Texas Tech @ DePaul preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 25, 2011 ) Texas Tech 70, DePaul 76

Charlie Moore and DePaul continue to pass every test and they get another Wednesday when Texas Tech comes to town. Behind Moore's double-double, the Blue Demons won on the road against a Big Ten opponent for the second time this season in dispatching Minnesota and now get one of the Big 12's best in the Red Raiders.

Moore continues to play like one of the top transfers in the country as the junior has put up 63 points, 33 assists and nine steals in the last three games while the Blue Demons continue to chase its 1986-87 squad, which opened the season with 16 straight victories. The junior, who came to DePaul from Utah State, has seen his assists per game climb to 6.6 per game - tied for 16th in the country entering Tuesday and the top rate in the Big East. "They're starting five is as good as any starting five in the country," Minnesota coach Richard Pitino told the media after his team was defeated 73-68. "They're poised, they're talented, they're confident, they play hard, they have an identity." The Red Raiders opened the season 5-0 behind the scoring exploits of Jahmi'us Ramsey, but have since dropped games to Iowa - a team DePaul beat by 15 points - and Creighton, and will play No. 1 Louisville after facing the Blue Demons.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1

ABOUT TEXAS TECH (5-2): Ramsey began the season by averaging a shade under 20 points in the first five wins, but had only seven against Iowa and did not play against Creighton because of a leg injury. The 6-4 guard from Arlington, Texas, is tied for sixth among freshmen scorers with 17.3 points per game in addition to grabbing six rebounds per game and shooting 43.3 percent from 3-point land. "In my mind, a really, really bad bruise," Texas Tech coach Chris Beard told reporters of Ramsey's injury. "He's working really hard in the training room and when he's cleared 100 percent to playing games, he'll play, whether that happens against DePaul I don't know, but it's possible."

ABOUT DEPAUL (8-0): Paul Reed has been a monster down low for the Blue Demons as he just missed his missed sixth straight double-double against Minnesota. The junior, who posted a career-high eight blocks against the Golden Gophers to give him 20 in the last four games, is up there in the top 20 in several statistical categories for coach Dave Leitao. The 6-9 forward from Orlando, Fla., was tied for first in double-doubles with six, seventh in blocks per game (3.50), tied for 19th in rebounds (10.4) and 20th in defensive rebounds per game (7.63) all while averaging 15.3 points and shooting a robust 61.2 percent from the floor.

TIP-INS

1. Behind 6.1 assists per game from Chris Clarke, the Red Raiders lead the nation with 20.1 per contest.

2. DePaul hasn't won nine straight games since the 1993-94 season.

3. Davide Moretti, a guard from Bologna, Italy, scored a career-high 23 points for Texas Tech in the loss to Creighton.

PREDICTION: DePaul 85, Texas Tech 73