2013-2014 Basketball Preview

2013-2014 BASKETBALL PREVIEW

RISE ABOVE Making a stand in the new Big East

INSIDE

Saying goodbye to seniors Page 4

Garrett family connection Page 8

Hrynko’s hairstyles Page 8

2 | Sports. Nov. 4, 2013. The DePaulia

Fighting to the forefront

DePaul Men’s ‘13-14 Schedule

Perennial contenders like Louisville, Syracuse and Pittsburgh have left. Will Butler, Xavier and Creighton fill the void?

11/09/13 vs Grambling State 3 p.m.

11/13/13 vs Southern Miss 8 p.m.

11/16/13 vs Wright State 1 p.m.

11/19/13 @ Milwaukee 7 p.m.

11/25/13 vs Wichita State 9 p.m.

11/26/13 vs BYU/Texas 6:30/9 p.m.

12/01/13 vs Oregon State 3 p.m.

12/06/13 vs Arizona State 6 p.m.

12/12/13 vs Florida Atlantic 8 p.m.

12/15/13 vs Chicago State 3:30 p.m.

12/18/13 vs Houston Baptist 8 p.m.

12/22/13 @ Illinois State 7:05 p.m.

12/27/13 @ Northwestern 8 p.m.

12/31/13 @ Georgetown 4 p.m.

01/04/14 @ Marquette 1 p.m.

01/07/14 vs Creighton 8 p.m.

01/09/14 @ Butler 6 p.m.

01/14/14 vs St. John’s 6 p.m.

01/18/14 @ Villanova 3 p.m.

01/20/14 vs Xavier 3 p.m.

01/25/14 @ Seton Hall 5 p.m.

02/01/14 vs Providence Noon 02/03/14 vs Georgetown 8 p.m.

02/07/14 @ Creighton 8 p.m.

02/12/14 vs Villanova 6 p.m.

02/15/14 @ Providence 1 p.m.

02/19/14 @ Xavier 6 p.m.

02/22/14 vs Marquette 1 p.m.

02/25/14 vs Seton Hall 8 p.m.

03/02/14 @ St. John’s 11 a.m.

03/06/14 vs Butler 8 p.m.

Conference records in parentheses, all conference records are Big East unless otherwise noted

Butler Bulldogs

27-9 (11-5 A-10)

Head coach Brad Stevens is gone to the NBA and now the Bulldogs are finally in a conference suited to their talents. Another NCAA tournament appearance could be in the cards, but it will be tougher than ever.

Creighton Bluejays

28-8 (13-5 MVC)

The Big East is more challenging than the Missouri Valley Conference, but the Bluejays will contend as long as they have Doug McDermott. The two-time All-American scored 23.2 points per game last year.

DePaul Blue Demons

11-21 (2-16)

It figures to be another trying year for DePaul, but added size across the board will improve the squad’s dismal rebounding. New faces like Billy Garrett Jr. indicate a bright future in Chicago.

Georgetown Hoyas

25-7 (14-4)

Star Otto Porter is gone, but it won’t faze the Hoyas.

John Thompson III’s program churns out NBA-level talent year after year. This year, they’ll lean heavily on senior Markel Starks, who averaged 12.8 points.

Marquette Golden Eagles

26-9 (14-4)

Marquette was voted first overall in the preseason coaches poll and it’s not hard to see why. Buzz Williams’ team returns nine letterwinners and two starters from last year’s Elite Eight squad.

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT: 3/12/14—3/15/14

Providence Friars

Providence made a trip to the NIT last season and figures to be much improved this year. Their star players are available after being racked by injuries and Bryce Cotton, the Big East’s leading scorer, is back.

St. John’s Red Storm

Seton Hall Pirates

Butler’s entrance into the Big East will be a huge step up from the competition in the Atlantic-10. The Bulldogs do have Daress McClung, who averaged 16.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per game last year.

Creighton Bluejays

24-7 (15-3 MVC)

DePaul is the favorite but Creighton is a very close second. Sarah Nelson will be a huge part of this year’s squad. The senior almost averaged a double-double last year with 11.7 points and 7.8 rebonds per game.

