BIG EAST GAME PREVIEW: Louisville @ DePaul

January 20, 2007


A key game on the Big East schedule this weekend involves two former Conference USA rivals battling it out in the standings of the New Big East. Louisville travels to Chicago to meet DePaul Saturday afternoon as both teams fight to stay above .500 in the conference.

This is a key game for the Blue Demons, not only because it is home, but after this game three of their next four will come on the road against Georgetown, West Virginia and Syracuse with a home game in the middle with Connecticut. DePaul has been an inconsistent team all season, but their only home loss has come at the hands of Pittsburgh.

Click below for our brief preview and prediction on this game and don't forget to leave your prediction in the comments section.

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Louisville is coming off a 9-point home loss to Marquette on Monday night and now must rebound on the road against DePaul. The Cardinals have altered their line-up because of injuries and have gone with a much smaller and quicker look. Lately their line-up has consisted of three guards (Edgar Sosa, Jerry Smith and Brandon Jenkins) with a small forward (Terrence Williams) and David Padgett in the middle. Juan Palacios has been slowed by a series of injuries, but he is rounding back into shape and should be a key player in the match-up with DePaul. Both teams are a bit inexperiences and inconsistent at point guard. For DePaul, freshman Will Walker and sophomore Jabari Currie get most of the time there with Cliff Clinkscales seeing more action if both are unrpoductive in the game. Louisville is trying to make due with freshman Edgar Sosa running most of the action at the point guard spot, maybe not yet his true position. With the injury to Andre McGee, there options are limited.

At the off-guard spot, DePaul relies on senior Sammy Mejia, one of the better players in the conference, but he does have a habit of having quiet games at the wrong time for DePaul. Senior Brandon Jenkins is still rounding into shape from preseason leg injuries, but his experience and defensive ability will be key for the Cards in this game. Both teams have depth and the ability to play three guards with DePaul's Draelon Burns and Jerry Smith for Louisville.

The small forward has a pair of exciting athletes with Terrence Williams of Louisville and Karron Clarke of DePaul. Williams seems to be the thermometer for Louisville as when he is cold, so are the Cards. He is a tremendous athlete that can really get himself and the team on a role with a couple acrobatic plays and finishes. Clarke has similar athleticism but in too many games he is virtually invisible in the DePaul system. If they ever could find a way to unleash his talents, they would be a much tougher team to defend.

At the big forwars spot, two of the most talented players in the conference will go head to head. Wilson Chandler of DePaul is a mult-talented big man that can step outside, put the ball on the floor and rebound and block shots with anyone. Juan Palacios is not as long or quite as athletic as Chandler, and has not reached the level of consistent production that Chandler usually gives the Blue Demons. He seems to be Louisville's enigma because you know there is more there than we have seen. Injuries have definitely not helped his cause, however.

In the middle, neither team will get much in the way of true post offense. David Padgett of Louisville is probably a little more comfortable facing the basket to create his offense. He is a good passer out of the post, but he will have toruble with the size of the DePaul post defenders in Wesley Green and Keith Butler. However, neither Green nor Butler look to use their brawn very much offensively, both are likely to settle for the face-up jumper against other big men. There never seems to be much patience from DePaul in establishing any post game and a revolving door at the position which could include Loenzo Thompson or going smaller with Chandler at the '5' and Marcus Heard at the '4' also seems to happen from time to time.

Both teams are deeper than most of the other teams in the league, but it is not always productive depth. Louisville has some big names off the bench in Derrick Caracter and Earl Smith, but you never know from game to game if either will play for coach Pitino.

Depaul seems to have more experience and much more maturity to get a win at home. Louisville has not shown the ability to react to the adversity that all teams face on the road in order to get a win. last year they were 1-7 on the road in the conference and this season they do have a conference road win at South Florida, but this one will be much tougher as DePaul is tough defensively and has some weapons to score. The Louisville pressure on defense is my only hesitation with DePaul because the Blue Demon guards are prone to poor decisions and a tendency to settle for the long shot. With that in mind, Louisville keeps within striking distance but Mejia and Chandler should make too many plays in the end.

NBE Blogger Prediction: DePaul 68 Louisville 62