DePaul University Athletics
DePaul and Louisville Square Off Saturday in Rosemont
2/19/2010 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
DePaul is 8-17 overall and 1-12 in BIG EAST action following the loss to the Scarlet Knights at Allstate Arena. The Blue Demons are looking to snap a season-high seven-game losing streak after posting a 1-7 mark in January. DePaul finished the non-conference portion of the regular-season schedule with a 7-5 record. DePaul dropped two of the last three non-conference games after starting the season with a 5-1 record. DePaul posted a 4-1 record in November before a 3-5 mark in December.
Louisville has won four of its last five including a 91-89 double overtime win over Notre Dame on Wednesday at Freedom Hall. The Cardinals stand at 17-9 overall and 8-5 in BIG EAST games. Saturday's game is the 55th all-time meeting between the two programs.
The game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start and can be seen on ESPNU with Justin Kutcher (play-by-play) and Dickey Simpkins (analyst) handling the television duties. On the radio, the game can be found on WSCR "The Score" (670 AM) and online on Blue Tube at www.depaulbluedemons.com. Zach Zaidman (play-by-play) and Laurence Holmes (analyst) call all the action 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 Louisville game, the Blue Demons hit the road for the final two away games of the regular season. DePaul travels to Cincinnati for a Wednesday night game before a Saturday evening date at Rutgers. The regular-season schedule concludes with home games against USF on Mar. 2 and St. John's on Mar. 5. The BIG EAST Championship opens on Mar. 9 at Madison Square Garden.
Noting the Blue Demons: The men's basketball program is 1,365-830 (.622) all-time... the Blue Demons have knocked down at least one three-pointer in 515 straight games... DePaul's last game without a three was Feb. 16, 1993 against UAB at Allstate Arena... the Blue Demons have used 13 different starting line-ups this season... 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... DePaul has played its first home game on Nov. 17 in each of the last four seasons... DePaul has allowed more than 70 points six times this season and are 0-6 in those games... 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... the 51-50 win over Marquette on Jan. 20 ended DePaul's 24-game losing streak in BIG EAST regular-season games... the program finished the decade from Jan. 1, 2000-Dec. 31, 2009 with a 149-158 (.485) record.
The Opponent - Louisville Cardinals: Louisville enters Saturday's action with a 17-9 overall record and 8-5 mark in BIG EAST play... the Cardinals went to double overtime to knock off Notre Dame, 91-89, on Wednesday night... Louisville has won four of its last five games... Samardo Samuels leads the team with 16.2 points and 7.3 rebounds per game... Edgar Sosa adds 12.9 points per outing along with a team highs of 108 assists and 54 three-pointers... as a team, the Cardinals have the third-highest three-point field goal total with 206... their 7.9 average per game is fourth among BIG EAST programs... head coach Rick Pitino is in his ninth season at Louisville.
The Series: DePaul and Louisville meet for the 55th time on Saturday afternoon... Louisville holds a 33-21 advantage and has won all four meetings in BIG EAST play... the series opened with an 86-67 win for the Cardinals on Jan. 5, 1957... over the last 10 games, Louisville has claimed eight victories... both of DePaul's wins came in overtime in back-to-back meetings... the extra time win on Feb. 25, 2004 was DePaul's last win over the Cardinals... the Blue Demons posted a 60-58 decision at Freedom Hall.
The Last Meeting: Louisville scored the first 13 points and never looked back in a 99-54 win at Freedom Hall on Feb. 15, 2009... Preston Knowles led five players in double-figures with 19 points... the Cardinals knocked down a season-high 18 three-pointers and held a 51-21 advantage at halftime... Dar Tucker had 17 points for DePaul while Mac Koshwal had 12 points and 10 rebounds... the 45-point margin of defeat was the largest in program history for DePaul.
It Could Happen: Mac Koshwal needs two rebounds to pass Jim Flemming (1958-61) for 17th on the DePaul rebounding list... with 11 boards, he passes current assistant coach David Booth (1988-92) for 16th... Koshwal's first point against Louisville will be No. 900 in his career... with two three-point attempts, Will Walker sets the new career record at DePaul... Drake Diener (2001-05) is currently first all-time with 526 attempts... Devin Hill needs two blocked shots to move into 15th all-time... a win would end a season-high seven-game losing streak... it would also be DePaul's first February victory since Feb. 9, 2008 against USF... since that 69-61 victory, the Blue Demons have dropped 15 straight games in the month of February.
Demon Doings: Notes following DePaul's 68-64 loss against Rutgers on Feb. 16:
- DePaul's 11-point halftime lead was its first double-digit halftime advantage since Jan. 5, 2008 vs. Providence... the Blue Demons held a 37-24 advantage at intermission in a 70-65 win over the Friars.
- Will Walker moved into DePaul's top 20 in career scoring... he passed Brandon Cole and Bobby Simmons against Rutgers... Walker has totaled 1,277 points in 117 career games.
- Mac Koshwal moved into 18th on DePaul's career rebounding chart... Koshwal has totaled 688 rebounds in 75 career games.
- Koshwal recorded his first 20-point game of the season (fourth career)... he also notched his seventh double-double of the season (23rd career).
- Koshwal's eight steals are tied for third on DePaul's game chart.
- The loss gives the Blue Demons a season-high seven-game losing streak.
- Walker played all 40 minutes for the eighth time in the last nine games... over the last 12 games, he has played all but 11 minutes.
- The Scarlet Knights are now 1-7 on the road this season.
- Sunday was just the fifth meeting between the two programs... Rutgers leads the series, 3-2.
- The Scarlet Knights have won two of three meetings between the two teams at Allstate Arena.
Iron Will: Senior guard Will Walker leads the BIG EAST with 37.40 minutes per game and has not left the floor in the last five games. Walker also played every minute in consecutive games at St. John's on Jan. 17, against Marquette on Jan. 20 and at Notre Dame on Jan. 23. In addition to playing all 40 minutes in those eight games, Walker has played all but 11 minutes over the last 12 games. He started the run with 38 minutes against Georgetown before playing 37 in games at Villanova and against Providence. He followed the three 40-minute outings with 37 minutes against West Virginia on Jan. 26. Against Syracuse on Jan. 30, Marquette on Feb. 3, Connecticut on Feb. 4, Seton Hall on Feb. 14 and Rutgers on Feb. 16, he registered his fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth complete games of the season.
Not Like the Others: While allowing 66.0 points per game over the first 25 contests, the Blue Demons are averaging 60.4 points per game. The Blue Demons have scored more than 75 points on three occasions this season with a season-high 86 points in the win over Texas State. The 86-69 victory marked the highest-scoring output since a 90-67 win over Alcorn State on Dec. 28, 2008. More impressive in the game against the Bobcats was the 52 second-half points put on the board. The second half marked the most points in a half since scoring 60 against Notre Dame in the second half on Mar. 2, 2008. DePaul lost that game to the Irish, 98-91, at Allstate Arena.
The last time DePaul went through a season without scoring at least 90 points in game was the 2004-05 campaign. The Blue Demons posted a season-high 88 points that season and scored at least 85 in three games.
Three Decades in Rosemont: DePaul is in its 30th season in 2009-10 at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. The Blue Demons are 302-119 (.717) 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.
