Power Outage: DePaul and Missouri Go Winless in Elite-League Competition
Eight power-conference members in the last 11 seasons have gone winless in league competition after DePaul and Missouri suffered the indignity this campaign. Coach Chris Holtmann has a massive rebuilding job in Chicago. DePaul, sustaining 14 of its 20 league setbacks by at least 23 points, posted the biggest losing margin for a winless power-conference member in the last 69 seasons while Mizzou suffered half of its 18 reversals by fewer than eight points. The Blue Demons, incurring the same Big East Conference fate 15 years ago, joined Clemson (1954 and 1955), Georgia Tech (1954 and 1981), Northwestern (1991 and 2000) and Texas Christian (1964, 1977 and 2014) as current power-league schools in this dubious category multiple times since the formation of the ACC in 1953-54. Tech was winless in two different power leagues (SEC and ACC).
This is the third season in the last 70 years when two power-conference members were winless in league competition. Previous campaigns with a pair of winless power-league teams in that span were 1953-54 (Clemson and Georgia Tech) and 1985-86 (Colorado and Wake Forest). The ACC and Big East have had the most different members go winless in that stretch with four apiece. Clemson headlines the following list by largest average losing margin in power-league play of winless teams since the ACC's inaugural campaign in 1953-54:
| Winless Power-League Member | Conference | Season | League Mark (Average Losing Margin) | Overall | Coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson | ACC | 1953-54 | 0-9 (29.3) | 5-18 | Banks McFadden |
| Clemson | ACC | 1954-55 | 0-14 (24.6) | 2-21 | Banks McFadden |
| DePaul* | Big East | 2023-24 | 0-20 (23.9) | 3-28 | Tony Stubblefield/Matt Brady |
| Georgia Tech | ACC | 1980-81 | 0-14 (23.6) | 4-23 | Dwane Morrison |
| Miami (Fla.) | Big East | 1993-94 | 0-18 (20.2) | 7-20 | Leonard Hamilton |
| Northwestern | Big Ten | 1999-00 | 0-16 (20.1) | 5-25 | Kevin O'Neill |
| Pittsburgh | ACC | 2017-18 | 0-18 (19.1) | 8-24 | Kevin Stallings |
| Oregon State | Pac-10 | 2007-08 | 0-18 (18.7) | 6-25 | Jay John/Kevin Mouton |
| Georgia Tech | SEC | 1953-54 | 0-14 (18.4) | 2-22 | John "Whack" Hyder |
| Texas Christian | Big 12 | 2013-14 | 0-18 (17.8) | 9-22 | Trent Johnson |
| Colorado | Big Eight | 1985-86 | 0-14 (17.2) | 8-20 | Tom Apke |
| Boston College | ACC | 2015-16 | 0-18 (16.9) | 7-25 | Jim Christian |
| Northwestern | Big Ten | 1990-91 | 0-18 (16.7) | 5-23 | Bill Foster |
| Texas Christian | SWC | 1976-77 | 0-16 (16.1) | 3-23 | Johnny Swaim |
| DePaul* | Big East | 2008-09 | 0-18 (15.8) | 9-24 | Jerry Wainwright |
| Wake Forest | ACC | 1985-86 | 0-14 (15.4) | 8-21 | Bob Staak |
| Texas Tech | SWC | 1989-90 | 0-16 (13.8) | 5-22 | Gerald Myers |
| Vanderbilt | SEC | 2018-19 | 0-18 (13.3) | 9-23 | Bryce Drew |
| Texas Christian | SWC | 1963-64 | 0-14 (13.1) | 4-20 | Byron "Buster" Brannon |
| Iowa State | Big 12 | 2020-21 | 0-18 (12.6) | 2-22 | Steve Prohm |
| Georgetown | Big East | 2021-22 | 0-19 (12.4) | 6-25 | Patrick Ewing |
| Oregon | Pac-8 | 1971-72 | 0-14 (12.3) | 6-20 | Dick Harter |
| Texas A&M | Big 12 | 2003-04 | 0-16 (11) | 7-21 | Melvin Watkins |
| Missouri | SEC | 2023-24 | 0-18 (10.7) | 8-23 | Dennis Gates |
| Southern California | Pac-8 | 1975-76 | 0-14 (9.6) | 11-16 | Bob Boyd |
| Providence | Big East | 1979-80 | 0-6 (9.5) | 11-16 | Gary Walters |
*DePaul won opening-round game in 2009 league tourney and lost 2024 tourney opener by one point.