SportsLine.com Report
March 17, 2000

Round 1: Time runs out on Blue Demons

It was just how the 8-9 matchup is supposed to be. Seventeen ties, 11 lead changes, neither team holding a lead of more than six.

But in the end of the battle between DePaul and Kansas in Winston-Salem, the Blue Demons were one run short, falling 81-77 in overtime.

DePaul, making its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1992, built a 77-71 lead in overtime, but couldn't make a key stop as the Jayhawks rallied from a six-point overtime deficit to win their first-round game for the 17th consecutive time.

"We really put ourselves in very good position," coach Pat Kennedy said. "We just couldn't close it up."

Quentin Richardson and Paul McPherson each scored 21 points, but DePaul's effort fell short of getting the team into the second round for the first time since 1989. Richardson had the final shot to tie in the waning seconds of overtime, but his 3-pointer was blocked by Nick Bradford.

"We just have a tendency to get relaxed at the end of games and lose focus and lose concentration," McPherson said. "Maybe we can turn that into a positive and use that for a great starting block for next year."

Richardson played most of the game in a bit of pain after twisting his left ankle three minutes into the game. "I rolled it real bad," he said. "I really couldn't get real explosive after that. If I tried to push off on my foot, it was weak."

At the end of regulation, Richardson missed a 12-foot jump shot, but McPherson's tip missed pushed the game an extra five minutes.

How They Got Here

The Blue Demons were awarded an at-large berth after advancing to the final of the Conference USA tournament, where DePaul was unable to halt Saint Louis' improbable run to the title.

Still, DePaul, which spent half the season ranked in the Top 25, has been playing its best ball of late. The Blue Demons have quality wins over St. John's and Florida, and near misses against Duke and Cincinnati. They were up 17 points on the Bearcats on March 2, but Cincy rallied to win 64-62.

That close call prompted Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins to say of DePaul: "They may be the most talented team in the league, but they're young."

Starting Lineup

• PG Rashon Burno (5-7, 175, So.): One of the fastest point guards in the college game, Burno can quickly change the flow of the game with steals and defense.
• SG Paul McPherson (6-4, 210, Jr.): 6-4? Please! He's more like 6-1, but he's strong and as athletic as you need him to be. The outside shot is not his game (he's attempted only 15 3-pointers entering the NCAA tournament), but he can finish inside, often spectacularly.
• C Lance Williams (6-9, 250, So.): His low-post scoring is some of the best in the nation and now he's in better shape, working his way back from a preseason foot injury. If he stays healthy, look for Williams to have a monster 2001 season.
• SF Quentin Richardson (6-7, 240, So.): He could easily jump to the pros, although another year of seasoning wouldn't be a bad thing, either. Still, he's one of the best players in the nation, DePaul's go-to guy and part of the rebirth of the program. He's dangerous inside or out -- hitting nearly 40 percent of his 3-pointers and grabbing 10 rebounds per game.
• PF Bobby Simmons (6-7, 210, So.): Simmons bounced back from an uneven freshman season to blossom into an all-league performer. He's perhaps DePaul's most versatile performer.

Keys to Success

DePaul is young, gifted and healthy ... so a Sweet 16 berth is not out of the question. It all starts with Richardson. He has to score in the 20s for DePaul to win and score a few upsets. If he does, this team has the tools for a deep run in March.

The Coach

Pat Kennedy is a master at building programs, although his laid-back coaching style has been criticized in Chicago. Perhaps they don't remember Joey Meyer. Kennedy is 46-47 in his third year at DePaul, and is 372-238 in his 20th year as a head coach, which has had stops at Iona and Florida State.

The Bench

There's nice depth here. Start with freshman center Steven Hunter, who can block shots. Senior guard Kerry Hartfield can catch and shoot, and freshman guard George Baker is solid at the point.

Offense

Everything runs through Richardson, who controls the boards. DePaul plays up-tempo, but has increasingly been tossing the ball inside to Williams.

Defense

Good, but not great, although holding Marquette to 35 points on 11 of 55 shooting on Feb. 16 was a nice trick. Only one of the last six opponents has scored more than 64 points, which is DePaul's season average. Defense is an area that needs to be addressed in the off-season if the program wants to move to the next level.