DePaul charging in new direction, shoots for 5-0 start against E. Illinois

Last year, DePaul’s season lasted 128 days and the Blue Demons amassed just three wins.DePaul needed just 12 days to hurdle that miniature benchmark this season.Not only has new coach Chris Holtmann directed DePaul to a 4-0 start heading into Tuesday night’s home game against Eastern Illinois (1-3), the Blue Demons have strung together three consecutive wins by 25-plus points for the first time in 30 years.This is not to suggest the Blue Demons have arrived. The average KenPom.com ranking of their four vanquished foes is 278 (out of 364 Division I teams). DePaul won’t leave home or face a team ranked higher than 193rd until Dec. 4 – when they visit Texas Tech as part of the Big 12-Big East Battle.Holtmann already has addressed with his players the Blue Demons’ relative lack of accomplishment to date.”As ‘Coach Holt’ actually talked about (the other day), we don’t want to get arrogant or thinking we’ve proven ourselves or earned respect back,” said starting point guard Conor Enright, who leads the Big East with 6.8 assists per game. “We want to keep going every day with the same approach. So, yeah, definitely upbeat and confident, but I think we’re still attacking every day and every game the same.”

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