:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70410346/usa_today_17489469.0.jpg)
DePaul Blue Demons leading scorer Javon Freeman-Liberty has been ruled out of tonight’s Big East contest against No. 20 Xavier with a groin injury according to reports.
Javon Freeman-Liberty is officially out tonight against 20th ranked Xavier. Hopeful the absence is just for this game. Expect Jalen Terry and David Jones to lead the fight for the Blue Demons tonight #BlueGrit #DePaul #dpubb #FindAWay
— Caleb Nixon (@calebnixon03) January 20, 2022
Freeman-Liberty is the do-everything guard for the team from Chicago, averaging a Big East high 21.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game, as well as 5.6 assists per contest. The impact he has on the Blue Demons (10-6, 1-5 Big East) is as much as any single player in America has on their team. He also averages 35 minutes per contest to lead his team.
Xavier (13-3, 3-2 Big East) is in the Top 35 both offensively and defensively according to KenPom.com, and should be in for a much easier test without one of the better players in the conference against them on Wednesday night.
Right now at DraftKings Sportsbook, the Blue Demons are listed as an 9.5-point underdog, which is a big movement in just about 15 minutes. The line opened with DePaul a 7-point underdog but had moved to eight in early trading, and the current total sits at 149.