DePaul University Athletics
DePaul Sizes Up Connecticut in BIG EAST Showdown
2/5/2010 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO - DePaul has an awfully big challenge coming up on Saturday night.
That's because Connecticut is the kind of team that puts the "BIG" in BIG EAST.
DePaul (8-14, 1-9 in the BIG EAST) will face a lineup for the 7 p.m. game in Storrs, Conn. featuring the talented guard tandem of 6-foot-4-inch Jerome Dyson and Kemba Walker along with a front line of 6-11 Ater Majok, 6-9 Stanley Robinson, 6-9 Alex Oriakhi with 6-9 Gavin Edwards rotating in.
The "small" forward in that group is Robinson, who is averaging 16. 5 points per game, second on the Huskies behind Dyson's 19 a game. Walker averages 13.5 points per game and Edwards 10.8.
"Oh, man," was DePaul interim coach Tracy Webster's reaction when first asked about UConn. "They have some really good guards and a big guy (Robinson) at the three-spot.
"That is going to be an interesting matchup for us."
The Blue Demons have 6-11 Krys Faber and 6-10 Mac Koshwal (13.9 points, 10.2 rebounds) to take on two of the Huskies' big men.
And, who does that leave for Robinson?
Based upon Wednesday's 80-69 loss at Marquette, it could be Eric Wallace.
"I've got to give credit to Eric Wallace," Webster said about the 6-6 sophomore who had 11 points, five rebounds and two steals in 18 minutes off the bench. "I thought he played well."
Webster mentioned Koshwal, Will Walker, Devin Hill, Nate Rogers and Tony Freeland as guys who played aggressively in helping reduce a 28-point, second-half deficit to nine with a little more than one minute to go.
"It's back to the same old thing---we didn't come out with a sense of urgency," Webster said. "Defensively we'd have four guys playing together and one guy standing around.
"We stressed to our players not to let Marquette drive the middle. Four times in a row, somebody came right down the middle. We were giving up offensive rebounds and allowing too much dribble-drive against us."
Midway through the second half, the Blue Demons came together.
"Everybody started playing like it was fun," Webster said. "They were scrambling on defense and playing with a ton of energy. Devin Hill was on the ball looking to trap.
"Finally, our guys went into attack mode both offensively and defensively---and they didn't give up."
They will have a 40-minute battle on their hands at the Gampel Pavilion on Saturday.
"UConn (13-9, 3-6) has all those big guys to run the floor and block shots," Webster said. "Rebounding and the transition game will be key for us.
"We have to keep their guards out of the lane. They like to penetrate and then dump it down to their big guys for easy shots."
It's critical that the Blue Demons get off to a fast start and avoid expending so much energy battling their way back into a game.
"When we get that full 40 minutes of fight, this is going to be a good team and a fun team to watch," Webster said. "The closest we've come to that was the Syracuse (59-57) loss."
