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The DePaul Blue Demons begin their new season with a meeting with the University of Illinois-Chicago, in what is sure to be an exciting start to the season for fans of both Chicago programs. DePaul is looking to shake off the memories of another disappointing season, finishing last year with a dismal record of 12-21, amassing only 3 Big East wins to 21 Big East losses.
Hopes are certainly higher at the outset of this season, however, because there is some definite talent on the court for DePaul. Former freshman phenom Billy Garrett Jr. returns for his sophomore season after averaging over 12 points last season. His sophomore frontcourt counterpart Tommy Hamilton IV also returns after providing a solid 7.7 points per game last year and snatching almost five rebounds a game. Improvements have obviously been made over the offseason and additions such as Ray Doby have definitely added to the positive possibilities for this year's team.
Illinois-Chicago posted an even worse record last season, going 6-25. The Flames have not taken the court against the Blue Demons since 2009, and the result in that meeting was extremely lopsided, as DePaul won by 21 points. There's still a lot of question marks surrounding this DePaul team, however, and hopefully some answers will be provided for us come Friday night.
Game Time, TV info: 9 p.m. CT, Fox Sports 2
TV Stream: Fox Sports Go
Radio Information: Radio DePaul, WIND 560 AM