The Drake University men's basketball returns to its home court on Wednesday evening to host DePaul at 7 p.m. The contest will be broadcast regionally on Mediacom MC22 and via ESPN3
The Bulldogs welcome the Blue Demons to Des Moines for the first time since 1972 and Wednesday's game also marks the first visit by a member of the Big East conference since the Bulldogs hosted Georgetown at Veterans Auditorium in 1980.
Wednesday's game is also Faculty/Staff Night at the Knapp Center. All Drake faculty and staff receive up to four free general admission tickets with their Drake ID.
Drake returns to the Knapp Center with a 4-4 record this season after falling at Bowling Green on Saturday, 75-63. The Blue Demons bring a three-game win streak to Des Moines and are 4-3 this season. DePaul is led by Billy Garrett's 15.1 points per game on 38 percent shooting. The Blue Demons are coached by Dave Leitao who is in the first year of his second stint at DePaul.
After a subpar shooting performance at Bowling Green, the Bulldogs currently rank 15th nationally in three-point shooting at 41.6 percent. The Bulldogs have finished in the top five in the nation in three-point shooting each of the last two seasons.
Drake's Graham Woodward currently ranks 18th nationally in three-point shooting at 51.2 percent while DePaul's Aaron Simpson enters Wednesday's shooting 54.5 percent from the arc. Thanks to his three-point shooting, Woodward is third on the team in scoring at 13.3 points per game while Reed Timmer and Kale Abrahamson lead the Bulldogs with 17.9 and 17.8 points per game, respectively.
As a team, the Bulldogs currently rank in the top four in the MVC in scoring (74.8), field goal percentage (.489), three-point field goal percentage (.416) and assists 13.4).
Following Wednesday's game, the Bulldogs return to the road to face Nevada on Saturday, Dec. 12 as part of the MVC/MWC Challenge.