DePaul Blue Demons

21-12 (9-7)

Anna Martin and Katherine Harry are gone, but preseason conference player of the year Brittany Hrynko will lead a talented cast of players looking for their first conference title since 1992.

Georgetown Hoyas

15-16 (5-11)

Andrea White returns for her senior season to lead the Hoyas, who finished with less than 20 wins for the first time since 2007-2008. White averaged 10.4 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last season.

Marquette Golden Eagles

16-16 (7-9)

Terri Mitchell starts her 18th year as Marquette’s coach. Last year marked just the second time in Mitchell’s tenure that Marquette failed to post a winning record in consecutive seasons.

Providence Friars

Villanova Wildcats

Xavier Musketeers

DePaul Women’s ‘13-14 Schedule

7-23 (2-14)

18-13 (11-5)

11-20 (5-11)

It will be a tough year for Seton Hall. The Pirates were picked to finish last and are breaking in a new head coach to lead a team with few legitimate scorers. Seton Hall returns three starters from last year’s squad.

Villanova Wildcats

21-11 (9-7)

The Wildcats’ top two scorers from last year’s 21-win team are gone, but they’ve reloaded well. Villanova doesn’t have a go-to player but they spread the ball around and play solid defense every night.

Xavier Musketeers

17-14 (9-7 A-10)

Like Butler and Creighton, the Musketeers are entering a new conference. Sophomore Semaj Christon will try to restore Xavier to greatness. Christon set a freshman school record for assists last year with 139 dimes.

Joe Tartamella had a successful first season at the helm of the Red Storm, but the target will be on the team’s back this year. St. John’s has won at least 18 games in eight of the last nine seasons.

Seton Hall Pirates

20-14 (10-8)

Head coach Jay Wright’s team is never down for long.

Villanova wasn’t dominant last year, but the Wildcats have earned a tournament bid in eight of the last nine years and return a talented roster.

The Friars are looking to bounce back after their worst season since a 1-27 finish in 2004-2005. Junior Tori Rule will be instrumental in the return to form. She led Providence with 14.4 points per game last year.

St. John’s Red Storm

15-18 (3-15)

Fuquan Edwin will lead the up-and-coming Pirates.

Edwin’s efforts highlighted a rough season, as he averaged 16.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

Seton Hall hasn’t gone dancing since 2006.

Connecticut and Notre Dame have gone their separate ways, leaving 10 teams fighting to become relevant on a national stage.

17-13 (8-6 A-10)

17-16 (8-10)

St. John’s looks poised to be a major player in the conference. Big East Rookie of the Year JaKarr Sampson will anchor a talented young squad that got to the second round of the NIT last season.

Rise of the underdogs Butler Bulldogs

19-15 (9-9)

13-16 (7-7 A-10)

How the mighty have fallen. Xavier won more games in 2010 (29) than they have in the past two years combined (21). Once a perennial power, Xavier will have to scratch and claw to stay competitive this year.

11/08/13 vs Harvard 7:30 p.m.

11/09/13 vs Cal Poly/Duqeusne 6 p.m.

11/18/13 vs Illinois State

7 p.m.

11/26/13 @ Notre Dame 6 p.m.

12/01/13 @ Northwestern 2 p.m.

12/07/13 vs Loyola 7 p.m.

12/12/13 vs Kentucky

6 p.m.

12/16/13 vs Dartmouth Noon 12/19/13 vs Pittsburgh

2 p.m.

12/20/13 vs Washington 4:30 p.m.

12/21/13 vs Louisiana Monroe 4:30 p.m.

12/29/13 @ Bradley 3 p.m.

01/01/14 vs Xavier 4 p.m.

01/04/14 @ Creighton

4 p.m.

01/08/14 vs Providence 7 p.m.

01/11/14 vs St. John’s 4 p.m.

01/14/14 @ Seton Hall 6 p.m.

01/19/14 vs Villanova 2 p.m.

01/22/14 @ Georgetown 7 p.m.

01/25/14 @ Butler 11 a.m.

01/29/14 vs Marquette 7 p.m.

02/01/14 @ Providence 1 p.m.

02/05/14 @ Xavier

6 p.m.

