LINKS: Georgetown Hoyas to Host DePaul in D.C. on Wednesday

The Georgetown Hoyas (3-8, 1-5) will host the DePaul Blue Demons (1-4, 0-4) on Wednesday (8:30 FS1). Suffering from a schedule condensed by Covid-19 postponements, DePaul hosted #25 UConn on Monday night for their fifth game, losing 60-53, and remaining winless in BIG EAST play.

Only playing a handful of games, DePaul has been experiencing familiar issues with turnovers, as well as rebounds. The Blue Demons have been shooting from beyond the arc decently, but have not attempted more than 20 threes since a double-overtime loss to Providence in their second game, played on December 27th.

With DePaul showing a modicum of growth in their fifth game by battling UConn in a grind (albeit sans James Bouknight), the Demons may be on a positive trend. Patrick Ewing and the Hoyas should not take them lightly—especially when GU is shooting in the second half on the bad hoop in McDonough.

Assuming DePaul does not have significantly less talent than Georgetown, the question is whether the Hoyas can use any extra in-game experiences to put together enough runs to get to 70+points and keep the Demons in the basement.

Here are links:

DePaul vs. Georgetown - Game Preview - January 13, 2021 - ESPN | ESPN

BIG MEN ON CAMPUS: Georgetown’s Jahvon Blair has averaged 18 points and 4.5 rebounds while Qudus Wahab has put up 12 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.

For the Blue Demons, Javon Freeman-Liberty has averaged 15.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and four assists while Charlie Moore has put up 14 points and 5.3 assists.

KEY CONTRIBUTIONS: Blair has been directly responsible for 46 percent of all Georgetown field goals over the last three games. The senior guard has 16 field goals and 15 assists in those games.

WINLESS WHEN: Georgetown is 0-5 this year when it scores 69 points or fewer and 3-3 when it scores at least 70.

Tyrese Martin lifts No. 25 UConn men to grinding win at DePaul | COURANT

It was an intense, physical, grind-it-out win for the Huskies (7-1, 4-1 in the conference), who dodged an upset and won their fourth in a row, their last three on the road. UConn trailed in much of the second half, but held DePaul scoreless over the last 4:27, taking the lead on Martin’s free throw with 2:34 left. Martin scored on back-to-back possessions to put the game away. The Huskies shot just 40.4 percent from the floor, made only 13 of 24 free throws and were out-rebounded by 10. But they prompted 24 DePaul turnovers, giving themselves enough chances to finally seal the game.

UConn Basketball Defeats DePaul: Three Takeaways | CBB REVIEW | CBBREVIEW

Slow Second Half Start- DePaul Demons started the second half on an 8-0 in under 2 minutes to force Hurley to call a timeout. DePaul kept this game very close in the second half, but within the final two minutes of the game, UConn basketball picked up their intensity and started playing a lot better. The three-point shot was not working for them only shooting 27% from beyond the arc, so UConn decided to drive to the basket and take advantage of their success inside the paint. The Huskies finished the game shooting 40%. Their slow start ended up being a strong finish in the end.

Rebounding - DePaul basketball came into this game with their backs against the wall, but a key to them putting up a fight against UConn was their ability to grab rebounds. On both ends of the floor, DePaul dominated the glass, putting up 39 rebounds in the game; 12 on the offensive end and 27 on the defensive end. The big reason why this game was close in the end was because of DePaul’s ability to get second-chance points in the paint; whether that came from an easy layup or a foul.

Preview: UConn men’s basketball at DePaul | 6:00 p.m. ET, FS1 | THEUCONNBLOG

Dave Leitao and DePaul have some real talent in Freeman-Liberty and Ongenda, and will probably need both to once again reach double figures to have a shot at defeating the Huskies. Can Moore snap out of his shooting funk to be the scoring spark they desperately need? Moore is just 7-24 from the field (29 percent) in his last two games and will have his work cut out for him going up against Cole. The Blue Demons also shoot the ball relatively well from deep (37.8 percent), but usually don’t rely on it as a big part of their offensive gameplay, ranking 325th in 3-point attempt frequency. Will Moore (38.1 percent from three), Romeo Weems (6-10 from three), and Kobe Elvis (6-9 from deep) let it fly a little bit more to try and pull off the upset?

UConn men at DePaul: What you need to know as the Huskies look to continue their winning ways | COURANT

DePaul’s offense: DePaul is missing a scoring option with Oscar Lopez Jr. out with a knee injury. Things revolve around Moore, Weems and Freeman-Liberty, who scored 22 vs. Seton Hall last game, but the three combined for only 23 points vs. UConn on Dec. 30, as the Blue Demons shot 38.1 percent. DePaul’s defense: DePaul has done a good job against the 3-pointer, opponents shooting 29.5 percent, but inside the arc is a different story, 53.2 percent. The Blue Demons are allowing 81.3 points per game and have been outrebounded, especially on their defensive boards. UConn had 15 offensive rebounds, 16 second-chance points and 38 points in the paint last time.

Can UConn keep the road momentum going and sweep DePaul? | BIGEASTCOASTBIAS

DePaul has struggled to open Big East play, but in fairness the Blue Demons have been hit harder by COVID stoppages than practically any team in the country. They were only able to play one tune-up, nonconference game before diving headfirst into the Big East gauntlet.

DePaul rally falls short to Seton Hall | 247SPORTS

The DePaul Blue Demons (1-3, 0-3) second half rally fell short as the Seton Hall Pirates (9-5, 6-2) escaped Wintrust Arena on Saturday afternoon with a 76-68 victory. 2021 started off much the way 2020 ended for the Blue Demons, which was struggling on the glass and turning the ball over too much in the first half of this game. DePaul trailed by as many as 21 points with 15:01 to play. Yet DePaul was resilient.

The Blue Demons then rallied in the second half to come within six points with 36 seconds to play. Unfortunately for DePaul, Seton Hall went a perfect 16 for 16 down the stretch from the free throw line. DePaul’s defensive effort picked up in the second half where the Blue Demons forced more Seton Hall turnovers

Romeo Weems Named to Weekly Honor Roll - DePaul University Athletics | DEPAULBLUEDEMONS

Sophomore forward Romeo Weems was named to this week’s BIG EAST Honor Roll after posting career highs in points and three-pointers at Providence on Sunday. The honor roll mention is the first for Weems after he was named the league’s Freshman of the Week twice last season. The Detroit native posted career highs with 21 points and five three-pointers at Providence on Sunday in his season debut. The game was the first of his career with 20 or more points and the five threes better his personal mark of four set last season against Georgetown. He added seven rebounds and two steals in 34:19 of play against the Friar while going 8-for-10 from the field overall and 5-for-6 from three-point range.