Beginning Monday, June 21st, 2004 CHN began unveiling 144 Team previews in 144 Days. CHN ranked the nations top 144 teams, and is unveiling one per day leading up until the opening day of the 2004-05 Season.

Bookmark the 144 Teams in 144 Days home page, and check back each day to see which team is previewed next.

#46 DePaul Blue Demons

CUSA

 2003-04: 22-10, 12-4, 4^th

2003-04 postseason: NCAA Second Round

By Joel Welser

Now that expectations are higher, Dave Leitao’s team has a new challenge ahead of them.  Leitao took his team to the NIT his first year at the helm and to the NCAA his second year.  Now he has to keep them there before heading to the Big East in 2005-2006.  The backcourt is solid with Drake Diener, Sammy Mejia and LeVar Seals, but the frontcourt could have some major problems.  Nobody on the roster is over 6-9. 

Who’s Out: Forward Delonte Holland led the team with 16.5 points as a senior last year.  He also grabbed 5.4 boards per outing.  Holland’s partner up front is also leaving.  Andre Brown averaged 13.5 points and a team high 9.2 rebounds.  Guard Tyler Smith saw limited minutes off the bench. 

Who’s In: Quemont Greer will get a starting spot up front.  Some newcomers will compete with returnees Marcus Heard, Lorenzo Thompson and Marlon Brumfield for minutes under the basket.  None of those returning players averaged more then ten minutes a game last year, although Brumfield is expected to make a bigger impact.  Luckily the newcomers in the frontcourt aren’t true freshmen and should be able to use their experience to make an immediate impact.  Forward Jamal Nichols played at Globe Tech last year and at Riverside (California) Community College as a freshman.  The 6-9, 245 pound junior averaged 24 points and 14 rebounds last year and will get an opportunity to see some minutes.  Wesley Green redshirted last year sitting out after having shoulder surgery.  Green averaged 23 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks as a senior in high school.  If he plays up to his potential, Green could be starting for the Blue Demons relatively soon.  A trio of guards won’t see too many minutes this year with the solid returning backcourt.  Point guard Cliff Clinkscales averaged 21 points and 12 assists last year and could be the future point guard in Chicago.  Marcus Malone is a sound shooting guard, who averaged 14 points, six assists and three steals a game as a senior in high school.  Shooting guard Draelon Burns is another solid backcourt prospect.  He averaged 20.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists last year.

Who to Watch: Drake Diener and LeVar Seals are the senior leaders of the backcourt, but it is Sammy Mejia who is the playmaker.  Mejia averaged 7.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 1.0 steals as just a freshman last year.  At 6-6 and with great ball handling skills, Mejia is tough to guard.  He was sixth in the conference in assists and should only get better with more experience.  Mejia doesn’t look to shoot often, but can go to the basket or stop for a pull up jumper.  He does have some range though making 27 of 73 attempts from behind the arc. 

Projected Conference Rank: With seniors Drake Diener, LeVar Seals and Quemont Greer along with Sammy Mejia providing a solid nucleus, the Blue Demons should fight for another trip to the big dance.  Getting 5^th place in the conference should be just enough to slip in, but some inexperienced players will have to step up to give the squad more depth.

Projected Post-season Tournament: NCAA

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Email Joel Welser: jwelser_chn@ameritech.net

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