DePaul @ Seton Hall preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 30, 2019 ) Seton Hall 74, DePaul 66

Ninth-ranked Seton Hall is rolling through the Big East slate and will try to keep alive its impressive streak when it hosts last-place DePaul on Wednesday. The Pirates carry a nine-game winning streak into the matchup with the Blue Demons, the longest in coach Kevin Willard's tenure and tied for the program's longest since a 12-game run in 1992-93.

Seton Hall will be rested as well, having last played a week ago Wednesday when they upended Providence 73-64 at home behind 17 points and eight blocks from emerging center Romaro Gill, who has scored in double figures in six straight contests after doing so just once in the first 40 games of his career. "I'm very proud of my guys, how they picked up the slack," star guard Myles Powell told reporters of the help from Gill and guard Jared Rhoden (15 points versus the Friars). "We're showing everybody across the country that it's not just the Myles Powell show." Powell, who ranks second in the league in scoring (21.9), could get even more help Wednesday with the possible return of junior forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (10.9), out since suffering a broken wrist Dec. 8. It all adds up to a difficult road test for DePaul, which capped a 1-2 homestand with a 79-66 loss to St. John's on Saturday.

TIME: 6:30 p.m. ET. TV: Fox Sports 1

ABOUT DEPAUL (13-7, 1-6 Big East): Juniors Charlie Moore and Paul Reed both average 16.2 points to lead the Blue Demons after they went for 20 and 15, respectively, in the loss to St. John's, during which DePaul shot a season-low 30.8 percent from the floor. Reed also notched his 14th double-double with 12 rebounds, and he leads the Big East with 11.3 boards per contest. The 6-9 forward had 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting to go along with nine boards, three blocks and three steals in a loss to Seton Hall at home earlier this season, but his teammates shot a combined 15-of-50.

ABOUT SETON HALL (15-4, 7-0): Rhoden leads the Pirates in rebounding (6.2) as he continues to fill in at the four-spot with Mamukelashvili out. "For a sophomore, going from being a guard to coming in and being a four-man, it's a big difference," Powell told reporters of Rhoden. "You're going from handling the ball up top to setting pick and rolls. He's done an amazing job." Senior guard Quincy McKnight is also on a nice roll and is averaging 14 points along with 8.7 assists over his last three games, pushing his total in the latter category to 5.4 - second in the Big East behind Moore (6.7) entering Tuesday.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Willard has 78 career Big East wins, tied with P.J. Carlesimo (1982-94) for the most in program history.

2. Blue Demons senior G Jalen Coleman-Lands is averaging 11.8 points - 15.3 over his last three games.

3. DePaul claimed a 97-93 thriller in its last visit to Seton Hall on Jan. 19, 2019.

PREDICTION: Seton Hall 78, DePaul 65