DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball

Last updated
DePaul Blue Demons
Basketball current event.svg 2024–25 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team
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University DePaul University
Head coach Chris Holtmann (1st season)
Conference Big East
Location Chicago, Illinois
Arena Wintrust Arena
(capacity: 10,387)
Nickname Blue Demons
ColorsRoyal blue and scarlet [1]
   
Uniforms
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Home
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Away
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Alternate
NCAA tournament Final Four
1943, 1979
NCAA tournament Elite Eight
1978, 1979
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
1953, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1984, 1986, 1987
NCAA tournament round of 32
1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 2004
NCAA tournament appearances
1943, 1953, 1956, 1959, 1960, 1965, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1992, 2000, 2004
Conference regular season champions
1992, 2004

The DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball program is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. The team competes in the Big East Conference. DePaul's last NCAA tournament victory was in 2004. DePaul's NCAA tournament record since the end of the 1991–92 season is 1–2, spanning the last 30 tournaments played.

Contents

The Blue Demons play home games at Wintrust Arena at the McCormick Place convention center on Chicago's Near South Side. [2]

History

DePaul was an independent from 1923 to 1991, despite having a team since 1908. It joined the Great Midwest Conference in 1991 which later merged with the Metro Conference in 1995 to become Conference USA, in which DePaul was a member through 2005. DePaul left for the Big East Conference in 2005 and was a member until 2012 when it joined the reconfigured Big East in 2013. [3]

Early history (1923–1942)

Robert L. Stevenson was the first head coach in DePaul basketball history. In his one season as coach during the 1923–24 season, he coached the Blue Demons to a record of 8–6. Harry Adams was head coach for the 1924–25 season and finished with a record of 6–13. Eddie Anderson was head coach from 1925 to 1929 and compiled an overall record of 37–26.

In 1929, Jim Kelly became head coach at DePaul where he compiled a record of 99–22 in his 7 seasons as coach before leaving in 1936. Tom Haggerty coached DePaul from 1936 to 1940 and compiled an overall record of 63–32. Bill Wendt coached DePaul for 2 seasons from 1940 to 1941 and had a record of 23–20.

Ray Meyer era (1942–1984)

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame head coach Ray Meyer coached at DePaul for 42 years from 1942 to 1984 and finished with an overall 724–354 record (.672). [4] He coached his team's to 21 post-season appearances (13 NCAA, eight NIT). Meyer led his teams to two Final Four appearances in the 1943 NCAA basketball tournament and 1979 NCAA Division I basketball tournament. [a] Meyer's 1943 Final Four appearance was his first season coaching DePaul. His teams were a No. 1 seed in its NCAA regional three years in a row in 1980, 1981 and 1982; however, those teams all lost their first game to #8 seeds in upsets. Meyer led DePaul past Bowling Green to capture the 1945 National Invitation Tournament, the school's only post-season title. In total, Meyer recorded 37 winning seasons and twelve 20-win seasons, including seven straight from 1978 to 1984. [5]

Meyer coached George Mikan who was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1959, made the 25th and 35th NBA Anniversary Teams of 1970 and 1980, and was elected one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players ever in 1996. [6] On October 21, 2021, it was also announced that Mikan had made the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. Meyer also coached the 1980 Naismith College Player of the Year, Mark Aguirre.

During Ray Meyer's tenure, the Blue Demons originally played in University Auditorium before moving to Alumni Hall in 1956. For the start of the 1980 season, DePaul men's basketball moved to the Rosemont Horizon later renamed Allstate Arena.

Joey Meyer era (1984–1997)

Joey Meyer was head coach of DePaul from 1984 to 1997 compiling an overall record of 231–158. He started as an assistant coach at DePaul for eleven seasons under his father, Ray Meyer. [7] When Ray Meyer retired in 1984, Joey Meyer was promoted to head coach. [8]

Joey Meyer led DePaul to seven NCAA Tournament appearances in his first eight seasons, including back-to-back Sweet Sixteen appearances in his second and third seasons. In the 1986 tournament, #12-seeded DePaul—led by freshman guard Rod Strickland (14.1 ppg season average) and junior Dallas Comegys (13.8 ppg) -- upset #5-seeded Virginia and #4-seeded Oklahoma in the East regional before losing to top-seeded Duke 74–67. [9] In 1987, the Blue Demons—again led by Comegys (17.5 ppg) and Strickland (16.3 ppg) -- finished the regular season 26–2 and received a #3 seed in the Midwest regional of the 1987 tournament. They defeated #14-seeded Louisiana Tech and #6-seeded St. John's before losing to #10-seeded LSU. Meyer was honored as the Chevrolet Coach of the Year in 1987. [10] Besides seven NCAA tournament appearances, Meyer led the Blue Demons to three appearances in the National Invitation Tournament. [8]

