Welcome to the Chris Holtmann Classic, hosted by the DePaul Blue Demons down in the South Loop of Chicago. Tonight, the Blue Demons welcome head coach Chris Holtmann's former school, Gardner Webb. DePaul is coming off back to back losses, and their Friday loss to Northwestern featured a tough call that went in favor of the Wildcats, ultimately leading to the game being decided at the free throw line. As a DePaul alumni, those kids were screwed. As a non-bias sports fan, those kids were screwed.
The Demons opened as a 20.5-point favorite and have since climbed to 22.5. I grabbed the -21, the 20.5 lasted about three seconds and I was not fast enough. I think the Blue Demons blow out the Runnin Bulldogs. They played very well against Northwestern after the brutal loss to Buffalo earlier in the week. This is a must win for them and a potential blowout spot as well.
Get Right DePaul
Gardner Webb will be the lowest ranked team the Blue Demons have faced to this point in the season. All of their games up to this point have been at Wintrust. Things have to start gelling for the Blue Demons. Through four games, the Bulldogs own the eleventh worst offense in college basketball along with the 323rd ranked defense. They are a revolving door on the inside, allowing anyone to get to the paint and score. On top of that, they are atrocious at going after rebounds, sitting at 334th in defensive rebounding. DePaul is 108th in offensive rebounding, so they should feast on second chance points.
DePaul has struggled at closing out on the perimeter, sitting at 291st in the country. However, Gardner Webb does not rely heavily on the deep ball, which plays directly into DePaul's favor. The Demons are 73rd in two point defense. They are also positioned to limit second chance opportunities for the Bulldogs, as they are ranked 40th in defensive rebounding.
Free Throw Struggles
The biggest red flag and struggle this season for Chicago's Big East team has been free throws. Lucky for them, they draw a team that is far worse at the stripe. Gardner Webb, who has played all of their games on the road this season, is shooting 61.8% from the line, which ranks 337th.
This feels like the perfect spot to back DePaul after two tough losses. This matchup against Gardner Webb should be exactly what this team needs to get back on track. Plus, go out there and destroy your coaches former team on your home court. With two losses early in the season, DePaul can not afford to let its foot off the gas from here on out, especially with a conference schedule that will turn into a gauntlet in about a month.
As always, SKO MONS!
