DePaul Basketball: Blue Demons season review

DePaul basketball once again finished near the bottom of the Big East Conference, but there are bright spots moving forwards.

Following a disappointing 2014-15 season in which the DePaul Blue Demons finished 12-20, Oliver Purnell was pushed out the door, resulting in the re-hiring of Dave Leitao. Leitao coached the Blue Demons from 2002 to 2005 and the program had solid success. They made the NCAA Tournament (their most recent berth) and actually won a game in the postseason.

Unfortunately for DePaul fans, Leitao didn’t improve the Blue Demons. Instead, they were actually worse this year, finishing 9-22 overall and 3-15 in the Big East (which was good for just ninth in the Big East).

Leitao was trying to implement a new system, adjust to the rigors of the Big East and develop his own talent. Normally, it takes a couple of years for new coaches to find a true measure of success.

And DePaul did indeed have some bright moments. They beat eventual NIT Champions George Washington by 21 in a non-conference home game, they defeated Henry Ellenson and Marquette on the road, and knocked off Providence in Rosemont when the Friars were ranked 11th in the country.

Billy Garrett Jr. didn’t have a strong season (his shooting percentages were down and his turnovers were up) and Tommy Hamilton IV was inconsistent (to be nice), but freshman Eli Cain had some promising results to end the year.

Also, DePaul is opening a new arena in 2017-18 and they bring in a solid four man recruiting class (for the 2016-17 season) to compliment the returning talent.

The Blue Demons program took a step back last season, but the results can’t get any worse moving forward. There will be gradual improvements in what the fans and the athletic department hope will result in a team that will be competitive in the Big East for years to come.

Players that won’t return

Myke Henry (Graduating, 6’6″ forward, leading scorer at 13.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg)

Rashaun Stimage (Graduating, 6’8″ forward, 5.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg)

David Molinari (Graduating, 6’0″ guard, 0.4 ppg)

Aaron Simpson (Graduating, 5’11” guard, 6.0 ppg, 41% from three)

Oumar Barry (Freshman who is transferring, 6’10” forward, 0.2 ppg)

Develle Phillips (Freshman who is transferring, 6’9″ forward, 0.7 ppg)

Fredrick Scott (Freshman who is transferring, 6’7″ forward, 0.6 rpg)

Cory Dolins (Graduating, 6’0″ guard)

Henry is a major loss for the Blue Demons. He’s not only the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, but he can stretch the floor, which in turn opens the lane for the DePaul guards to attack. Henry is also a team leader and an experienced player, given that he played the first two seasons of his college basketball career at Illinois.

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Stimage is the team’s third leading rebounder and he was a valuable asset off the bench. He provided toughness in the interior, something DePaul will definitely lack next year. Hamilton IV is 6’11” but he does not maintain consistency and loses his focus on occasion.

Simpson could play either guard spot and was a solid knock down shooter as a sub.

Barry, Phillips and Scott were all recruited by Purnell and played very limited minutes in year one. They could’ve given DePaul three big bodies in the paint, but it’s better for their careers that they receive fresh starts at new colleges.

Returnees

R.J. Curington (6’5″ senior guard, 2.8 ppg)

Billy Garrett Jr. (6’6″ senior guard, 12.6 ppg, 3.5 apg)

Eli Cain (6’6″ sophomore guard, 10.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg)

Darrick Wood (6’5″ senior guard, 5.9 ppg)

Tommy Hamilton IV (6’11” senior center, 8.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg)

Erten Gazi (6’4″ sophomore guard, 2.2 ppg)

Peter Ryckbosch (6’10” senior forward)

David Leitao III (6’7″ senior forward)

Joe Hanel (6’7″ junior forward)

Garrett Jr. provides the Blue Demons will high IQ point guard play and good distributor of the basketball. He will be the leader of the team along with Hamilton, who will need to work on his rebounding skills and motor.

After scoring in double figures in nine out of his last 12 games, Cain is expected to make a major leap due to his shooting ability, upside and high skill level. He is a solid defender and quite possibly could be their best player when the season ends.

Wood and Gazi will be quality role players while Ryckbosch, Leitao and Hanel are projected to provide minuscule minutes at the end of the bench.

Newcomers

Al Eichelberger (three-star power forward from Michigan, 6’7″)

Brandon Cyrus (three-star shooting guard from Chicago, 6’4″)

Devin Gage (not rated, from Chicago, 6’2″ point guard)

Levi Cook (not rated, from West Virginia, 6’9″ center)

Cyrus played his high school basketball at La Lumiere, who played in the Dicks High School Nationals Finals at Madison Square Garden a couple weeks ago. He is a big guard with a strong frame and an intriguing wingspan. Cyrus can make plays off the dribble and is getting more productive in terms of finishing through contact.

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Eichelberger and Cook are effective rebounders for their size, while Gage may not get many minutes at the point guard position due to Garrett, Cain, Wood and Cyrus’ play in the backcourt.

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