Coaching Legacy of Joe Hargrove: A Controversial Return to the Bench

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Season Results

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2009-2010 Schedule and Results

November
vs. Kansas State: W 81-60
vs. Ohio State: W 71-59
at Santa Clara: W 86-80
at Florida: W 83-54
vs. UCLA

December
vs. Auburn
at Arkansas
vs. Purdue
at Bradley
at Duke

January
***Conference Games***
at UConn
vs. Georgetown
at South Florida
vs. West Virginia
at Louisville
vs. Pittsburgh
vs. Notre Dame
at Marquette


February
at Cincinnati
at St. John's
vs. Syracuse
at Rutgers
at West Virginia
vs. Seton Hall
at Syracuse
vs. Rutgers
vs. Providence
vs. Villanvoa

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DePaul Loses Heart Breaker at UCLA

Los Angeles, CA -- For a moment, it appeared the Blue Demons were going to give coach Hargrove his first signature win. DePaul had the ball, a one point lead, and 0:34 left in the game. Trying to dribble the clock out, a UCLA guard stripped point guard Willie Walker of the ball and dribbled the length of the court. He absorbed the contact and made the layup. The UCLA guard calmly went to the line and drained the FT to put UCLA ahead by two points. With time winding down, DePaul attempted a shot in the lane only to have it rejected as time ran out. UCLA, ranked eighth in the country, escaped by the skin of their teeth for the 86-84 win.

"That hurts. We felt we had that game won. I don't give a damn about them being ranked and us being at their place, etc. We felt like today we were the better team. It was pretty obvious on that steal that the UCLA player was trying to foul. He reached through my guy to take the ball and they didn't call anything. We got a bad break on the road. Nothing we can do now but pick ourselves up and finish out non-conference play on a high note." -Coach Joe Hargrove

The loss dropped DePaul to 6-2 on the season. Their other loss coming on the road to California. The Blue Demons have four winnable games remaining before they start their brutal Big East schedule.

Dec 13, 2008 - DEP at UCLA
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
DePaul (6-1)	54	30	84
#8 UCLA (3-1)	55	31	86

DePaul
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
M. Koshwal	25	3/10	0/1	0/0	11	2	0	1	2	6
M. Poscic	29	8/9	0/0	0/0	5	0	1	1	3	16
D. Tucker	26	5/14	2/7	0/0	2	4	1	1	2	12
J. Currie	26	1/6	0/4	1/2	3	2	0	0	5	3
W. Walker	18	6/12	1/6	2/2	2	5	1	0	3	15
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
D. Hill	21	5/9	1/1	3/4	4	1	1	2	2	14
K. Obi	15	4/8	0/1	0/0	7	0	1	0	1	8
J. Kelly	28	2/3	0/0	4/4	0	4	3	0	1	8

UCLA
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
T. Bridges	26	3/10	0/0	1/2	13	0	1	2	2	7
Q. Kirby	31	2/5	0/0	3/3	4	1	2	2	0	7
D. Mathis	26	7/15	2/6	1/2	0	1	4	1	7	17
J. Spence	25	5/11	1/6	0/0	0	5	0	0	1	11
R. Clements	25	5/11	1/3	1/1	0	1	1	0	5	12
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
D. Lucas	14	4/6	2/2	0/0	0	3	0	0	1	10
O. Knowles	23	4/6	1/2	5/7	5	4	0	0	2	14
S. Bragg	21	3/5	0/1	0/0	5	0	1	1	1	6

[VandyRedskins21]

Man that's a tough loss to swallow but yea it is pretty hard to get too into something when there is no adversity whatsoever haha.

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Big East Play Begins

Chicago, IL -- DePaul basketball hasn't been relevant in a long time, and honestly, no one is expecting much from them this year, either. Coming off an 11-19 season in which they finished near the bottom of the Big East (again) this year's Blue Demons are featuring seven true freshmen. Not exactly a recipe for a bounce back season.

"It seems like no one respects us. That's fine. Let the critics, experts, fans, etc. keep paying us no attention. We've shown we're a good team. Our only two losses came on the road to two very good Pac-10 teams, and we felt we should have won the UCLA game. We welcome conference play because we feel like it gives us a chance to earn some respect." -Joe Hargrove


The last time DePaul saw any postseason play was two years ago in the NIT. Their last NCAA tournament appearance came in 2004. For a school that has had some decent success in the past, they would like to return to being prominent on a national level once again. To do so, they will have to navigate themselves through a rugged Big East schedule.

"There are 16 teams in this conference and five of them are ranked. The thing is, though, on any given night #16 can beat #1. There will be no off nights and we understand that. With our lack of depth we know we will need a little luck (staying healthy) to go along with playing well if we want to compete for a conference championship. Our ultimate goal this year, though, is to finish above .500 in conference play and make the postseason. I feel with seven freshmen, and postseason experience will go a long way in helping this program in future success." -Joe Hargrove


DePaul begins Big East lay by hosting number 24 Notre Dame on December 31st. They will then play two straight road games at Providence and at Syracuse. The first half of conference play isn't brutal but it will still be tough to navigate.

