There are current player on DePaul’s roster who were not alive the last time the Blue Demons were in the NCAA Tournament. The program’s twenty years in the Big East have been filled with disappointment, though Chris Holtmann is hoping that he’s the coach who can finally turn things around in Chicago. Holtmann had prior success in the Big East at Butler and did improve by eleven wins in his first season, though a 14-20 record still isn’t anything to celebrate.
One thing to celebrate is that three of DePaul’s top four scorers from last season will be back this year, namely leading scorer CJ Gunn, talented guard Layden Blocker, and 6-8 forward N. J. Benson. Not much else is back, as the Blue Demons lose Conor Enright and Jacob Meyer to the transfer portal and graduated several pieces. Holtmann built last season’s roster using the portal and thankfully had some more luck with it in his second offseason.
Five incoming players compose that transfer class and while none are considered elite additions there’s certainly an influx of new talent here. 7-footer Khaman Maker slides over from St. John’s hoping for an opportunity. A plethora of shooting guards enter the fold for a Blue Demons team desperately needing depth and offense, including Amsal Delalic from Pittsburgh, Brandon Maclin from Radford, and RJ Smith out of Colorado.
However, Kaleb Banks should get the attention and be the most important piece for DePaul next season. He’s a 6-7 forward from Georgia who was actually considered a Top 100 prospect three years back. Holtmann saw him up close in the Big Ten as Banks spent a pair of seasons as a reserve at Indiana before finding a better fit last year with Tulane. As a junior, Banks put up 14.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in his lone year with the Green Wave.
By earning Second Team All-AAC honors, Banks showed something special when given the opportunity. He couldn’t quite climb past impressive names on that Indiana roster, but shined at Tulane, becoming one of the AAC’s most efficient offensive players. Banks does contribute defensively, leaving DePaul to hope their new 4 can be a complete player as a senior now back at the power conference level.
Holtmann is plugging in a bunch of new pieces, including some freshmen we didn’t discuss, and hoping this lineup can be slightly more competitive than last season. Still, DePaul took a step in the right direction and they’ll need Banks on top of his game to take another step forward. Life in the Big East is no picnic and dealing with those opposing frontcourts won’t be easy, but this team really needs him playing at an inspiring level if they’re going to make an impression.