No. 5 UConn enters hostile territory tonight in Chicago seeking to extend one of college basketball’s most dominant stretches against DePaul. The Huskies will look to run their streak to 21 consecutive wins over the Blue Demons while riding a hot seven-game winning streak of their own.
🔥 Quick Facts
- UConn arrives at 11-1 with first road test of Big East play after 79-60 win over Butler
- Solo Ball scored career-high 26 points in last game, showing dramatic improvement from three-point line
- Kaleb Banks leads DePaul attack with 19 points, 10 rebounds in recent loss to St. John’s
- Game tips at 4:30 p.m. EST on FS1 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago
Extending the Dominance: UConn Eyes 21-Game streak Tonight
Cagliari faces Lecce tonight in Serie A showdown, Rossoblu seek top-half push
Girona faces Barcelona tonight in La Liga showdown, Barcelona chases lead
The Huskies take the court as 14.5-point favorites against a DePaul squad looking for its first conference victory. UConn hasn’t lost to the Blue Demons since their Big East reunion in 2007—a remarkable 20-consecutive-game stretch that Head Coach Dan Hurley hopes to extend tonight.
UConn’s defense ranks fourth nationally in KenPom analytics, creating a formidable challenge for a DePaul team ranked 120th in KenPom with a 173rd-ranked offense. The Huskies cruised past Butler with a 47-29 rebounding advantage and limited the Bulldogs to just 29.5 percent shooting, traits that should translate well against DePaul’s struggling offensive metrics.
Ball’s Breakout Could Signal UConn’s Next Level
East Texas A&M faces Southeastern in Family Fun Day matchup today
Macclesfield faces Brentford tonight in FA Cup fourth-round showdown
Solo Ball’s elite performance against Butler raised eyebrows across the Big East. His 26-point evening showcased a more complete scorer than fans witnessed earlier this season—the Husky did most damage without attempting excessive three-pointers, demonstrating newfound offensive versatility that Hurley desperately seeks.
Ball will face a DePaul defense still searching for consistency, having allowed St. John’s to pull away in the second half despite strong early resistance. If Ball can replicate his scoring punch while Alex Karaban and Tarris Reed Jr. keep providing support, the Huskies could build an early cushion heading into the Christmas break.
| Category | UConn | DePaul |
| Record | 11-1 (1-0 Big East) | 8-4 (0-1 Big East) |
| KenPom Ranking | #7 NET Ranking | #120 in KenPom |
| Top Scorer | Solo Ball – 15.4 PPG | CJ Gunn – 14.3 PPG |
| Defensive Ranking | 4th Nationally | 173rd Offense |
| Recent Form | Won 7 Straight | 3-Game Streak Snapped |
DePaul Seeks Spark From Banks and Gunn
Kaleb Banks emerged as DePaul’s most consistent weapon, shooting 8-of-16 against St. John’s while sinking a season-high three three-pointers. The Tulane transfer will draw Karaban on the wing, a matchup that could determine DePaul’s offensive rhythm. Banks previously faced UConn wearing Indiana colors in the Empire Classic at Madison Square Garden, when he went scoreless in limited minutes.
CJ Gunn provides additional scoring punch at 14.3 points per game, coming off his fourth straight double-figure scoring performance. However, DePaul ranks dead last in the Big East in both scoring (76.4 PPG) and rebounding (33.8 RPG)—metrics that favor UConn’s size and athleticism.
Road Opener Narratives Don’t Define UConn
Social media often buzzes about UConn’s mysterious struggles in Big East conference openers, but the actual record tells a different story. While the Huskies have stumbled in some famous early-season conference games, they maintain a 4-1 record in Big East road openers since rejoining the league, with victories at Marquette and Butler.
Hurley’s team enters this contest with momentum and efficiency, though he wants more from his squad’s consistency and killer instinct. Facing a DePaul team playing better basketball recently but still struggling with fundamentals, UConn has an opportunity to make a statement before the holiday break and that crucial clash at Xavier on New Year’s Eve.
Can UConn Finish Strong Before Christmas?
This matchup represents UConn’s penultimate game before the holiday layoff, suggesting Hurley will seek rhythm and confidence heading into valuable practice time. The KenPom projection favors UConn 75-62 with an 89-percent win probability, reflecting the Huskies’ overall superiority and matchup advantages.
DePaul showed competitive courage against St. John’s despite facing a deficit, and Coach Chris Holtmann praised his team’s effort. Whether that translates against a top-five program remains the central question for Blue Demons fans tuning in tonight from Wintrust Arena.
Michael Brown is a seasoned sports journalist bringing years of experience covering professional athletics and sporting culture. With a keen eye for breaking stories and player dynamics, this veteran journalist delivers in-depth analysis and exclusive insights from the world’s biggest sporting events. His passion for the game shines through in every story, keeping fans connected to the action both on and off the field.