In both 1988 and 1989, DePaul reached the second round of the NCAA tournament, but they were on a downward trajectory. In 1992, the Blue Demons were co-champions of the newly formed Great Midwest Conference but made their last NCAA tournament appearance under Meyer. In 1996, they finished 11–18, their first losing season since 1971, and the next year, a young DePaul team finished 3–23. Meyer was dismissed on April 28, 1997. [11]

Pat Kennedy era (1997–2002)

Pat Kennedy was named head coach after Joey Meyer. [12] It was the first time a member of the Meyer family hadn't coached DePaul basketball in 55 years. Kennedy coached DePaul from 1997 to 2002 and finished with an overall record of 67–85.

Dave Leitao era – First tenure (2002–2005)

Dave Leitao was named head coach at DePaul for the 2002–03 season. His teams made post-season play in all three of his seasons as head coach. In his second season, his team advanced to the second round of the 2004 NCAA tournament before being eliminated by eventual national champion Connecticut. His teams also played in the 2003 and 2005 NIT Tournaments. In his first stint as head coach at Depaul, he finished with a 58–34 overall record. Leitao left to become the head coach at the University of Virginia in 2005. [13]

Jerry Wainwright era (2005–2010)

Jerry Wainwright was named DePaul head coach in 2005. In his first season he finished with a 12–15 record. In his second season in 2006–07, the Blue Demons beat #5 Kansas, pulling off one of the greatest upsets in school history. They also beat 2006 NCAA tournament teams California, Northwestern State, Marquette, Connecticut and Villanova with Wainwright leading the Blue Demons to the 2007 National Invitation Tournament quarterfinals before losing to Air Force. Four games into the 2007–08 season, Wainwright logged his 200th career win as a head coach, but the team finished with a 10–19 record. The 2008–2009 season saw DePaul finish 9–24 overall and 0–18 in regular season Big East play. Wainwright began the 2009–10 season as head coach, but was fired on January 11, 2010, after a 7–8 start to the season. [14] He still had two years remaining on his contract at the time of his firing. Wainwright finished with a 59–80 overall record in his five years at DePaul. Assistant coach Tracy Webster was named interim head coach for the remainder of the 2009–10 season and finished with a 1–15 record.

Oliver Purnell era (2010–2015)

On April 6, 2010, Oliver Purnell, formerly of Clemson University signed a seven-year deal with DePaul. [15] In his first season in 2010–11, Purnell finished with a record of 7–24. The rest of his tenure saw his teams with finish with similar records of 12–19 during the 2011–2012 season, 11–21 during the 2012–2013 season, 12–21 during the 2013–2014 season and 12–20 in 2014–15. At the conclusion of the 2014–2015 season, Purnell announced his resignation. [16] He finished with an overall record of 54–105 at DePaul.

Dave Leitao era – Second tenure (2015–2021)

Dave Leitao returned for his second stint as DePaul head basketball coach for the 2015–2016 season. [13] The team finished with a record of 9–22 in his first season back with the Blue Demons. The 2016–2017 season saw the Blue Demons finish with a 9–23 record in Leitao's second season. This season would be DePaul's last season playing at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois after 37 years at the venue. For the 2017–2018 season, the Blue Demons moved back to Chicago to play their home games at 10,387-seat Wintrust Arena at the McCormick Place convention center. [17] The first season at Wintrust Arena saw the Blue Demons return to double-digit wins finishing with a record of 11–20 in Leitao's third season.

Following the 2017–2018 season, DePaul's eleventh straight losing season under coaches hired by current Athletic Director Jean Lenti Ponsetto, a group of "concerned students and alumni" purchased a full-page advertisement in the Chicago Sun-Times calling for change within the school's Athletic Department. [18] Additional reasons the students and alumni wanted change was that since the 1989–90 season, DePaul had won only one NCAA tournament game in the 29 seasons that transpired. DePaul had also only been to two NCAA Tournaments since the 1991–92 season, hadn't qualified for the NCAA Tournament since the 2003–04 season and the Blue Demons had not made postseason play since 2006–07. Additionally, DePaul finished last in the Big East eight out of the past ten seasons including a tie for last place during the 2017–18 season.

