DePaul’s strong start to the season has taken a slight downturn now that the schedule is getting tougher.
Things won’t get any easier for the Blue Demons (7-2) on Saturday afternoon when they host Wichita State (8-1) in Chicago.
Under first-year coach Chris Holtmann and with an entirely new roster from the 3-29 debacle of 2023-24, DePaul won its first seven games this season. However, none came against a major conference opponent.
The Blue Demons followed up with a 76-62 setback to Texas Tech on Dec. 4 and a 70-63 loss in overtime to Providence on Tuesday in its Big East opener. DePaul shot 50.4 percent during its seven victories and 37.1 percent over its two defeats.
“I think (Tuesday) showed we can compete in the Big East, but that’s not good enough,” said DePaul’s David Skogman (10.9 points per game), who set season highs with 22 points and six 3-pointers on Tuesday.
“I don’t think there’s much we need to change, like, schematically. I think it’s just all about coming together and being more consistent.”
Skogman is shooting a stellar 48.5 percent (16 of 33) from beyond the arc.
The Blue Demons shoot 39.1 percent from distance, but Wichita State is defending the 3 at a solid 29.7 percent. Meanwhile, the Shockers are shooting 45.0 percent overall and have solid neutral-court wins over St. Louis and Minnesota.
Wichita also set season highs for points and field-goal percentage (54.7) during last weekend’s 96-87 win over East Tennessee State. Justin Hill scored 20 points while Corey Washington added 17 to go along with 13 rebounds.
“We’ve stood up to every test we had so far,” Washington told The Roundhouse Podcast. “There’s always been fight.”
That fight is something Shockers coach Paul Mills has instilled on his team.
“This is a game that honors toughness,” Mills said. “We don’t expect you to win every fight, but we do expect you to fight every fight.”
Hill scored 31 points in Wichita State’s 91-84 victory at Western Kentucky to open the season in what has been its only true road game. He made four 3-pointers in that game but has since gone 7 of 34 from beyond the arc.
–Field Level Media
