I
Ian Pike Hammer
Guest
This team will be a much better test for us. Recent years haven't been kind to DePaul, but us oldtimers remember when they were a powerful team for many years. It's generally agreed that they are climbing back up the ladder, but are picked 9th in the 10 team Big East this year. Don't be fooled by that! That conf. features: Villanova, Seton Hall, Marquette, Xavier, Creighton, Butler, Providence, and Georgetown, among others. It's a very strong conference and like ours, is hard to consistently finish in the top 5. They made the postseason [CBI] for the first time in 12 years, finishing 2nd in that tourney with a 19-17 record. They won 16 home games for the 1st time in 32 years and had 7 league wins [We had 10].
This year: their top 3 scorers are gone- 46 points that must be replaced, but we lost a lot too!
Paul Reed, 6'9" Jr. forward returns with his Most I m pr4oved Player award under his arm and lead the league in rebounding.
Another forward, Haylen Butz, had 4, ten rebound games last year. Guard Deven Cage [9.1 ppg] had 130 assists last year. The incoming freshmen class is said to be the best one in more than a decade, lead by Michigan Mr. Basketball Romeo Weems [a top 50 recruit]. Add in another 4**** guard from Chi., Markese Jacobs. A promising shooting guard, Oscar Lopez arrives from Calif as does 6;10:Nick Ongenda, one of the top prospects from Arkansas. 2 transfers join the team also in the frontcourt that adds bulk and experience.
It speaks well of them that they lose so much talent and yet are so highly spoken of. However, their coach, Dave Leitao, has been suspended for the first 3 games [failing to monitor his staff. The school got a 3-year probation from it]. The overview: DePaul hasn't had a winning record since 2007 and hasn't been to the big dance s in 15 years. so it's a hard ro ad back for them. Still, they are a team Iowa shouldn't overlook. This would be a good win against another P5 team and a resume builder [possibley]. It might not be a great win, but it could be a bad loss if the season falls apart for the Blue Demons.
This year: their top 3 scorers are gone- 46 points that must be replaced, but we lost a lot too!
Paul Reed, 6'9" Jr. forward returns with his Most I m pr4oved Player award under his arm and lead the league in rebounding.
Another forward, Haylen Butz, had 4, ten rebound games last year. Guard Deven Cage [9.1 ppg] had 130 assists last year. The incoming freshmen class is said to be the best one in more than a decade, lead by Michigan Mr. Basketball Romeo Weems [a top 50 recruit]. Add in another 4**** guard from Chi., Markese Jacobs. A promising shooting guard, Oscar Lopez arrives from Calif as does 6;10:Nick Ongenda, one of the top prospects from Arkansas. 2 transfers join the team also in the frontcourt that adds bulk and experience.
It speaks well of them that they lose so much talent and yet are so highly spoken of. However, their coach, Dave Leitao, has been suspended for the first 3 games [failing to monitor his staff. The school got a 3-year probation from it]. The overview: DePaul hasn't had a winning record since 2007 and hasn't been to the big dance s in 15 years. so it's a hard ro ad back for them. Still, they are a team Iowa shouldn't overlook. This would be a good win against another P5 team and a resume builder [possibley]. It might not be a great win, but it could be a bad loss if the season falls apart for the Blue Demons.