DePaul University Athletics
Coming Close No Longer Enough for DePaul
2/13/2010 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO - These Blue Demons are ready for the next step.
That could come at 11 a.m. Sunday when DePaul steps onto the Prudential Center court in Newark, N.J. for a BIG EAST Conference matchup against Seton Hall.
Just being competitive in perhaps the toughest conference in college basketball is no longer enough.
In short, it's winning time.
DePaul went through a four-game stretch last month losing by 17, 27,17 and 20 points.
Then came the 51-50 victory over Marquette on Mike Stovall's last-second shot that snapped a 24-game conference losing streak.
Since then, the Blue Demons have been in every game, highlighted by the 59-57 defeat to then-No. 4 Syracuse.
The time has come to start winning the close ones.
"We're doing situational drills in practice---four minutes left and down three points or two minutes left and we're up four, stuff like that," said Michael Bizoukas who has started the last two games.
"All of us come from backgrounds of winning, but we haven't been winning this season. At the end of games, we're not used to winning. We have to learn to close out games in tight situations. And we all know that making free throws is a way of closing out a game."
Another way is to make sure your best players are getting good looks as the clock winds down.
"In our last game (64-57 loss at Connecticut), the right guys took the shots," said DePaul interim coach Tracy Webster. "Not that I want to discourage the other guys from shooting, but Will Walker and Mac Koshwal got some really good looks."
Walker scored a game-high 24 points while hitting 6-of-9 shots from behind the three-point arc, and Koshwal had 12 points and three steals. In his 29 minutes, Bizoukas contributed seven points, four rebounds and three assists for DePaul (8-15, 1-10 in the BIG EAST).
In the last six games, Walker is averaging 21.2 points per game.
"We were up by one late in the game when UConn made a run," Webster said. "We didn't value the ball enough a couple of times. We need to extend the lead in situations like that. Let's do an even better job of putting up good shots and not having consecutive turnovers or missed free throws."
Defensively, all eyes will be focused on No. 21 for Seton Hall (13-9, 4-7), a 6-foot, 5-inch junior guard from Harlem, N.Y. named Jeremy Hazell who is averaging 22.6 points per game.
Seton Hall's other primary offensive threat is 6-8 New Mexico State transfer Herb Pope who is averaging 11.5 points and 10.8 rebounds.
"I know that Hazell is a really good shooter," Webster said. "They like to get him a ton of shots. But you can't fall asleep on the other guys.
"Their point guard Eugene Harvey (nearly five assists a game) is jet-quick and gets into the lane. Seton Hall likes to get up and down the court and put up shots. On defense, they'll run-and-jump and also press a little bit.
"Our guys really believe they should win. That's one thing I love about this team---they keep on fighting and never give up."
