DePaul University Athletics
Saturday, January 16
Chicago, Ill.
3:00 P.M. CT
DePaul University
vs
Valparaiso
Men's Basketball Set to Host Valparaiso on Saturday
1/15/2021 2:30:00 PM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
Blue Demons and Crusaders meet in non-conference matchup added to schedule this week
CHICAGO – DePaul hosts Valparaiso in a Saturday afternoon non-conference game at Wintrust Arena. The game was added to the schedule after recent opponents for both teams experienced COVID-19 related issues that led to postponed games. DePaul's game at Georgetown was postponed on Wednesday night while Valparaiso's games at Southern Illinois scheduled for this weekend were postponed earlier this week.
Saturday's game can be seen on FS1 starting at 3 p.m. with Lisa Byington (play-by-play) and Dickey Simpkins (analyst) handling the broadcast duties. The game can also be seen online at foxsports.com/live and via the FOX Sports app. DePaul's radio tandem of Zach Zaidman (play-by-play) and Dave Corzine (analyst) can be heard on WIND (560 AM) and online on DePaul All-Access at depaulbluedemons.com/live. In-game updates can be followed on Twitter at @DePaulHoops and live stats are available at depaulbluedemons.com.
Valparaiso enters the game at 3-7 overall and 0-2 in the Missouri Valley after a 78-66 loss against Missouri State on Sunday. The Blue Demons are 1-4 overall and 0-4 in the BIG EAST following a 60-53 loss against No. 25/-- Connecticut on Monday.
Familiar Face: DePaul's Javon Freeman-Liberty will see familiar faces on Saturday after playing his first two seasons for the Crusaders. The Chicago native totaled 992 points in 66 games at Valparaiso with averages of 15.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
Through five games this season with DePaul, Freeman-Liberty is averaging 14.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
It Could Happen: A win would be No. 1,485 for the program since the start of the 1923-24 season... DePaul played prior to that season but records are incomplete... Charlie Moore (220 assists) needs eight assists to move into 28th on DePaul's all-time assist list... Tyrone Corbin (1981-85) is currently 28th with 227 assists... Moore also needs 22 points to reach 1,100 in his collegiate career.
Non-Conference Notebook: Over the last two-plus seasons, the Blue Demons are 25-6 against non-BIG EAST opponents... a season ago, DePaul's 12-1 non-conference record was the best regular-season mark since DePaul joined the Great Midwest Conference... prior to the 1991-92 season, the Blue Demons were an independent before competing in the Great Midwest (1991-95), Conference USA (1995-05) and now the BIG EAST since the 2005-06 season... DePaul's 9-0 record to begin the 2019-20 season was one of eight streaks of at least nine consecutive wins to open a season... it was the longest streak since the 1986-87 squad started with a 16-0 record... the 1979-80 team won its first 25 games for the longest season-opening streak in program history.
The Opponent – Valparaiso Crusaders: Valparaiso is 3-7 overall and 0-2 in Missouri Valley play this season... the Crusaders dropped a two-game series against Missouri State on Jan. 9-10 by scores of 81-68 and 78-68... that game was the first for Valparaiso since Dec. 19... Ben Krikke leads the team with 12.2 points per game along with 4.2 rebounds per contest... Donovan Clay adds 11.6 points and 5.2 boards per game... head coach Matt Lottich is in his fifth season leading the program.
The Series: Saturday is the 25th meeting between the programs but the first since the 1979-80 season... DePaul holds a 16-8 advantage in the series... the last meeting occured at Valparaiso with a 95-71 win for DePaul on Feb. 13, 1980... the Blue Demons were in the midst of a season-ending eight-week run ranked No. 1 in the country at the time of that game... DePaul has won the last seven meetings between the two sides.
