Dave Leitao

[Palatine]

Making it through some of Chicago's high schools and surviving is an accomplishment.

That said, Dave never should have left DePaul in the first place. He had turned them around and once you get that train going, he would have been nationally relevant and been a local celebrity. The fact he has them winning again is a near miracle. Hopefully he learned from his previous experience. DePaul is a sleeping giant.

 

[tentoes4rings]

This is a terrible post. First for insuating that inner city kids can’t read and also for the notion that all coaches in big cities should be able to just grab kids from their town with no effort. St John’s, Northwestern, USC, Boston College all suck. It’s not that easy.

How dare you say a guy who never has any likes made a terrible post?

 

[Padutch5]

Showing my age a bit here but does anyone else remember when DePaul had a great program that had games on NBC most Saturdays? Ray Meyer had most of the success, then followed by his son Joey. Along with UConn, that was my favorite team, good to see DL has the school headed in the right direction again.

I was at many of those games at the Rosemont Horizon. That’s the arena on the O’hare flight path. Great games and great crowds. With the talent in Chicago and all of Illinois, Ive never understood why DePaul and Illinois aren’t always top teams.

 

[superjohn]

A few weeks later I attended my first Northwestern game in the new on campus arena that was a very nice as well. And guess who they were playing.... Depaul

Chicago has a bunch of D1 basketball

UIC
Loyola
Chicago State
Northwestern
Depaul

I was able to go to all the arenas except for Chicago State

Are you the guy going to every D1 arena in the country? If so, how far along are you?

 

[uconnfan68]

They are DePaul and he is Dave Leitao.

This will end the way you think it will.

Has a great JC impression, or so I’ve heard.

 

[uconnfan68]

I was at many of those games at the Rosemont Horizon. That’s the arena on the O’hare flight path. Great games and great crowds. With the talent in Chicago and all of Illinois, Ive never understood why DePaul and Illinois aren’t always top teams.

Was at Great Lakes boot camp in spring 1970. They had Illinois state HS tournament on tv. I thought I was watching college teams. Had just come from UConn, and they weren’t as big or as talented it seemed.

 

[Burnsbros23]

Actually it's sadly a true comment, and reflection on the failure of the Chicago public school system. Many kids who've come thru it cannot qualify(or do not even try), It's a real train wreck of an educational system among other inner city issues.

this is a myth. Their not many kids who good enough to play high major basketball walking around doing nothing. The one kid who recently bombed out was Kezo Brown.

 

[MilliniumPrince]

I always want all of our old friends to succeed. I know its been talked about on here before, but not many of Calhoun’s former assistants (not including Ollie) have gone on to have success as head coaches at other schools. Leitao is by far the most successful one.

"Not including" the one who won a National Championship.........Wow

 

[don356]

And look, it’s scumbag defender to the the rescue.

Nope, just someone who lived downtown Chicago for 4 years. Saw it first hand. Chicago is the most corrupt big city in the country, and it's citizens suffer as a result of it.

 

[XLCenterFan]

Nope, just someone who lived downtown Chicago for 4 years. Saw it first hand. Chicago is the most corrupt big city in the country, and it's citizens suffer as a result of it.

I don’t think “downtown” qualifies as the more working class districts that the initial comment alluded to. Was “downtown” a nice high-rise, largely insulated from the issues facing many inner city residents today? I have also lived in a city - Adelaide Street in Hartford’s South End, for three years - so I do have some perspective as well. Only I don’t feel the need to point out or insult the educational attainment levels realized by the people who became my fiends and neighbors, nor do I defend such comments on messages boards.

 

[superjohn]

Nope, just someone who lived downtown Chicago for 4 years. Saw it first hand. Chicago is the most corrupt big city in the country, and it's citizens suffer as a result of it.

Where downtown did you live?

 

[don356]

Where downtown did you live?

Lake View, about a half mile or so from Wrigley. In the lap of luxury, corporate paid for housing. That said, when you work for the big law or financial firms you do a fair amount of outreach work on various fronts including schools, jobs for students, funding. et. al. It was a struggle. A real eye opener as to where some of the kids/schools were in terms of basic skills. It's not limited to Chicago, i'm sure if anyone has exposure to the Nyc school system it's just as bad. Big, big business, and bad, bad results. There were some kids who were not going to ever get to a college level just out of truancy. However, it's not a good scene. There are to many kids who are getting through without the basic skills.

 

[JB75]

I was at many of those games at the Rosemont Horizon. That’s the arena on the O’hare flight path. Great games and great crowds. With the talent in Chicago and all of Illinois, Ive never understood why DePaul and Illinois aren’t always top teams.

