Cornell @ DePaul preview

DePaul is garnering headlines for all the right reasons heading into Saturday's non-conference matchup with visiting Cornell. The Blue Demons, who should prove too much to handle for the Big Red of the Ivy League, are 4-0 for the first time in more than a decade and got that way by going on the road to defeat a Big Ten team in decisive fashion.

Paul Reed has been everything coach Dave Leitao, whose three-game suspension was the only blemish on the season to this point, could have hoped for and more. The junior was the star in the 93-78 thrashing of Iowa with 25 points, 12 rebounds and four steals but wasn't the only one to play well for the Blue Demons, who have their long-suffering fans daring to dream of the NCAA Tournament. "I couldn't be happier about the start," Leitao, who returned from his suspension for recruiting violations, told the media. "That was our fourth game in seven days and fatigue was concerning, but we really didn't show it." Jimmy Boeheim is off to a strong start with a pair of 20-point outings but the Big Red have had to endure a pair of one-point losses after cruising against Binghamton in their season opener.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FSN

ABOUT CORNELL (1-2): Senior forward Josh Warren isn't just doing yeoman's work on the glass by leading the Big Red with eight rebounds a game, he also has been the team's best facilitator by averaging 5.3 assists. Judging by his percentages, the 6-8 forward from Pennsylvania should take fewer 3-pointers and concentrate on shots from inside the arc, which he is making at a 66.6 percent clip. Terrance McBride, the second-leading scorer for coach Brian Earl, has been a touch better than Warren on two-pointers, hitting 70 percent.

ABOUT DEPAUL (4-0): Jalen Coleman-Lands and Devin Gage hadn't gotten off to the best of starts, including Gage missing a game due to injury, but the duo stepped up against Iowa. Coleman-Lands appears to be all the way back from an injury that shelved him for most of last season as the senior scored 17 points, dished out five assists and got hot from 3-point land. Gage, who has seen his starting role go to transfer Charlie Moore, logged 29 minutes off the bench and had 13 points, four assists and three steals while going 6-of-6 from the field.

TIP-INS

1. The Blue Demons have never faced the Big Red but have put together an 8-2 record against the other seven members of the Ivy League.

2. Freshman F Romeo Weems did a little bit of everything for the Blue Demons against Iowa as the Detroit native had nine points, six rebounds, five assists and three blocks.

3. The last time DePaul opened at 5-0 was in 1986-87, when the team ran off 16 victories to start the season and reached the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament.

PREDICTION: DePaul 88, Cornell 70