DePaul men's basketball pauses, postpones two games

The men's basketball program of the DePaul Blue Demons will continue to be idle through at least the halfway point of December. 

DePaul confirmed on Tuesday that it is temporarily pausing team activities following positive COVID-19 test results and subsequent quarantines. Additionally, DePaul's upcoming contests versus the Seton Hall Pirates on Friday and against the No. 9-ranked Villanova Wildcats on Dec. 14 were postponed. 

The Big East will announce rescheduled dates for those games if/when they are available.

Back on Nov. 19, DePaul canceled the first three games on its calendar because of COVID-19 issues impacting the program. As noted by the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), the Blue Demons haven't yet played an official game this season. 

"As we continue to abide by COVID-19 protocols, we must pause our men's basketball activities. These are difficult decisions but there is nothing more important than the safety of our student-athletes, coaches and staff," athletic director DeWayne Peevy said in the prepared statement. 

"I continue to admire the resilience of our coaches and players as we work through these challenging times together. The hard work and support of our medical staff could not be better right now as they provide guidance for all of us.

"We'll continue to be flexible to gauge whether we can add any non-conference games to our Big East schedule. We're all ready to see our Blue Demons play and we'll be there soon."