I remember DePaul.

Not that I forgot about the school or its men’s basketball team. But I remember what it felt like when the team was good. Real good.

I’m talking about the late 1970s through the early 90s. The Blue Demons were electric. They played in front of full houses and raucous crowds. Public-address announcer Jim Riebandt prompted audience participation, saying “Two shots!” for free throws (clap twice) and, when a player stepped to the line for an and-one, it was “for a three … point … play” (repeat in unison).

The memories of youth.

I’m pretty nostalgic, so maybe my emotions are getting the best of me. But there’s a chance for DePaul to bring that electricity back. The winter pro teams in town are leaving the lane open for the Demons, who are 11-1 and could beat a third Big Ten team this season Saturday, when Northwestern visits Wintrust Arena (7:30 p.m., CBSSN, 560-AM, 1000-AM). DePaul might be what we’re missing: a winner.

The Wildcats can claim they’re Chicago’s Big Ten team. Illinois can claim it’s the state’s team. But DePaul has always been Chicago’s college basketball team. The Demons have that hook of history to pull fans in, and if they keep winning, a renaissance could be afoot.

We had a taste of that when DePaul beat Texas Tech in overtime two weeks ago. The Red Raiders lost in the NCAA Tournament title game last season, and the home crowd sensed the meaningfulness of a victory. The arena was a little over half-full, but it sounded loud on TV.

“The crowd was electric,” said Zach Zaidman, in his 15th season as the Demons’ radio voice on The Score. “It was one of the first times in the new arena where it was loud because of DePaul fans packing the arena. It wasn’t the opponents’ fans that were responsible for the atmosphere.

“The only game that I’ve called during my time at DePaul that was more electric would be my second year, 2006, when they upset Kansas. Kansas was ranked in the top five back then.”

Talk about a power outage. WGN TV sportscaster Dan Roan could compare the energy to that of the glory days. He was the Demons’ voice on Ch. 9 in the 1980s and ’90s. The crowds still have a ways to go to reach those levels.

“I was disappointed a little bit with the crowd for that game against Texas Tech. I thought they’d draw a little better than they did,” Roan said. “But I think word of mouth is gonna help them in that regard. And when you get the Villanovas and the Georgetowns in to play, I would think they’d be able to do pretty well for themselves.”

That’s when we’ll know if DePaul has staying power, when Big East play begins. The nostalgia meter could be spinning in meaningful games with Georgetown, Marquette and St. John’s, teams the Demons have battled since their independent days.

But the Demons can’t recapture every element of that time. Allstate Arena (the more poetically named Rosemont Horizon back then) seats 18,500 people. Wintrust Arena seats 10,387, but it has played a role in DePaul’s turnaround.

“The cool part is Chicago’s college basketball team is now playing games in Chicago,” Zaidman said. “I don’t think any of this happens if they don’t have Wintrust Arena. If they’re still trying to recruit guys to Rosemont, it’s a different scenario. I think that held true for recruits more so than fans. They built a facility that kids want to play in.”

Coach Dave Leitao has assembled the talent to compete in a conference that has manhandled the Demons since they joined in 2005. Charlie Moore transferred back home to give them the true point guard they’ve been missing. Paul Reed was tied for the lead in the nation with his ninth double-double in the victory Wednesday at Cleveland State. Freshman Romeo Weems, the Mr. Basketball of Michigan, passed on Michigan and Michigan State to come to DePaul.

Despite the upgrades, the Big East preseason coaches poll pegged the Demons to finish last.

“We were kicking this around in the office,” Roan said. “I said, that Paul Reed is a beast, they’ve got Charlie Moore coming in to play, they’ve got some other nice pieces and some good freshmen. I said, I don’t see any way these guys are gonna finish last in the Big East.”

Add the underdog role to a team steeped in history with fans yearning for the feeling of the old days, and you might have the formula for a rebirth.

“There’s a little bit of a buzz to this team that hasn’t been around since probably the days of [Quentin Richardson, 1998-2000], when that group reinvigorated the program,” Zaidman said. “But to truly win over the fan base and consistently pack Wintrust Arena, you’ve gotta win in the Big East. I believe they think they can do that, and that’s probably one of the biggest differences between the last decade and what we’re seeing this year.”

Remote patrol

The Northwestern-DePaul game on CBS Sports Network will be called by Ben Holden, analyst Chris Walker and sideline reporter Jon Rothstein. Rothstein will hustle to Wintrust Arena from the United Center, where the network is carrying Dayton-Colorado (5:30 tip), the first game of the Chicago Legends doubleheader. Game 2 between Cincinnati and Iowa will air on the Big Ten Network at 8.