02/09/14 vs Creighton Noon 02/15/14 vs Seton Hall 4 p.m.

02/18/14 @ Marquette 7 p.m.

02/22/14 vs Butler 7 p.m.

02/25/14 @ Villanova 6 p.m.

03/01/14 @ St. John’s Noon 03/04/14 vs Georgetown 8 p.m.

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT: 3/08/14—3/11/14

Basketball Preview. Sports. Nov. 4, 2013. The DePaulia | 3

MEN’S Full Court Coverage

ROSTER PHOTOS COURTESY OF DEPAUL ATHLETICS

STARTING LINEUP

PG

B. Young, Sr. Pts 16.7 Reb 3.3 Ast 4.6

SG

C. McKinney, Jr. Pts 5.3 Reb 2.5 Ast 1.5

SF

C. Melvin, Sr. Pts 16.6 Reb 6.8 Ast 0.8

PF

T. Hamilton, Fr. Pts 10.3 Reb 6.7 Ast 1.4

C

S. Marcius, Sr. Pts 3.3 Reb 2.5 Ast 0.2

(Projected)

G. Sequele, Jr.

D. Marrero, Fr.

B. Garrett, Fr.

F. Robinson, Jr.

C. Dolins, So.

M. Henry, Jr.

J. Crockett, Jr.

P. Ryckbosch, So.

D. McDonald, So.

R.J. Curington, Fr.

BENCH PLAYERS Oliver Purnell

HC

Fourth season at DePaul 30-64 record with Demons 424 wins with 5 schools

LAST SEASON’S TEAM AVERAGES

71.4 75.3 43 %

Points Per Game

Opp. Points Per Game

Field Goal Percentage

E. McGhee, Sr.

BLUE DEMONS FACT

Witnesses to the defense:

By David Webber Sports Editor

It’s been a rough start to head coach Oliver Purnell’s tenure at DePaul and 2013 marks a very important season to start seeing improvement.

While his 30-64 overall record isn’t truly awful, the stat that really stands out is the team’s mark in conference games: 6-50, for a .107 winning percentage. One of the biggest problems DePaul has faced is the lack of consistent defense.

No one doubts the Blue Demons’ ability to score. Cleveland Melvin, Brandon Young, and a deep bench will ensure the squad scores 70 to 75 points per night. The real issue is stopping the opposition. When Purnell came to Chicago from his post at Clemson three years ago, he brought with him a full-court press philosophy that

based its success on forcing turnovers and scoring points on the fast break.

While DePaul has generally done a good job forcing turnovers, they’ve done a rather horrendous job of recovering on defense if the opposing team breaks the press. This leads to easy baskets for the opponent and makes it difficult for a team of any caliber to win.

DePaul lost numerous close games in 2012: 73-72 against Seton Hall, 79-74 in overtime against St. John’s, and a pair of gut-wrenching overtime losses to Notre Dame by a combined 12 points. It can be argued that those games could have been won if DePaul had played proper defense.

This season should be different. For the first time since Purnell has taken the reins, the Blue Demons have legitimate size and can get creative with how they play defense. One strategy would be moving

Cleveland Melvin has been the model of consistency - he has scored in double figures in 83 percent of his outings.

if depaul wants a tournament run, they must lock down 6-foot-8 Cleveland Melvin to the wing to add perimeter defense and using a bigger player, such as 6-foot-10, 255-pound Sandi Marcius as a stopgap on the block.

“The size we have will allow us to move Cleveland (Melvin) to the wing. When we go to some zone defense, it will make for a big zone and a long zone,” Purnell said.

It comes down to teamwork as well.

Purnell arrived preaching running and defense, but the physical piece of the puzzle is missing. If DePaul truly wants to make a run to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2004, all the players will have to buy in to making the effort on defense every night.

The added size will aid their cause, but execution is the key. If the full-court press GRANT MYATT | THE DEPAULIA works as it should, DePaul could contend.

If the Blue Demons fail to consistently Charles McKinney is one of the Big East’s follow through, it will be another long year. best defensive players.

4 | Sports. Nov. 4, 2013. The DePaulia

EDWIND MCGHEE “It’s been a long journey. It’s been a lot of fun and hopefully we’ll have a great year.”

