Busting Brackets
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Big East Basketball Power Rankings: Should Villanova remain No. 1?

By Thomas Giustino

Dec 12, 2021; Newark, New Jersey, USA; The Seton Hall Pirates at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 12, 2021; Newark, New Jersey, USA; The Seton Hall Pirates at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports /
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Big East Basketball Javon Freeman-Liberty DePaul Blue Demons (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
Big East Basketball Javon Freeman-Liberty DePaul Blue Demons (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /

7. DePaul (last rank 11)

Record: 9-1

KenPom Rank: 89

NET Ranking: 51 (Q1: 1-1, Q2: 0-0, Q3: 2-0, Q4: 6-0)

Best non-conference win(s): vs Rutgers, at Louisville

Bad loss(es): None

DePaul may not have played the most difficult of schedules, but Tony Stubblefield has them looking like a team that wants to win. That might not seem like a lot, but DePaul hasn’t been a team that opponents take seriously in some time (sorry DePaul fans, but you know it’s true). No longer though. Now, you better come to play because you know Stubblefield has his guys ready. Even if they get down early on, they’re going to just keep playing their game and make things interesting. Just ask Loyola Chicago and Louisville.

At the beginning of the season, if you aren’t a die-hard college basketball fan, the only name you probably recognized on the DePaul roster is Javon Freeman-Liberty. JFL (20.9 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 3.9 apg, 2.0 spg, 35.3% from three) might get snubbed because he plays for DePaul, but he is looking like one of the best players in the league. He already got passed up on for the preseason All-Big East team selections, not even an honorable mention.

How about David Jones though? Jones (17.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 35.3% from three) single-handedly willed DePaul to their win over Louisville. If JFL is Batman, then David Jones is Robin. These two are a dynamic duo that can play with any backcourt in the Big East.

Brandon Johnson (11.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg) has been a nice pickup for the Blue Demons. Even when his shot isn’t falling, he stays locked in on the defensive end and keeps shooting on offense. He has never been a great three-point shooter, but if he can get his 3-point percentage up a just a bit that will go a long way for DePaul.

The frontcourt is rounded out by Nick Ongenda. Going into the season, I honestly didn’t know if Nick Ongenda or Yor Anei was going to see starter minutes at the center spot. Nick Ongenda decided to step up and claim them. Ongenda (11.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.5 bpg) has been a force on offense and defense for the Blue Demons. He comes in the game in attack mode, looking to be the aggressor. The only thing he needs to be careful with is his tendency to get in foul trouble. You can’t help your team nearly as much from the bench.

So how do we feel about the Blue Demons? Are they for real? I initially thought this team would only go as far as JFL could carry them. However, it appears he has some serious help. David Jones is his trusty sidekick who always seems to get a bucket when DePaul needs one, and isn’t afraid to take over. I’m not saying DePaul is going to win the Big East or anything, but they have a somewhat legitimate chance to sneak into the NCAA tournament.

The Blue Demons haven’t played in the tournament since 2004 and they haven’t been ranked some November 2000. It’s still early to say how good this team is, but they will almost certainly have some big wins in Big East play and the conference is looking like it may be a 7-bid league. Can DePaul do enough to shock the world?

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