DePaul has several hurdles to surmount before it can contend for its first NCAA Tournament bid since 2004.
A big one is Northwestern — and that’s the hurdle facing the Blue Demons on Friday night in Evanston, Ill.
“It’s going to be a tremendous, tremendous challenge,” DePaul coach Chris Holtmann said. “One that I’m sure our guys will look forward to.”
Holtmann’s counterpart at Northwestern, Chris Collins, said he also sees his opponent as a challenge.
“I can’t guarantee that we’re going to be pretty all the time,” Collins said. “But I can guarantee that we’re going to lay it on the line for 40 minutes and represent this school and play our butts off. And we’re going to need it against a really good team in DePaul.”
Historically, the Wildcats (3-0) handle the Blue Demons (3-0). Northwestern has won each of the past four meetings and eight of the past nine over 11 seasons.
Holtmann hasn’t forgotten his team’s last visit to Welsh-Ryan Arena, when the Wildcats needed just 5:30 to break out to a 20-2 lead that triggered a 20-point victory two years ago.
DePaul’s chances will be boosted if Noah Meeusen (12.0 points, 7.5 assists per game) suits up. He missed Monday’s 84-47 win over Alabama A&M after stepping on a teammate’s foot in practice and sprained his ankle. Holtmann termed the Arizona State transfer “a day-to-day evaluation.”
In Meeusen’s absence, Layden Blocker stepped up with a season-high 20 points and Kruz McClure handed out a career-high six assists.
Northwestern, meanwhile, knows it can count on Jake West. He has delivered at least 20 points and six assists in each of the Wildcats’ wins this year over Binghamton, Stony Brook and Boston University.
West (21.3 points, 8.7 assists per game) ranks fifth in the Big Ten in scoring and trails only preseason National Player of the Year Jeremy Fears Jr. of Michigan State (10.3) in assists.
“Jake has been fantastic,” Collins said. “As a leader, as a point guard.”
Northwestern hopes to regain the services of Bellarmine transfer Jack Karasinski, who scored 24 points in the opener before missing the past two games with a concussion.
“He’s progressing well,” Collins said. “I’m optimistic that he has a chance (to play Friday).”
–Field Level Media
