By
Joel Welser
DePaul is the major wild card of the new
Big East. Three of the top four scorers are gone and so is Dave
Leitao, who spent the offseason unpacking his bags in
Charlottesville, Virginia. But in comes Coach Jerry Wainwright
who has had enough consistent success at UNC Wilmington and
Richmond to earn a shot at coaching in the Big East. Just as
important as Wainwright’s proven track record is the fact that
he got Leitao’s recruiting class to stick around at DePaul.
Who’s Out:
The loss of LeVar Seals and Drake Diener leaves a gap in the
backcourt. Seals averaged 7.6 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.8
assists per contest during his senior campaign. Diener added
14.2 points and 2.8 assists per contest. Returning guards
Draelon Burns and Cliff Clinkscales will have to play a bigger
role after spending their freshman seasons coming off the bench.
The frontcourt loses big man Quemont Greer. He led the team in
points and rebounds with 18.3 and 7.6, respectively. Also
leaving the frontcourt is transfer Jamal Nichols. Nichols played
14.4 minutes per game, averaging 3.5 points and 3.3 rebounds.
Who’s In:
Small forward Wilson Chandler topped off his high school career
by earning Mr. Basketball accolades in the state of Michigan.
The 6-7, 190 pound Benton Harbor, Michigan product averaged 22
points and 13 rebounds as a senior and shot a solid 68% from the
floor. Chandler is an exciting finisher in transition and a
solid rebounder, and his outside shot has been developing quite
well over the years. He should be starting from day one. Fellow
Michigan product Jabari Currie will see some minutes backing up
the guard spots. Shooting guard Rashad Woods is an offensive
minded lefty who will add even more quality depth to the
backcourt. Karron Clarke was a big time recruit coming out of
high school. After one season of coming off the bench at Miami
(Fl), the 6-6 forward heads to DePaul in search of more playing
time. Clarke is a good rebounder and can score from inside the
arc and will see more playing time, if not a starting job.
Walk-on forward Drew Gladstone rounds out the group of talented
newcomers. The 6-5 Bronx native won’t see many minutes his first
year in the program.
Who to Watch:
This team is all about Sammy Mejia. The 6-6
guard brings point guard abilities to the table, creating major
matchup problems in the backcourt. As a sophomore last year he
averaged 11.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals.
Mejia will have to take over more of the scoring with the
absence of Seals and Diener, but his jumpshot could use some
work. DePaul returns very few threats from behind the arc and,
if Mejia can develop that shot, it will go a long way to opening
up the opposition’s defense. If Mejia struggles as a leader or a
scorer, it could turn out to be a long year in Chicago.
Projected Conference Rank:
With the frontcourt departures, Coach
Wainwright may be forced to move Wilson Chandler to the four
spot unless Lorenzo Thompson can earn a surprising starting
role, but that would leave the depth behind Marlon Brumfield at
virtually nothing. The projected starting five has one solid
point guard, one big body underneath and three dangerous scoring
threats in between. A 10th place finish in the Big
East and a trip back to the NIT is a great start for DePaul. It
may be a little bit of overachieving, but the personnel is there
for DePaul to come up with a few major surprises.
Projected Post-season Tournament:
NIT
Projected Starting Five:
Cliff Clinkscales, Sophomore, Guard, 2.5 points per game
Sammy Mejia, Junior, Guard, 11.8 points per game
Karron Clarke, Sophomore, Guard, DNP last season
Wilson Chandler, Freshman, Forward, DNP last season
Marlon Brumfield, Senior, Forward, 4.8 points per game
