DePaul has dynamite result, but no TNT needed
It's only natural to see the adjustments DePaul made against Villanova on Thursday and begin decreeing the do's and don'ts for the rest of the season.
The Blue Demons' man-to-man defense held Villanova to 23.1 percent from 3-point range and helped force 13 turnovers, 4 by star guard Scottie Reynolds. A six-man rotation with limited substitutions built synergy on offense, as DePaul shot 51.1 percent from the floor and 47.4 percent from 3-point range in an 84-76 victory over the nation's 17th-ranked team.
Jerry Wainwright acknowledges those factors contributed to the upset, but the DePaul coach isn't quite ready to bring out his tablet and chisel. For now, he'd rather stick to a Magic Marker and a dry erase board.
"Each game poses a significantly new challenge," Wainwright said Friday before practice. "When something works, everybody goes, 'That's great.' Very few people make the same cake twice, exactly the same. It can taste good, but how good really depends on who's tasting it."
Wainwright will present a slightly different menu tonight as DePaul tries to extend its winning streak to four against Providence at the Allstate Arena (7 p.m., ESPN Classic).
"We have to continue to expand our dossiers," Wainwright said. "We've got to get better at more than one thing."
The Demons could get help tonight from guards Jabari Currie (chest/neck stiffness) and Dar Tucker (sprained ankle), who participated in Friday's light workout. Wainwright said Tucker, who played just three minutes Thursday, appeared to be moving better.
What role Currie claims when he returns will be interesting, as DePaul received strong point-guard play from senior Cliff Clinkscales on Thursday (12 points, 8 assists). Both Currie and sophomore Will Walker are natural shooting guards, but Currie has started at point for most of his first two seasons and Walker has occasionally seen time there.
Though Clinkscales has been a reserve for most of his career, the 6-foot-1 senior has 16 assists and only 3 turnovers in DePaul's last three games.
"I am the more natural point guard," Clinkscales said. "Jabari's been playing it since he got here, but since he's a big guard, he does both. With me, it's just natural because I've played it my whole life.
"It's not so much thinking. Things just happen more easily for me than the other guys, who played both guard positions when they were in high school."
Clinkscales has 40 assists and just 14 turnovers this season, and his defense is gradually improving. He also embraces the leadership characteristics that Wainwright often questions with his squad.
"I take it personally sometimes, but not toward coach," Clinkscales said. "It's more for me to step it up, show him that I can lead."
Wainwright likely will stick with both Mac Koshwal and Wes Green in the post if Green can build on his strong play from Thursday. With the 6-9 Green able to guard bigger players, Koshwal can play the forward spot and use his speed to extend on defense.
Koshwal likely will defend Providence junior forward Geoff McDermott (11.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg) tonight.
"He's a different kind of Wilson Chandler," Wainwright said of Koshwal. "He's got unbelievable speed."
The freshman notched a double-double Thursday but had two welcome-to-the-Big-East moments, getting swatted on dunk attempts.
"Now I know how physical it is," Koshwal said. "They're letting us play, so it gives me the chance to do what I usually do."
Providence (9-4, 0-1) at DePaul (5-7, 1-0)
When: 7 p.m. at the Allstate Arena
TV: ESPN Classic
Radio: WSCR 670-AM
The skinny: DePaul comes off its best performance of the season and tries to win consecutive home games for the first time. Providence got thrashed 96-67 in its league opener at 10th-ranked Marquette. "It's a question of which team forgets their last game," DePaul coach Jerry Wainwright said. "One team's got a good taste, one team's got a bad taste, but you better have no taste at 7 o'clock." Blue Demons junior forward Matija Poscic should see the court tonight after not playing against undersized Villanova. Wainwright said Poscic isn't quite 100 percent because of a back injury. With star Sharaud Curry out, junior guard Weyinmi Efejuku (12.8 ppg) leads the Friars.
-- Adam Rittenberg