While Oliver Purnell's crew already has eclipsed its conference win total from a year ago, the DePaul Blue Demons are struggling in the Big East again in 2012, as they are off to just a 2-7 start. On Saturday, they'll have a chance to get back in the win column against a Cincinnati Bearcats team that has lost three in a row.
To pull off the upset on the road, the Blue Demons are going to have to pick up the effort at the defensive end. Purnell's press-heavy style has its advantages but tends to be a severe liability in some ways -- DePaul has been a poor defensive rebounding team all season, and opponents have shot 52.6% inside the arc this season. So DePaul's defensive fortunes tend to be tied to the number of turnovers they are able to force, and Cincinnati has been one of the least turnover-prone teams in the Big East.
Date & Time: Saturday, Feb. 4, 6:00 p.m. CT
TV: Big East Network
Odds: Cincinnati is favored by 14-1/2
Series History: Cincinnati leads 33-15
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