DePaul University Athletics
Sunday, October 19
Chicago, Ill.
6 p.m.
DePaul University
vs
Loyola Chicago (Exh.)
Blue Demons Set for Exhibition Opener Against Loyola Chicago
10/18/2025 3:20:00 PM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO – DePaul men's basketball is set for its exhibition opener ahead of the 2025-26 season, Sunday, Oct. 19 as the Blue Demons host cross-town rival in Loyola-Chicago. The game is set for a 6 p.m. tip from Wintrust Arena. No television or radio broadcast is available from DePaul. Fans may tune into DePaul's student broadcast, Radio DePaul, here.
Tickets are available for Sunday's exhibition contest at DePaulBlueDemons.com/Tickets. Fans in attendance may pick up a free hand painted poster by illustrator, Robert Bruno, while students will also receive a bucket hat giveaway. For more information on new additions to Wintrust for the 2025-26 season read here.
SCOUTING DEPAUL
DePaul returns five players from its roster a year ago, including its leading scorer in CJ Gunn who averaged 12.9 points per game in addition to 4.0 rebounds. Last season, the Blue Demons increased their win total by over 10 games, finishing with a 14-20 (4-16 BIG EAST) record. DePaul secured a first-round victory in the BIG EAST Tournament before pushing Creighton to double overtime in the quarterfinals. The Blue Demons then made a return to the postseason for the first time in over five years, appearing in the inaugural College Basketball Crown event.
Chris Holtmann is poised for his second season at the helm of the Blue Demons program, backed by his five returners in addition to 11 newcomers. Among the newcomers is Tulane transfer, Kaleb Banks, who earned All-Conference honors in the AAC last season after averaging 14.7 points and 6.7 rebounds. Other newcomers include transfers Brandon Maclin (Radford), Jeremy Lorenz (Wofford), Khaman Maker (St. John's) and RJ Smith (Colorado). Additionally, DePaul brought in two freshmen – Kruz McClure and Isaiah Medina – as well as a pair of international recruits in Ilija Milijašević and Fabián Flores.
SCOUTING LOYOLA
Loyola enters the fifth season behind head coach Drew Valentine, as the Ramblers come off a 25-12 (12-6 A10) record in 2024-25 that included a trip to the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). The Ramblers also return three key players in Miles Rubin, Kymany Houinsou and Justin Moore. Rubin averaged 9.7 points per game and set the programs single-season block record for the second-consecutive year with 85 rejections.
The Ramblers roster includes eight newcomers, made up of five transfers, two freshmen and an international addition. Loyola's top transfer is Deywilk Tavarez who comes to Chicago after his sophomore season at Charleston where he averaged 12.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.
UP NEXT
DePaul will play one final exhibition against Notre Dame on Oct. 24, before officially kicking off the 2025-26 season. The exhibition is set to tip off from South Bend at 5 p.m. CT.
Tickets are available for Sunday's exhibition contest at DePaulBlueDemons.com/Tickets. Fans in attendance may pick up a free hand painted poster by illustrator, Robert Bruno, while students will also receive a bucket hat giveaway. For more information on new additions to Wintrust for the 2025-26 season read here.
SCOUTING DEPAUL
DePaul returns five players from its roster a year ago, including its leading scorer in CJ Gunn who averaged 12.9 points per game in addition to 4.0 rebounds. Last season, the Blue Demons increased their win total by over 10 games, finishing with a 14-20 (4-16 BIG EAST) record. DePaul secured a first-round victory in the BIG EAST Tournament before pushing Creighton to double overtime in the quarterfinals. The Blue Demons then made a return to the postseason for the first time in over five years, appearing in the inaugural College Basketball Crown event.
Chris Holtmann is poised for his second season at the helm of the Blue Demons program, backed by his five returners in addition to 11 newcomers. Among the newcomers is Tulane transfer, Kaleb Banks, who earned All-Conference honors in the AAC last season after averaging 14.7 points and 6.7 rebounds. Other newcomers include transfers Brandon Maclin (Radford), Jeremy Lorenz (Wofford), Khaman Maker (St. John's) and RJ Smith (Colorado). Additionally, DePaul brought in two freshmen – Kruz McClure and Isaiah Medina – as well as a pair of international recruits in Ilija Milijašević and Fabián Flores.
SCOUTING LOYOLA
Loyola enters the fifth season behind head coach Drew Valentine, as the Ramblers come off a 25-12 (12-6 A10) record in 2024-25 that included a trip to the semifinals of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). The Ramblers also return three key players in Miles Rubin, Kymany Houinsou and Justin Moore. Rubin averaged 9.7 points per game and set the programs single-season block record for the second-consecutive year with 85 rejections.
The Ramblers roster includes eight newcomers, made up of five transfers, two freshmen and an international addition. Loyola's top transfer is Deywilk Tavarez who comes to Chicago after his sophomore season at Charleston where he averaged 12.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.
UP NEXT
DePaul will play one final exhibition against Notre Dame on Oct. 24, before officially kicking off the 2025-26 season. The exhibition is set to tip off from South Bend at 5 p.m. CT.
Players Mentioned
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