Player Profile Walked on to the team as a freshman in 2010 Played in 44 career games Two-time Big East All-Academic member President of the DePaul Captains’ Council

“I really just want to enjoy this last year and savor it because I don’t get another season.”

SANDI

“Every day is a blessing to try not to think about to go out and enjoy ever

KELSEY REYNOLDS Player Profile

Player Profile

Pat Ewers Unsung Hero Award winner in 2012 Two-time Big East All-Academic member Six career starts as a Blue Demon Will earn an MS in Computing and Digital Media

Transferred from Purdu Pursuing an MS in Ma Two-time Academic Al Born in Nedelisce, Cro

The Final COUNTDOWN

By David Webber, Matt Paras & Ben gartland Sports Editor, Asst. Sports Editor & Contributing Writer

“We’re ready to make a statement.

We’re going to win games this year and make the tournament.”

CLEVELAND MELVIN Player Profile 2011 Big East Rookie of the Year 1,458 career points is 12th in DePaul history Career scoring average of 16.2 points per game Ranks eighth in school history with 100 blocks

When the seven seniors on the men’s and women’s team’s rosters take the court for their first game of the season, it will surely be bittersweet. Graduation represents the next step in the lives of everyone, but there’s something to be said for the memories created after representing DePaul in some capacity in the last four years.

Some players have been here since the beginning.

Some have transferred recently. Some have played hundreds of minutes, some only a few. All will leave DePaul as successful Blue Demons.

They come from all sorts of backgrounds. Cleveland Melvin and Brandon Young have each put together two of the finest careers in DePaul history and represent the first recruits secured by head coach Oliver Purnell.

Kelsey Reynolds and Kelsey Smith were overshadowed by the stars gracing head coach Doug Bruno’s roster, but were still integral pieces to the Blue Demons’ impressive tournament run. Jasmine Penny has been one of Bruno’s best players since she arrived, churning out doubledoubles and playing tough every night. Sandi Marcius is a recently transferred senior who will add size and help the Demons clear the tournament hump. And Edwind McGhee walked on to the team as a freshman and has solidified his role as a team leader.

On the women’s side, success has come often. The Blue Demons have won significantly more than they have lost over the past four years, and the three seniors

have had a very big part in that.

Penny in particular has been instrumental in leading the team. The senior has posted career averages of 10.1 points and 4.1 rebounds, including a career-best 12.8 points per game last year.

“I know I have to take lead now of this team because this is my team,” Penny said. “I am a senior so I have ownership and have to do that—lead by example.

Setting good examples for my teammates.”

Unlike Penny, Reynolds and Smith never starred for DePaul—but that doesn’t make their contributions any less important, especially as senior leaders on a young basketball team.

“You try and lead them (the freshmen) by example and I think it’s a big emphasis in this program that the seniors have to lead,” Reynolds said. “My expectation as an individual is to do everything in my power to make the team successful and to really just enjoy this last year and savor it because I don’t get another season.”

Smith knows that working with her fellow seniors will be a huge part of keeping the team above water as the season rolls on.

“I think that we all (the three seniors) have a different leadership role so we can work together and make sure that we have all the bases covered in leading on and off the court,” she said.

Simply having the experience on their resume is impressive, but the three seniors on the women’s team are so much more. Penny, Reynolds, and Smith have all been recognized by either the Big East or the Big 10 as student-athletes who excel in the classroom, as well.

As for the men, the 2013-2014 season marks the end

Basketball Preview. Sports. Nov. 4, 2013. The DePaulia | 5

MARCIUS

g, you just have t it. I just want ry game.”

“I’m going to give it all I have in my last year playing.”

JASMINE PENNY Player Profile

ue 6/27/13 arketing ll-Big 10 member oatia

KELSEY SMITH “You realize that everything is the last time you’re doing something. You want to make everything count.”

