Connecticut-DePaul Preview

Published Jan. 14, 2011 9:00 p.m. ET

foxsports

While Connecticut continues to exceed expectations, DePaul has done nothing to disprove how it was predicted to fare in the Big East.

The No. 10 Huskies look for a third straight victory Saturday while trying to hand the Blue Demons an 18th consecutive loss to a conference opponent.

After finishing 18-16 last season and asking a handful of freshman to play significant minutes in 2010-11, Connecticut (13-2, 2-2) was picked by Big East coaches to finish 10th among the 16 teams.

Instead, the Huskies are one of the nation's biggest surprises with victories over perennial powers Michigan State, Kentucky and Texas. UConn's losses have come at Pittsburgh and Notre Dame, now ranked fifth and ninth, respectively.

"I'm very happy with where we are,'' UConn coach Jim Calhoun said. "I mean 13-2, I should be very happy, given the schedule that we have played.''

After beating Rutgers 67-53 on Tuesday, the Huskies could be in for another easy time while trying for their first conference road win and fourth consecutive victory over DePaul (6-10, 0-4).

Picked to finish last in the Big East, the Blue Demons are currently 14th and have not beaten a league opponent since a 51-50 victory over Marquette on Jan. 20.

DePaul, averaging 64.0 points on 40.4 percent shooting during its 17-game conference skid, lost 78-67 at home to Seton Hall on Wednesday.

"We have to keep our poise and stay focused on what we have to do to beat a specific opponent," first-year DePaul coach Oliver Purnell said. "If we don't, it's hard to win. If we do, we'll have a chance to win games.''

Though UConn star guard Kemba Walker has totaled 14 points in two games against DePaul, he ranks second in the nation averaging 25.3 per contest.

With 18 points against Rutgers, Walker failed to score 20 for just the third time this season. However, sophomore Alex Oriakhi had 17 points and 12 rebounds after posting 11 with 21 boards in an 82-81 overtime win at No. 12 Texas last Saturday.

"That just gives me confidence when your point guard wants to get you the ball,'' Oriakhi said. "(Walker's) obviously the best player on the team and one of the best scorers in the country, so when some of us can score points it just brings a little pressure off Kemba.''

Playing in the shadows of former starters Jerome Dyson and Stanley Robinson, Walker and Oriakhi were each held to nine points in UConn's 64-57 home win over DePaul on Feb. 6.

The Blue Demons have averaged 55.3 points and shot 38.9 percent during their three-game skid to UConn. They managed 14 second-half points in a 71-49 loss to the then-No. 2 Huskies in the teams' last meeting in Illinois on Jan. 28, 2009.

Despite its recent success against DePaul, UConn must try to contain Cleveland Melvin, who averages a team-high 13.5 points per game.

The freshman scored 21 against Seton Hall, and has averaged 22.8 in his last five games.

DePaul has dropped 22 straight games against Top 25 teams since an 84-76 win over then-No. 17 Villanova on Jan. 3, 2008.