The 2018–2019 season saw a turnaround for DePaul as the Blue Demons finished with a 19–17 overall record. In Leitao's fourth season, he led the Blue Demons to the 2019 College Basketball Invitational post-season tournament. [19] The team finished as runner-up to the University of South Florida Bulls. In the Best of Three Championship series, DePaul beat South Florida in game 2, but dropped games one and three to the Bulls to give DePaul a second-place finish in the tournament.

Tony Stubblefield era – (2021–2024)

On April 1, 2021, Tony Stubblefield was hired as head coach. He previously served as an assistant coach at Oregon. Stubblefield was fired on January 22, 2024 after a troubling partial season of (3–15). Only managing to beat South Dakota, Louisville, and Chicago State. All home games. He returned to his previous assistant coaching position at Oregon.

On February 24, Terry Cummings had his No. 32 jersey retired by the program. Becoming only the third player in franchise history to receive the honor and the first since Mark Aguirre in 1994. [20]

Assistant coach Matt Brady served as the interim head coach for the remainder of the 2023-24 season finishing (3–29) overall and (0–20) in the Big East before leaving and becoming the assistant coach at High Point University. [21] Making it the worst season since 1996-97 (4–36) and the worst in franchise history. [22]

Chris Holtmann era ― (2024–present)

On March 14, 2024, former Butler University and Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann was hired as the new head coach on a six-year deal. [23] With Ohio State's former assistant coach Jack Owens also being hired.

Holtmann and the 2024–25 team went 7-1 to start the season, losing their first game on the road to Texas Tech on December 4th.

On January 17, 2025 the team won their first Big East Conference game since January 18, 2023. Shutting out Georgetown at the Capital One Arena 73-68, their first conference win in 1 year and 364 days after 39 straight losses. [24]

Championships

Final Fours

DePaul has played in two Final Fours in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament. The Blue Demons are 0–2 all-time in the Final Four.

YearCoachRecord
1942–43 Ray Meyer 19–5
1978–79Ray Meyer26–6
Total Final Fours:2

NIT Championships

DePaul has won one National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship.

YearCoachRecordResult
1944–45 Ray Meyer 21–3DePaul 71 Bowling Green Falcons 54
Total NIT championships:1

Conference championships

DePaul has won a total of two conference championships since leaving independent status following the 1990–91 season.

YearConferenceCoachOverall RecordConference Record
1991–92 Great Midwest Conference Joey Meyer 20–98–2
2003–04 Conference USA Dave Leitao 22–1012–4
Total conference championships:2

Postseason

NCAA tournament results

The Blue Demons have appeared in the NCAA tournament 22 times. Their combined record is 21–25, although the NCAA vacated their appearances from 1986 to 1989, thereby making their record officially 15–21.

YearSeedRoundOpponentResult
1943 Elite Eight
Final Four		Dartmouth
Georgetown 		W 46–35
L 49–53
1953 First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Regional 3rd Place Game		Miami(OH)
Indiana
Pennsylvania		W 74–72
L 82–80
L 90–70
1956 First RoundWayne StateL 63–72
1959 First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Regional 3rd Place Game		Portland
Kansas State
TCU		W 57–56
L 70–102
L 65–71
1960 First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Regional 3rd Place Game		Air Force
Cincinnati
Texas		W 69–63
L 59–99
W 67–61
1965 First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Regional 3rd Place Game		Eastern Kentucky
Vanderbilt
Dayton		W 99–52
L 78–83 OT
L 69–75
1976 First Round
Sweet Sixteen		Virginia
VMI		W 69–60
L 66–71 OT
1978 First Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		Creighton
Louisville
Notre Dame		W 80–76
W 90–89 OT
L 64–84
1979 #2Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
National 3rd Place Game		#7 USC
#3 Marquette
#1 UCLA
#1 Indiana State
#9 Penn		W 89–78
W 62–56
W 95–91
L 74–76
W 96–93
1980 #1Second Round#8 UCLAL 71–77
1981 #1Second Round#9 Saint Joseph'sL 48–49
1982 #1Second Round#8 Boston CollegeL 75–82
1984 #1Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		#8 Illinois State
#4 Wake Forest		W 75–61
L 71–73 OT
1985 #10First Round#7 SyracuseL 65–70
1986*#12First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		#5 Virginia
#4 Oklahoma
#1 Duke		W 72–68
W 74–69
L 67–74
1987*#3First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		#14 Louisiana Tech
#6 St. John's
#10 LSU		W 76–62
W 83–75 OT
L 58–63
1988*#5First Round
Second Round		#12 Wichita State
#4 Kansas State		W 83–62
L 58–66
1989*#12First Round
Second Round		#5 Memphis State
#4 UNLV		W 66–63
L 70–85
1991 #9First Round#8 Georgia TechL 70–87
1992 #5First Round#12 New Mexico StateL 73–81
2000 #9First Round#8 KansasL 77–81 OT
2004 #7First Round
Second Round		#10 Dayton
#2 Connecticut		W 76–69 OT
L 55–72

