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DePaul (2-9)
#241 in KenPom
#241 in KenPom
259th in Offensive efficiency
- 39th in A/FGM (59%)
- 77th in FTA/FGA
- 139th w/ a 34.1 3P%; 37.7% of FGAs from 3 (~median)
- 233rd in offensive tempo
- 246th w/ a 47.9 2P%
- 320th in turnover prevention
- 340th in offensive rebounding rate
201st in Defensive efficiency
- 65th in opp. Average possession length (16.6 second/possession)
- 90th in 3PA/FGA prevention (34.7%); opp 3P% 36.2% (303rd)
- 141st in FTA/FGA prevention
- 226th in opp. 2P% (51.5%)
- 246th in turnovers caused
- 271st in defensive rebounding rate
Results from last four games (67th toughest non-conference schedule)
- L 64-89 at Texas A&M (KP 22)
- W 75-68 vs Louisville (KP 186)
- L 46-56 vs Northwestern (KP 55)
- L 84-48 vs Villanova (KP 24)
- ??? vs Chicago State (KP 313), game is Saturday
PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP:
Caleb Murphy 6’4 182 senior will start at PG if healthy (was a GTD vs Villanova, wrist)
- 6.4p, 2.0a, 2.0 TO, 53.3 2P%, 0 3PA, top FT rate on team,
Chico Carter 6’2 198 grad transfer from South Carolina
- 13.7p, 3.3r, 4.4a, 2.2 TO, 53.4 2P%, 41.2 3P%, ½ FGAs from 3, 74.3 FT%
- Highest offensive rating on team
- 2nd lowest defensive rating on team
Jaden Henley 6’7 201 sophomore transfer from Minnesota (likely moves to bench if Murphy back)
- 5.9p, 2.6r, 1.7a, 1.8 T), 40 2P%, 25 3P%, 75% FGAs from 2
- Highest defensive rating on team
Elijah Fisher 6’6 220 sophomore transfer from Texas Tech
- 9.2p, 4.0r, 1.9a, 1.8 TO, 57.1 2P%, 23.5 3P%, 80%+ FGAs from 2, highest FT rate on team, 71.4 FT%
- 4th best defensive rating on team
Jeremiah Oden 6’9 208 senior transfer from Wyoming
- 12.1p, 4.1r, 40 2P%, 42.6 3P%, ½ FGAs from 3, 82.9 FT%
- 4th worst defensive rating on team
Da’Sean Nelson 6’8 220 senior
- 10p, 4.3r, 2.2a, 1.9 TO, 48 2P%, 22.7 3P%, ¼ FGAs from 3, 65.7 FT%
- 3rd lowest defensive rate on team
FREQUENTLY USED BENCH PIECES - 25.3% minutes (312nd in nation)
Jalen Terry 6’0 160 senior
- 3 games (just returned from injury)
- Career 43.6 2P%, 33.6 3P%, 79.7 FT%, ½ FGAs from 3, solid defensive metrics
KT Raimey 6’3 178 senior
- 7.1p, 2.6r, 40.4 3P%, 80%+ FGAs from 3
- Worst defensive rating on team
Churchill Abass 6’9 250 freshman
- 2.2p, 2.6r, 0.9b (only somewhat consistent shot blocker on team)
- Third best defensive rating on team
SPARINGLY USED BENCH PIECES - 3-10 mpg and play most games
Mac Etienne 6’10 230 junior transfer from UCLA, plays 3-7 mpg
Keyondre Young 6’9 194 junior transfer from Valpo, plays 75% of games, 8ish mpg
DePaul's still got a game to play, but I figure since we're dying for content why not send the scouting report early?
Long time Dana Altman assistant Tony Stubblefield is now in his third season leading DePaul. Personally, I didn’t hate the talent on last year’s squad but the injury bug hit the squad as Nick Ongenda, Caleb Murphy, Jalen Terry, Yor Anei and Zion Cruz – who each started at least one game last season – all missed nine or more games.