DePaul is being lead by sophomore small forward Dar Tucker this season. Tucker is averaging 18.7 ppg, 3.7 apg, and 4.3 rpg, to go along with 1.0 spg, and 1.6 bpg. He's been a force on both ends of the floor and leaves his fingerprints on every game, win or lose. He is a big reason why DePaul is off to a 10-2 start this season.

"Look, any and every thing I accomplish this year is because of my teammates. I'm scoring the ball and making plays but only because my teammates are setting me screens or finding me when I get open." -Dar Tucker

Three other Blue Demon players are averaging in double figures scoring on the season: Mac Koshwal (13.8 ppg), Willie Walker (11.6 ppg), and Devin Hill (11.0 ppg). It's been the play of their sophomore center, though, that has made the Blue Demon frontcourt a formidable one. Mac Koshwal, at 6'10" 240 pounds, has shown he is a force on the glass and score in the paint. Koshwal is averaging 8.4 rpg to go along with his near 14 points per contest.

The freshman that is making the biggest impact this year is small-forward Devin Hill. Hill, a 6'9" freshman, has shown off his versatility this year playing up to four different positions when called upon to do so. Hill is averaging 11.0 ppg to go along with 4.2 rpg.

"Honestly, at first when I heard Coach Hargrove was going to play me at the 4 a lot this year, I got a little upset. I played my entire life out on the floor away from the basket. But now, I can see where coach was coming from. I just go into every game with the mindset that no matter which position I'm going to be playing, it's up to me to contribute and play hard for my coach and teammates." -Devin Hill


DePaul Conference Schedule
12/31 vs. Notre Dame
1/3 at Providence
1/7 at Syracuse
1/10 vs. South Florida
1/17 vs. Cincinnati
1/20 at South Florida
1/24 at Marquette
1/28 vs. Connecticut
1/31 at Rutgers
2/3 vs. Marquette
2/7 vs. Pittsburgh
2/10 vs. Seton Hall
2/15 at Louisville
2/21 at Pittsburgh
2/25 vs. Villanova
2/28 vs. St. Joh's
3/4 at West Virginia
3/7 at Georgetown

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Tucker's 31 Leads DePaul to Easy Win Over Irish

Chicago, IL -- Coach Joe Hargrove expected his team to compete in every Big East game this year, but I don't even he expected them to win so easily in their Big East opener. In a game that was back and forth the entire first half, DePaul's Dar Tucker caught fire in the second half and lead his team to a 103-81 victory.

"Man the basket just started to look so big in the second half. I felt like every time I shot the ball it was going to go in. I don't think I've ever been in a zone like that before." -Dar Tucker

DePaul small forward Dar Tucker hit four three pointers in the second half on his way to a career high 31 points. Tucker wasn't the only Blue Demon to do damage offensively, though, as six DePaul players in all scored in double digits. Sophomore center Mac Koshwal had an excellent all-around game scoring 14 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, dishing out 5 assists, and blocking 2 shots.

We were able to catch up with coach Hargrove after the game...

"Having a player as good as Dar makes my job much easier. We know he's capable of scoring like that on any given night, and tonight, he showed it. I was real proud of our effort. It was truly a complete team effort out there tonight and I couldn't be any happier for my guys."

The win gets DePaul out to an early 1-0 start in conference play and puts them at 11-2 overall. For the number 23 Fighting Irish, the loss drops them to 6-3 on the season.

Dec 31, 2008 - ND at DEP
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
Notre Dame (11-2, 1-0)	41	42	83
DePaul (6-3, 0-1)	50	55	105

Notre Dame
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
L. Harangody	23	4/7	2/3	0/2	4	4	3	0	3	10
Z. Hillesla	27	5/6	0/0	0/3	10	1	1	2	0	10
R. Ayers	27	8/18	0/2	2/2	5	3	0	0	2	18
K. McAlarne	27	12/16	3/4	0/0	0	2	2	0	6	27
T. Jackson	27	6/11	0/1	0/0	3	7	0	0	2	12

DePaul
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
M. Koshwal	25	7/10	0/0	0/0	8	5	0	2	0	14
M. Poscic	13	2/6	0/0	0/0	4	1	0	0	3	4
D. Tucker	22	12/19	4/8	3/5	0	2	2	0	0	31
J. Currie	25	6/11	0/3	2/2	3	3	1	0	0	14
W. Walker	25	7/9	1/2	2/2	4	3	2	0	5	17
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
D. Hill	25	5/8	0/1	2/2	2	1	2	1	1	12
K. Obi	18	5/5	0/0	0/0	5	1	1	0	0	10
J. Kelly	12	1/4	0/1	0/0	0	3	0	0	1	2

