The DePaul Blue Demons still seek their first conference win since the 2022-2023 season. This time they will travel on the road to face the Villanova Wildcats. Read more for a full DePaul vs Villanova prediction and preview.
The Blue Demons suffered a defeat to the back-to-back national champion UConn Huskies on New Year’s Day.
The final score for that matchup was 68-81. Conor Enright led the team in scoring with 18 points, nearly recording a double-double with 9 assists. He shot 6-10 (60%) from the field, and 5-6 (83.3%) from the free-throw line.
The Wildcats started the new year with a 73-65 victory over the Butler Bulldogs. Eric Dixon led the team in scoring with 28 points while recording 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal. He shot 10-20 (50%) overall and 5-10 (50%) from beyond the arc.
This will be the 45th all-time matchup between these teams, with Villanova leading the series with a 35-9 record. The last time DePaul won this matchup was during the 2022-2023 season, with a 75-65 victory. The last time these two teams faced off was last year in the Big East tournament where Villanova won by a narrow 58-57 score.
General Information:
Teams:Â DePaul (9-5, 0-3) and Villanova (9-5, 2-1)
Tip-Off:Â 11 a.m. CST (12 p.m. EST)
Watch: FS1
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Eric Dixon continues to amaze the national audience. He currently leads the nation in scoring, averaging 26 points. He is also a dangerous threat from the perimeter, averaging 50% from long range, which is fourth in the nation.
This team is a threat from downtown, averaging 40.2% from beyond the arc, which is 11th in the country.
Regarding the conference, Villanova is also second in three-point percentage, trailing only behind the Xavier Musketeers (40.6%). However, they are not as good at defending the perimeter as they are scoring in it.
Opponents currently average 36.5% from beyond the arc when facing the Wildcats. UConn is the only team worse at defending the three is UConn (38.1%).
Besides Dixon, the team boasts two other double-digit scorers in Wooga Poplar (13.5 points) and Jhamir Brickus (11.4 points). Both these players are the team leaders in separate categories, with Poplar leading the team in rebounds (7.2 rebounds) and Brickus leading in assists (5.5 assists).
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The Blue Demons suffered a defeat to the Huskies, but there was a lot to be proud of in the loss for their fans. The team outscored the defending champions inside the paint 34-32. Before that game, they hadn’t outscored a team in the paint since their victory over Northern Illinois.
Enright also improved in limiting his turnovers, only committing 1 turnover in the defeat.
DePaul also saw a great performance from N.J. Benson, who started his second consecutive game in relief for the injured David Skogman. Benson scored another double-double, scoring 10 points and 12 rebounds against the Huskies.
Blue Demons head coach Chris Holtmann spoke after the loss about how Benson can compete with taller centers and forwards despite being a smaller defender at 6 feet 8 inches.
“He plays bigger than what he is because of his length,” Holtmann said in the postgame press conference. “He’s got a seven-one (7 feet 1 inch) wingspan, so he can play bigger than his six-eight size. So he’s used to that. His legs have to get stronger, he has to get stronger, but NJ has gotten better right in front of our eyes in the last month.”
DePaul is fifth in the conference in scoring, averaging 79.2 points. They are also a threat from long-range, averaging 38.5% from beyond the arc, which is third in the Big East. They also do a great job at defending the perimeter, with opponents averaging 32.5% when they come to play them.
DePaul vs Villanova prediction: Blue Demons by 9
Like their games against UConn and especially the Providence Friars, this team can compete against some of the best in the conference.
Based on their recent performance against the Huskies, this team has shown they can adapt when their opponents aren’t giving them any open space from downtown.
This game will be close. Whether or not the Blue Demons can get their first conference win in over two years will depend on how they adapt against the Wildcats.
Eric Dixon is the most dangerous player they’ve faced all season, able to score almost at will. He is someone that onlookers will need to pay attention to during this matchup.