The Comeback ‘Cats look for two-in-a-row against DePaul | Villanova vs. DePaul Preview

VILLANOVA, PA–Villanova ended its battle against Butler on Wednesday with a 22-1 run to complete the second-half comeback in Indianapolis. Although the Wildcats secured the win, Villanova hopes for a much easier victory against the Blue Demons on Saturday afternoon.

Villanova begins play on Saturday with a 9-5 overall record. The Wildcats have won two of their first three conference games. Villanova’s two Big East wins came against Seton Hall and Butler. The lone loss was to Creighton in Omaha before the holiday break on December 21^st.

Villanova defeated Butler, 73-65, on Wednesday evening at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Wildcats outscored the Bulldogs, 43-34, in the second half. Eric Dixon, the leading scorer in the country with 26 points per contest, accumulated 28 points against Butler. Wooga Poplar, a Philadelphia native, had another double-double with 18 points and 15 rebounds in Indianapolis.

Villanova’s head coach, Kyle Neptune, acknowledged the intensity and difficulty of road games in the Big East.

“It’s the Big East,” Neptune said. “We knew it was going to be a dogfight on the road. A lot of credit to those guys [Butler], but really proud of our guys.”

Villanova has won six of its last seven contests and six consecutive games at the Finn. According to Kenpom.com, the Wildcats are ranked 52^nd in the country. They are sixth in offensive efficiency but 187^th in defensive efficiency.

DePaul’s Rough December

DePaul is 9-5 so far in its 2024-25 season. However, the Blue Demons have lost all three conference games against Providence, St. John’s, and UConn. Despite playing a difficult conference schedule, the Blue Demons have really struggled after their scorching start in non-conference play.

The Blue Demons finished December with a 2-4 record, including losses to Texas Tech and Northwestern in the final month of 2024. #11 UConn most recently defeated DePaul, 81-68, on January 1^st in Chicago. DePaul has also struggled on the road this season, with a 0-3 record in away contests.

The Blue Demons’ Success in Quad 4 Games

According to bballnet.com, eight of DePaul’s nine wins have come against Quad 4 opponents. The Blue Demons are 0-4 in Quad 1 games. Their best win of the season was against Wichita State on December 14^th. DePaul is ranked 103^rd in Kenpom’s ratings.

DePaul’s Leading Scorers + Players to Watch

Meyer leads DePaul

Jacob Meyer, a sophomore guard from Covington, KY, is DePaul’s leading scorer this season. The Coastal Carolina transfer averages 14.3 points per game. He scored 12 points against the Huskies in 26 minutes after recently earning a spot in the starting rotation. Meyer came off the bench in the beginning of the season for the Blue Demons.

Rivera’s Recent Struggles Led to Loss of Starting Spot

Isaiah Rivera, a guard transfer from UIC, lost his spot in the starting rotation and came off the bench against UConn. Rivera has scored five points or less in three of his last four games. Although he has not played well offensively over the last couple of weeks, Rivera is still second on the Blue Demons in scoring with 10.9 points per game.

Enright’s Excellent Big East Play

Connor Enright, a junior guard from Mundelein, IL, averages 8.1 points per game this season. However, Enright has been DePaul’s best scorer in Big East play, with 12 points per contest. He is a transfer from Drake, where he averaged seven points in 33 games played last season.

Skogman’s Injury Update

David Skogman is DePaul’s best rebounder, with more than six rebounds per contest. He also averages almost nine points. However, Skogman has been out with an injury since December 28^th. It is unclear if he will play against Villanova on Saturday.

DePaul scores 79 points per contest in 2024-25. The Blue Demons convert 46% of their field goal attempts and 38.5% of their shots from behind the arc. DePaul does have some issues at the free-throw line. The Blue Demons convert only 71% of their free throws.

DePaul’s Defense + Large Differences in Non-Conference vs. Conference Stats

DePaul’s defense averages 70 points allowed per game. The Blue Demons force almost six steals per game compared to eight steals allowed. DePaul has allowed at least 70 points in six of its last seven games.

In DePaul’s three losses to begin conference play, the Blue Demons have only scored 64 points per game. Their defense has surrendered an average of 80 points per contest. Although DePaul played two top teams in St. John’s and UConn, the Blue Demons have really struggled on both sides of the basketball when not playing Quad 4 opponents.

One of the Blue Demons’ biggest strengths is rebounding. They average 38 rebounds per contest, compared to Villanova’s 35.6 rebounds per game. DePaul also has one of the best bench units in the country, with 33 bench points per game, which leads the Big East and ranks 17^th in the nation.

WXVU’s Live Coverage of Villanova vs. DePaul

Saturday’s Big East showdown begins at 12 pm from the Finneran Pavilion. WXVU’s live coverage starts at 11:30 am with the pregame show. One can listen to WXVU on the local 89.1 FM dial, the WXVU website, and the RadioFX App.