DePaul's mission: Replicating home success at Georgetown

DePaul is off to its best start in Big East play since 2015, but there's still opportunity for improvement.

Namely, winning outside of Chicago.

The next step in the Blue Demons' rebuild under coach Chris Holtmann will be to earn a conference road victory. DePaul (12-8, 4-5 Big East) gets that chance when it visits Georgetown on Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

DePaul has won a program-best four straight over the Hoyas, which includes one of Holtmann's two Big East road wins since taking the job prior to the 2024-25 season.

After beating Seton Hall 67-60 on Saturday, the Blue Demons improved to 4-1 at home in the league. In the process, they equaled last year's conference win total. However, they are 0-4 on the road in league play this season.

Colorado transfer RJ Smith (7.8 ppg, 2.4 apg) joined Holtmann at DePaul along with four other offseason transfers to help the restoration project of a once-storied program.

"We talk about our goals this season," Smith said. "We're trying to rewrite or change the program and that's one of our goals, getting a certain amount of wins -- even on the road."

The Hoyas (10-10, 2-7) have taken a step back in Ed Cooley's third season, but are coming off a dramatic 81-78 win Saturday at Providence that snapped a six-game losing streak. Arizona transfer KJ Lewis (15.3 ppg) scored 21 of his game-high 26 points in the second half as the Hoyas came back from 21 to win in Providence for the first time since 2019.

"It's been an up and down season for us, honestly," said Cooley, whose team has cooled since a 5-0 start.

DePaul beat Georgetown 56-50 in their first meeting this season on Jan. 6. The Blue Demons erased a three-point halftime deficit by holding the Hoyas to 1-of-23 shooting after the break (4.3%) and 22.6% for the game.

Georgetown has won 11 of 15 at home against DePaul since the Blue Demons joined the Big East in 2006, but the schools have split their eight meetings since 2017.

--Field Level Media