Against the Missouri Valley Conference: DePaul is 137-52 all-time against the current lineup of Missouri Valley Conference programs... Loyola Chicago is DePaul's most common Missouri Valley opponent... the Blue Demons and Ramblers have met 56 times and were scheduled to start a two-year series this season... DePaul leads that series, 38-18... DePaul has also faced Bradley 38 times with a 25-13 advantage... the Valparaiso game is the first meeting against a Missouri Valley opponent since the 2016-17 season... the Blue Demons split two games against Missouri State that season and also defeated Drake.
Saturday's game can be seen on FS1 starting at 3 p.m. with Lisa Byington (play-by-play) and Dickey Simpkins (analyst) handling the broadcast duties. The game can also be seen online at foxsports.com/live and via the FOX Sports app. DePaul's radio tandem of Zach Zaidman (play-by-play) and Dave Corzine (analyst) can be heard on WIND (560 AM) and online on DePaul All-Access at depaulbluedemons.com/live. In-game updates can be followed on Twitter at @DePaulHoops and live stats are available at depaulbluedemons.com.
Valparaiso enters the game at 3-7 overall and 0-2 in the Missouri Valley after a 78-66 loss against Missouri State on Sunday. The Blue Demons are 1-4 overall and 0-4 in the BIG EAST following a 60-53 loss against No. 25/-- Connecticut on Monday.
Familiar Face: DePaul's Javon Freeman-Liberty will see familiar faces on Saturday after playing his first two seasons for the Crusaders. The Chicago native totaled 992 points in 66 games at Valparaiso with averages of 15.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
Through five games this season with DePaul, Freeman-Liberty is averaging 14.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game.
It Could Happen: A win would be No. 1,485 for the program since the start of the 1923-24 season... DePaul played prior to that season but records are incomplete... Charlie Moore (220 assists) needs eight assists to move into 28th on DePaul's all-time assist list... Tyrone Corbin (1981-85) is currently 28th with 227 assists... Moore also needs 22 points to reach 1,100 in his collegiate career.
Non-Conference Notebook: Over the last two-plus seasons, the Blue Demons are 25-6 against non-BIG EAST opponents... a season ago, DePaul's 12-1 non-conference record was the best regular-season mark since DePaul joined the Great Midwest Conference... prior to the 1991-92 season, the Blue Demons were an independent before competing in the Great Midwest (1991-95), Conference USA (1995-05) and now the BIG EAST since the 2005-06 season... DePaul's 9-0 record to begin the 2019-20 season was one of eight streaks of at least nine consecutive wins to open a season... it was the longest streak since the 1986-87 squad started with a 16-0 record... the 1979-80 team won its first 25 games for the longest season-opening streak in program history.
The Opponent – Valparaiso Crusaders: Valparaiso is 3-7 overall and 0-2 in Missouri Valley play this season... the Crusaders dropped a two-game series against Missouri State on Jan. 9-10 by scores of 81-68 and 78-68... that game was the first for Valparaiso since Dec. 19... Ben Krikke leads the team with 12.2 points per game along with 4.2 rebounds per contest... Donovan Clay adds 11.6 points and 5.2 boards per game... head coach Matt Lottich is in his fifth season leading the program.
The Series: Saturday is the 25th meeting between the programs but the first since the 1979-80 season... DePaul holds a 16-8 advantage in the series... the last meeting occured at Valparaiso with a 95-71 win for DePaul on Feb. 13, 1980... the Blue Demons were in the midst of a season-ending eight-week run ranked No. 1 in the country at the time of that game... DePaul has won the last seven meetings between the two sides.
Against the Missouri Valley Conference: DePaul is 137-52 all-time against the current lineup of Missouri Valley Conference programs... Loyola Chicago is DePaul's most common Missouri Valley opponent... the Blue Demons and Ramblers have met 56 times and were scheduled to start a two-year series this season... DePaul leads that series, 38-18... DePaul has also faced Bradley 38 times with a 25-13 advantage... the Valparaiso game is the first meeting against a Missouri Valley opponent since the 2016-17 season... the Blue Demons split two games against Missouri State that season and also defeated Drake.
Players Mentioned
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