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DePaul Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Blue Demons

By Bryan Mauro

PROVIDENCE, RI - FEBRUARY 27: Darrick Wood #1, Myke Henry #4, and Joe Hanel #33 of the DePaul Blue Demons reacts minutes before a loss against the Providence Friars in the second half on February 27, 2016, at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
PROVIDENCE, RI - FEBRUARY 27: Darrick Wood #1, Myke Henry #4, and Joe Hanel #33 of the DePaul Blue Demons reacts minutes before a loss against the Providence Friars in the second half on February 27, 2016, at the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – MARCH 03: Head coach Dave Leitao of the DePaul Blue Demons gives instructions to his team in a game against the Xavier Musketeers during the second half on March 3, 2018 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. Xavier won 65-62. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – MARCH 03: Head coach Dave Leitao of the DePaul Blue Demons gives instructions to his team in a game against the Xavier Musketeers during the second half on March 3, 2018 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. Xavier won 65-62. (Photo by David Banks/Getty Images) /

Key Additions

The city of Chicago has a lot of appeal to recruits and families. It is not a hard university to recruit to when the DePaul program is good. The city also has a great number of talented Division-1 players to choose from. Leitao like most other coaches who are in the midst of a full rebuild has elected to try and build his team via the transfer market.

The Blue Demons have two high-profile transfers who are going to play a huge role with their team this year. Jalen Coleman-Lands enters his first eligible season in the DePaul program. The junior guard spent the first two years of his career at Illinois. The guard brings something to DePaul that they did not have much of the last few seasons in the form of shooting. Coleman-Lands is a great three-point shooter. The guard is going to be expected to move freely within the offense and hit his open shots. If he can do that DePaul could have a better season than most expect.

DePaul was able to secure one of the top graduate transfers this summer. Graduate transfers are immediately eligible players who seemingly always fit a need at the school they commit to. Femi Olujobi arrives at DePaul after 4 successful seasons at North Carolina A&T University out of the MEAC Conference. Olujobi is a big man who is a stat sheet stuffer. The senior is going to step in and start right away for the Blue Demons. Coach Leitao is hoping that his production matches what it was in MEAC. DePaul was able to fill much-needed holes via the transfer market.

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