DePaul men’s basketball sets nonconference slate

DePaul men’s basketball team will host eight home nonconference games — with seven at Allstate Arena in Rosemont — for the opening portion of its 2012-13 schedule.

DePaul returns its top four scorers in juniors-to-be Cleveland Melvin, Moses Morgan and Brandon Young and sophomore Jamee Crockett. Melvin is the top returning scorer in the Big East after averaging 17.5 points per game last season while Young averaged 14.5 points. Morgan averaged nine points per game and Crockett held a scoring average of 8.6 points per contest. The Blue Demons posted a 12-19 record in 2011-12.

DePaul will tip off the season on Nov. 9 against UC Riverside at McGrath-Phillips Arena before hosting two games at Allstate Arena for the Cancun Challenge.

Following an exhibition game against Lewis on Nov. 3, the Highlanders of UC Riverside make their first visit to DePaul on Friday, Nov. 9. The game marks the third straight year that the Blue Demons have opened the season at McGrath-Phillips Arena. DePaul is 6-1 all-time in games at the Lincoln Park facility.

The Cancun Challenge features two home games at Allstate Arena on Nov. 15 and 17. The Blue Demons host two of four teams from the Mayan Division, which includes Austin Peay, Gardner-Webb, Howard and Western Carolina. DePaul will travel to the Moon Palace Resort in Cancun, Mexico for two games against teams in the Riviera Division that also includes Iowa, Western Kentucky and Wichita State. The games in Cancun are scheduled for Nov. 20 and 21.

Fairfield travels to Rosemont on Nov. 27 before DePaul plays at Auburn on Nov. 30 as part of the SEC/Big East Challenge. The Blue Demons meet Fairfield for the first time since the 2002-03 season and face Auburn for the first time in program history.

The month of December starts at Chicago State on Dec. 5 for DePaul’s first trip to Chicago State before Milwaukee visits Allstate Arena for the second straight season on Dec. 9.

DePaul makes its final nonconference trip of the regular season to Arizona State on Dec. 12. DePaul defeated Arizona State, 68-64, last season at the Old Spice Classic in Buena Vista, Fla. The game is the first true road game at a Pac-12 school since playing at California in Dec. 2008. The Blue Demons played UCLA in 2008 and Stanford in 2010 in neutral site settings.

The nonconference schedule concludes with three straight home games against Northern Illinois, Maryland-Baltimore County (UMBC) and Loyola-Chicago. NIU takes the trip to Allstate Arena on Dec. 16 followed by UMBC on Dec. 22. Loyola makes its way from Rogers Park to Rosemont on Dec. 29 for the final nonconference game of the 2012-13 regular season.

In Big East play, the home conference schedule includes Cincinnati, Connecticut, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall and Villanova. DePaul travels to Connecticut, Georgetown, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, St. John’s, USF and Syracuse. Dates, times and television information for the Big East games will be released by the conference office.

For ticket information, contact the DePaul ticket office at (773) 325-SLAM (7526).