A successful 2021-22 season for the DePaul Blue Demons ended with a cold spell at the worst time.

Behind a balanced and uptempo offense that led the nation in scoring, the Blue Demons picked up eight more wins than the previous year, finished in the top-four of the BIG EAST, and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Unfortunately for the Blue Demons, a 21-7 start faded as they dropped four of their final five games, including a 20-point decision to Marquette in the opening-round of the BIG EAST Tournament, then suffered a 31-point thumping from No. 11-seed Dayton in the 1st Round of March Madness.

While DePaul returns a huge piece from last season’s team, the question for this season’s team becomes, who scores behind All-American Aneesah Morrow? Or will the fast-paced offense allow the Blue Demons to plug in new players and pick up where the offense left off last season?

2021 Season Review

DePaul finished 22-11 a season ago, racking up an astounding 87.3 points per game, the best in all of Division 1 by more than three points per game. That offense was paced by freshman Aneesah Morrow, who won just about every freshman award available last season, and complemented with the balance from six other players who averaged more than five points per game, three of whom topped 12 points per game.

Gotta have a little fun when you're putting in the work ?#DePaulBall x @AneesahMorrow24 pic.twitter.com/rS8w7Of5vM

— DePaul Women's Basketball (@DePaulWBBHoops) September 15, 2022

The Blue Demons shot over 34 percent on 3-pointers, made 8.5 per game — second in the league — and were strong at the stripe, connecting at 76 percent.

The bad news for DePaul is after Morrow, the next three leading scorers in Sonya Morris, Deja Church, and Lexi Held, who combined for over 44 points per game and hit 147 combined 3-pointers, are all gone.

The other issue for DePaul, is as good as the offense was, the defense was nearly as poor. The Blue Demons gave up 78.6 points per game, worst in the BIG EAST, and below even 1-27 Butler. The biggest culprit was interior defense.

DePaul defended the 3-point line well — opponents hit just 29 percent of attempts beyond it — but inside the arc, opposing offenses connected at a 53 percent clip. The Blue Demons’ rebounding was also a problem at more than 40 per game allowed, worst in the BIG EAST. DePaul ranked in the bottom four of the conference in defensive rebounding despite having the nation’s leading rebounder in Morrow.

Key Returner

Aneesah Morrow, F, Soph., Chicago

How’s this for a freshman season: 21.9 points per game, a nation-leading 13.8 rebounds per game, including the most offensive rebounds in the country, nearly two blocks per game, almost three steals per game — which put her in the Top-10 nationally — all while shooting nearly 55 percent on 2-point attempts and getting to the line 193 times?

Add it all up, and Morrow burst onto the scene in a way that could not be ignored, getting AP 2nd Team All-America honors, along with All-American recognition from the USBWA, Sports Illustrated, and The Athletic. USBWA, WBCA, The Athletic, and ESPN all named her the Freshman of the Year.

Morrow was second in the country with 27 double-doubles, at one point posting 23 in a row. She scored in double-figures 32-of-33 games, including three-straight 30-point games over one stretch. Morrow scored a career high 41 against Creighton.

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Needless to say, if there’s one piece to bring back, an All-American and the Freshman of the Year is a great place to start.

Key Addition

Jorie Allen, F, Bedford, Indiana

The Blue Demons added one transfer to the roster, but the bigger addition is getting back Allen, who looked poised to break out during her junior season after averaging 8.7 points per game, and 4.9 rebounds per game as a sophomore, while leading the team in field goal percentage, offensive rebounds, and blocked shots.

Unfortunately for DePaul, she was injured two games into the 2021-22 and lost for the year. Morrow’s return gives the Blue Demons another long body in the post, and another shot-blocking presence, along with an efficient scorer on the other end who could step into one of the open secondary scoring roles.

If Allen can return to form, and could even see more open looks with defenses keying on Morrow, the Blue Demons potentially have one of the best 1-2 post combinations in the country.

Game to Watch

February 25, vs UConn

The Huskies are, obviously, the gold standard of the BIG EAST, taking the last two league titles since their return from the American — a conference they similarly dominated for almost a decade as members.

Last season in Chicago, the Blue Demons took the Huskies down to the wire before falling, 80-78 when UConn scored the winning basket in the closing seconds.

Coming late in the season, a potential upset could be a springboard for DePaul to make noise come March.