CHICAGO - DePaul closes a three-game homestand Tuesday night when Seton Hall visits Allstate Arena. The game is scheduled for an 8 p.m. start and can be seen nationally on ESPNU. The Pirates enter the game on a four-game winning streak - the third-longest in the BIG EAST - while the Blue Demons are searching for their first conference victory.
The Blue Demons dropped the first two games of the homestand with a 76-61 loss to No. 8/8 Marquette last Tuesday before a 92-69 defeat to No. 6/5 Pittsburgh on Saturday. Following the Seton Hall game, DePaul plays four of the final six regular-season games on the road.
DePaul stands at 0-11 in league play while Seton Hall is 4-6 in BIG EAST action. The Blue Demons are 8-16 overall while the Pirates are 13-9 this season.
Tuesday’s game can be seen live on ESPNU with Lou Canellis (play-by-play) and Bob Wenzel (analyst) handling the television duties at Allstate Arena. DePaul’s radio duo of Zach Zaidman and Laurence Holmes are calling the game on WSCR (670 AM) in Chicago.
Following the Seton Hall game, the Blue Demons travel to No. 5/7 Louisville for a Sunday afternoon game at Freedom Hall on ESPNU. The Blue Demons make the return trip to Pittsburgh on Saturday, Feb. 21 before the final two home games against Villanova (Feb. 25) and St. John’s (Feb. 28).
Noting the Blue Demons: The men’s basketball program is 1,356-805 (.628) all-time... the Blue Demons have knocked down at least one three-pointer in 482 straight games... DePaul’s last game without a three was Feb. 16, 1993 against UAB at Allstate Arena... DePaul has attempted more free throws than its opponent in 18 of 24 games this season... only Notre Dame (Dec. 31), Cincinnati (Jan. 17), Marquette (Jan. 24 and Feb. 3) and Connecticut (Jan. 28) have attempted more free shots than DePaul while Syracuse shot the same amount on Jan. 7... when knocking down at least seven three’s this season, DePaul is 5-2... DePaul’s current 11-game losing streak is the third-longest skid in program history... the longest streak for consecutive defeats is 13 games that occurred during the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons... during the current 11-game skid, the Blue Demons are averaging 4.4 three’s per game (48 total in the 11 games)... in games decided by five points or less, the Blue Demons are 4-2... in each of Jerry Wainwright’s three full seasons at DePaul, the Blue Demons have defeated at least one top 25 opponent... DePaul has used nine different starting line-ups this season... the Blue Demons have donned the black uniforms twice this season in a win over UIC on Nov. 22 and a loss at Providence on Jan. 3... only four times in program history have the Blue Demons sported the alternate jersey/shorts combination... they are 1-3 in those games.
The Opponent: Seton Hall enters Tuesday’s game as one of the hottest teams in BIG EAST play... the Pirates’ four-game league winning streak is third to 11 straight by Connecticut and five-in-a-row by Villanova... Seton Hall is 13-9 overall and 4-6 in BIG EAST action following Sunday’s 65-60 win at Rutgers... Jeremy Hazel leads three players in double-figures with 23.6 points per game... he is followed by Robert Mitchell’s 15.2 scoring average and Eugene Harvey’s 12.7 points per game... Mitchell also grabs a team-high 8.2 rebounds per game with John Garcia averaging 7.8 points and 7.2 rebounds per contest... Hazell leads the way with 66 three’s and as a team, Seton Hall has tallied 129 three-pointers... head coach Bobby Gonzalez is in his third season as head coach at Seton Hall... he is 43-40 with the Pirates... prior to Seton Hall, he was head coach at Manhattan (1999-06) and owns a career record of 172-117.
The Series: Tuesday is the sevenh meeting between the two programs... Seton Hall holds a 4-2 advantage in the series... DePaul is 2-0 in home games... each side has won on its home floor in two all-time BIG EAST meetings... Seton Hall joins West Virginia as DePaul’s rarest conference opponents... the Blue Demons have faced the Pirates and Mountaineers just twice since staring BIG EAST play in 2005... DePaul travels to Morgantown on Mar. 4 for the third league meeting with the Mountaineers.
