DePaul Blue Demons

The DePaul Blue Demons bring big-city Chicago basketball tradition to the Big East, playing at Wintrust Arena near the South Loop. DePaul's history includes some of the earliest superstars in the sport's history, and the program carries a legacy of pioneering big-man play in an era before the modern game. While recent decades have been rebuilding years, the Blue Demons' history and market give the program real upside within the conference.

DePaul University was founded in 1898 in Chicago. Under Hall of Fame coach Ray Meyer, the Blue Demons rose to prominence behind George Mikan, college basketball's first true dominant big man, winning the 1945 NIT championship in an era when the NIT rivaled the NCAA Tournament in prestige. DePaul reached the Final Four in 1979 behind star Mark Aguirre before falling to eventual champion Indiana State. The Blue Demons have not won an NCAA title and joined the Big East as a founding member in 1979.