DePaul Basketball: Why Jacob Meyer is the most important team transfer for 2024-25

This hasn’t been an issue isolated to recent years, but DePaul basketball has just been a mess for quite a long time. It’s been two decades since the Blue Demons were in the NCAA Tournament and the program may have bottomed out last season. There have been rough eras in Chicago, but DePaul finished just 3-29 last year. Now, former Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann comes to town with hope on the horizon, but is there any realistic hope for this program?

For all intents and purposes, moving forward is the right plan for DePaul and it’s no surprise that the entire roster has been overturned. Nearly a dozen players from last season either graduated or are in the Transfer Portal, including top scorer Elijah Fisher and fellow sophomore guard Jaden Henley. They both showed promise, but these Blue Demons absolutely needed a reboot and have plenty of new faces transferring into the program.

Holtmann was able to add some major talent to this rotation, grabbing point guard Layden Blocker from Arkansas, forward JJ Traynor out of Louisville, and former Indiana guard CJ Gunn. His work grabbing mid-major talent was just as impressive, highlighted by 7-foot center David Skogman from Davidson. There are also a slew of additions from the MVC who’ll figure into the rotation, including NJ Benson from Missouri State, Isaiah Rivera from UIC, and Conor Enright out of Drake.

Instead, a different mid-major star gets the billing as today’s closer look is on Jacob Meyer. A combo guard originally from the state of Kentucky, Meyer is fresh off a breakout campaign as a freshman at Coastal Carolina. Last season was pretty rough for the Chanticleers, but Meyer’s emergence was the highlight of the season. He averaged 15.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game while knocking down 40% of his 3-pointers.

As a true freshman, Meyer became one of the best shooters and scorers in the Sun Belt and became a much needed boost for Coastal Carolina. His departure after just one season is devastating for that program but becomes a major win for the Blue Demons. There’s no telling how he’ll handle the transition into Big East basketball, but Meyer has the talent and athleticism to be successful, especially if he can develop further as a sophomore.

We’re not certain at this point how all of these pieces will come together under Holtmann. A rotation built completely from the Transfer Portal needs time to gel. Each of these transfers offer something different for the Blue Demons and this won’t be the team in the end that gets the Blue Demons back to the Big Dance, but there’s certainly reason for intrigue. You have to consider Skogman’s height and experience, Blocker’s raw talent, and a lot of other aspects among these new pieces.

We’ll have a much clearer look at this basketball program in a few months and it’s possible that Meyer isn’t the standout. However, it’s impossible to resist his breakout, his raw talent, and his shooting ability as a great asset for DePaul this season and perhaps beyond that. With that being said, has DePaul done enough to actually win some league games after finishing 0-20 last year? Can sophomore year provide another step forward for Meyer?