Day: Sunday
Date: January 31st, 2021
Time: 1:00
Location: Chicago, Ill
TV: FOX
No. 3 UConn Huskies No. 17 DePaul Blue Demons
10-1 (8-0) 9-3 (3-1)
Prior Meetings
DEPAUL | UCONN LEADS 17-1 H: 6-0 | A: 7-0 | N: 4-1
12/28/83 DePaul 70, UConn 64 Coral Gables, Fla.
01/28/06 #5 UConn 84, #12 DePaul 75 Chicago, Ill.
03/06/06 #8 UConn 69, #15 DePaul 57 Hartford, Conn.
01/24/07 #7 UConn 88, DePaul 76 Storrs, Conn.
03/01/08 #1 UConn 77, DePaul 76 Chicago, Ill.
03/09/08 #1 UConn 86, DePaul 67 Hartford, Conn.
01/13/09 #1 UConn 77, DePaul 62 Storrs, Conn.
02/10/10 #1 UConn 95, DePaul 62 Chicago, Ill.
02/05/11 #2 UConn 89, #9 DePaul 66 Storrs, Conn.
01/21/12 #3 UConn 88, #21 DePaul 44 Chicago, Ill.
02/10/13 #3 UConn 91, DePaul 44 Storrs, Conn.
03/10/13 #3 UConn 94, DePaul 61 Hartford, Conn.
12/19/14 #2 UConn 98, #29 DePaul 64 Bridgeport, Conn.
12/02/15 #1 UConn 86, #18 DePaul 70 Chicago, Ill.
12/01/16 #2 UConn 91, #15 DePaul 46 Storrs, Conn.
12/08/17 #1 UConn 103, DePaul 69 Chicago, Ill.
11/28/18 #2 UConn 99 #16 Depaul 63 Hartford, Conn.
12/28/83 DePaul 70, UConn 64 Coral Gables, Fla.
01/28/06 #5 UConn 84, #12 DePaul 75 Chicago, Ill.
03/06/06 #8 UConn 69, #15 DePaul 57 Hartford, Conn.
01/24/07 #7 UConn 88, DePaul 76 Storrs, Conn.
03/01/08 #1 UConn 77, DePaul 76 Chicago, Ill.
03/09/08 #1 UConn 86, DePaul 67 Hartford, Conn.
01/13/09 #1 UConn 77, DePaul 62 Storrs, Conn.
02/10/10 #1 UConn 95, DePaul 62 Chicago, Ill.
02/05/11 #2 UConn 89, #9 DePaul 66 Storrs, Conn.
01/21/12 #3 UConn 88, #21 DePaul 44 Chicago, Ill.
02/10/13 #3 UConn 91, DePaul 44 Storrs, Conn.
03/10/13 #3 UConn 94, DePaul 61 Hartford, Conn.
12/19/14 #2 UConn 98, #29 DePaul 64 Bridgeport, Conn.
12/02/15 #1 UConn 86, #18 DePaul 70 Chicago, Ill.
12/01/16 #2 UConn 91, #15 DePaul 46 Storrs, Conn.
12/08/17 #1 UConn 103, DePaul 69 Chicago, Ill.
11/28/18 #2 UConn 99 #16 Depaul 63 Hartford, Conn.
12/16/19 #2 UConn 84 #16 DePaul 74 Chicago, Ill.
12/29/20 #3 UConn 75 #16 DePaul 52 Storrs, Conn.
First game replay
Really good discussion about the game.
I believe this was before the Arkansas loss.
DePaul Overview
(game scores are clickable for more detail)
DePaul hasn't lost since the last time these two teams met where UConn won 75-52. DePaul beat Villanova 94-82, St. John's 101-84, Georgetown 78-54 and Butler 80-66. They are playing very well, averaging 88.3 PPG and giving up 71.5 PPG in those 4 outings.
Comparative Team Statistics
Leader in bold
UConn DePaul
85.3 PPG 85.3
52.3 Defensive PPG 76.7
33.0 Scoring Margin 9.3
52.5 Field Goal % 43.2
32.2 Defensive FG% 47.4
36.0 Three Point % 32.9
27.5 Defensive 3PT% 33,8
68.7 Free Throw % 73.8
42.2 Rebounds/game 37.1
11.5 Rebounding Margin -5.1
21.5 Assists per game 17.5
14.7 Turnover per game 14.8
1.5 Assists/TO ratio 1.2
9.8 Steals per game 11.7
5.9 Blocks per game 2.5
UCONN
The player and coaches names for both teams
are clickable to see their Bios
UConn Starters
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DEPAUL
The former DePaul basketball player who is forever grateful to the athletic scholarship he received from legendary Blue Demon coach Ray Meyer is heading into his 33rd season as the head coach at his alma mater. Born and raised in Chicago and a product of Quigley South High School, Bruno has transformed DePaul women’s basketball into a steadfast national power.