Player Profile

Two-time Big East All-Academic member Career high 29 points vs Seton Hall 2/6/13 Started in 56 consecutive games Led DePaul in field goal percentage in 2013

Transferred from Michigan State in 2011 2010 Big 10 Distinguished Scholar Career high 10 points in her first collegiate game Commerce major with a finance concentration

Four years of hard work and sweat, four years of success and failure, four years of camaraderie and teamwork­­­—it’s all led to this, the final season in the collegiate careers of seven decorated Blue Demons of an era and the beginning of a new one. Young and Melvin were the first recruits to play for Oliver Purnell and they didn’t disappoint. Though their respective careers have included very few conference wins, the duo will graduate as two of the most successful offensive players in school history.

“Over the last three years with us not winning a lot, we still fought every game,” Melvin said. “I’ve been battling with Brandon Young. We’ve both been in this together since our freshman year, and we haven’t had much success. Coming into our senior year, we’ve got a lot of expectations and we’re ready to make a statement.

We’re going to win games this year and make the tournament.”

Young is also looking forward to his final year, and ready to make ammends for the mediocrity that has clouded his superb career.

“We’ve got a great group of guys, and hopefully this will be our best season,” the star point guard said.

Two of those guys are Marcius and McGhee, both of whom have interesting stories. Marcius is at DePaul to pursue his master’s degree after spending his collegiate career as a Boilermaker at Purdue University. McGhee walked on to the team and has remained a steady presence since his first days as a Blue Demon.

Marcius, despite not having the same familiarity with DePaul as his teammates, still feels the same about his final year.

“Definitely it’s kind of bittersweet. It’s special, you have to enjoy it every day,” the Croatian native said.

For McGhee, it’s particularly special. Not only did he walk on to the team, he was also voted by his peers

as the president of the DePaul Athletic Department’s Captain’s Council. Playing time has been sparse, but McGhee has made his own impact nonetheless.

“It’s pretty special,” he said. “I’ve accomplished a lot, but I still have a lot I want to accomplish before I leave.”

Purnell feels a particular responsibility to do his part to make his players’ last season a memorable one.

DePaul has won just 30 games in the last three years and the fourth-year coach wants his seniors to make 20132014 special.

“One of the biggest things I want for them is for them to go out on a winning note,” Purnell said. “That’s really the only thing they haven’t accomplished, having a strong season as a team.”

It will be a long road. In the new Big East, nothing will come easy even though traditional powers have fled to new conferences. The women were picked by the coaches to finish first in the conference; the men were picked to finish last. High expectations could lead to complacency and no expectations create an air of uncertainty. But for these players, it’s all about leaving a legacy that hasn’t been fulfilled yet.

“As a senior you’ve gone through so many ups and downs and so many new experiences that if you look back at everything you’ve been through it makes you confident,” Smith said.

The women have to realize that even though former stars Anna Martin and Katherine Harry are gone, there is still enough depth and talent to win big. For the men, a close loss can’t be looked at as devestating.

That’s where the seniors come in. It’s up to the veterans of these two teams to lead DePaul in a new era.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF GRANT MYATT | THE DEPAULIA

“We’ve got a great group of guys, and hopefully this will be our best season.”

BRANDON YOUNG Player Profile 408 assists ranks sixth in school history Led team in scoring, assists and steals last year Career high 35 points vs Connecticut 1/8/13 Scored in double figures in 74 games

6 | Sports. Nov. 4, 2013. The DePaulia

Women’s Full Court Coverage ROSTER PHOTOS COURTESY OF DEPAUL ATHLETICS

STARTING LINEUP

PG

C. Jenkins, So. Pts 8.0 Reb 4.9 Ast 4.1

SG

B. Hrynko, Jr. Pts 14.7 Reb 4.5 Ast 4.8

SF

M. Podkowa, So. Pts 6.7 Reb 4.3 Ast 1.2

PF

J. Penny, Sr. Pts 12.8 Reb 4.9 Ast 1.4

B. Harvey-Carr, Fr. Pts 1.5 Reb 2.0 Ast 0.0

C

(Projected)

BENCH PLAYERS J. January, Fr.

K. Smith, Sr.

C. McGee, Jr.

M. Rogowski, Jr.

Doug Bruno

HC

28th season at DePaul 531-294 record 18 NCAA Tournaments

B. Schulte, Fr.

LAST SEASON’S TEAM AVERAGES

70.8 69.6 41 %

GRANT MYATT | THE DEPAULIA

We just have to take it one game at a time and play hard every game. I think we can go far.

