PREMIUM
Rogers' 10* Coach's Clinic >> 8-3 Past 2 Days! 14-6-1 YTD in NCAAB!
(NCAAB) Missouri State vs. DePaul,
Point Spread: -1.50 | -112.00 DePaul (Home)
Result: Win
Point Spread: -1.50 | -112.00 DePaul (Home)
Result: Win
The set-up: Missouri State takes its perfect 3-0 record into 2-1 DePaul Wednesday night, as the Bears play away from home for the first time this season. Paul Lusk opens his sixth season with the Bears and is hoping to get things turned around after consecutive 11- and 13-win season. DePaul Dave Leitao is in the second season of his second tenure with the Blue Demons, who last had a winning season in 2007 and last made the "Big Dance" back in 2004.
Missouri State: The Bears return four of five starters, losing only the 6-6 Boone (12.2 & 6.5). Guard Austin Ruder missed all but the first five games last season because of a hip injury but opened this season by scoring all 30 of his points from three-point territory in the team's first two wins, although he did not play in the team's third win, over Fontbonne. A big bonus has been that the Bears have gotten strong contributions from a pair of JUCO transfers, the 6-9 Alize Johnson and PG Ronnie Rousseau III. Johnson is in the top-10 nationally in FG percentage (76.2) while averaging 14.0 & 8.3. Rousseau is third on the team in scoring (12.7) and first in assists (4.7).
DePaul: The Blue Demons lost three starters from last year's team, including their best player, the 6-6 Henry (13.7 & 6.2). The 6-11 Hamilton left the program in June and that may not be a bad thing ,as he was a huge underachiever. This team will live or die with its pair of 6-6 guards, the high-scoring Cain (21.7) and PG Garrett Jr. (11.7 & 3.7 APG).
The pick: DePaul has nowhere to go but up and gets a very beatable opponent here in Missouri State. The pressure is starting to build around the Bears' head coach Paul Lusk (74-90 in his sixth season), as he has not led Missouri State to the type of success it enjoyed under his predecessors Cuonzo Martin, Barry Hinson and Steve Alford, who were a combined 308-206 from 1995 to 2011. The Bears face their first true test of the season after beating up on the likes of Alabama A&M, Jacksonville State and Division III Fontbonne. DePaul is a 10* play.
Missouri State: The Bears return four of five starters, losing only the 6-6 Boone (12.2 & 6.5). Guard Austin Ruder missed all but the first five games last season because of a hip injury but opened this season by scoring all 30 of his points from three-point territory in the team's first two wins, although he did not play in the team's third win, over Fontbonne. A big bonus has been that the Bears have gotten strong contributions from a pair of JUCO transfers, the 6-9 Alize Johnson and PG Ronnie Rousseau III. Johnson is in the top-10 nationally in FG percentage (76.2) while averaging 14.0 & 8.3. Rousseau is third on the team in scoring (12.7) and first in assists (4.7).
DePaul: The Blue Demons lost three starters from last year's team, including their best player, the 6-6 Henry (13.7 & 6.2). The 6-11 Hamilton left the program in June and that may not be a bad thing ,as he was a huge underachiever. This team will live or die with its pair of 6-6 guards, the high-scoring Cain (21.7) and PG Garrett Jr. (11.7 & 3.7 APG).
The pick: DePaul has nowhere to go but up and gets a very beatable opponent here in Missouri State. The pressure is starting to build around the Bears' head coach Paul Lusk (74-90 in his sixth season), as he has not led Missouri State to the type of success it enjoyed under his predecessors Cuonzo Martin, Barry Hinson and Steve Alford, who were a combined 308-206 from 1995 to 2011. The Bears face their first true test of the season after beating up on the likes of Alabama A&M, Jacksonville State and Division III Fontbonne. DePaul is a 10* play.