He has guided the Blue Demons to 17 consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances (18 if they had one last year) ---a feat only the NCAA elite of Connecticut, Notre Dame, Stanford, Tennessee and Oklahoma can also claim.
DePaul Starters
DePaul Bench
DePaul is still doing what they usually do in scoring a lot of points averaging almost 90 points per game. I'm sure Coach Bruno realizes his teams only chance to make a game of it is to make a lot of threes. In the first match up they took 37 threes. That is a crazy number. But they only made 9. Not enough. Five of the seven players that saw minutes in the first game made a three pointer, so the long range shots will come from anywhere on the court.
Usually, DePaul is one of the best passing teams in the country. Coach Bruno is an excellent offensive coach and his players usually do a great job valuing the ball. But in the first match up Depaul had 16 turnovers and only 9 assists.
I asked this before the first match up. Can they hit their three point shots at a high percentage against UConn? Can they find a way to play enough defense to keep UConn under 80? The answers were No and Yes. UConn was able to get out on the shooters without worrying about the DePaul players getting to the rim. And DePaul did hold UConn to 72 points. UConn shot a terrible 41% from the floor and 30% on threes. Some of that was good defense some was just poor shooting.
This season every starter is under 6' tall in their rotation. They were bringing Jone Allen, a 6'1" sophomore transfer from Indiana off the bench but Bruno needed someone to defend Nelson-Ododa so she started in the first match up. It didn't go well as Nelson-Ododa score 16 points on 7-11 shooting and grabbed 14 rebounds, 8 of those on the offensive glass.
Look for Sonya Morris, Dee Bekeilja and Lexi Held to take a lot of three point shots. They took a combined 19 shots from beyond the line. Darionne Rogers added 10 of her own. As I said earlier almost every player on the court for DePaul will fire away.
DePaul is usually able to create turnovers against most teams, and UConn can't afford to be sloppy with the ball like last season. They did a good job in the first game with only 14 turnovers to go with their 21 assists. UConn has the good ball handlers so I don't expect DePaul to have much success in doing that although they will press to try to disrupt the UConn offense. Their defense has been pretty shoddy this year so far. Opponents are shooting 47.4% from the field and 33.8% on threes. Not good. DePaul is allowing 76.7 PPG. A very ugly number. They did hold UConn to 72 points and lower shooting percentage but they are coming off a very good offensive outing in their losing effort against Arkansas (that hurt to type).
It almost goes with saying but UConn's defense will have to work hard in preventing open threes. DePaul seems to find that open player. UConn is the best at closing in on the open shooter with their amazing switching defense and their advantage with their length. However, it's certain that DePaul will get some open looks. If they hit them at a higher rate than the first match up, DePaul can certainly make it close but I don't see how they can slow down the UConn offense this time.
The Huskies have a size advantage and I believe a speed advantage as well. UConn will run off DePaul misses and I expect there to be enough of those to allow UConn so score plenty of points.
Games for the Husky offense seem to go the same every game. Paige Bueckers and Evina Westbrook find Olivia Nelson-Ododa down low for easy buckets or Bueckers slithers her way in the lane for her now perfected pull up jumper.
Another difference in this game is that Anna Makurat is out with a foot injury, and Nika Muhl will see more minutes. Aubrey Griffin only played 6 minutes in the first match up. Now she is starting. I would look for her to have a big game.
Final Prediction
After a loss in their first meeting ever in 1983, UConn has won the last 18 game in a rivalry that started in 2006. In their first 4 meeting since 2006 UConn won by an average of 8 PPG with one really close game won in the last second by the Huskies. Sine then UConn has won the last 13 games by an average of 30 PPG. They won the first match up this season by 23 points. I really don't expect this game to be too different. Then again, DePaul is at home and weird things happen on their home court. Last year was only a 10 point margin. To replicate that it will take them making 40% of the 35+ threes they will have to take and for UConn to struggle on offense. I just don't see both of those happening.
UConn is so difficult to defend this year, mainly because this is maybe the best passing UConn team I have seen in a long time. I would go as far to say that Bueckers, Williams and Westbrook are the best back court in the country. I just have a feeling that home court will take around 10 points off the margin of victory.
UConn by 15+.
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