Points Per Game

Opp. Points Per Game

Field Goal Percentage

K. Reynolds, Sr.

M. Bennett-Swanson, Fr.

BLUE DEMONS FACT

A new brand of basketball:

By Matt Paras Asst. Sports Editor

When the Big East conference split up in March, perhaps no team benefited from it more than the DePaul women’s basketball team.

While the conference added three respectable teams in Creighton, Xavier and Butler, the powerhouse teams of UConn and Notre Dame are gone. For years, DePaul couldn’t get over the hump of beating either of them. Now, they have a straight shot to the top of the conference.

Women’s head coach Doug Bruno and his team won’t admit it to be easy, but they know of the opportunity at hand.

Instead, Bruno sees a conference full of ten challenging teams.

“Put it this way,” Bruno said, “what do the Southeastern, the Big 12, the Pac-

Ten, the Big Ten, and the Big East have in common? None of those teams have UConn either. That’s what has got to be grasped here,” he said. “Just because we are losing UConn, doesn’t mean that there aren’t ten quality teams.”

Still, the Blue Demons have to be relieved that the conference’s depth has become a little lighter. In the past two seasons, DePaul has gone 9-7 each year in conference play. Of those 14 losses, only four schools—Villanova, Marquette, Providence and St. John’s—remain in the Big East.

Furthermore in the current Big East, Marquette and Creighton appear to be the biggest threat for the league’s top spot besides DePaul.

“Creighton beat Syracuse last year and played Tennessee on the road very close. I think you have to keep your eye on

S. Graves, Fr.

Brittany Hrynko Sophomore Guard

DePaul has won at least 20 games in 10 of the last 11 seasons. The only outlier was a 19-win campaign in 2006-2007.

women’s team refuses to take weaker conference lightly

Creighton,” Bruno said. “You can’t forget about Marquette,” he added. “They’ve been getting better and they’ve been injured.

Their backcourt didn’t play for them last year and now they’ve got their players backcourt healthy again. They’ve got some good freshmen.”

Those teams are a long ways away from UConn and Notre Dame. What people don’t understand is how superior those two teams, particularly UConn, are to the rest of the nation.

That’s not a knock on DePaul either.

This year’s team should very well be a Top25 team with a deep backcourt and two star players, Brittany Hrynko and Jasmine Penny, to lead the way.

There’s plenty to look forward to with GRANT MYATT | THE DEPAULIA this upcoming season and the women’s basketball team is in a great position to be Star freshman Jessica January will provide scoring to help DePaul keep pace. successful.

Basketball Preview. Sports. Nov. 4, 2013. The DePaulia | 7

A HEALTHY DOSE OF FORTUNE After years of bad luck, Blue Demons look to get over the injury hump

By Matt Paras Asst. Sports Editor

For a squad plagued with injuries the last three seasons, the women’s basketball team are finally healthy. Head coach Doug Bruno will be the first to admit how crucial it is to be healthy.

“We’ve lost our best player (to injuries) three out of the last four years,” Bruno said. “In the year we didn’t lose that player and we didn’t have injuries, we went to the Sweet Sixteen.”

Getting healthy couldn’t come at a better time. With a new Big East and powerhouses such as Notre Dame and UConn departing, the Blue Demons are poised to make a move to the top.

In a preseason poll conducted by fellow Big East coaches, DePaul was selected as the number one team in the conference.

Of course, Bruno and his team were dismissive of that news. Bruno said that the team would rather earn achievement, not “be celebrities.”

However, what the Blue Demons are looking forward to this upcoming season is one area

that will help with success on the court: their depth.

“We’re much deeper and that’s important,” Bruno said.

“We haven’t had depth like this in three or four years.”

The focus of that depth is the Blue Demons’ backcourt.

The team is loaded at the guard positions, starting with Chanise Jenkins and Brittany Hrynko.

The team also has reliable bench players such as Megan Rogowski and Megan Podkowa.

Each player fits into Bruno’s system, which focuses on having a fast-paced offense.

