The No. 2 ranked Wildcats picked up a routine win on Monday night against a struggling DePaul by the score of 75-62. With senior captain and center Darryl Reynolds out for the second straight game with a rib injury, the Wildcats found themselves even more shorthanded than usual, but ultimately cruised to their 14th straight victory against DePaul.
This particular matchup marked a homecoming of sorts for sophomore point guard Jalen Brunson, who starred on the Illinois prep basketball team in nearby Lincolnshire in his high school days.
Despite speculation that the pressure of playing in front of family, friends and former classmates might weigh heavily upon him, Brunson scored a team-high 18 points while going 4-for-8 from the field and 8-for-9 at the free throw line.