* Vacated by the NCAA

NIT results

The Blue Demons have appeared in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) 16 times. Their combined record is 17–17. They were NIT Champions in 1945.

YearRoundOpponentResult
1940 Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game		Long Island
Colorado
Oklahoma A&M		W 45–38
L 37–52
L 22–23
1944 Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final		Muhlenberg
Oklahoma A&M
St. John's		W 68–45
W 41–38
L 39–47
1945 Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final		West Virginia
Rhode Island
Bowling Green		W 76–52
W 97–53
W 71–54
1948 Quarterfinals
Semifinals
3rd Place Game		NC State
NYU
WKU		W 75–64
L 59–72
L 59–61
1961 QuarterfinalsProvidenceL 67–73
1963 QuarterfinalsVillanovaL 51–63
1964 QuarterfinalsNYUL 66–79
1966 First RoundNYUL 65–68
1983 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Final		Minnesota
Northwestern
Ole Miss
Nebraska
Fresno State		W 76–73
W 65–63
W 75–67
W 68–58
L 60–69
1990 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals		Creighton
Cincinnati
Saint Louis		W 89–72
W 61–59
L 47–54
1994 First RoundNorthwesternL 68–69
1995 First RoundIowaL 87–96
1999 First Round
Second Round		Northwestern
California		W 69–64
L 57–58
2003 First RoundNorth CarolinaL 72–83
2005 First Round
Second Round		Missouri
Texas A&M		W 75–70
L 72–75
2007 First Round
Second Round
Quarterfinals		Hofstra
Kansas State
Air Force		W 83–71
W 70–65
L 51–52

CBI results

The Blue Demons have appeared in the College Basketball Invitational (CBI) one time. Their record is 4–2.

YearRoundOpponentResult
2019 First Round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Finals Game 1
Finals Game 2
Finals Game 3		Central Michigan
Longwood
Coastal Carolina
South Florida
South Florida
South Florida		W 100–86
W 97–89
W 92–87
L 61–63
W 100–96 OT
L 65–77

Honors

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

PersonPosition
George Mikan Player
Ray Meyer Coach

Retired numbers

DePaul has retired three jersey numbers.

DePaul Blue Demons retired numbers
No.PlayerPos.CareerYear Retired
99 George Mikan C 1942–461990
24 Mark Aguirre SF 1978–811996
32 Terry Cummings PF 1979–822024
40 Dave Corzine C 1974–782025

National Player of the Year

PersonYear Awarded
George Mikan1944, 1945
Mark Aguirre1980

All-Americans

PlayerYear(s)Team(s)
Ed Campion 1937 Madison Square Garden (1st)
Bobby Neu 1938 Madison Square Garden (2nd)
1939 Madison Square Garden (1st)
Stan Szukala 1939 Madison Square Garden (2nd)
1940 Madison Square Garden (2nd)
Lou Possner 1940 Madison Square Garden (2nd)
Elmer Gainer 1941 Madison Square Garden (2nd)
George Mikan 1943 Helms (2nd)
1944 Consensus First Team – Helms (1st), Converse (1st), Pic (1st), Sporting News (1st)
1945 Consensus First Team – Helms (1st), Converse (1st), Pic (1st), Argosy (1st), Sporting News (1st)
1946 Consensus First Team – Helms (1st), Converse (1st), True (1st), Sporting News (1st)
Dick Triptow 1944 Consensus Second Team – Converse (2nd), Pic (2nd), Sporting News (3rd)
Ed Mikan 1948 Helms (3rd)
Ron Feiereisel 1953 UPI (3rd)
Dave Corzine 1978 AP (2nd), UPI (3rd)
Mark Aguirre 1980 Consensus First Team – AP (1st), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), UPI (1st)
1981 Consensus First Team – AP (1st), USBWA (1st), NABC (1st), UPI (1st)
Clyde Bradshaw 1981 UPI (3rd)
Terry Cummings 1982 Consensus First Team – AP (2nd), USBWA (2nd), NABC (2nd), UPI (1st)
Dallas Comegys 1987 AP (3rd), NABC (2nd), UPI (3rd)
Rod Strickland 1988 UPI (3rd)

