at least one top 25 opponent... DePaul has played its first home game on Nov. 17 in each of the last four seasons... the four turnovers against Alabama State on Dec. 2 were the fewest in a game since four miscues against Chaminade in the Maui Invitational on Nov. 21, 2006.
Opponent No. 11 - Texas State Bobcats: Texas State stands at 3-7 entering Saturday's action at Allstate Arena... the Bobcats are playing for the first time since a 87-54 loss at No. 2/2 Texas on Dec. 12... Cameron Johnson leads three players averaging in double-figures with 11.1 points per game... he also leads the club with 7.6 rebounds per game... J.B. Conley checks in with 10.7 points per game while John Rybak holds a 10.4 scoring average... as a team, the Bobcats are averaging 76.8 points per game while allowing an average of 81.8... head coach Doug Davalos is in his fourth season at Texas State and holds a 39-59 record with the Bobcats.
The Series: Saturday's game is the first meeting between DePaul and Texas State.
Against the Southland: DePaul is 7-0 all-time against the current lineup of Southland Conference programs... Texas State is lone team on the 2009-10 schedule from the Southland... DePaul has posted wins over Lamar, Nicholls State, Northwestern State, Sam Houston State, UTSA (twice) and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
It Could Happen: Will Walker needs two three-pointers to move into a tie with Draelon Burns (150 3pt. FG, 2004-08) for fourth in program history... his next steal will put him in a tie for 20th with Melvon Foster (119 steals, 1988-91) and Terence Greene (1985-89).
Demon Doings: Notes following DePaul's 62-57 loss against American on Dec. 16:
- DePaul extended its streak to 500 games with a three-pointer... DePaul's last game without a three was Feb. 16, 1993 against UAB at Allstate Arena.
- The Blue Demons trailed at the half at Allstate Arena for the first time this season... overall, DePaul is 1-3 when trailing at the half this season.
- Devin Hill's 16 points were a career high... previously it was 12 against UIC on Sunday.
- Will Walker moved into 43rd on DePaul's career scoring list... he finished the game with 1,024 points.
- DePaul junior Jimmy Drew made his season debut... he was granted a transfer waiver on Monday morning by the NCAA.
- Vlad Moldoveanu made his debut for American with 26 points and eight rebounds... the George Mason transfer became eligible following fall finals at American... he's the first opposing player to score more than 20 points against DePaul this season.
- American led with five minutes remaining for the first time this season.
- DePaul leads the series, 3-1.
- With the loss, DePaul has dropped two straight to Patriot League programs... the Blue Demons dropped a 57-52 decision to Bucknell at Allstate Arena on Dec. 3, 2005.
The Defense Rests: Through the first four games of the season, the DePaul defense held each opponent to less than 60 points. The last team to accomplish the feat was in Ray Meyer's last season as head coach of the Blue Demons. Meyer's squad posted four straight sub-60 games from Mar. 1-10, 1984.
In the overtime win over Detroit on Nov. 28, the Blue Demons held the Titans to 58 points through 40 minutes before winning the game, 68-66, in overtime. DePaul followed that effort up by limiting Alabama State to just 50 points in the win on Dec. 2.
Through games of Dec. 13, the Blue Demons are ranked 25th in the NCAA rankings by allowing just 58.7 points per game. Over the last 45 seasons, only the 1983-84 squad posted better defensive numbers than the 2009-10 Blue Demons. In the first 10 games of the 1983-84 season, DePaul held opponents to 58.1 points per game. Following the American game on Wednesday night, DePaul's defensive average sits at 59.0.
Three Decades in Rosemont: DePaul is in its 30th season in 2009-10 at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. The Blue Demons are 300-114 (.725) all-time in Rosemont. DePaul University played its first season in 1980-81 at the then-named Rosemont Horizon. The Blue Demons debuted in Rosemont with a 74-56 win over Gonzaga and John Stockton on Dec. 1, 1980.