Last Meeting: A turnaround jumper with 16.2 second left by Brian Laing was the difference as Seton Hall topped DePaul, 73-71, at the Prudential Center on Feb. 23, 2008... the Pirates led by as many as 10 points on two occasions and never trailed in the game... Seton Hall shot .510 from the field and DePaul combined to shoot .519 for the game... the two teams combined for 20 three-pointers... Will Walker led the Blue Demons with 20 points (5-5 3pt. FG)... Karron Clarke added 14 and Mac Koshwal scored 10 points... Laing led all scorers with 22 points... Jamar Nutter finished with 15 points and John Garcia added 10.
Last Meeting at Allstate Arena: Wilson Chandler scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead DePaul to a 67-64 win on Feb. 25, 2006... the Blue Demons held a 33-27 lead at halftime, but Seton Hall used a 10-0 to start the second half... Chandler tied the game at 58-58 with a three with 5:25 left and Seton Hall pulled to within 64-62 but could get no closer... Karron Clarke added 14 for DePaul and Jabari Currie totaled 10 points and seven assists... Jamal Nutter hit six three-pointers for 18 and Kelly Whitney scored 20.
Career Statistics vs. Seton Hall
| Player |
G-GS |
FG-A |
Pct. |
3P-A |
Pct. |
FT-A |
Pct. |
Reb. |
Avg. |
A |
TO |
Blk. |
Stl. |
Pts. |
Avg. |
|
Currie |
2-1 |
5-8 |
.625 |
3-4 |
.750 |
0-0 |
.000 |
2 |
1.0 |
7 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
13 |
6.5 |
|
Koshwal |
1-1 |
4-9 |
.444 |
0-0 |
.000 |
2-4 |
.500 |
5 |
5.0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
10.0 |
| Poscic |
1-1 |
2-2 |
1.00 |
0-0 |
.000 |
2-2 |
1.00 |
1 |
1.0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
6 |
6.0 |
|
Tucker |
1-1 |
2-6 |
.333 |
1-4 |
.250 |
2-3 |
.667 |
3 |
3.0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
7.0 |
|
Walker |
1-0 |
7-12 |
.583 |
5-5 |
1.00 |
1-1 |
1.00 |
0 |
0.0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
20 |
20.0 |
It Could Happen: A win would end DePaul’s season-high 11-game losing streak... a loss would give DePaul its first 0-12 start to conference play since the 1995-96 season... that team went 0-12 to start the Conference USA schedule... a loss would also give the Blue Demons their first 12-game losing streak since a 13-game slide to end the 1996-97 season... Dar Tucker and Will Walker needs one three-pointer to move into a tie for 14th all-time (Rashon Burno - 92 3pt. FG, 1998-02).
Demon Doings: Notes following DePaul’s 92-69 loss against No. 6/5 Pittsburgh on Feb. 7:
- In the last seven games, the Blue Demons are a combined 61-of-106 (.670) from the free throw line... in DePaul’s first 17 games, the team was a combined 229-375 (.611) from the line.
- The Blue Demons are 0-11 to start conference play for the first time since the 1995-96 season... that squad started the Conference USA schedule at 0-12.
- The Blue Demons used their ninth different starting line-up of the season.
- Dar Tucker reached double-figures for the 42nd time in 52 career games.
- Will Walker extended his streak to 10 straight games in double-figures... he is averaging 16.5 points per game during that span.
- Levance Fields dished out a career-high 16 assists... he has totaled at least 10 assists in five games this season and in each of the last two games... the double-double was the fourth of his career and second in as many games.
- DeJuan Blair registered his 15th double-double of the season and 29th of his career... his 32 points set a new career high.
- Pittsburgh leads the series, 4-1... the Panthers have won all four meetings in BIG EAST play.
Up Next: DePaul travels to Louisville on Sunday, Feb. 15 for a game at Freedom Hall. The 4 p.m. ET game can be seen nationally on ESPNU and will also be on the radio at WSCR (670 AM).
