NFL Show
The Northwestern Wildcats play host to the DePaul Blue Demons in a cross-city showdown on Saturday afternoon from Welsh-Ryan Arena. Northwestern comes into this one playing strong basketball to open the season, including starting strong in Big Ten play. For the Blue Demons, inconsistency has been the most difficult thing to overcome for this group, and having to change that against a rival might be a challenge. The last time these two met was back in 2019, with the Blue Demons coming out victorious, though, over the years, this has been a matchup that can go any direction.
The Blue Demons have had varying amounts of success over the last few seasons, though the lack of consistency has been an issue they haven't been able to shake off lately. While they've been able to grab some impressive wins over the last few seasons, they've also lost their fair share of tough ones as well. This season alone, the Blue Demons were able to dominate Minnesota and Loyola but also have losses to Santa Clara and Duquesne sprinkled in there. Considering conference play is right around the corner, DePaul would love nothing more than to grab an impressive win to bolster not only their resume but to help build their confidence as well.
One concern for DePaul is the growing length of their injury report as the season continues. Jalen Terry (knee) remains questionable coming into this one and is likely the most notable name to keep an eye on. As a depth piece, he could be missed in this one, while no ne of the other three absences represent guys who have even contributed yet this season.
Final. pic.twitter.com/SIRXhzekMz
— DePaul Basketball (@DePaulHoops) December 15, 2022
It shouldn't come as a surprise that with how inconsistent they've been on the field this year, the inconsistency has carried over into the offense and defense as well. DePaul ranks 310th nationally in scoring defense and 265th in field-goal percentage on the offensive side o things, though there are still areas where they can find success. They are elite on the perimeter, ranking in the top 100 from three-point range on both ends, which could make a huge difference in this one. Javan Johnson (18.2 ppg) has been an elite scorer this season but until he gets more help, they might continue to struggle against higher-level competition.