DePaul basketball returns to the Wintrust Arena to host their first home game of 2025. They face the Xavier Musketeers on Saturday. Read more for a full DePaul vs Xavier prediction and preview.
The Blue Demons return home after losing three straight conference games, the last two on the road.
Their most recent defeat was in overtime against the Seton Hall Pirates (80-85).
C.J. Gunn led the team in scoring with 21 points and 4 rebounds. He accomplished this while shooting 42.9% (6-14) from the field and 55.6% (5-9) from beyond the arc. He also fouled out late in the game after committing 5 fouls.
For Xavier, they come to Chicago on a losing streak of their own, losing two straight to Georgetown (63-69) and St. John’s (72-82). In their last game against the Red Storm, they were led by Zach Freemantle with 22 points, 2 assists, and 2 blocks. He shot 44.4% (8-18) overall and 100% (5-5) from the charity strike.
General Information:
Teams: DePaul (9-7, 0-5) and Xavier (9-7, 1-4)
Tip: 3 p.m. CST (4 p.m. EST)
Watch: FS1
Listen: Radio DePaul Sports & Entertainment (RDSE)
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Musketeers head coach Sean Miller brings an interesting squad to face off against DePaul.
Freemantle leads the team in scoring, averaging 17.2 points. That puts him third in the Big East conference in scoring, behind only Marquette guard Cam Jones (19.7 points) and Villanova forward Eric Dixon (25.7 points).
He also leads the team in rebounds and blocks, averaging 7.3 rebounds and 0.8 blocks. He is a threat inside both offensively and defensively. His one weakness is three-point shooting, as he averages the lowest three-point shooting percentage among the Musketeers roster who have played at least eight games (30.6%).
Ryan Conwell and Dayvion McKnight complement Freemantle. Conwell is second in the team for scoring, averaging 15.9 points while shooting 40.8% from long range. As for McKnight, he is the equivalent of DePaul’s Conor Enright except that he scores more.
McKnight averages 10.9 points while shooting 44.9% overall and 36.4% from beyond the arc. He also leads the team in assists, averaging 4.9 assists per game.
The trio is also tied for second in steals for the team, averaging 1.3 steals per game, behind only Dailyn Swain (1.6 steals).
Against St. John’s, the team only held the lead once and never got it back, getting demolished in the paint and on the glass. The Musketeers were outscored 54-30 in the paint by the Red Storm and were outrebounded 50-30.
Xavier also shot poorly from beyond the arc, only shooting 22.2% (4-18) from long range.
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The Blue Demons, for the second time this season, had a double-digit lead in regulation over a conference opponent only to lose it in overtime. The first time was against the Providence Friars (63-70), with the second coming in their recent loss to Seton Hall (80-85).
The team held a 19-point lead at one point and lost it all.
Against the Pirates, the Blue Demons shot 37.1% (13-35) from beyond the arc and 42.6% (26-61) from the field. Meanwhile, their perimeter collapsed, allowing the Pirates to shoot 50% (11-22) from long range. This included a dagger from Isaiah Coleman to send the game to overtime.
Jacob Meyer leads the team in scoring, averaging 14.1 points, this is good for 15th in the conference.
The team saw action from both Conor Enright and David Skogman, two players who suffered previous injuries. Enright suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out for most of the game against Villanova, though he returned to start the next game and scored 6 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds.
As for Skogman, he suffered a lower leg injury that kept him out for an extended length, missing three games after the loss to Northwestern. He returned and scored 4 points in 7 minutes played.
DePaul vs Xavier prediction: Blue Demons by 3
Despite the rough loss to Seton Hall, the Blue Demons have shown they can bring the fight to conference opponents. The only issue is being unable to finish the games, an issue that didn’t even arise the previous season.
Last season, this team was blown out by their conference opponents, now they force the likes of Providence and UConn to either close endings or overtime.
Both teams average around the same points, with Xavier averaging 79 points to DePaul’s 77.8. These two schools are also perimeter threats, with the Musketeers averaging 38.9% from long range to the Blue Demons’ 37.7%.
The Blue Demons and Musketeers are great passing teams, both averaging around 17 assists per game. So, this will be an even contest.
How DePaul plays out of the gate and in close situations will decide the outcome of Saturday’s matchup. If there is a repeat of last time out against Seton Hall, where they hold a double-digit lead and lose it, the hosts need to be able to close out to win this time around at home.