It’s finally gameday for Villanova basketball as the Wildcats open Big East play against DePaul. It feels like forever since the ‘Cats trounced UConn to wrap up the non-conference and the long layoff ends tonight as ‘Nova gets back to business.

The numbers paint an interesting picture for DePaul. A quick glance at the standard numbers indicates a team that has been slightly better offensively than defensively. But the advanced numbers illustrate a team that has been more effective and efficient at the defensive end.

Meanwhile, the solid advanced numbers per Synergy Sports haven’t translated into a whole lot of on-court success. The Blue Demons enter tonight with an 8-4 record. Their best win is over Penn State, but outside of that victory they haven’t beaten a team ranked better than 193rd in KenPom. DePaul is on a two-game losing streak, falling to Boston College before starting Big East play with a loss to Xavier.

The Blue Demons average 77.6 points per game while giving up 69.5. They shoot 47.6 percent from the floor, grab 39.7 rebounds, and dish out 15.3 assists. KenPom ranks them 142nd offensively and 103rd defensively. Per Synergy, they average 0.927 points per possession (59th percentile) and 0.854 PPP against (66th percentile).

DePaul has been most efficient off cuts, off screens, and in the post. It has struggled in isolation and utilizing the pick and roll ballhandler. The Blue Demons have also struggled shooting the 3, hitting just 30.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Max Strus leads the way with 18.8 points and 7.5 rebounds. He’s also been DePaul’s third-best 3-point shooter. Eli Cain chips in 14.2 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.2 rebounds while leading the team with a 37.9 3-point percentage. Femi Olujobi rounds out the double-figure scorers for DePaul with 10.2 points per game and he has hit 37.5 percent from deep. Jalen Coleman-Lands averages 9.6 points per game but has been out with a broken hand. Devin Gage (9.6 ppg), Paul Reed (8.7) and Jaylen Butz (8.2) round out the steady contributors for DePaul.

DePaul’s cutting could provide a test for Villanova’s defense, and it will be interesting to see if the ‘Cats can continue their improvement on that end of the floor. It may be wise to force DePaul to win the game from the perimeter.

The Blue Demons have done well defending shooters, as well as handling the pick and roll and defending in the post and stopping cutters. They’ve struggled in isolations and off screens and have been susceptible in transition. They’ve also had issues defending the 3-point line.

If Villanova can get it going from the outside, it would be a big boost. Also look for the ‘Cats to try to take advantage of opportunities to run.

DePaul has done a good job limiting opponents to one opportunity offensively, so it will be interesting to see how the ‘Cats do on the offensive glass. If they can gain an advantage on the boards, especially at the offensive end, things tilt in their favor.

With DePaul working with a shortened rotation, I’d like to see ‘Nova push the pace. Not only has DePaul struggled defending in transition, but with the ‘Cats well-rested and the Blue Demons playing their fourth game with a tighter rotation and coming off a game just a few days ago, there could be an opportunity to bring fatigue into the equation.

Building on that, it would be nice to see the ‘Cats be aggressive and put pressure on DePaul’s defenders. Foul trouble could become a factor, and ‘Nova could use offense as defense by making DePaul work on the defensive end.

With the inconsistency we’ve seen this season, combined with the long layoff, it’s tough to know exactly what we’ll see from Villanova tonight. There are some concerns regarding what DePaul does offensively and the fact that it has some talented offensive players. However, there are also a handful of factors that work in Villanova’s favor and some clear areas they could look to exploit. It should be interesting to watch this one play out as the ‘Cats look to build off the UConn win and start Big East play on the right foot.