National Coach of the Year

DePaul has had two of their coaches awarded the National Coach of the Year, done on five occasions. [25]

PersonYear Awarded
Ray Meyer1978, 1979, 1980, 1984
Joey Meyer 1987

Professional players

The following former DePaul Blue Demons have played in the NBA or original ABA: [26]

The following former DePaul Blue Demons have played professionally in leagues outside of the United States:

Arenas

Wintrust Arena

Wintrust Arena 20180522 Wintrust Arena (2).jpg
Wintrust Arena

Wintrust Arena is a 10,387-seat multi-purpose sports venue in Chicago. The arena opened in 2017 and is home of the DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team. [27]

Allstate Arena

Allstate Arena Allstate Arena.jpg
Allstate Arena

Allstate Arena, formerly the Rosemont Horizon, opened in 1980 and was home of the DePaul men's basketball team from its opening until 2017. [28] The arena sat 17,500 people for basketball.

Alumni Hall

Alumni Hall was completed in 1956 and was the on-campus home venue of the DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team through 1980 when the Rosemont Horizon opened. [29]

University Auditorium

University Auditorium, nicknamed "The Barn", was the original on-campus home gymnasium for DePaul men's basketball starting in 1923 until 1956. [29]

Alternate arenas

McGrath-Phillips Arena , located in the Sullivan Athletic Center, was the home venue for select on-campus games for the men's basketball team from 2000 until 2017. [29] The venue also hosted DePaul men's basketball games during the 2007 National Invitation Tournament [29] and 2019 College Basketball Invitational Tournament. [30]

Chicago Stadium was the home of college basketball doubleheaders involving the DePaul men's basketball team in the 1940s and 1950s. [29]

Practice and Training facilities

McGrath-Phillips Arena is the practice facility for the DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team. [29] The facility is located in the Sullivan Athletic Center, which was completed in 2000.

Head coaches

Footnotes

  1. ↑ At the time, the NCAA did not sponsor championships in women's sports.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Meyer</span> American basketball player and coach, college athletics administrator

Raymond Joseph Meyer was an American men's collegiate basketball coach from Chicago, Illinois. He was well known for coaching at DePaul University from 1942 to 1984, compiling a 724–354 record.

David Antonio Leitao Jr. is an American professional basketball coach who is the head coach for City Reapers of Overtime Elite (OTE). He has previously been the head coach of the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League, DePaul University, the University of Virginia, and his alma mater; Northeastern University. He was named the 2006–07 Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year by the Associated Press, but finished at 10th and 11th place in the conference during his final two years with the Virginia Cavaliers. He resigned as the Virginia basketball coach on March 18, 2009. Leitao is Cape Verdean American. He was the first coach of African descent to coach any varsity sport in University of Virginia history.

Joseph E. Meyer was an American college and professional men's basketball coach. He was the head coach of the DePaul Blue Demons from 1984 to 1997 and the Asheville Altitude in the NBA Development League (NBADL) from 2001 to 2005 before they moved to become the Tulsa 66ers, where he coached from 2006 to 2008. With Asheville, he became the only coach to win back-to-back league championships. He then coached Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the NBADL. He is currently the circuit's all-time leader in victories (226) and losses (237). He provided color commentary on radio broadcasts of Northwestern University men's basketball games on WGN-AM in Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DePaul Blue Demons</span> Athletic teams that represent DePaul University

The DePaul Blue Demons are the athletic teams that represent DePaul University, located in Chicago, Illinois. The Blue Demons participate in NCAA Division I and are a member of the Big East Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015–16 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2015–16 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 2015–16 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They played their home games at the Allstate Arena, and were members of the Big East Conference. Dave Leitao returned to Chicago to lead the Blue Demons for the second time, following a three-year tenure from 2002–2005. They finished the season 9–22, 3–15 in Big East play to finish in ninth place. They lost to Georgetown in the first round of the Big East tournament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016–17 DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team</span> Intercollegiate basketball season

