DePaul looks to take another step forward in Holtmann's second season

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DePaul enters its second season under coach Chris Holtmann looking to make another jump forward. The Blue Demons went from three wins to 14 and beat Georgetown in the Big East Tournament before losing to Creighton in double overtime. Considering they were 0-20 in conference play the previous year, that was no small accomplishment. The Blue Demons have three of their top four scorers returning and are the only team in the league with its leading scorer back. Holtmann, a former coach of the year in the Big East and Big Ten, comes into his 15th season with a 265-191 record at Gardner-Webb, Butler, Ohio State and DePaul.

CJ Gunn (senior, G, 6-7, 12.9 ppg). Gunn became the first DePaul player since Charlie Moore in 2020 to earn preseason all-conference honors when he was chosen to the third team this month. He's coming off a season in which he led the team in scoring and steals with 43 while averaging 4 rebounds and shooting 42.9%.

Kaleb Banks (senior, F, 6-8, 14.7 ppg at Tulane). Banks was second-team, all-AAC in his lone season at Tulane. He was the Green Wave's second-leading scorer and top rebounder at 6.7 per game. Banks played his first two seasons at Indiana.

Layden Blocker (junior, G, 6-2, 9.5 ppg). Blocker, who transferred from Arkansas last year, was third on the team in scoring. He averaged 3.1 assists, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals.

NJ Benson (senior, F, 6-8, 9 ppg). Benson averaged a team-high 6.2 rebounds and was the Blue Demons' fourth-leading scorer.

G Isaiah Rivera, the only player to appear in all 34 games, used up his eligibility last season, when he averaged 10.8 points. G Brandon Maclin could figure in the rotation after averaging 10 points at Radford last season, as could C Isaiah Medina, a 7-foot freshman.

DePaul opens against Chicago State on Nov. 3 at home. There are notable nonconference games against Northwestern at Wintrust Arena on Nov. 14, Georgia Tech in the Emerald Coast Classic in Destin, Fla., on Nov. 28, and at Wichita State on Dec. 13. The Big East opener is at No. 5 St. John's on Dec. 16. The Red Storm visit on Feb. 3, and DePaul plays No. 4 UConn at home on Dec. 21 and on the road on Jan. 10.

DePaul has five straight losing seasons and has not finished with a winning record since going 19-17 in 2018-19. ... The Blue Demons are 70-291 in the Big East since joining the conference in 2005.

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