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Butler takes aim at Blue Demons as DePaul targets rare Big East bye

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NCAA Basketball: St. John at DePaulFeb 3, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; DePaul Blue Demons head coach Chris Holtmann directs his team against the St. John’s Red Storm during the first half at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Since DePaul joined the Big East in 2005, it has experienced just one winning record in league play.

The Blue Demons finished alone in last place 10 times in their first 20 Big East years and shared the basement two other times.

With that as the backdrop, there’s more on the line than the records suggest when DePaul (16-14, 8-11) hosts Butler (15-15, 6-13) in a regular-season finale Saturday morning in Chicago.

If the Blue Demons win, they’ll clinch the No. 5 seed and a first-round bye in the Big East tournament. They’ve never had a bye or such a high seed. They’d also clinch the school’s first winning season since 2018-19.

“This program was once good,” said DePaul guard Brandon Maclin, one of four Senior Day honorees. “And then it dropped from being good. We’ve got to rebuild it back up and I believe we are the foundation to the program getting right back where it needs to be.”

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Second-year boss Chris Holtmann, among the 20 finalists for the Jim Phelan Award that goes to the national coach of the year, has rebuilt the Blue Demons on defensive effort and unselfishness.

Per KenPom, DePaul entered Friday’s action ranked No. 39 in defensive efficiency (100.6 points allowed per 100 possessions) and 27th in assists per field goal (60.8%).

One area of concern? The Blue Demons have played so hard to get where they are, they might be wearing down. They made just 2 of 16 from 3-point range in Wednesday’s 19-point home loss to Villanova.

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“It’s crossed my mind that do we have some guys out there that have logged a lot of minutes throughout the course of the season and it’s caught up with them a little bit,” Holtmann said. “We’ve got to figure out a way to keep them fresh, which is why I kept some of those guys on the bench a little bit more (Wednesday night).

“The clean looks that we’ve had, that some of our guys have had, that they’re missing is a little bit uncharacteristic.”

Butler enters Saturday after a similarly disappointing Wednesday result at home. The Bulldogs suffered a 17-point loss to Creighton while hitting just 4 of 24 from 3-point range. Head coach Thad Matta suggested it was a new low for his squad, which has dropped eight of their last 10 games.

“It was one of those games where we didn’t have it,” Matta said after the 76-57 loss to Creighton. “The thing that bothers me most is that, you know, you sit at home and watch games at night, like, whoo, that team, there’s one that got drilled (and) they got drilled (and) they got drilled. I told my wife, ‘We haven’t done that yet. We’ve continued to fight. We’ve continued to scrape. We’ve continued to claw.’”

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On an individual basis, Butler’s Michael Ajayi (16.4 ppg, 11.1 rpg) and Finley Bizjack (17.0 ppg) and DePaul’s CJ Gunn (13.5 ppg) and NJ Benson (11.3 ppg, 7.5 rpg) have their last chance to put up numbers and improve their all-Big East candidacies.

–Field Level Media

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Free emblems, new cosmetics, and more

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2 minutes ago

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7 March 2026

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Diablo 4 is collaborating with yet another major franchise in Season 12: Season of Slaughter. This time, the crossover is with Doom: The Dark Ages, bringing the Slayer’s aesthetic to Sanctuary through thematic rewards, premium cosmetics, and free emblems during a limited-time event.

This event will begin on March 11, 2026, at 10 am PT and is set to run until 10 am PT on March 18, 2026.

Everything we know about the Doom: The Dark Ages collaboration

Season 12 of Diablo 4 is also known as the Season of Slaughter (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)Season 12 of Diablo 4 is also known as the Season of Slaughter (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)
Season 12 of Diablo 4 is also known as the Season of Slaughter (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

This crossover introduces the “most expansive earnable Reliquary yet” to Diablo 4 Season 12. During its run, players can battle enemies to earn Dark Ages Currency, a new currency tied to the Doom: The Dark Ages event.

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To earn Dark Ages Currency, players must slay Elite and Champion enemies. The currency can then be spent on Doom: The Dark Ages-themed cosmetics from the event reliquary.

The reliquary contains 10 unique transmogs inspired by the Doom Slayer’s arsenal. Each cosmetic costs 100x Dark Ages Currency. Examples include:

  • Shield Saw cosmetic skin
  • Doom Slayer’s Flail weapon cosmetic

These items give your character a Doom-inspired makeover, perfect for facing Sanctuary’s demons.

Once you have acquired all the rewards, you will be able to claim the bonus Forsaken Gates Town Portal.

Players can get Doom: The Dark Ages-themed cosmetics from the reliquary (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)Players can get Doom: The Dark Ages-themed cosmetics from the reliquary (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)
Players can get Doom: The Dark Ages-themed cosmetics from the reliquary (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Doom Chests: Boss drops

In addition to the reliquary rewards, players can earn loot by engaging bosses. Lair Bosses in Season 12 have a chance of dropping Doom Chests, which contain Unique items with Doom Crucible-themed transmogs. This provides players with special cosmetic versions of gear and an incentive to challenge high-tier bosses in the Season of Slaughter.

Also read – Diablo 4 Season 12: The strongest builds, based on PTR meta

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Free Doom: The Dark Ages emblems in Diablo 4 Season 12

Players can fight Elite enemies, collect Dark Ages Currency, and purchase these cosmetics (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)Players can fight Elite enemies, collect Dark Ages Currency, and purchase these cosmetics (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)
Players can fight Elite enemies, collect Dark Ages Currency, and purchase these cosmetics (Image via Blizzard Entertainment)

Blizzard Entertainment is also giving away multiple free emblems during the event period via the in-game shop. You can claim them on the following dates and timings:

  • March 11, 12 pm PT – Dark Before the Dawn
  • March 13, 12 pm PT – Grandeur of the Gutted
  • March 15, 12 pm PT – Rip and Tear

These emblems are completely free; you only need to log in to the game in order to claim them.

Also read – Diablo 4 Season 12 PTR: Best builds for every class

Paid premium cosmetics

Alongside free rewards, you can also obtain optional paid cosmetics from the in-game shop starting from March 12, 2026, at 12 pm PT. The items include:

  • Doom Slayer Armor (cross-class armor set)
  • Mecha Dragon Serrat cat mount skin
  • Cacodemon pet

Blizzard has not yet confirmed the prices of these cosmetics. However, based on previous crossover cosmetics, they may range between $20 and $30 each.

Also read – D4 Lord of Hatred will bring back iconic crafting item from D2

The Doom: The Dark Ages collaboration will launch with Season 12: Season of Slaughter, which also introduces Bloodied Items, the Killstreak system, and the player ability to temporarily transform into The Butcher, complete with unique skills and gameplay mechanics.

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Players will also be able to check out the new Paladin Class (from the upcoming Lord of Hatred expansion) up to level 25. With free reliquary items, Doom cosmetics, and a Paladin class trial, Season 12 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting seasons yet in Diablo 4.

For more details on Diablo 4 Season 12, visit the game’s official website.

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