DePaul University Athletics
DePaul Reaches Final Four in Academic NCAA Tournament
3/17/2022 4:49:00 PM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL, ACADEMICS
Blue Demons among nation's brightest according to Inside Higher Ed
CHICAGO – One day after the DePaul women's basketball season came to an end, there is some good news in another kind of NCAA tournament.
Inside Higher Ed presents its academic version of March Madness every year during the college basketball postseason, using the 68-team field and advancing schools based on the NCAA's own metrics for judging scholastic success.
And unlike on the basketball court where the Blue Demons fell to Dayton Wednesday night in the NCAA First Four at Ames, Iowa---Inside Higher Ed projects coach Doug Bruno's program all the way to the Final Four.
The first statistic used in head-to-head tournament matchups is both schools' academic progress rate based on 2018-19 data since the NCAA suspended posting APR in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When both teams are tied in APR, Inside Higher Ed turns to the NCAA's graduation success rate for 2020–21, which measures the proportion of athletes who graduated within six years of entering the institution.
The graduation success rate excludes athletes who leave college in good academic standing and credits programs for players who transfer in and go on to graduate from the institution.
As a result, the rates on average are significantly higher than the federal graduation rate, the formula the federal government uses to track graduation rates for all students.
If teams remain deadlocked, the tiebreaker is federal graduation rate.
Using those parameters instead of basketball numbers, here's how the Blue Demons fared in the brainiac postseason.
It begins with a reversal of the NCAA First Four result as Bruno & Co. eliminate Dayton.
Feels so much better to read that sentence above.
In the academic First Round, All-American Aneesah Morrow and her perfect 4.0 grade-point average advance the Chicagoans past Georgia.
The Inside Higher Ed Second Round showdown finds DePaul taking down host Iowa State.
Now comes an interesting Sweet 16 confrontation that BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman really enjoys as the Blue Demons and conference nemesis Creighton collide in the Greensboro, S.C. Regional.
As the fired-up "Screamin' Demon" Band begins trumpeting the school's fight song, Chicago triumphs over Omaha in the Regional Semifinal.
At this point, Bruno's team is Dreaming Big. Why not keep this run going and make it to Minneapolis for the Final Four?
All that stands in the way is a team from southern Florida whose players spend way more time in class than at South Beach.
With a passionate pre-game speech from a Hall of Fame coach, Bruno reminds his players that he never took full advantage of his basketball scholarship while playing for the legendary Ray Meyer at DePaul. He would skip classes and books were an afterthought to playing hoops.
He implores Sonya Morris, Lexi Held, Deja Church, Dee Bekelja and their teammates to go the distance.
His heartfelt plea clicks on all cylinders as Bekelja and Church lead the way with their 4.0 GPAs and Held adds on with her 3.57 in a resounding triumph over Miami.
Six of the happiest words in DePaul women's basketball lore: Doug Bruno in the Final Four.
Just two more wins and the Blue Demons can be dancing on center court and embracing one another in their One Moment In Time.
Unfortunately, Inside Higher Ed's computations foresee a brilliant Gonzaga team putting an end to the Demon run.
In the other national semifinal, perennial brainpower Stanford matches formulas, equations and complex sentences with a surprise team, the Kentucky Wildcats.
Stanford prevails and then goes on to defeat the Zags for the academic national championship.
Inside Higher Ed presents its academic version of March Madness every year during the college basketball postseason, using the 68-team field and advancing schools based on the NCAA's own metrics for judging scholastic success.
And unlike on the basketball court where the Blue Demons fell to Dayton Wednesday night in the NCAA First Four at Ames, Iowa---Inside Higher Ed projects coach Doug Bruno's program all the way to the Final Four.
The first statistic used in head-to-head tournament matchups is both schools' academic progress rate based on 2018-19 data since the NCAA suspended posting APR in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When both teams are tied in APR, Inside Higher Ed turns to the NCAA's graduation success rate for 2020–21, which measures the proportion of athletes who graduated within six years of entering the institution.
The graduation success rate excludes athletes who leave college in good academic standing and credits programs for players who transfer in and go on to graduate from the institution.
As a result, the rates on average are significantly higher than the federal graduation rate, the formula the federal government uses to track graduation rates for all students.
If teams remain deadlocked, the tiebreaker is federal graduation rate.
Using those parameters instead of basketball numbers, here's how the Blue Demons fared in the brainiac postseason.
It begins with a reversal of the NCAA First Four result as Bruno & Co. eliminate Dayton.
Feels so much better to read that sentence above.
In the academic First Round, All-American Aneesah Morrow and her perfect 4.0 grade-point average advance the Chicagoans past Georgia.
The Inside Higher Ed Second Round showdown finds DePaul taking down host Iowa State.
Now comes an interesting Sweet 16 confrontation that BIG EAST Commissioner Val Ackerman really enjoys as the Blue Demons and conference nemesis Creighton collide in the Greensboro, S.C. Regional.
As the fired-up "Screamin' Demon" Band begins trumpeting the school's fight song, Chicago triumphs over Omaha in the Regional Semifinal.
At this point, Bruno's team is Dreaming Big. Why not keep this run going and make it to Minneapolis for the Final Four?
All that stands in the way is a team from southern Florida whose players spend way more time in class than at South Beach.
With a passionate pre-game speech from a Hall of Fame coach, Bruno reminds his players that he never took full advantage of his basketball scholarship while playing for the legendary Ray Meyer at DePaul. He would skip classes and books were an afterthought to playing hoops.
He implores Sonya Morris, Lexi Held, Deja Church, Dee Bekelja and their teammates to go the distance.
His heartfelt plea clicks on all cylinders as Bekelja and Church lead the way with their 4.0 GPAs and Held adds on with her 3.57 in a resounding triumph over Miami.
Six of the happiest words in DePaul women's basketball lore: Doug Bruno in the Final Four.
Just two more wins and the Blue Demons can be dancing on center court and embracing one another in their One Moment In Time.
Unfortunately, Inside Higher Ed's computations foresee a brilliant Gonzaga team putting an end to the Demon run.
In the other national semifinal, perennial brainpower Stanford matches formulas, equations and complex sentences with a surprise team, the Kentucky Wildcats.
Stanford prevails and then goes on to defeat the Zags for the academic national championship.
Players Mentioned
G
/ WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
G
/ WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
G
/ WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
F
/ WOMEN'S BASKETBALLDePaul Women's Basketball vs. Providence Game Highlights - 3.6.26
Friday, March 06
DePaul Women's Basketball at Georgetown Game Highlights - 3.1.26
Monday, March 02
DePaul Women’s Basketball vs. Butler Postgame Press Conference.
Thursday, February 26
DePaul Women’s Basketball Game Highlights vs. Butler - 02.25.26
Thursday, February 26