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Sandwiched between family time, here's my scouting report for DePaul, who while struggling against higher level of competition, this is a much better team than last year.
Many were shocked when Chris Holtmann – a coach that led Butler and Ohio State to a combined seven NCAA Tournaments in the previous decade – was not only hired, but let alone interested in DePaul’s vacant head coaching position, a team that has not reached the NCAA Tournament in two decades. In comparison, every high-major school has reached the tournament since DePaul’s last berth.
However, DePaul AD DeWayne Peevy delivered a pitch that resonated with Holtmann: Peevy is hungry for success and he needed to hire a hungry coach to lead the team with an improving NIL investment and the horizon of a new $60 million practice facility to boot. Holtmann has had a taste of success, so Peevy wanted a winning coach to see the program through to know what it takes to win.
With a clean slate, Holtmann surrounded himself with a staff rich with Midwest contacts to aggressively hunt and build a roster with no inherited players from Stubblefield’s regime. Case in point, former SIU head coach and current assistant coach Bryan Mullins was essential in the recruitment of former MVC players Isaiah Rivera, Conor Enright, Troy D’Amico and NJ Benson. Main focuses of the staff included IQ and skill up and down the lineup, especially versatility in the frontcourt, but the first focus was to find the right mix of point guards to lead the team’s perimeter-centric focus as the team ranks in the top-10 nationally in both 3PA/FGA offense (51.1%) and defense (30.5%). In addition, the Blue Demons are currently 3rd in the nation with an insane 66.7 A/FGM ratio while also shooting more than 40% from three, which is good for 14th in the nation.
Overall, it is clear that DePaul aims to win the perimeter battle, so the skill up and down the starting lineup – all three starters shoot 35+% from three, including four making more than 41% of their threes – is no surprise. In lieu of a quick tempo, the Blue Demons utilize their strong shooting and passing ability to be patient with players giving up good shots to find an open man with an even better shot. While the starting lineup is flush with skill, it also makes up the team’s worst defensive unit, as three of the team’s four best defenders come off the bench.
In the backcourt, sophomore 2-guard Jacob Meyer – a Coastal Carolina transfer – is DePaul’s most consistent scorer as he not only leads the team in scoring, but has also hit double-digits in all but one game this season. In high school, Meyer led the state of Kentucky in scoring in both his junior (38.2 ppg) and senior seasons (36.8 ppg). A true three-level scoring guard who can also create downhill off the dribble, Meyer is also DePaul’s worst defensive guard, mostly due to his lack of size at the 2-guard and below average athleticism. Also, whenever the ball is in his hands, expect him to shoot.
Meyer’s starting backcourt mate is Drake transfer Conor Enright, a junior pass-first point guard who currently is tied for 8th in the nation with 7.0 assists per game, but he also coughs up 3.6 turnovers per game. While he is not as poor of a defender as Meyer, Enright isn’t classified as a strong defender. Enright is not only a strong perimeter scorer, but his three-point shooting percentage is actually better than his two-point percentage, as Enright lacks the strength and athleticism to create near the basket.
Backing up both Meyer and Enright is Arkansas transfer Layden Blocker, a former top-50 recruit who was the last player to join DePaul and I profiled him back in August for Big East Vault. With excellent athleticism, but a poor shooter, Blocker ranks as DePaul’s best defender and second best distributor. Most of Blocker’s minutes come from spelling Meyer at the 2-guard, making the Enright/Blocker tandem the team’s best passing and defensive guard combo, while Blocker also soaks up all of the backup point guard minutes for the handful of minutes Enright is on the bench.
While Blocker is not a good shooter, he is one of the team’s better guards at getting downhill, as is UIC transfer Isaiah Rivera, a fifth-year wing, DePaul’s second leading scorer and all-around most efficient halfcourt shooter and most versatile offensive weapon thanks to his vision and passing ability. Rivera, however, will have his hands full on the defensive end matching up with McNeeley. Also, Rivera’s scoring against high-major teams (Northwestern, St. John’s, Providence and Texas Tech) has paled in comparison (4 ppg) to his low- and high-major production.
Sharing the 3-guard position with Rivera is Indiana transfer CJ Gunn. At 6’7 and with superior athleticism, Gunn is the better defender of the two and Gunn can quickly get hot as he is second on the team with 21.8 points scored per-40. Like Meyer, when Gunn has the ball, his intention is to score, and while Gunn is a capable three-point shooter (34%), he’s much more efficient and versatile inside the arc. Overall, the 3-guard is the most productive scoring position for DePaul as the Rivera/Gunn tag team averages a combined 21 points-per-game.
