As DePaul Day returns, we preview Louisville basketball and the Blue Demons- According to KenPom.com.
Louisville basketball has the opportunity to provide a much-needed reprieve from the madness that is UofL athletics on Friday.
However, when DePaul visits the KFC Yum! Center, you’d be hard-pressed to find fans buying into the DePaul Day narrative of years past.
The Blue Demons boast a 7-1 record and a victory over a solid Rutgers squad (who just upset No. 1 Purdue).
With the help of our buddy Ken Pomeroy, let’s break down what the Blue Demons bring to the table and how Louisville basketball can secure a potential Q2 win.
Louisville-DePaul by the numbers
- KenPom rates this game as a 41.7 on the Thrill Score index. The third-highest rated game on Friday night.
- Louisville basketball will have to contend with one of the more prolific scorers and playmakers in the country, Javon Freeman-Liberty. Aside from having the an incredible name, Freeman-Liberty leads DePaul in scoring, rebounds, and assists. JFL is ranked 121st in the country in offensive efficiency.
- Freeman-Liberty (232) and backcourt mate David Jones (272) are both in the top 275 in the country in usage percentage on offense. Look for both of these players to have the ball in their hands when it matters the most.
- Dre Davis, Samuell Williamson, and El Ellis are currently Louisville’s most-counted on players on offense. Each player is used on greater than 25% of posessions that they are in the game.
- DePaul has an effective field goal percentage of 54.9%, which is 37th-best in the country
- The Blue Demons are active on the boards, ranking 35th in the nation in offensive rebound percentage
KenPom Projection: Louisville 77, DePaul 68
Louisville: 80% chance to win
Get hyped.
