Big East In Review: DePaul

DePaul may have finished 16th yet again, but Blue Demons are moving up in conference thanks in large part to Brandon Young.  (Photo courtesy of Chicago Tribune)


With college basketball season now in the books until November, I've decided to do an individual review of all sixteen Big East programs in reverse order of finish, which puts DePaul in the hot seat to start out today.


DePaul may have finished last in the conference for the fourth consecutive season, but anyone who watched at least one game the Chicago kids played this year will tell you that Oliver Purnell's Blue Demons are not the same doormat the Big East had seen in each of its last three campaigns.


While DePaul ended up 12-19, there are many positives to that record.  For instance, the Blue Demons' win total was the highest it has been since the 2006-07 season that produced 20 victories; an NIT appearance, and DePaul's last NBA draft pick in former Knick and current Denver Nugget Wilson Chandler.  On top of that, their three Big East wins were also an improvement from that same number over the previous three seasons combined.


Cleveland Melvin, awarded Rookie of the Year honors in his freshman season, continued his rapid evolution in his second year.  The sophomore and former UConn commit was once again DePaul's leading scorer and rebounder, averaging over seventeen points and seven rebounds per game.  Just as he was two years ago, Brandon Young was Melvin's wingman this past season; as the sophomore point guard averaged 14.5 points per game to go with nearly five assists per contest.  Chicago native Jeremiah Kelly provided his usual consistency over his senior season by shooting 34 percent from beyond the arc, and Purnell found a qualified replacement for the shooter in junior college transfer Worrel Clahar; who shot a blistering 47 percent from beyond the arc in his limited long-range attempts, and will be back next season.


DePaul's most surprising contribution came down the stretch from 6-4 freshman swingman Jamee Crockett.  Crockett, who singlehandedly eliminated Seton Hall from NCAA Tournament contention with his 21-point performance in DePaul's rout of the Pirates in their regular season finale; could also be a replacement for Kelly, entering his second campaign in the Second City with a 38 percent clip from three-point range and an average of 8.6 points per game in just eighteen minutes.  Fellow wing Moses Morgan returns next year as well following an injury-plagued sophomore year that still saw the Las Vegas native average nine points per game, good enough for third in scoring on an up-and-coming team.


Only two seniors (Kelly and center Krys Faber) graduate next month, so DePaul gets most of their core back for next season, along with a recruiting class highlighted by swingman DeJuan Marrero.  The 6-5 Marrero is considered a solid rebounder, and turned down offers from programs the likes of Indiana, Memphis, Ohio State and Xavier among others to play for the Blue Demons, where he should see immediate playing time that will only help his exceptional skills develop more in the months to come.


Even though they have only won six conference games in the last four years, DePaul is no longer the guaranteed win that every other team in the Big East can mark on their calendars, and the best truly is yet to come in Chicago.