DePaul basketball lost its fourth-straight conference matchup. The final score was 100-56.
The Blue Demons continue to search for their first conference win in almost two calendar years, but it did not come against Villanova.
Villanova dominated from the start and never allowed DePaul basketball to gain a lead. Eric Dixon continued his dominant streak, scoring 25 points in the victory shooting 53% from the field and 40% from beyond the arc.
Jacob Meyer led the Blue Demons with 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 assists against the Wildcats. He shot 21.4% overall and 28.6% from beyond the arc.
Conor Enright left the game with a right shoulder injury, and his status for future games is still unclear. This is a crushing blow to DePaul basketball, which is still struggling on the road and also suffers from the loss of David Skogman.
Here are three key takeaways from this defeat:
Takeaway #1: DePaul basketball got massacred in the glass
The loss of David Skogman is starting to show in the rebounding from the team.
Against the Huskies, N.J. Benson tallied 12 rebounds and contributed to the team outscoring UConn in the paint. Against Villanova, he only recorded 6 boards. DePaul basketball was outrebounded 42-32, with the Wildcats recording 30 rebounds.
The Blue Demons did grab more offensive rebounds, with 14 to their opponents’ 12 offensive rebounds.
DePaul basketball continues to suffer inside due to a lack of size. Skogman stands at 6 feet 11 inches, with the two next tallest players who play consistently in J.J. Traynor (6 feet 9 inches) and Benson (6 feet 8 inches). This problem has to be addressed this season and in the offseason.
Takeaway #2: Villanova (Eric Dixon especially) boasts a terrifying offense
Dixon led the team as usual, but the Wildcats had five double-digit scorers.
Besides Dixon, the team boasted scoring from Wooga Poplar (17 points and 3 steals ), Jordan Longino (19 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals), Kris Parker (11 points and 2 rebounds), and Jhamir Brickus (11 points). Brickus was all over the place for Villanova, recording a double-double with 11 assists.
The team could do no wrong, scoring at will throughout the game and putting DePaul basketball on skates. The team will have to look back at this defeat to learn how to contain multi-faceted offenses such as Villanova to compete in the Big East now and in the future.
Takeaway #3: This team still struggles to shoot beyond the arc
Since the loss to the Northwestern Wildcats, DePaul basketball has struggled to score consistently from long range. Against Villanova, the Blue Demons shot 26% from beyond the arc (7-27). In their loss to UConn, they shot 25% (3-12), and in their win against Loyola Maryland, they shot 5-24 (20.8%) from long range.
Head coach Chris Holtmann spoke about how to win in the Big East, or “this league” as he’s called it, they needed to score in the paint. However, they also have to be a threat from a long distance, and they’ve struggled recently.
Earlier in the season, they were dominant, and lately, they’ve been in a murky position since conference play began with few positives to give to the fans. For this team to compete, at this point, they will need to improve at every game and find ways to attack opponents aggressively from the start.
Next up for DePaul (9-6, 0-4): at Seton Hall – Jan. 8 at 5:30 p.m. CST (6:30 p.m. EST)
Next up for Villanova (10-5, 3-1): vs. #11 UConn – Jan. 8 at 5:30 p.m. CST (6:30 p.m. EST)