Busting Brackets
Fansided

DePaul Basketball: 3 reasons why Blue Demons off to 5-0 start this season

By John Willkom

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - FEBRUARY 12: Head coach Dave Leitao of the DePaul Blue Demons looks on during the game against the Marquette Golden Eagles at Wintrust Arena on February 12, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - FEBRUARY 12: Head coach Dave Leitao of the DePaul Blue Demons looks on during the game against the Marquette Golden Eagles at Wintrust Arena on February 12, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

DePaul Basketball is 5-0, and while they’ve had a few cupcake games to open the season, their recent win over Iowa has Blue Demon fans hopeful that this could be the year they make their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2004.

DePaul Basketball beat Iowa last week 93-78, and while still early, let me tell you why the country is sleeping on the Blue Demons:

1.  Talent

Players win basketball games, and while John Calipari has embraced this for years, it’s much more challenging for programs not named UNC, Kentucky, or Duke, to consistently recruit enough talent to compete against the best teams night in and night out. Dave Leitao has assembled some interesting pieces: Junior forward, Paul Reed, leads the Blue Demons in scoring and rebounding. Fellow junior forward, Jaylen Butz, is also 6’9” and has been good for 10/5.

Chicago native, Charlie Moore, after stops at Cal and Kansas, returns home to run the point. Moore is averaging 14.8 ppg and brings a consistency in the backcourt that DePaul has lacked in previous seasons. Illinois transfer Jalen Coleman-Lands brings size and shooting on the wing. Add in top recruit, Romeo Weems, and by sheer volume, this is a team that has multiple guys that can beat you.

2. Depth

Similar to what I wrote about with Oregon last week, DePaul has seven players that are averaging 6ppg or more. I didn’t mention Devin Gage earlier, but he’s coming off a season a year ago where he played almost 30 minutes per game. Why? DePaul simply didn’t have anybody else good enough to take those minutes. Add in freshman, Markese Jacobs, who was originally committed to Kansas, and Leitao now has several quality guards that he can turn to. DePaul hasn’t just been winning games, either. They’ve been pounding teams, with an average margin of victory of 18.8 ppg.

3. Schedule

DePaul is going to be challenged over the next month. For the casual fan, seeing the Blue Demons lose a game or two before Big East conference play kicks off may be disheartening, but this will serve this team well in the long run. Games on the road against Boston College and Minnesota, as well as home tests vs. Texas Tech, Buffalo, and Northwestern are going to bring out the best in this team.

Top 25 power rankings. dark. Next

Given how wide open the middle of the Big East is, I expect DePaul to finish somewhere in the 5th or 6th spot and earn a trip to the Big Dance.

Home/Big East