The 2016–17 DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Blue Demons, led by 31st year head coach Doug Bruno, played their home games at the McGrath–Phillips Arena as members of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 27–8, 16–2 in Big East play to win the Big East regular season title. They advanced to the championship game of the Big East women's tournament where they lost to Marquette. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA women's tournament where they defeated Northern Iowa in the first round before losing to Mississippi State in the second round.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016–17 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2016–17 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They played almost all of their home games at Allstate Arena in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, Illinois, though they scheduled two regular-season games at the considerably smaller McGrath–Phillips Arena, the regular home of the DePaul women's team, on the school's Chicago campus. The Blue Demons, members of the Big East Conference, were led by head coach Dave Leitao, in the second year of his current tenure and fifth overall at DePaul. They finished the season 9–23, 2–16 in Big East play to finish in last place. They lost in the first round of the Big East tournament to Xavier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017–18 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2017–18 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by third-year head coach Dave Leitao and played their home games at the new Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois as members of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 11–20, 4–14 in Big East play to finish in a tie for ninth place. They lost in the first round of the Big East tournament to Marquette.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–19 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2018–19 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by fourth-year head coach Dave Leitao and played their home games at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago as members of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 19–17, 7–11 in Big East play to finish in a three-way tie for last place. As the No. 10 seed in the Big East tournament, they lost in the first round to St. John's. They received a bid to the College Basketball Invitational where they defeated Central Michigan, Longwood, and Coastal Carolina to advance to the championship series against South Florida. There, in a best-of-three series, they lost to South Florida two games to one.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018–19 DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team</span> Intercollegiate basketball season

The 2018–18 DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 2018–19 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Blue Demons, led by thirty-third year head coach Doug Bruno, played their home games at the Wintrust Arena as members of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 26–8, 14–4 in Big East play to finish in second place. DePaul won the Big East Conference tournament championship game over Marquette, 74–73. They were upset in the first round by Missouri State in the NCAA women's tournament.

The 1978–79 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 1978–79 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by head coach Ray Meyer, in his 37th season, and played their home games at the Alumni Hall in Chicago. After starting the regular season unranked, the Blue Demons won 22 of 27 games to earn a top ten ranking and the #2 seed in the West region of the NCAA tournament. DePaul began tournament play by defeating USC and Marquette, then knocked off #1 seed UCLA, avenging a season-opening loss, to earn the program's second trip to the Final Four. Though the team fell to the #1 ranked and unbeaten Indiana State – led by NCAA Player of the Year Larry Bird – in the National semifinals, they bounced back to defeat Penn to claim third place. They finished the season with an overall record of 26–6.

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The 2019–20 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by fifth-year head coach Dave Leitao and played their home games at Wintrust Arena in Chicago as members of the Big East Conference. The Demons finished the season 16–16, 3–15 in Big East play to finish in last place. They defeated Xavier in the first round of the Big East tournament before the remaining tournament was canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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The 2019–20 DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 2019–20 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Blue Demons, led by thirty-fourth year head coach Doug Bruno, played their home games at the Wintrust Arena and the McGrath-Phillips Arena as members of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 28–5, 15–3 in Big East play to finish in first place. DePaul won the Big East Conference tournament championship game over Marquette, 88–74. The NCAA tournament was cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–21 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team</span> American college basketball season

The 2020–21 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by sixth-year head coach Dave Leitao and played their home games at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois as members of the Big East Conference. In a season limited due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Demons finished the season 5–14, 2–13 in Big East play to finish in last place. They defeated Providence in the first round of the Big East tournament before losing to UConn in the quarterfinals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020–21 DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team</span> Intercollegiate basketball season

The 2020–21 DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Blue Demons were led by thirty-fifth year head coach Doug Bruno and played their home games at the Wintrust Arena as members of the Big East Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team</span> DePaul Blue Demons mens basketball

The 2021–22 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by first year head coach Tony Stubblefield and played their home games at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois as members of the Big East Conference.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021–22 DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team</span> Intercollegiate basketball season

The 2021–22 DePaul Blue Demons women's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 2021–22 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Blue Demons were led by thirty-sixth year head coach Doug Bruno and played their home games at the Wintrust Arena as members of the Big East Conference.

2003–04 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team represented DePaul University as a member of Conference USA during the 2003–04 men's college basketball season. The team was led by head coach Dave Leitao and played their home games at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois. The Blue Demons finished in a 5-way tie atop the conference regular season standings, reached the championship game of the Conference USA Tournament, and received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Playing as the No. 7 seed in the Phoenix regional, DePaul defeated Dayton in overtime in the opening round before losing to eventual National champion Connecticut in the second round 72–55. The team finished the season with a record of 22–10.

