Thurs Jan 22nd, 2 Games - DeP-Seton, XU-PC.

[ivet]

Atleast we mostly showed up during nonconference....freakin Depauls rpi was like 250 before conference play. I know this topic has already been beaten like a dead horse already.

Then teams should have beaten them if they suck that bad. Heck, they beat you guys at your own house. If you showed up in non conference, why aren't you showing up now? Maybe some teams get better as the season progresses. Coaches re evaluate strategy, mix up lineups and add a player to the roster that was injured during non conference play. And some teams regress or other teams find and exploit their weakness later in.

[stever20]

Yes, we know. You're firmly in the "if you stick out of conference, you should stop trying to win" camp.

Personally, I think it'd be a heck of an achievement for this team to make the NIT.

After tonight DePaul is 11-9, with 11 games to go. 5-2 in conference....

Their RPi at even 18-13 is projected to only be 83. with 12 conference wins. Although, that may be conservative if their wins are road ones like tonight.... But, lets say for discussions sake that's right- 83. With all the auto bid teams making the NIT- DePaul wouldn't have a shot at even the NIT there....

What I think is funny is lets say they got up to 13 conference wins and 19-12. They could get in position to where they win a game or two in the tourney, with them getting 13 conference wins against the #2 conference, they could be in the NCAA tourney. I'd almost suggest that an NCAA tourney spot may be easier to see over a NIT slot. For something like that- a lot would be told in the next 8 games. Got @ Xavier, @ Providence, Villanova, Seton Hall, @ Butler, @ St Johns, Providence, @ Georgetown. They beat Seton Hall and PC at home, and steal 3 of the 5 home games- they are at 16-12 and 10-5 in conference play. They wind up conference play with Creighton, Butler, and @ Marquette.

(if only they had beaten Ohio and then Nebraska, this scenario would be a whole lot more interesting at 13-7.)

[notkirkcameron]

DePaul's win over Seton Hall was their first over a ranked team since beating Villanova in 2008 (FIFTY-ONE consecutive losses to ranked teams).

It was also their first win on the road over a ranked team since beating #16 Wake Forest in Winston-Salem in 2005.

[Xudash]

Providence was ice cold as well.

Which has nothing to do with "being soft." That's just a stupid conclusion.

Losing 5 road games by 14 points, Something is wrong there.

Agreed. And in some of those prior losses they did play softly, stupidly, with not enough passion and focus, etc. But tonight wasn't about being "soft." Tonight was about terrible shooting, Mack finally coming around to the use of a zone defense, the team ramping up its intensity when the window opened, and a close-out to get it to OT. At that point, the game could have gone either way. I thought Stainbrook was clearly fouled and should have gone to the line, but no call was made and Henton executed strongly at the other end to essentially seal it with an old fashioned 3 point play.

Tonight wasn't about "soft." I don't believe in moral victories, but I like that they got it to OT - with both teams not executing all that well - and went down swinging. We'll see if they're now pissed off enough to take that level of energy on the road from here.

I do love this conference. BTW, congrats Providence.

[Hayes-Healy SS]

To all those STILL bitching and complaining about DePaul's OOC losing streak, followed by the 5-2 conf start... Got one message for you, deal with it.

If you don't like losing to DePaul, here's a thought, bitch at your own damm team for not playing better. Fact is, after seven games, DePaul is in first place with only one bad loss at Nova. And it took a good GT effort at the Horizon to prevent DePaul from being alone at the top.

It isn't rare for a team to turn their season around, especially when a team like DePaul adds a key player in Stimage right as they go on their run.

So keep looking past this team... Because DePaul isn't going away any time soon.

[billyjack]

I just deleted a long-winded post that I had written about DePaul, because it was a repeat of points that we've made over the last 3 months about lack of effort and lack of coaching.

Let me just congratulate Blue Demon fans on another great win, and beg you guys to not, under any circumstances, extend Purnell's contract. Please don't let 5 good games make you forget 4+ years of poor coaching and gameplay. That would be our nightmare scenario.

[OldSchoolDemon]

billyjack brings up a point about Purnell and extensions that every Blue Demon fan will be torn about if this success continues. I can't claim to know the discussions between he and the Administration regarding timetables for turning around the program, but many of us expected something like this by Year Three. Is he two years too late? I don't know, but a coach in Year Five should absolutely make the postseason and DePaul certainly has begun to change the little things that create success. Better rebounding or better desire to rebound, better defense/commitment to defense and winning some of the 50/50 balls. The offense has never been the problem. A couple plays stand out to me last night at the end of the game as examples: Seton Hall almost forces the turnover after the in-bounds and in the scrum is Aaron Simpson getting the ball and finding a way to get rid of it before he can be tied up. Rashaun Stimage gets the ball after Myke Henry deflects the pass on the Seton Hall break. Jamee Crockett keeping a missed free throw alive or Myke Henry getting the offensive rebound at the end. If you watched DePaul enough you'd see that they have rarely done the little things and in turn it kept the culture of losing at the forefront. I am not sure what to expect going forward, but I do believe in karma and momentum in sports and right now DePaul is getting a taste of winning and it probably feels pretty darn good. Their is talent there and Purnell is fighting for his job. Every game will be big going forward. If he finishes above 500 he stays and while I don't expect DPU to give him a long term extension, I do expect we'll see something that gives him the flexibility he needs to keep kids from asking if he'll be around. DPU does not have to do much as long as he's winning and trending up.

I think it's time for BE fans to stop whining about DePaul and take it for what it is...a perennial loser who's starting to figure it out. Good on them. It's called parity and the BE is better off for it

[Wizard of Westroads]

I think it's time for BE fans to stop whining about DePaul and take it for what it is...a perennial loser who's starting to figure it out. Good on them. It's called parity and the BE is better off for it

+1 This year's slogan: DePaul Basketball -- Deal With It

[ohiohsbball]

I love everyone on here upset about Depaul's success. I agree with an earlier poster; deal with it! Depaul was terrible OOC, that makes them almost a must win game for the BE to maximize their tourney bids, and 5 out of 7 times, the Demons have come away with a win. I'm happy for them; it's not their fault they are on a run. I hate to say this, but for all the excitement the conference has had this year because of early season success and other numbers, perhaps we are just a little bit overrated if lowly Depaul is 5-2 in the league and picking off teams that are going for an NCAA spot.

As far as Oliver Purnell is concerned, I'm not really convinced signing him long term is such a terrible idea. I really don't follow that situation closely, but look at what he has done at other schools. He rebuilt Old Dominion in the early 1990s, then went to Dayton and put them back on the map after Jim O'brien basically killed that program. After Dayton, he went to Clemson, and although he didn't exactly dominate, Clemson was competitive in the ACC. Look at his track record, he has rebuilt into success almost everywhere he has been; maybe the rebuilding at Depaul has just taken a lot longer than at other schools?

[BEhomer]

i complained about depaul's ooc meltdown, in part, because I knew they had talent to do better. so i guess i was right about that assessment. the fact also remains true that their low rpi coming in coupled with their success in BE hurts the conference overall standing.

however, they have played so well to the point that they have put themselves in the post season conversation. as a BE supporter, i will be rooting for depaul from now on.

billy garrett jr is arguably the best pg in the BE right now. he plays with so much poise and control. against st. johns he knocked down like 10 free throws in a row to keep his team in the game. and against seton hall he's constantly beating his man to the basket getting fouled or finding a teammate on the perimeter. when you have a pg this good in college, it goes a long way.