CHICAGO, Ill.- West Georgia men's basketball opens the 2026-27 regular season on Monday, Nov. 2, traveling to Chicago to face DePaul in the first meeting between the two programs. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. at Wintrust Arena, with the game streaming on ESPN+.

The matchup marks UWG's third season competing at the NCAA Division I level and its first as a member of the United Athletic Conference (UAC). The Wolves open against a DePaul program coming off its highest finish in the BIG EAST regular season in program history.

Monday marks the first all-time meeting between the Wolves and Blue Demons. It also marks UWG's first matchup against a current BIG EAST member.West Georgia began its college basketball program in 1957, while DePaul first took the court in 1923. The Blue Demons enter the matchup in their third season under head coach Chris Holtmann, who has guided the program through a significant turnaround.

UWG enters its third Division I season after making significant strides during the 2025-26 campaign. The Wolves increased their win total from six to 15, a 150% improvement, and finished 13-17 against Division I competition with a .433 winning percentage. That mark ranked seventh among programs in their second year of Division I reclassification.

The Wolves also doubled their conference win total from four to eight, earning the No. 6 seed in the ASUN Championship Tournament. UWG secured its first Division I postseason victory with a win over No. 11 North Florida in the opening round before advancing to the ASUN quarterfinals.

As the program transitions into the UAC, head coach Dave Moore enters his ninth season at the helm. Moore believes this year's roster brings increased depth and size, while maintaining the strengths that helped the Wolves find success last season.

"I think we have a group this year with more guys who can play. We're a deeper group than we were last year, with better positional size. We were a good rebounding and shot-blocking team last year, and those are things that will need to carry over for us to be successful this season in a talented league like the United Athletic Conference," Moore said.

Guard Chas Lewless headlines UWG's returning backcourt after earning Preseason All-UAC recognition. Lewless delivered one of the Wolves' most memorable performances of the season on Dec. 1, 2025, scoring a career-high 26 points in a 93-89 double-overtime road victory over Troy, the eventual Sun Belt Conference champions. He shot 60% from the field and 75% from three-point range, scoring 20 points across the two overtime periods to help UWG complete the comeback.

Forward Kenneth Chime also returns as a key presence in the frontcourt. The redshirt sophomore appeared in 32 games and made 28 starts last season, averaging 5.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game while shooting 58% from the field. Chime averaged 1.6 blocks per game, ranking third in the ASUN, and his 50 blocks tied for sixth in UWG single-season history.

The Wolves also welcome back forward Micah Smith, who missed last season due to injury after appearing in 21 games and making four starts at Georgia Southern in 2024-25.

West Georgia adds several newcomers who will look to make an immediate impact, including junior college standout Juaquin Dixon. The Chicago native arrives from Malcolm X College after starting all 32 games and averaging 22.0 points per game on 51% shooting, along with 1.8 steals per contest. Dixon earned City Colleges of Chicago Men's Basketball Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive season, NJCAA Region 4 Player of the Year recognition and an NJCAA All-American honorable mention.

The Wolves also add 6-foot-11 forward David Simon, who transfers from Vermont. Simon appeared in 18 games last season, averaging 3.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game while shooting 65% from the field and 57.1% from three-point range. He recorded a career-high 18 points against Pepperdine.

Redshirt senior transfer Lou Hutchinson brings additional Division I experience after starting all 33 games for Alabama A&M last season. Hutchinson averaged 4.0 points and 1.7 rebounds per game.

DePaul finished the 2025-26 season at 16-16, recording its second-most BIG EAST wins in program history and finishing sixth in the conference standings, the highest regular season finish in program history. The Blue Demons were selected eighth in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, their highest preseason selection since 2015-16.

Holtmann's squad returns seven players from last season and welcomes nine newcomers, including six transfers. Guard Layden Blocker leads the returning group after earning Preseason All-BIG EAST Third Team honors. Blocker averaged 11.1 points, 3.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game last season, finishing among the conference's top 10 in both assists and steals. He is DePaul's leading returning scorer.

The Blue Demons also feature forward Magoon Gwath, a 7-foot, 221 pound senior transfer from San Diego State. Gwath earned Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors in 2025 and has recorded 105 blocks across two collegiate seasons.

West Georgia opens the 2026-27 campaign against DePaul on Monday, Nov. 2, at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and the game will be available on ESPN+.

UWG fans can stay connected throughout the season opener and the 2026-27 season by following @uwg_mbb on Instagram and @UWGMBB on X for live updates, news and results.