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HOOPS PREVIEW: Notre Dame At DePaul

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NOTRE DAME (0-0, 0-0 ACC) AT DEPAUL (0-0, 0-0 Big East)

Where: Wintrust Arena in Chicago

Rankings: Notre Dame is ranked No. 14 in the AP Poll

Time/TV: 4 p.m. ET/FoxSports1

Last Meeting: 2013 in South Bend. Notre Dame 82-78 in overtime.

Series Info: Notre Dame leads the series 60-44 and has won the last nine meetings. Marquette is the only school Notre Dame has played more in its history.

The 2017-2018 college basketball season is upon us and Notre Dame begins their season this afternoon on the road against former Big East rival DePaul.

Here is a quick rundown of each team heading into the matchup.

NOTRE DAME OVERVIEW

There are some question marks regarding the Irish heading into the 2017-2018 campaign. Mike Brey’s group boats two widely known commodities in seniors Bonzie Colson and Matt Farrell.

Colson was selected by several national outlets as a preseason first-team All-American selection and ACC Player of the Year while even snagging a few preseason national Player of the Year honors. The forward was second in the ACC last season averaging 17.8 points while leading the league in rebounding at 10.1.

Farrell, a member of the Bob Cousy Award watch list, finished third on the Irish last season with 14.1 points while leading the team with 5.4 assists per contest.

The question marks revolve around how the Irish will replace departing seniors Steve Vasturia and V.J. Beachem who combined for 27.6 points per game last season along with their leadership, etc.

Notre Dame will rely on players making the next jump in their progression this season in order the production that left the program. While both made double digit starts last year, junior guard Rex Pflueger and senior big man Martinas Geben will see their roles expand on the offensive end.

Sophomore guard TJ Gibbs moves to the starting lineup as a secondary ball handler to pair with Farrell. Gibbs averaged 4.7 points per game last season in 15 minutes of action.

Junior big man Elijah Burns earned rave reviews from Mike Brey during the offseason for his effort on the glass during practice, passing ability and voice on both ends of the court to serve as the first man off the bench. Sophomore John Mooney will factor into the big man rotation with his ability to stretch the floor and still provide a rebound presence. Senior Austin Torres, who is coming off an injury, may play a few minutes as he works his way back.

The lone new face to the Irish program — wing DJ Harvey — may serve as the second player off the bench behind Burns. Harvey also earned high marks from Brey, who continually stated the staff had to get Harvey ready to play a role this season given his athleticism and mid-range game.

Sophomore Nik Djogo will likely see his minutes fluctuate each night given the opponent, but the wing will serve as another ball handler and shooter off the bench.

First game jitters will play a factor into the game, but it will provide a good look at how Brey and his staff may approach the rotation this season.

DEPAUL OVERVIEW

The Blue Demons will feature several new faces on the roster this season including three transfers and six freshmen.

But leading scorer guard Eli Cain (15.6 points) returns along with leading rebounder forward Tre’Darius McCallum (6.8 rebounds), who finished third in the team in scoring at 9.7 points.

Dave Leitao’s group welcomes Northern Illinois big man Marin Maric to the fold. Maric averaged 14.4 points and 8.4 rebounds last season for the Huskies. Joining Maric is Lewis University (DII) guard transfer Max Strus, who averaged 20.2 points during the 2015-2016 season before sitting out last year.

Former top-50 recruit Austin Grandstaff will make his DePaul debut after transferring from Oklahoma last year. The guard originally signed with Ohio State before moving on to Norman.

Last season, DePaul finished 9-23 while scoring 68.9 points (279th) and allowing 74.6 points (232nd) per contest. The Blue Demons ranked near the bottom nationally in assists and rebounds last season dishing out 11.4 assists (302nd) and grabbing 33.0 rebounds (t-301st).

OUTLOOK

This marks the first time under Brey that Notre Dame has opened up on the road. The Irish are also perfect in season openers (17-0) during Brey's tenure.

While many Power Five teams will open the season a home against a mid-major program which would allow for, typically, a somewhat easy win.

But a game like this puts Notre Dame in a little more stressful situation which gives Brey an early chance to see how his team reacts on the road.

A lot of attention will be on how the Irish play outside of Colson and Farrell and who rises to become the third option offensively. It's only one game, so not every potential question mark will be answered this afternoon. But, this matchup will be more beneficial for the Irish compared to playing a completely overmatched opponent.

PREDICTION

Notre Dame 78, DePaul 67

Road games aren't easy and adding first game jitters and new arena excitement to the equation will make life a little tougher on the Irish in the season opener.

But luckily for Notre Dame, Colson and Farrell's senior leadership should help in this situation. I expect the duo to start the 2017-2018 season off strong and help the Irish pull out a tough road win to begin their campaign.

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