DePaul Game Preview

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Five games into DePaul?s non-conference season, nobody expected the Blue Demons to be standing at a record of 2-3. After going 0-2 south of the border in Cancun, the Blue Demons return home to Allstate Arena for a non-conference matchup with the Stags.

DePaul struggled in the halfcourt on both offense and defense in Cancun. DePaul coach Oliver Purnell needs to right the ship quickly with games against Fairfield at home and on the road at Auburn this week.

Fairfield (3-3) is coming off a 66-47 loss at Providence. The Stags are 158th in the RPI according to kenpom.com.

Fairfield is not a high scoring team. The Stags three losses have come to Providence, Virginia, and Lehigh. They?ve defeated Central Connecticut, Penn and Fordham.

This game represents a Homecoming for former DeLaSalle player Derek Needham and Colin Nickerson from Waukegan. Both are now seniors for the Stags. Needham is Fairfield?s leading scorer. He dropped 18 points, included four 3-pointers, to lead Fairfield in the loss at Providence. The Friars had a 17-0 scoring spurt in the second half of that contest. DePaul should look to put together a similar scoring run on Fairfield.

The Stags will be without freshman center Vincent Van Nes who suffered a career ending toe injury.

The Blue Demons have been without sophomores Jamee Crockett & Charles McKinney. Crockett has been out with a right knee sprain, while McKinney missed one game in Cancun with a knee contusion.

The probable starting lineup for the Blue Demons on Tuesday is Worrel Clahar, Brandon Young, Moses Morgan, Cleveland Melvin, and Donnavan Kirk.

The Last Time

On December 7th, 2002, at Madison Square Garden, Andre Brown led the Blue Demons to a 94-90 win over the Stags with 24 points.

 

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Fairfield's Van Nes suffers career-ending injury


Vincent Van Nes' basketball career at Fairfield University ended without him ever playing a game.

The school announced Monday that the 7-foot center from Dorcester, England, has a career-ending toe injury and will no longer play basketball.

Van Nes will remain at the school as a student.

"After having my third surgery on my foot this fall, the process of trying to get back to playing basketball again has been frustrating, both physically and mentally" Van Nes said, in a press release issued by the university. "It has required a lot of patience and I thank my coaches, teammates, medical staff and fans for their continued support during these times. It is frustrating to have been part of such a great team but being unable to fully contribute. I wish Fairfield basketball all the best for the future. I feel like it's time to move on and explore other opportunities and consider my long-term health."

Van Nes is the third member of former coach Ed Cooley's final recruting class to leave, joining transfer Adam Jones and non-qualifier Kevin Thomas. The loss of Van Nes leaves the Stags without a sophomore on the roster and dangerously thin in big men. Only 7-footer Josip Mikulic and 6-8 Amadou Sidibe, both freshmen, are over 6-6 on the roster.

Fairfield coach Sydney Johnson was optimistic over the summer that Van Nes, who missed all of last season due to eligibility issues with the NCAA, was recovering from the injury and could play this season. Van Nes has battled foot/toe problems dating back to his high school days.

"He just can't do it any more," Johnson said earlier Monday in his weekly Sit Down with Sydney chat with Hearst News Service.

"He's taken a major setback and at this point in his career it looks like he won't be able to perform any more."




The Stags (3-3) flew to Chicago on Monday night and will play at DePaul (2-3) at 9 p.m. Tuesday.