If Rick Barnes and Oliver Purnell need anything to talk about in their pre-game chat, the topic of transfers might give them some common ground. Texas fans are well-aware of the mass exodus that occurred at Cooley Pavilion this offseason, but Purnell and the DePaul Blue Demons had it even worse. Five different DePaul players hit the bricks after a disappointing 2-16 Big East campaign, leading to an infusion of new blood this season in the form of six new faces.

Both teams are still answering questions about their new players and the new rotations, with the midpoint of the non-conference season just around the corner. While the coaches now have an idea of what their teams are made of, the games in Kansas City are crystallizing those early-season conclusions. Texas looked very impressive in a narrow loss to BYU last night, while DePaul was overwhelmed by Wichita State in the nightcap. Both teams are in need of a bounce-back win tonight.

By the numbers

The Blue Demons were absolutely abysmal on the defensive end last season, posting one of the 100 worst defensive efficiency marks out of 347 Division I teams. In addition to just playing matador defense, DePaul also allowed opponents far too many second chances. Opponents grabbed 35.7% of their offensive rebounding chances when facing the Blue Demons, a mark that slotted Purnell’s bunch in the bottom 50 of D-I.

The newcomers have added a lot of length to the DePaul front line, and it’s paid off in good rebounding numbers so far this season, as opponents have only reclaimed 27.6% of their misses to date. However, that number is built on the strength of some dominating performances against Grambling State, Wright State, and UW-Milwaukee. Against a strong-but-undersized Southern Miss team, the Blue Demons allowed an offensive rebounding mark of nearly 38%, while the Shockers reclaimed almost 36% of their misses last night.

All of that means that Purnell isn’t quite sure what he’ll get on the boards tonight. Texas has been dominant on the glass on both ends of the court, even against a big BYU team that refused to get physical. The Longhorns will be giving up size at the three and in the backcourt, but have not been limited by that deficiency so far this year. Tonight’s outcome will likely hinge on which team can impose its will on the glass.

The other numbers that are most notable for DePaul are in the turnover column, on both sides of the ledger. The Blue Demons are forcing mistakes on more than 20% of their opponents possessions, but their own sloppy play is giving it away on 19.6% of their possessions. There have been multiple exchanges already this season where DePaul forces a turnover and can’t even complete the break before giving it right back. Against a Texas team that loves to get out in transition, that carelessness could lead to a lot of Longhorn points.

Meet the Blue Demons

Senior forward Cleveland Melvin (No. 12) is leading the team in scoring this season, and he’s doing it in a new role. With the size added to the DePaul frontcourt, Melvin has slid from the four to the three. As a result, he spent time working on his outside shot during the offseason, and the work has paid off. Melvin has drilled 13 of his 21 long-range attempts, and that extra threat from outside is spreading the court and drawing out the D.

One of the biggest benefactors of that spread floor is point guard Brandon Young (No. 20). He has a quick first step to get to the bucket and can hit the midrange J when defenses sag against his driving threat. Young’s driving ability is a great asset in setting up teammates, but he often unnecessarily tries to complicate plays by making a flashy pass. The point guard’s disdain for the simple play surely makes Coach Purnell’s turtleneck feel a little tighter a few times every night.

Charles McKinney (No. 32) joins Young in the backcourt, and he is best known for his pressure defense on the perimeter. He is not much of a scoring threat, but will drive to the hoop for an occasional bucket, and drilled a pretty nasty stepback J against Wichita State last night. Like Melvin, McKinney’s role has shifted this season, as he is now locked into the two role after previously living on the wing.

Senior forward Sandi Marcius (No. 55) has played limited minutes this year after joining the team as a graduate transfer from Purdue. Although he has started every game, the 6’10” Croatian-born forward is only averaging 15 minutes. Last night, he logged just five and then jumped rope in front of the baseline media tables for the other 35.

In the middle, freshman Tommy Hamilton IV (No. 2) is already making a huge impact. The son of a two-year NBA player, Hamilton has silky smooth moves for a big man and seems to find every rebound in his vicinity. He has also knocked down 5-of-11 from long range, giving DePaul yet another big that can stretch the floor. He uses his strength and good footwork to consistently draw fouls and get to the line, where he has made almost 70% of his attempts.

Although Hamilton has been the freshman star so far, Billy Garrett, Jr. (No. 5) is a highly-touted newcomer that has looked good coming off the bench. The backup point guard has a sharp crossover and good burst, but his struggles shooting the ball have limited his damage in the first five games. If Garrett can’t start hitting the jumpers, teams will be able to give some space and neutralize his driving threat.

Jamee Crockett (No. 21) is the other backcourt reserve for DePaul, and he provides instant offense from the perimeter when he’s in the game. The cornrowed junior has battled injuries throughout his collegiate career, but is finally finding a rhythm from outside. Although Crockett has made only one of 12 attempts inside the arc, he’s hit more than 41% of his threes this year after a brutal 26.6% three-point mark last season.

This year, the Blue Demons finally have some depth in the frontcourt, although they haven’t needed a ton of minutes from those reserves so far this year. Greg Sequele (No. 42) is a 6’9″ JUCO transfer with ridiculous length and great athleticism. Peter Ryckbosch (No. 30) is a sophomore walk-on who seems to always be around the ball, and he can actually score in the post despite lacking the bulk of typical forwards. Redshirt freshman DeJuan Marrero (No. 1) is coming back from a knee injury that cost him all of last season, but he hasn’t tested that knee with extended minutes yet this year.

Keys to the game

1) Win the rebounding battle – Texas has crashed the glass hard in its first five games, and second-chance points have been a big part of the offense. Meanwhile, DePaul has posted solid rebounding numbers so far this year, but they struggled against the tougher frontcourts of Southern Miss and Wichita State. If the Longhorns can win the rebounding battle on both ends of the court, it could be the difference in the game.

2) Take advantage of mistakes – DePaul will have its share of turnovers in tonight’s game, and Texas needs to get out in the open court and turn them into points. The Longhorns have sometimes stalled out in halfcourt sets, especially against the zone, so the fast break also offers an opportunity to limit the number of times they have to score against a set defense.

3) Keep pressure on the perimeter – Texas was once again lit up from long range by BYU last night, raising their opponents’ season three-point mark to 45.4%. DePaul has a bunch of guys that can knock down the triple, including their big men. The Longhorns cannot afford to once again let an opponent pile up the points from outside if they hope to earn a split in Kansas City.