Report: Louisville Adds Home-And-Home Series with DePaul

(Photo of KFC Yum! Center: Sam Upshaw Jr. - Courier Journal via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville men’s basketball program has added a home-and-home series with DePaul, according to CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein. The series will start with a home game at the KFC Yum! Center for the upcoming 2021-22 season, with a road game at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Ill. taking place in 2022-23. Dates were not announced for either contest.

A season marred by COVID-19 issues, the Blue Demon went just 5-14 overall and 2-13 in the Big East, resulting in firing of head coach Dave Leitao after six years at the helm. DePaul hired longtime Oregon assistant Tony Stubblefield as his replacement, spending the last 11 years with the Ducks.

Louisville has a lengthy history with DePaul, dating back to the late 1950's The Cardinals hold a 38-21 all-time advantage in the series, and have won 23 of the last 25 games. The last played on Feb. 27, 2013 as members of the Big East, a 79-58 Louisville win, before bolting to the ACC.

While the Cardinals have yet to formally announce their non-conference schedule for the 2021-22 season, it is slowly but surely coming together. They will host Furman and Detroit Mercy on yet-to-be-announced dates, and Navy on Tuesday, Nov. 9. Their road schedule has them traveling to Western Kentucky on Saturday, Dec. 18, Kentucky on a future date, and they are reportedly taking part in the 2021 Cable Beach Championship.

Louisville opened up the 2020-21 season at 9-1, and were ranked as high as the No. 16 team in the nation. But due to COVID issues, injuries, and at times offensive inconsistencies, they went 4-6 in the second half of the season to finish at 13-7 and 8-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference - missing the NCAA Tournament by a razor-thin margin.

The Cardinals are losing their two leading scorers in guards Carlik Jones and David Johnson to the NBA, but are retaining forward/center Malik Williams after he opted to stay for a fifth year with the program. Starters Samuel Williamson, Jae’Lyn Withers and Dre Davis also return.

After losing a slew of players to the draft, graduation and the portal, the program is bringing in seven newcomers. Matt Cross, Noah Locke and Jarrod West transferred form other D1 programs, El Ellis joined from the JUCO ranks, and Mike James & Roosevelt Wheeler signed out of high school.

You can follow Louisville Report for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us on Twitter:

Facebook - @LouisvilleOnSI

Twitter - @LouisvilleOnSI and Deputy Editor Matthew McGavic at @GeneralWasp