Big East Basketball: Top early 2019 recruiting starts in the conference

SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 31: Head coach Jay Wright of the Villanova Wildcats reacts against the Kansas Jayhawks in the second half during the 2018 NCAA Men's Final Four Semifinal at the Alamodome on March 31, 2018 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images) /

4 of 7

NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 09: Head coach Dave Leitao of the DePaul Blue Demons. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

4. DePaul Blue Demons

National Ranking: No. 31

DePaul has had a tumultuous recruiting offseason, to say the least. First, the program received the outstanding news in the form of receiving a commitment from top-50 recruit Romeo Weems out of Michigan in May. Then, the program received even more great news when top-100 player Terrence Shannon Jr. also elected to become a Blue Demon on Aug. 12. Yet, just one week later on Aug. 19, Shannon decided to reopen his recruitment, leaving Weems as DePaul’s only 2019 commit to this point.

Of course, this is not altogether a bad thing but it is a step back from what DePaul fans were expecting after Shannon’s commitment. In regards to the addition of Weems, the Blue Demons should be thrilled. Easily one of the best forwards in the 2019 class, the 6-foot-7 Weems chose DePaul over Michigan State in a major recruiting win. Overall, he is ranked at No. 42 in the country. Considering how highly regarded Weems is, it is hard to imagine a situation where he is not one of the best players on the 2019-20 DePaul roster.

In 14 games on the EYBL circuit, Weems posted an excellent all-around campaign while flashing his versatile game. Over the course of the sessions, he averaged 15.3 points (.424/.333/.716), 7.6 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. He is already a well-built forward and has plenty of potential to develop.

Home/Big East