DePaul University Athletics
Blue Demons and Bluejays Meet in Rosemont Tuesday Night
2/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO - DePaul plays the final two home games of the regular-season schedule this week starting Tuesday night against the Creighton Bluejays. The Blue Demons close the week on Saturday afternoon against Butler on Senior Day at Allstate Arena.
Tuesday's game will be televised on FOX Sports 1 with Eric Collins (play-by-play) and Stephen Bardo (analyst) handling the television duties. The broadcast can also be seen on the FOX Sports Go app wherever FOX Sports 1 is available. DePaul's radio tandem of Zach Zaidman (play-by-play) and Jeff Blanzy (analyst) can be heard on WSCR 670 AM, online on BlueTube at www.depaulbluedemons.com and on DePaul's mobile app. Live stats can be found on GameTracker at www.depaulbluedemons.com while in-game scoring updates and notes can be followed at www.twitter.com/depaulsid.
DePaul stands at 12-16 overall and 6-9 in the BIG EAST this season while Creighton enters the game with a 12-15 record overall and 3-11 mark in league play. Head coach Oliver Purnell is in his fifth season at DePaul and his 27th as a head coach at the collegiate level. Creighton is led by Greg McDermott who is in his fifth season leading the Bluejays. Tuesday's game is the 27th meeting between the two programs and the second of two during the regular season. DePaul defeated Creighton, 70-60, on Jan. 7 in Omaha.
Following the Creighton game, DePaul closes the home portion of the regular-season schedule with a matchup against Butler on Saturday afternoon. The Blue Demons and Bulldogs are scheduled for a 1 p.m. start at Allstate Arena on FOX Sports 1 and WSCR 670 AM.
3-Paul Aiming for Program Record: DePaul's 226 three-pointers this season are on pace to set a new program season record. The 2007-08 team holds the current top mark with 231 three's. The Blue Demons enter the Creighton game averaging 8.1 three's per game this season.
In three of Oliver Purnell's five seasons at DePaul, the Blue Demons have finished or will finish in the top six on the team season three-point chart. The 2011-12 team is currently second and the 2013-14 squad is tied for fifth.
In addition to the top five ranking in three's made, the 2014-15 team is currently fifth with 624 three-point attempts and tied for sixth with a .362 three-point percentage this season.
Noting the Blue Demons: The men's basketball program is 1,419-938 (.602) all-time... the 81-70 win over Florida Atlantic on Dec. 12, 2013 was win No. 1,400 since start of 1923-24 season... the Blue Demons have knocked down at least one three-pointer in 672 straight games... DePaul's last game without a three was Feb. 16, 1993 against UAB at Allstate Arena... DePaul's current roster features eight players that have made at least 14 three-pointers this season... among the eight, seven players have at least 20 three's in 2014-15... the Blue Demons are 332-165 (.668) all-time at Allstate Arena... DePaul is 9-1 (.900) all-time in games at McGrath-Phillips Arena... in Oliver Purnell's five seasons at DePaul, the Blue Demons are 13-1 against Chicagoland opponents (Chicago State, UIC, Loyola-Chicago, Northern Illinois, Northwestern)... DePaul posted a 3-0 record this season with wins over UIC, Northern Illinois and Chicago State... in the Purnell era, the Blue Demons are 25-4 (4-0 in 2014-15/6-1 in 2013-14) when scoring 80 or more points... DePaul's 2014-15 roster includes nine players from the Chicagoland area.
The Opponent: Creighton stands at 12-15 overall and 3-11 in the BIG EAST... the Bluejays have split their last six games with wins over St. John's, Xavier and Marquette... Austin Chatman leads the team with 10.6 points per game and 103 assists... James Devin Brooks adds 7.6 points and a team-high 5.1 rebounds per game... head coach Greg McDermott is in his fifth season at Creighton... DePaul head coach Oliver Purnell is 1-3 all-time against Creighton.
The Series: Tuesday is the 27th all-time meeting between the two programs... the Blue Demons hold a 16-10 advantage in the series... DePaul recorded a 70-60 victory in the first meeting this season on Jan. 7 in Omaha... the Bluejays swept all three meetings a year ago including an 84-62 decision in the BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinals on March 13.
The Last Meeting: DePaul used an early three-point barrage in a 70-60 win at Creighton on Jan. 7, 2015... Forrest Robinson led DePaul with a career-high 20 points that including a 6-for-9 effort from behind the arc... Robinson opened the game with four straight three's to give DePaul a 20-5 advantage... Myke Henry added 11 points and Jamee Crockett and Billy Garrett Jr. each scored nine... Toby Hegner led Creighton with 15 points and Avery Dingman added 10... two free throws by Aaron Simpson pushed DePaul's lead to 64-52 with just under four minutes left in the game... the Bluejays reeled off an 8-2 run with a Chatman jumper making the score 66-60 with 2:01 left... DePaul held Creighton scoreless over the remainder of the evening for the 10-point win... the Blue Demons combined to shoot .500 (11-22) from behind the arc in the game... the win made DePaul 3-0 to start the BIG EAST schedule.
