University of Connecticut Athletics
University of Connecticut
DePaul
UCONN MBB HEADS FOR CHICAGO TO MEET DEPAUL
1/27/2022 10:35:00 PM | Men's Basketball
UConn Athletic Communications / Jan. 28, 2022
CHICAGO, Ill. – The UConn men's basketball team takes its four-game winning streak to the Windy City on Saturday to challenge DePaul in a BIG EAST Conference game at Wintrust Arena (6:30 p.m., FS1).
The No. 20/19 Huskies (14-4 overall, 5-2 BIG EAST) have been hitting on all cylinders lately, averaging 78.2 points per game during their four-game winning streak, while allowing just 66.5. The Huskies are the highest-scoring team in the BIG EAST and also lead the league in rebounding margin (plus-7.6) and blocked shots (7.3).
Sophomore forward Adama Sanogo leads the Huskies in scoring (15.9) and rebounding (8.4), while grad student guard R.J. Cole is second in scoring (15.6) and leads in assists (4.8), and senior guard Tyrese Martin gives UConn a third double-figure scorer (14.1).
Grad student forward Isaiah Whaley (7.4 ppg, 5.1 rpg) and sophomore Andre Jackson (7.6 ppg, 7.5 rpg), complete UConn's usual starting five, which has a 10-0 record as the starting unit this season.
UConn has been relying on a balanced attack, with points coming from everybody. The Huskies have had five players score double-figures in eight of their 18 games. Throughout all of last season, that only happened in two games.Â
DePaul (10-9, 1-8) is led by its own BIG EAST Player of the Year candidate in senior guard Javon Freeman-Liberty, who is the top scorer in the conference (21.1) and also leads the Blue Demons in rebounding (7.4) and assists (3.1). Freeman-Liberty has missed DePaul's last three games while battling a groin injury, however, and his status for Saturday's game is uncertain.
Sophomore David Jones (14.9 ppg, 7.3 rpg) and grad Brandon Johnson (10.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg) are also double-figure scorers for DePaul.
The Blue Demons have lost their last three games and eight of nine, but still own a plus-2.8 points and a plus-4.0 rebounding edge over opponents.
UConn has a 13-1 overall record against DePaul and has won its last 12 meetings between the teams, including all three meetings last season, the third one in the BIG EAST Tournament.