The 1977–78 DePaul Blue Demons men's basketball team represented DePaul University during the 1977–78 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by head coach Ray Meyer, in his 36th season, and played their home games at the Alumni Hall in Chicago. After starting the season unranked, the Blue Demons won 25 of 27 games to earn a top five ranking and the top at-large seed in the Midwest region of the NCAA tournament. DePaul began tournament play by defeating Creighton and Louisville, before losing to Notre Dame in the Midwest regional final. They finished the season with an overall record of 27–3.

References

  1. ↑ DePaul University Graphic Identity Guidelines (PDF). Retrieved April 10, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Event Center at McCormick Square to be named Wintrust Arena" (Press release). DePaul Blue Demons. November 16, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2016.
  3. ↑ "DePaul Men's Basketball History". Archived from the original on 2009-01-05. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
  4. ↑ "Ray Meyer". sports-reference.com. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Raymond J. "Ray" Meyer". hoophall.com. Archived from the original on January 30, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  6. ↑ hoophall.com (February 23, 2007). "George Mikan Biography". Archived from the original on May 22, 2008. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Following Father, Meyer Falters A Bit," Stephen A. Smith, Philadelphia Inquirer, Saturday, January 4, 1997.
  8. 1 2 2010-11 DePaul Men's Basketball Media Guide, p. 100.
  9. ↑ 2010-11 DePaul Men's Basketball Media Guide, pp. 148-152.
  10. ↑ 2010-11 DePaul Men's Basketball Media Guide, p. 117.
  11. ↑ Temkin, Barry. "DePaul Fires Meyer," Chicago Tribune, Tuesday, April 29, 1997.
  12. ↑ Jauss, Bill. "New Blue Demons Coach Combines Styles Of Valvano, Al McGuire," Chicago Tribune, Friday, June 13, 1997.
  13. 1 2 Dave Leitao returns as head coach at DePaul , accessed April 30, 2019
  14. ↑ Jerry Wainwright fired as men's basketball coach at DePaul
  15. ↑ Purnell leaves Clemson for DePaul
  16. ↑ Nicole Auerbach (2015-03-14). "DePaul's Oliver Purnell resigns after five losing seasons". usatoday.com. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  17. ↑ Matthews, David (October 16, 2017). "DePaul Opens Wintrust Arena 'To Bring Successful Basketball Back' To City". DNAinfo. Archived from the original on August 31, 2018. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  18. ↑ Kenney, Madeleine, "DePaul students, alumni buy ad calling for firing of athletic director," Chicago Sun-Times, March 11, 2018, 10:08 p.m. CST
  19. ↑ "It's official. Let the games begin!". College Basketball Invitational. Twitter. Retrieved April 30, 2019.
  20. ↑ Ryan Hinske (March 3, 2024). "DePaul legend's jersey retired during Georgetown matchup". The DePaulia. The DePaulia. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
  21. ↑ Snipes, Kadie (August 16, 2024). "HPU Men's Basketball Brings on Two New Assistant Coaches for the 2024-25 Season". Men's Basketball. HPU Athletics.
  22. ↑ "2023-24 DePaul Blue Demons Men's Schedule and Results". SRCBB. Sports Reference. 2024.
  23. ↑ "Chris Holtmann Named Head Coach at DePaul" (Press release). DePaul Blue Demons. March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  24. ↑ Field Level Media (January 18, 2025). "DePaul beats Georgetown to end 39-game Big East regular-season skid". Reuters. Reuters. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  25. ↑ DePaul Basketball Record Book: All-Time Honors| accessdate=March 3, 2009 [ permanent dead link ]
  26. ↑ NBA & ABA Players Who Attended DePaul University
  27. ↑ Matthews, David (October 16, 2017). "DePaul Opens Wintrust Arena 'To Bring Successful Basketball Back' To City". DNAinfo. Archived from the original on August 31, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  28. ↑ "Fond Farewell Allstate Arena-And Thanks For The Memories". depaulbluedemons.com. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  29. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "DePaul Basketball A-to-Z". depaulbluedemons.com. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
  30. ↑ "CBI Championship to be Decided Friday at McGrath-Phillips Arena". depaulbluedemons.com. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
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