Overall, the 4 is DePaul’s worst defensive position with the two players who share that position rank amongst the bottom-three in the team’s defensive efficiency rankings. Troy D’Amico, who started for assistant head coach Bryan Mullins at SIU the last few seasons, has started all but one game this season. High IQ and low-mistake on offense, almost all of D’Amico’s shot attempts are from three and he is also a gifted distributor from the perimeter, averaging two assists per game.
Coming over from Louisville, JJ Traynor brings the unique package of being DePaul’s most efficient offensive player and least efficient defender, although he ranks as the Blue Demons’ second best rim protector. Traynor’s offensive efficiency is rooted in his 84.4 2P%, which currently ranks as second best in the nation. About two-thirds of his shot attempts are close-rim buckets, but Traynor is also a strong three-point shooter, making 39% of his attempts. Traynor is also DePaul’s best non-big rebounder and he battles well under the boards on both ends. In short spells Traynor plays the small-ball five.
The center position carries the most contrast between starting center David Skogman (Davidson) and backup NJ Benson (Missouri State). Playing close to equal minutes, the addition of Skogman was key as some of Holtmann’s best teams included skilled fives, whether it were Kaleb Wesson, Kyle Young and EJ Liddell at Ohio State or Andrew Chrabascz at Butler.
At 6’10 240, Skogman is a big body fifth-year senior that is an excellent rebounder on both ends (three double-doubles so far this season) and is a versatile offensive piece. He is best known for his efficient scoring from all over the frontcourt as, so far, his two-point and three-point attempts are literally equal. In addition, he is an underrated passer and possesses good vision.
In contrast, NJ Benson is a pure bruiser, leading the MVC in offensive rebounding rate and also finishing last season with top-5 ranks in defensive rebounding (3rd) and block rates (5th) during conference play. A pure low-post center, Benson is also easily DePaul’s best defensive frontcourt piece and he is able to stay locked-in on defense without fouling a lot (2.4 fouls per-40). In a team full of perimeter shooters, Benson is DePaul’s only interior-only player in the rotation, so when he’s in, spacing is not as flowing. Benson also has career struggles at the free-throw line.
Many were shocked when Chris Holtmann – a coach that led Butler and Ohio State to a combined seven NCAA Tournaments in the previous decade – was not only hired, but let alone interested in DePaul’s vacant head coaching position, a team that has not reached the NCAA Tournament in two decades. In comparison, every high-major school has reached the tournament since DePaul’s last berth.
However, DePaul AD DeWayne Peevy delivered a pitch that resonated with Holtmann: Peevy is hungry for success and he needed to hire a hungry coach to lead the team with an improving NIL investment and the horizon of a new $60 million practice facility to boot. Holtmann has had a taste of success, so Peevy wanted a winning coach to see the program through to know what it takes to win.
With a clean slate, Holtmann surrounded himself with a staff rich with Midwest contacts to aggressively hunt and build a roster with no inherited players from Stubblefield’s regime. Case in point, former SIU head coach and current assistant coach Bryan Mullins was essential in the recruitment of former MVC players Isaiah Rivera, Conor Enright, Troy D’Amico and NJ Benson. Main focuses of the staff included IQ and skill up and down the lineup, especially versatility in the frontcourt, but the first focus was to find the right mix of point guards to lead the team’s perimeter-centric focus as the team ranks in the top-10 nationally in both 3PA/FGA offense (51.1%) and defense (30.5%). In addition, the Blue Demons are currently 3rd in the nation with an insane 66.7 A/FGM ratio while also shooting more than 40% from three, which is good for 14th in the nation.
Overall, it is clear that DePaul aims to win the perimeter battle, so the skill up and down the starting lineup – all three starters shoot 35+% from three, including four making more than 41% of their threes – is no surprise. In lieu of a quick tempo, the Blue Demons utilize their strong shooting and passing ability to be patient with players giving up good shots to find an open man with an even better shot. While the starting lineup is flush with skill, it also makes up the team’s worst defensive unit, as three of the team’s four best defenders come off the bench.
