Prairie View A&M Panthers vs. DePaul Blue Demons Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 7th 2024

Preview and Prediction

Securing the first win of the season has not been a challenge for DePaul. When newly appointed head coach Chris Holtmann and his completely restructured team achieved an 80-78 overtime victory against Southern Indiana on Monday night, it marked the Blue Demons' 15th opening win in the last 17 seasons.

However, the real obstacle has been learning from each game, displaying consistent improvement, and stringing together consecutive wins. On Thursday night, the Blue Demons will have the opportunity to secure their first two-game winning streak since Nov. 30-Dec. 3, 2022, when they face Prairie View A&M in Chicago.

During the offseason, Holtmann and his coaching staff meticulously constructed a roster that boasted a balance of positions and eligibility. Despite this, the box score from the Southern Indiana game revealed a heavy reliance on shooting guards and experienced players, as they ended a 20-game losing streak that concluded the 2023-24 season.

Sophomore shooting guard Jacob Meyer came off the bench and delivered an impressive 23 points in 33 minutes, including a game-tying 3-pointer from the wing with just two seconds remaining in regulation and the game-winning free throws in overtime. The left-handed transfer had an average of 15.7 points per game as a freshman at Coastal Carolina, making him the team's leading scorer.

In an interview with WeAreDePaul after the game, Holtmann expressed his confidence in Meyer, stating, "It's easy to have a lot of faith in a player with such natural scoring ability, and I believe he has taken ownership of other areas of his game that needed improvement. He is a natural-born scorer, and he could probably score in his sleep. That's just how talented he is."

Meanwhile, Holtmann relied heavily on his three senior starters in the lineup - shooting guard Isaiah Rivera (25 points), pick-and-pop center David Skogman (13 points, 10 rebounds), and wing Troy D'Amico (team-high +14 plus/minus) - who played a combined 107 out of the team's 225 minutes.

Similar to DePaul's complete overhaul of its scholarship players after a disappointing 3-win season, Prairie View A&M also returned no starters from last year's 10-21 team, which ranked 330th in the KenPom rankings - 26 spots below the Blue Demons. Head coach Byron Smith, now in his tenth year, reconstructed his team by bringing in 13 transfers from all levels.

In their season opener, the Panthers secured a dominant 111-90 victory against the Biblical Studies Ambassadors, a Division II National Christian College Athletic Association team led by former Houston standout Michael Young. The only returning scholarship player on the roster, sophomore guard Orlando Horton Jr., led the way with 28 points and six assists. Division III transfer Nick Anderson also made a significant contribution with 27 points, while sixth-year New Mexico State transfer Tanahj Pettway added 24. The Panthers shot an impressive 62.1 percent from the field.

PREDICTION

Prairie View A&M Panthers

DePaul Blue Demons