It Could Happen: A potential seventh BIG EAST win would be the most since the Blue Demons totaled nine BIG EAST wins during the 2006-07 campaign... a win would also give DePaul it's first 10-win season at home since going 14-2 in 2006-07... with 10 points, Tommy Hamilton IV records his 25th career game in double-figures... Jamee Crockett (115 3pt. FG) needs two three-pointers to move into a tie for 12th all-time at DePaul... Quentin Richardson (1998-00) is in 12th place with 117 three-pointers... Billy Garrett Jr. (287 FT) needs three free throws to move into a tie for 20th on DePaul's all-time free throw list... Cleveland Melvin (2010-14) is 20th with 290 free throws.
Richardson Headlines DePaul Hall of Fame Class: The DePaul athletics department is set to induct its 2015 Hall of Fame class this weekend. Four individuals and one team will be honored on a busy weekend that includes home games for both the men's and women's basketball teams. The formal induction ceremony and banquet takes place at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 28 at McGrath-Phillips Arena.
Former DePaul men's basketball star Quentin Richardson headlines the Class of 2015 that will be inducted into the DePaul Athletic Hall of Fame. Other Hall of Fame inductees include Kim Williams of women's basketball, Erin Hickey of women's softball, Ray Cahnman of men's tennis and the 1999 women's softball team.
The 6-6 forward ignited a basketball renaissance in Lincoln Park while leading the Blue Demons to an NIT berth in the 1998-99 season and to the NCAA tournament the following season. He was the USBWA National Freshman of the Year and Conference USA Player of the Year after averaging nearly 19 points and 10.5 rebounds in his rookie year. In his two seasons at DePaul, Richardson averaged nearly 18 points and 10.2 rebounds. He entered the 2000 NBA Draft after his sophomore year and was selected in the first round (18th pick overall) by the Los Angeles Clippers. He spent 13 seasons in the NBA and is currently the Detroit Pistons' Director of Player Development.
Trendy: DePaul is one of two teams in the BIG EAST with St. John's to feature four of the top 25 scorers in the league... Billy Garrett Jr. (13.1 ppg) is 12th, Myke Henry (12.4 ppg) is 14th, Jamee Crockett (11.4 ppg) is 20th and Tommy Hamilton IV (10.6 ppg) is tied for 22nd... in the team BIG EAST rankings for all games, the Blue Demons are ranked second in free throw percentage (.734), three-point field goal percentage (.362) and three-point field goals (8.1 per game)... in conference games only, the Blue Demons are second in three-point field goals (8.1 per game) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.304)... after going 12-for-24 from the free throw line in the season opener, DePaul went 305-of-393 (.776) over the next 18 games... in the following two games, the team free throw percentage totaled just .565 (26-46) before a combined 13-for-16 (.813) effort at Providence... the Milwaukee game on Dec. 7 featured a team effort of 21-for-23 (.913) that included 11-of-11 from Billy Garrett Jr. and 7-for-7 from Tommy Hamilton IV... the Blue Demons pulled off an almost identical performance against Colorado by combining to go 20-for-22 (.909) from the line... Garrett duplicated the 11-of-11 performance against Colorado at the Diamond Head Classic... over the last eight games, opponents have combined to shoot greater than .500 five times... DePaul's lone win among those eight games was over Seton Hall... the Blue Demons held the Pirates to a combined mark of .360 (18-50).
Demon Doings: Notes following DePaul's 68-63 loss at Georgetown on Feb. 21:
- The team moved into second on the season three-point field goal chart... the 2014-15 team finished the game with 226 three's this season... the 2007-08 squad holds the program record with 231 three-pointers.
- Jamee Crockett (115 3pt. FG) moved into a tie for 13th all-time at DePaul in three-pointers... Crockett is tied with Sammy Mejia (2003-07).
- Billy Garrett Jr. (287 FT) moved into 21st on DePaul's all-time free throw list... he passed Jesse Nash (1961-65) in 22nd with 284 free throws and M.C. Thompson (1960-63) in 21st all-time with 285 free throws.
- Forrest Robinson knocked down at least three three's for the eighth time this season... DePaul is 6-2 in those games.
- Georgetown leads the series, 25-7... the Hoyas sweep the season series.
On Deck: DePaul hosts Butler on Saturday in the regular-season finale at Allstate Arena... the game is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start on FOX Sports 1 and WSCR 670 AM... Butler won the first meeting, 83-73 at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Feb. 7... the Bulldogs are 19-8 overall and 9-5 in the BIG EAST... Butler hosts Marquette on Wednesday night.
