DePaul University Athletics
Blue Demons Return to Rosemont
12/1/2010 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
Dec. 1, 2010
| DePaul (1-4) vs. Northern Illinois (2-3) | |
| Date & Time | Thursday, Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m. |
| Allstate Arena Information | Tickets | Directions |
| TV | LPTV (PbP: Zach Zaidman | Analyst: Laurence Holmes) |
| Online Video | ESPN3.com |
| ESPN FULL COURT | DIRECTV: Ch. 722 |
| Radio | WSCR 670 AM (PbP: Zach Zaidman | Analyst: Laurence Holmes) |
| Online Audio | BlueTube |
| Twitter Updates | @depaulsid |
| DePaul Information | Game Notes | Media Guide | Roster | Schedule | Statistics |
Northern Illinois Information | Game Notes | Media Guide | Roster | Schedule | Statistics |
CHICAGO - DePaul returns to Allstate Arena for a Thursday night contest against the Northern Illinois Huskies. Tip time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. as the Blue Demons look to snap a four-game losing streak. DePaul enters the game at 1-4 overall while Northern Illinois stands at 2-3 through five games this season.
Thursday's game can be seen on Lakeshore Public TV (LPTV) with Zach Zaidman (play-by-play) and Laurence Holmes (analyst) calling the action. Zaidman and Holmes will be simulcasting their broadcast on LPTV from WSCR 670 AM. The Blue Demons and Huskies will also be seen live in New York on SNY. In-game scoring updates and notes can be followed as well at www.twitter.com/depaulsid.
Following the Northern Illinois game, the Blue Demons continue play against the Mid-American Conference when they host Central Michigan on Sunday, Dec. 5 at Allstate Arena. That game is scheduled for a 5 p.m. and will be online only on BlueTube at www.depaulbluedemons.com.
The most outstanding player of the DePaul-Northern Illinois game is named the Jay Goedert Memorial Award winner. Goedert was an assistant coach at both DePaul and Northern Illinois who died in July 2004 at age 44. The award was established prior to the start of the 2004-05 basketball season in his honor. Todd Peterson was named the inaugural award winner after totaling 15 points off the bench in the Huskies' 84-69 decision over the Blue Demons. In 2005, James Hughes earned the honor after leading the Huskies to a 77-68 victory with 17 points and six rebounds.
Noting the Blue Demons: The men's basketball program is 1,366-841 (.619) all-time... the Blue Demons have knocked down at least one three-pointer in 522 straight games... DePaul's last game without a three was Feb. 16, 1993 against UAB at Allstate Arena... DePaul is 3-0 all-time in games at McGrath Arena... the Blue Demons host Ball State at McGrath Arena on Dec. 11... the Nov. 16 game against Western Carolina was the 425th for DePaul at Allstate Arena... the Blue Demons are 302-123 (.712) all-time in Rosemont.
Opponent No. 6 - Northern Illinois Huskies: Northern Illinois enters Thursday's action at 2-3 after an 80-51 loss against Boise State on Monday... the defeat ended a two-game winning streak after the Huskies started the season with back-to-back losses... Xavier Silas leads the team with 24.8 points per game... he is shooting .519 (14-27) from three-point range and .919 (34-37) from the free thrown line while playing a team-high 30.6 minutes per game... Silas is followed by Tim Toler at 8.4 points per game and Nate Rucker with a 7.4 scoring average... Rucker leads the team with 5.0 rebounds per game... head coach Ricardo Patton is in his fourth season at Northern Illinois.
The Series: Thursday is the 29th all-time meeting between the two programs... the series dates back to the start of the 1924-25 season that saw DePaul post a 12-9 victory at Northern Illinois... the Huskies have captured the last two meetings including a 77-68 decision in DeKalb on Nov. 28, 2005.
