Men's Basketball Selected for College Basketball Crown Postseason Tournament

CHICAGO – DePaul men's basketball has been selected as an at-large team for the inaugural College Basketball Crown postseason tournament. The 16-team single-elimination tournament, hosted by Fox Sports and AEG, takes place in Las Vegas from March 31-April 6. The Blue Demons will open the tournament April 1 against Cincinnati in a 2 p.m. CT matchup, marking the first meeting between the former BIG EAST foes since 2013.

"We are really looking forward to continuing our season in the Postseason," said Head Coach Chris Holtmann. "Our team really grew and evolved throughout the season and weathered some tough injuries. We truly felt like we were playing our best basketball in the past month, so continuing to play is exciting."

DePaul was selected as one of ten at-large invites chosen by the tournament committee and will be joined in the field by Arizona State, Butler, Boise State, Cincinnati, Colorado, George Washington, Georgetown, Nebraska, Oregon State, UCF, USC, Utah, Tulane, Villanova, Washington State. The top two teams from the Big Ten, BIG EAST and Big 12 conferences that were not selected for the NCAA Tournament received auto bids. The tournament also provides NIL opportunities for student-athletes in attendance.

"The opportunity to participate in the inaugural College Basketball Crown is a great one for our program to continue to grow," said Holtmann. "We look forward to Vegas and the high level teams in the Crown Tournament.

Ticket packages are available now for all sessions of the tournament, which will be played in the MGM Grand Garden Arena and T Mobile Arena. Tickets for the Crown Town Fan Fest as also on sale now. The Fan Fest will take place prior to the semifinals and championship games, giving fans the ultimate pre-game party including poolside seating, live DJ, six pools, two spas and a massive 143-foot screen. More information can be found on collegebasketballcrown.com or by contacting DePaul's ticket office at 773-325-7526.

"We're incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication our student-athletes and coaching staff have shown this season," said Vice President and Director of Athletics DeWayne Peevy. "Earning a spot in the inaugural College Basketball Crown postseason tournament is a testament to their commitment and growth. This opportunity highlights the progress our program has made under Coach Holtmann. The Blue Demons are ready to represent DePaul, and the City of Chicago, on a national stage and continue building a successful future for our program."

The postseason tournament marks DePaul's first postseason tournament since the 2018-19 team advanced to the championship game of the College Basketball Invitational (CBI). The Blue Demons last appearance in the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) was in 2006-07.

DePaul won three of its last four games in the regular season and through the BIG EAST Tournament, with its only loss coming in a double-overtime defeat to second-seeded Creighton. In Chris Holtmann's first season as head coach, he led the Blue Demons to 14 wins and four conference victories, more than quadrupling last year's win totals. DePaul's team set the school single-season three-point record with 309 made. The Blue Demons also rank fourth all-time with 518 assists on the season and an assist rate of 60.2 percent, the highest since the 1995-96 season. DePaul also saw its attendance reach the highest number since 2019-20 and had the second-highest increase in attendance in the BIG EAST.

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TICKET INFORMATION
Deposits for 2025-26 new men's basketball season tickets are now open for as low as $25! Secure your seats today DePaulBlueDemons.com/Tickets and help us create an elite atmosphere in Wintrust Arena.

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Men's Basketball Selected for College Basketball Crown Postseason Tournament

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