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DePaul Wins Going Away at Providence

January 3rd, 2009

Providence, RI -- DePaul would build a lead as big as 21 points in the second half but had to hold off a late run by Providence to get their second Big East win of the season. The Blue Demons only had a 52-49 lead at the half but came out in the second half on fire. Dar Tucker, for the second consecutive game, caught fire and helped put the Friars away. Senior power forward, Matija Poscic, had a big game scoring 23 points and grabbing 11 rebounds. The Friars were lead by Geoff McDermott's 21 while three other Providence starters also scored in double figures. However, it was the Blue Demons who would get the better of Providence on the road to improve to 2-0 in Big East play.

"I know their record doesn't indicate it, but that was a good basketball team we just beat. Anytime you can go on the road and get a win in this conference you have to be happy. I like the pace we're playing at right now, and it's forcing opponent's to try and stay with us. Right now we're getting the better of them but we have to start playing better defense if we want to keep this up." -Joe Hargrove

The Blue Demons will get a very tough test on the 7th as they travel to take on the Syracuse Orange in the Carrier Dome.

Jan 3, 2009 - DEP at PROV
TEAM	1ST	2ND	SCORE
DePaul (12-2)	52	47	99
Providence (5-6)	49	38	87

DePaul
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
M. Koshwal	22	6/7	0/0	0/0	8	0	0	0	3	12
M. Poscic	22	11/14	0/0	1/2	11	2	1	2	1	23
D. Tucker	25	9/17	3/7	5/6	0	2	0	1	1	26
J. Currie	19	3/4	0/0	0/0	2	1	0	0	2	6
W. Walker	22	4/7	0/2	0/0	1	7	1	0	0	8
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
K. Hill	12	3/6	0/0	2/2	3	2	1	1	0	8
K. Obi	9	1/2	0/0	0/0	2	0	0	1	1	2
J. Kelly	12	4/4	0/0	0/0	0	2	1	1	1	8

Providence
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
R. Hanke	17	4/7	0/0	2/3	4	2	0	0	1	10
G. McDermott	25	9/16	0/1	3/5	10	2	0	0	0	21
J. Xavier	23	6/15	1/7	0/1	0	0	1	0	0	13
B. McKenzie	23	5/8	2/3	0/0	1	4	0	0	2	12
S. Curry	23	2/7	0/2	0/0	0	4	0	0	4	4
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PTS
L. Burchett	8	3/4	1/1	0/0	0	0	0	0	0	7

[hoopla32]

If you had told anybody that DePaul would be alone in first place in the Big East late in January they probably would have looked at you with the look of someone that has just seen a UFO or Big Foot. Well, get out your tinfoil hats, binoculars, and pull up a seat, because six games into conference play DePaul is undefeated and sitting atop the standings.

It's not just the fact that the Blue demons are winning games, it's how they are winning games. A 22 point win against Notre Dame, a 32 point drubbing of Syracuse in the Carrier Dome, and a 24 point beating of South Florida are the highlights. Sophomore small forward Dar Tucker has arguably been the best player in the Big East so far this year. In DePaul's six Big East games he is averaging 23.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg, and 3.3 apg.

"He's truly been a pleasure to coach. Every night out you think he's going to score 25 or 30 and hit a series of shots that leave you speechless. He's a remarkable player and has become the unquestioned leader in the locker room." -Joe Hargrove

Tucker has been a scoring force for DePaul all season long

DePaul's conference season gets considerably tougher the next several of weeks with games against Marquette two times, UConn, Pitt two times, and Louisville.

"We have to remain focused because things aren't going to get any easier. Look, I'm not stupid, I don't think we'll go undefeated in conference play, but I do think we can be competitive and have a chance to win every game." Coach Hargrove

Big East Standings (as of 1/23/2009)

Big East Conference Standings - Updated: Jan 23, 2009
TEAM	REC	PCT	CONF	Streak
DePaul	16-2	0.889	6-0	W10
(8) Louisville	11-5	0.688	4-1	W1
(7) UConn	11-4	0.733	5-2	L1
(10) Pittsburgh	10-6	0.625	4-2	L1
West Virginia	9-7	0.563	3-2	W1
Villanova	9-7	0.563	3-2	W1
(15) Marquette	11-4	0.733	3-2	W1
Syracuse	10-8	0.556	4-3	W2
Notre Dame	7-5	0.583	3-3	L2
Georgetown	6-8	0.429	3-3	L2
St. John's	7-6	0.538	3-3	W2
South Florida	9-9	0.500	2-4	L1
RUtgers	10-7	0.588	2-4	L1
Providence	7-9	0.438	2-5	W2
Cincinnati	8-10	0.444	1-6	L5
Seton Hall	5-10	0.333	0-6	L6