The Huskies look to get back on track against the Blue Demons.
UConn men’s basketball returns home Wednesday night to take on a much improved but still struggling DePaul squad. The Blue Demons (10-11, 1-7 Big East) have lost seven of its last eight, but did take down Georgetown for its first conference win in over two seasons on Jan. 17. The Huskies (14-6, 6-3 Big East) survived a late push from DePaul in Chicago to win the first matchup between the two schools this season, but has lost three of its last five games.
The Huskies return to Hartford after Saturday’s 76-72 loss on the road to Xavier and look to bounce back with tough February slate looming. Following the matchup with DePaul, UConn’s first three games of February are at Marquette, home versus St. John’s and away at Creighton. A win over the Blue Demons would help alleviate the slide down the conference standings, keep UConn in the mix to contend in the conference, and build up some momentum heading into what could be a season-defining set of games.
TV: Peacock
Radio: UConn Sports Network
Odds: UConn -14.5, over/under 144.5
Location: XL Center — Hartford, Connecticut
KenPom Predicted Score: UConn 81, DePaul 67 (89 percent win probability)
Series History
UConn is 20-1 all time against the Blue Demons in a series that spans over two decades. The Huskies took down DePaul 81-68 on New Year’s Day in Chicago in the first matchup of the season
What to Watch For
Injury update
UConn’s injury list is only getting larger. Dan Hurley told reports Tuesday that Ahmad Nowell will not play Wednesday after suffering an ankle injury. He also said that starting point guard Hassan Diarra is “banged up” but still will play against the Blue Demons.
Liam McNeeley is set to be a game time decision for Wednesday, but it seems like the freshman will not play. Forward Alex Karaban is also still recovering from an ankle injury he suffered on Jan. 18 against Creighton and struggled in the loss to Xavier, scoring just nine points in 31 minutes and fouling out.
Containing Conor Enright
With Nowell out and Diarra banged up, the UConn backcourt will have its work cut out to contain DePaul point guard Conor Enright, one of the top distributors in the conference. Enright was a force in the last matchup against the Huskies, scoring 18 points and adding nine assists, spurring a late Blue Demons run to make UConn’s victory a little too close comfort at late in the second half.
Enright is the ringleader of a DePaul offense that loves to move the ball, as the Blue Demons rank 10th nationally in assist rate. While he’s not much of a shooter (32 percent from three), he can drive and kick to Jacob Meyer (37 percent from three) and Isaiah Rivera (42.5 percent) for open shots. Enright prefers to score either in transition or by getting to the paint, and with Diarra dinged up, Aidan Mahaney and Solo Ball will need to showcase some improved defense to keep the Drake transfer from getting into the middle of the Huskies’ defense and connecting with open shooters.
Limit the 3-pointers
DePaul loves to shoot the three, as the long ball makes up nearly half of the Blue Demons’ total field goal attempts per game. There’s good reason, as shooters like Meyer and Rivera are among some of the best in the conference and DePaul shoots 36.1 percent from three overall as a team.
The last time these two teams played, UConn excelled at running the Blue Demons off the perimeter. DePaul entered the matchup averaging nearly 12 made threes per game, but ended up attempting only total and making just three. The extra pressure on the perimeter disrupted the Blue Demons’ offense and forced them to try and beat UConn around the paint, where the Huskies controlled the board and blocked seven shots.
UConn will need to implement the same strategy in Hartford Wednesday night and keep DePaul’s 3-point attempts to a minimum to avoid the upset. While the Huskies have been slightly unlucky, they have still given up threes a high clip this season with opponents shooting 37.6 percent from deep. While DePaul does have two dangerous shooters in Rivera and Meyer, UConn can control the game if the Blue Demons have to rely on the likes of Enright and CJ Gunn (30 percent from three) to beat the Huskies. In the win in Chicago earlier this season, Gunn and Enright combined to shoot 2-7 from three, while Rivera and Meyer only posted three attempts from beyond the arc.