In the backcourt, sophomore 2-guard Jacob Meyer – a Coastal Carolina transfer – is DePaul’s most consistent scorer as he not only leads the team in scoring, but has also hit double-digits in all but one game this season. In high school, Meyer led the state of Kentucky in scoring in both his junior (38.2 ppg) and senior seasons (36.8 ppg). A true three-level scoring guard who can also create downhill off the dribble, Meyer is also DePaul’s worst defensive guard, mostly due to his lack of size at the 2-guard and below average athleticism. Also, whenever the ball is in his hands, expect him to shoot.
Meyer’s starting backcourt mate is Drake transfer Conor Enright, a junior pass-first point guard who currently is tied for 8th in the nation with 7.0 assists per game, but he also coughs up 3.6 turnovers per game. While he is not as poor of a defender as Meyer, Enright isn’t classified as a strong defender. Enright is not only a strong perimeter scorer, but his three-point shooting percentage is actually better than his two-point percentage, as Enright lacks the strength and athleticism to create near the basket.
Backing up both Meyer and Enright is Arkansas transfer Layden Blocker, a former top-50 recruit who was the last player to join DePaul and I profiled him back in August for Big East Vault. With excellent athleticism, but a poor shooter, Blocker ranks as DePaul’s best defender and second best distributor. Most of Blocker’s minutes come from spelling Meyer at the 2-guard, making the Enright/Blocker tandem the team’s best passing and defensive guard combo, while Blocker also soaks up all of the backup point guard minutes for the handful of minutes Enright is on the bench.
While Blocker is not a good shooter, he is one of the team’s better guards at getting downhill, as is UIC transfer Isaiah Rivera, a fifth-year wing, DePaul’s second leading scorer and all-around most efficient halfcourt shooter and most versatile offensive weapon thanks to his vision and passing ability. Rivera, however, will have his hands full on the defensive end matching up with McNeeley. Also, Rivera’s scoring against high-major teams (Northwestern, St. John’s, Providence and Texas Tech) has paled in comparison (4 ppg) to his low- and high-major production.
Sharing the 3-guard position with Rivera is Indiana transfer CJ Gunn. At 6’7 and with superior athleticism, Gunn is the better defender of the two and Gunn can quickly get hot as he is second on the team with 21.8 points scored per-40. Like Meyer, when Gunn has the ball, his intention is to score, and while Gunn is a capable three-point shooter (34%), he’s much more efficient and versatile inside the arc. Overall, the 3-guard is the most productive scoring position for DePaul as the Rivera/Gunn tag team averages a combined 21 points-per-game.
Overall, the 4 is DePaul’s worst defensive position with the two players who share that position rank amongst the bottom-three in the team’s defensive efficiency rankings. Troy D’Amico, who started for assistant head coach Bryan Mullins at SIU the last few seasons, has started all but one game this season. High IQ and low-mistake on offense, almost all of D’Amico’s shot attempts are from three and he is also a gifted distributor from the perimeter, averaging two assists per game.
Coming over from Louisville, JJ Traynor brings the unique package of being DePaul’s most efficient offensive player and least efficient defender, although he ranks as the Blue Demons’ second best rim protector. Traynor’s offensive efficiency is rooted in his 84.4 2P%, which currently ranks as second best in the nation. About two-thirds of his shot attempts are close-rim buckets, but Traynor is also a strong three-point shooter, making 39% of his attempts. Traynor is also DePaul’s best non-big rebounder and he battles well under the boards on both ends. In short spells Traynor plays the small-ball five.
The center position carries the most contrast between starting center David Skogman (Davidson) and backup NJ Benson (Missouri State). Playing close to equal minutes, the addition of Skogman was key as some of Holtmann’s best teams included skilled fives, whether it were Kaleb Wesson, Kyle Young and EJ Liddell at Ohio State or Andrew Chrabascz at Butler.
At 6’10 240, Skogman is a big body fifth-year senior that is an excellent rebounder on both ends (three double-doubles so far this season) and is a versatile offensive piece. He is best known for his efficient scoring from all over the frontcourt as, so far, his two-point and three-point attempts are literally equal. In addition, he is an underrated passer and possesses good vision.
In contrast, NJ Benson is a pure bruiser, leading the MVC in offensive rebounding rate and also finishing last season with top-5 ranks in defensive rebounding (3rd) and block rates (5th) during conference play. A pure low-post center, Benson is also easily DePaul’s best defensive frontcourt piece and he is able to stay locked-in on defense without fouling a lot (2.4 fouls per-40). In a team full of perimeter shooters, Benson is DePaul’s only interior-only player in the rotation, so when he’s in, spacing is not as flowing. Benson also has career struggles at the free-throw line.
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