Against the MAC: DePaul is 74-33 all-time against teams from the Mid-American Conference... Thursday's game makes Northern Illinois the most common MAC opponent for DePaul... DePaul and Western Michigan have also met 28 times... in addition to Northern Illinois, DePaul also faces Central Michigan (Dec. 5) and Ball State (Dec. 11) this season... DePaul's last game against a MAC opponent was the 77-68 loss to Northern Illinois on Nov. 28, 2005.
It Could Happen: A three-pointer extends DePaul's streak to 523 consecutive games with at least one trifecta... Devin Hill needs three blocked shots to pass Andre Brown (2000-04, 70 blocks) for 14th all-time at DePaul.
It's Been a While: DePaul freshman Brandon Young has scored in double-figures in each of his first five collegiate games. He is the first rookie to score at least 10 points in the first five contests since Lance Williams started the 1998-99 season with nine straight games in double-figures. Quentin Richardson opened his collegiate career with Williams and recorded double-figures in his first four games while Bobby Simmons accomplished the feat over his first three games at DePaul. In addition to leading the Blue Demons with a scoring average of 13.2 points through five games, Young also has a team-high 17 assists.
Go Big or Go Home: Despite reaching double-figures only nine times in his collegiate career, senior guard/forward Mike Stovall has made the most of the double-figure outings. He is averaging 16.2 points per game when reaching double-figures with five double-figure games as a junior. Through five games in his senior campaign, the Chicago native has a season-high of 19 points in the opener against Chicago State while also registering games of 13, 10 and 11 points at the 76 Classic against Oklahoma State, Cal State Northridge and Stanford. As a junior, he scored 19 points against Texas State, a career-high 30 points against Providence, 11 at St. John's and 14 points at Notre Dame.
When Stovall doesn't reach double-figures, he averages 4.8 points per game with 124 total points in 26 games.
Demon Doings: Notes following DePaul's 81-74 overtime loss against Stanford on Nov. 28:
- DePaul used its second different starting lineup of the season... Tony Freeland made his eighth career start and first of the season.
- Jimmy Drew tallied his highest scoring total in a DePaul uniform with 17 points... his career high is 19 points while playing at Southeast Missouri State against Coppin State on Nov. 23, 2007... it was his fourth career game in double-figures and first at DePaul.
- At least four players reached double-figures for the third time in five games this season.
- Oliver Purnell is 2-4 all-time at the 76 Classic... he led Clemson to a 2-1 record last season.
- The 11-point deficit marked the largest deficit erased since overcoming a 12-point deficit against Marquette last season on Jan. 20... the Blue Demons defeated Marquette, 51-50, in that game.
- DePaul is 34-32 all-time in overtime games... the game was the first overtime game of the season and first since a 90-82 loss to St. John's in triple overtime on Mar. 5, 2010.
- Since 2005, DePaul has lost six of seven overtime games.
- Sunday was the third meeting between the two programs... Stanford leads the series, 2-1... two of the three games have been played at neutral sites.
Getting Settled: A year ago, DePaul struggled at the free throw line and ranked last in the NCAA rankings with a team free throw percentage of .582. Through the first five games of 2010-11, the Blue Demons are a combined 81-of-116 (.698) from the charity stripe.
A closer look at the numbers show that the team increases its free throw percentage as the game moves into the second half. The Blue Demons are a combined 42-for-62 (.677) from the line in the first 20 minutes compared to a free throw percentage of .740 (37-50) in the second half. Individually, Brandon Young is 8-of-14 (.571) in the first half this season and 5-for-6 (.833) in the second half while Tony Freeland is 6-for-13 (.462) in the first half and 8-of-11 (.727) in the second period.
One final comparison to last season at the free throw line sees the Blue Demons increasing their trips to the line after averaging 17.1 free throw attempts last season compared to 23.2 attempts per game over the first five contests of 2010-11.
Three Decades in Rosemont: DePaul is in its 31st season in 2010-11 at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. The Blue Demons are 302-123 (.712) all-time in Rosemont. DePaul University played its first season at the then-named Rosemont Horizon in 1980. The Blue Demons debuted in Rosemont with a 74-56 win over Gonzaga and John Stockton on Dec. 1, 1980.