Yes I do. I’m a college hoops fanatic and I remember Tyrone Corbin. This is maybe 1987ish. I was like 10yrs old. Lol. There was another big name they had around that time. Can’t remember. 30-35 yrs ago It just came to me- Dallas comegys Ring a bell?

 

[buddy]

Yup. Looks like Providence will be the Big East's new Depaul.

Until UConn gets there next season!

 

[scoscox]

I was in Chicago last year and went to my first game. Nice arena but not near campus. I was able to witness this dunk which was great

the strus is loose! i loved him at depaul. hopefully he can make it in the league

 

[Hey Adrien!]

DePaul just added immediately eligible senior forward DJ Williams who was a former Illinois recruit and GW transfer. Averaged 13.7 points and 4.7 boards last year at GW.

Is this the latest immediately eligible transfer ever? I love what Leitao is doing at DePaul, but this sounds like free agency to me. Join a school with two months left in the season and "graduate" in May?

 

[Dream Jobbed 2.0]

DePaul just added immediately eligible senior forward DJ Williams who was a former Illinois recruit and GW transfer. Averaged 13.7 points and 4.7 boards last year at GW.

Is this the latest immediately eligible transfer ever? I love what Leitao is doing at DePaul, but this sounds like free agency to me. Join a school with two months left in the season and "graduate" in May?

Without any details maybe it was a matter of fall/spring semester?

 

[Waquoit]

I'm happy to see it. Dave and DePaul are what we call a "fit".

 

[MU in MKE]

Lake View, about a half mile or so from Wrigley. In the lap of luxury, corporate paid for housing. That said, when you work for the big law or financial firms you do a fair amount of outreach work on various fronts including schools, jobs for students, funding. et. al. It was a struggle. A real eye opener as to where some of the kids/schools were in terms of basic skills. It's not limited to Chicago, i'm sure if anyone has exposure to the Nyc school system it's just as bad. Big, big business, and bad, bad results. There were some kids who were not going to ever get to a college level just out of truancy. However, it's not a good scene. There are to many kids who are getting through without the basic skills.

You can't tell people you lived "downtown" if you lived in Lake View. [insert some comparison to NYC boroughs or neighborhoods not being the same. I can't because I don't know them. ]

Your comments on the public school system aren't necessarily inaccurate, but there are also plenty of decent schools and some great players to come out of the Chicago Public School system. Some had a lot of struggles and some went to some perfectly fine schools and did well. It's a big city, lot's of opportunity for talent. Of course, it's not just the local universities vying for that talent. It's a real uphill battle for DePaul.

 

[superjohn]

You can't tell people you lived "downtown" if you lived in Lake View. [insert some comparison to NYC boroughs or neighborhoods not being the same. I can't because I don't know them. ]

Your comments on the public school system aren't necessarily inaccurate, but there are also plenty of decent schools and some great players to come out of the Chicago Public School system. Some had a lot of struggles and some went to some perfectly fine schools and did well. It's a big city, lot's of opportunity for talent. Of course, it's not just the local universities vying for that talent. It's a real uphill battle for DePaul.

Yep, Lakeview is North Side.

 

[Stainmaster]

Until UConn gets there next season!

Thank you for your interest in UConn basketball.

 

[buddy]

You will see!

 

[Hoophound]

You will see!

Unfortunately, we might.

However, I tend to see us going back to the Big East with a relative bang. Our PG problems will likely be solved by adding RJ Cole. Bouknight and Akok are stars in the making and our supporting cast is pretty solid. I've been looking to next year as our comeback season for some time and the fact it happens to coincide with returning to the Big East is mere coincidence. I think we'll be pretty good next year, definitely better than this year.

 

[PChoops]

Buyer beware with RJ Cole. I seen him play alot of games especially the one a yr ago when lit up Georgetown. I don't like to compare players, but ex Villanova transfer Cremo led Albany in scoring I think he avg like 20 and this dude looked loss for Nova, there board wanted him out. Another guy, our Luwane Pipkins a little shorter than Cole and avg 20 and came from a way better conference than Cole and he still thinks chugging and ducking is ok in the Big East. He had flashes and hopefully he will get it together come before the BE tourney. I like Cole alot but it would not surprise me if Hurley goes with Gaffney.

 

[PChoops]

FYI I root for all BE teams come tournament time and as much as I dislike UConn welcome back and will be cheering for you guys during non conference play and tournament time.....if u get in lol