This season marks the 45th anniversary of the Blue Demons’ last Final Four and 20 years since their last NCAA Tournament bid and the Blue Demons have quite the refresh of their roster after losing five of the top six scorers from last year’s team that lost 13 of their final 14 games.
Stubblefield’s goal this offseason was to add length, athleticism and positional versatility, which makes sense because during Stubblefield’s time as Dana Altman’s assistant at Oregon, their best teams featured two guards and multiple mismatch forwards.
Similar to last year, DePaul’s rotations feature multiple distributors and perimeter shooters, but are woefully weak in the frontcourt. I, for one, expected UCLA transfer Mac Etienne to become a key cog in the frontcourt, but he is a sparingly used third big.
Speaking of bigs, few Blue Demons have pigeon-holed roles. Senior Jalen Terry is a classic, undersized pass-first two-way point guard while freshman Churchhill Abass, who didn’t start playing basketball until he was fifteen and arrived to Chicago from Nigeria in August, is a raw, low-post project big with an impressive 7’2 wingspan and 38-inch vertical. Of course, Etienne is more of a classic big, too.
That being said, the starting lineup is flawed and might not have a ton of skill, synergy or awareness, but they are certainly versatile.
The head of the shake is Chico Carter Jr., a perpetually excellent perimeter shooter who was mainly just a scorer at Murray State and South Carolina, but has stepped up as DePaul’s de facto point guard and blossoming rim attacker.
The frontcourt is locked down by senior returnee Da’Sean Nelson and Jeremiah Oden. Forced into a starting role last season due to the injuries to Ognenda and Anei, Nelson became one of the best newcomers in the Big East last season thanks to his versatile offensive toolbox, relentless motor and impressive athleticism. Nelson, however, is just 6’8 220 and as DePaul’s de facto “big”, he is one of the weakest rebounders and defenders at that position within the conference. I like him, though.
Oden is a Chicago native whose father played two seasons at DePaul. Known for his athleticism, length, leadership abilities and shooting, Oden is one of the few Blue Demons with low assist rates, but he’s a willing three-level scorer and an excellent perimeter spacer.
Perhaps the most exciting addition this offseason is former top-50 2023 reclass Canadian Elijah Fisher. Transferring to DePaul from Texas Tech following Mark Adams’ firing, Fisher is a true positionless “wing” who is physical, strong and can defend multiple positions. While not a strong shooter, who lets it fly enough from deep to keep defenses honest, but he’s a downhill scorer who is unselfish, but mistake prone.
Whether he starts or plays off the bench, Minnesota transfer Jaden Henley is an incredibly long 6’7 athlete who has played all three backcourt positions at both Minnesota and DePaul. He’s an awful shooter and like Fisher, is unselfish and mistake prone, but is easily DePaul’s best defender. Just a sophomore, as he grows, I can see him becoming one of the best lockdown defenders in the Big East. Shades of Andre Jackson.
A GTD last game against Villanova (wrist), Caleb Murphy is a bit of an enigma. At South Florida, the big combo guard was a high-usage, low efficiency ball-dominant guard, but as he’s aged, he has become more of a depth guard. However, Murphy has still got potential as one of, if not the best rim-attacker on the roster and a fearlessness to take over a game, but injuries have affected three of his first four seasons. If he plays, he's a literal non-factor on the perimeter.
Off the bench, KT Raimey is a decently sized perimeter spacer, but lacks strength to be a consistent factor inside the arc.
Overall, DePaul’s proneness to turnovers provides UConn a juicy opportunity to feast off transition buckets – paging Samson Johnson. That being said, despite their flaws, DePaul prides themselves on gusto, so their issues aren’t due to a lack of effort.
No Clingan, but in the grinder of the Big East, Tuesday’s matchup against DePaul marks a two-week, four-game span that is arguably their softest multi-game regular season stretch of the season (second only to a stretch in February when they play Georgetown, followed by DePaul).
