Game 24: DePaul University (13-10)
Feb. 8, 12:00 pm (EST)
Washington, DC
Capital One Arena (20,500)
Tickets? Available
Media:
TV: MASN2
GU Radio: WTEM-980
DU Radio: WSCR-670
About the Blue Demons:
Location: Chicago, IL
Enrollment: 15,407
Conference: Big East
2018-19 Record: 19-17
Record vs. Georgetown: 10-31
Meet The Coach:
Dave Leitao
(Northeastern '82)
8th season, 122-126
Career: 207-221
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Expected Starters |
Name |
Ht. |
Pts. |
Charlie Moore |
5-11 |
16.0 |
J. Coleman-Lands |
6-4 |
12.0 |
Romeo Weems |
6-7 |
7.3 |
Jaylen Butz |
6-9 |
10.6 |
Paul Reed |
6-9 |
15.7 |
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Team Stats: |
Points/Game: |
72.9 |
Points Allowed: |
68.7 |
FG Shooting: |
44.5 |
FG Defense |
39.5 |
3FG Shooting: |
31.9 |
FT Shooting: |
69.2 |
Rebounds/Game |
65.2 |
Assists/Game |
14.1 |
Turnovers/Game |
14.7 |
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Last 5 Games (0-5) |
01/22: Creighton 83, DU 68
01/25: St. John's 79, DU 66
01/29: Seton Hall 64, DU 57
02/01: Marquette 76, DU 67
02/04: Xavier 74, SHU 62
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Game Notes
- This is the 42nd meeting between the schools.
After Georgetown won 19 of 20 from 1994 to 2016, the teams have split their last six meetings.
- Georgetown is 16-14 in games played on February 8 in its history. The two teams have never met on this date.
Preview
For those that get down about Georgetown's struggles over the last five years, it's nothing compared to the suffering of a generation of fans at DePaul. Once the winningest major college Catholic program in the nation (with a winning percentage over 70 percent from 1948-72), today's Blue Demons have finished in last place eight of the last 11 seasons, and are 21-107 (.164) on the road since joining the Big East 15 years ago.
A 12-1 start to the 2019-20 season offered hope across Chicagoland that the Demons had finally, finally turned the corner, but they've since dropped nine of 10, entering Saturday's game at Capital One Arena with a league low 1-9 record. But unlike their recent brethren who could be knocked out of games early, DePaul has stayed close in nearly all their matchups this season, including a four point overtime loss at Villanova, a seven point loss at Seton Hall, and a four point loss last weekend at Marquette. It's not a game Georgetown can take lightly, with its post season hopes wobbling into February with little room for error.
The DePaul starting five provides balanced scoring, with four in double figures and two in the top 10 in scoring across the Big East. The Blue Demons are getting solid production from Kansas transfer Charlie Moore, its leading scorer. Averaging 16 points per game, Moore gets a lot of shots (15 per game over his last five) and is most effective driving inside, with a poor outside shot-- 30% on the season and 4-26 in his last five. he's not as quick as Seton hall's Myles Powell, but Moore can get past his defenders and is second in the league in assists with a 6.7 per game average.
How important is Moore to the Blue Demons? Wrote the Associated Press, "Moore has either made or assisted on 52 percent of all DePaul field goals over the last three games. Moore has accounted for 17 field goals and 20 assists in those games."
The other big option for DePaul is 6-9 Paul Reed. Their best athlete on the floor, Reed is averaging a double-double in conference play and is fifth all-time at DePaul for scoring percentage with a 55 pct. career mark. A season high 24 points and 15 rebounds versus Providence and an equally impressive 22 and 12 versus Creighton haven't been enough however, but the Demons can't go very far without Reed contributing at both ends of the floor. Foul trouble is a factor, however, as reed has fouled out of two of the last three games.
The remainder of DePaul's starting lineup is inconsistent and not very productive, which befits a 1-9 team. Senior guard/forward Jalen Coleman-Lands is coming off a 17 point effort versus Xavier but his 37 percent shooting belies a good offensive option for DePaul. 6-7 freshman Romeo Weems has hit the wall in conference play, with his average dropping with just 24 percent shooting in his last four games. 6-9 big man Jaylen Butz continues to show potential, with a 60 percent shooting clip inside, but a 47 percent run from the foul line causes as many groans as cheers.
DePaul can go five deep on its bench. Veteran guard Devin Gage and freshman guard Markese Jacobs provide depth in the backcourt and a combined nine points between them. Freshman Nick Ongenda provides limited cover if Reed or Butz is on the bench, and junior Pantelis Xidias is more known for his bench cheering than his on-court play, where he has seen action in three minutes to date this season.
What ails DePaul is scoring, ranking last in offense with a 67.4 points per game average. The Demons rank 8th in shooting and 10th from behind the arc, and haven't cleared the hurdle late in games where that shooting becomes vital. DePaul had only 16 points in the first half versus Xavier and despite 43 in the second half they were still eight short. Depaul gives up, on anverage three mroe threes to opponetns than they score, which puts them down nine points by default.
Georgetown continues to play without fear or concern that the six man rotation may eventually overwhelm them. Outside shooting continues to bedevil the team and absent Jahvon Blair, there are not many good options in that regard. DePaul offers some better matchups than those versus St. John's or Seton hall, and may open opportunities for more inside play that could leak to the perimeter for open looks. If this game is in the 60's it's great for depaul, but Georgetown looks to rev it up well beyond that. Good outside shooting early would certainly help in this regard.
Some keys to the game:
Paul Reed: DePaul's best player figures to a force inside.
Jamorko Pickett: Call it a wild guess, but Pickett is due for a big, big game.
Foul Trouble: The lack of fouls kept Georgetown in contention versus Seton Hall. DePaul averages nearly 21 fouls a game and it's an opportunity to make gains on the foul line.
Bench: The GU bench is down to Qudus Wahab. Look for another reserve to also contribute in this game.