“I’m looking at ten players that can play the guard position,” Bruno said. “That’s a lot, and they’re all good players that can play. They all bring different talents. Everywhere you turn there is a good player.”

Hrynko, who was voted the Big East’s top preseason player, said that the backcourt’s chemistry is what made it so effective.

“I think it’s going to be much better this year since we had time in the summer to play with each other,” Hrynko said. “I think it’s

going to be very fun to watch.”

Also making an impact is the freshman class, made up of Jessica January, Brooke Schulte, Maddie Crowell, ShaKeya Graves and Brandi Harvey-Carr. Jasmine Penny, the team’s best forward and senior leader, said that the new players are picking up the game fast.

“So far, it’s been good,” Penny said. “There’s so much when you come in as a freshman, there’s so much to learn and take in. I feel like now they are all taking it in and coming across pretty well.”

The Blue Demons’ depth only helps their overall goal of finishing first in the Big East and taking the conference championship. This year is also different due to the realignment of the conference.

“It’s a huge year because we have a chance to make a statement,” Bruno said. “Those opportunities of a first year experience only happen once.

When people say, there’s only one chance to make a first impression, you only have one chance to have an inaugural year.”

GRANT MYATT | THE DEPAULIA

Head coach Doug Bruno (above) and players Megan Podkowa (left), Chanise Jenkins (top middle) Megan Rogowski (bottom middle) and Jasmine Penny have a roster healthy enough to contend this year.

MARRERO, continued from page 8 his injury and rehabilitation process, while watching helplessly as his team struggled through the season.

“I couldn’t even bend my leg for two or three days, which was tough” Marrero said. “It was all mental, and just being able to know that I would eventually be good helped me thru the process of rehab.”

Marrero says he is most excited about the new faces on the team this season, and is expecting to get a good amount of playing time.

“Me and the new group of freshmen are expecting to come in, play immediately and hopefully move forward,” Marrero said. Marrero is optimistic about making it to the NCAA tournament this year, saying,

“I want to help change DePaul’s basketball reputation around because they’ve been pretty down in past few years.”

Coach Oliver Purnell is fully confident in Marrero’s playing ability after his rehab, and believes he will make a positive impact on the season.

“He appears to be all the way back and is playing just as hard as anybody on the team,” Purnell said.

“He’s providing energy, so we’re hoping he will stay healthy and provide us with a spark.”

Marrero had the chance to perform in his DePaul jersey at the McGrath-Phillips Arena during the exhibition game against Lewis University this past

Tuesday. Marrero played for a total of four minutes in the second half of the game, which ended in a 8479 victory.

Last year’s team ranked last in the Big East conference, but Marrero anticipates being in the top five this year with his assistance.

“I feel 100 percent,” Marrero said. “I’m definitely ready to get out there.”

The Blue Demons will need him. Marrero provides length and skill and will help with physicality and rebounding, two areas that have been lacking. If Marrero remains healthy, he could become one of the stars off the bench.

Basketball Preview. Sports. Nov. 4, 2013. The DePaulia | 8

Marrero makes his move

Billy, the kid

GRANT MYATT | THE DEPAULIA

DeJuan Marrero lost his entire freshman year to an injury, but he is ready for a return in 2013.

By Liz Howell Contributing Writer

After an arduous rehabilitation following an ACL tear in one of the last pre-season practices of the 2012-13 basketball season, DePaul forward DeJuan Marrero is raring to go.

The 6'5”, 215-pound Marrero was predicted to make a dramatic impact last year, being ranked the No. 13 player of the Class of 2012 to come out of the state of Indiana and the No. 49 player at the small forward position

by ESPN. Marrero’s right knee injury forced him to redshirt his entire freshman season.

Knowing his credentials would have been a great asset for last year’s Blue Demon team was the worst part for the athlete.

“It was tough. I came in with a lot of expectation last year, knowing what I could bring to the team,” Marrero said.

Marrero maintained a positive mindset throughout

See MARRERO, page 7

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GRANT MYATT | THE DEPAULIA

Billy Garrett Jr. is the first ESPN Top 100 recruit to commit to DePaul during head coach Oliver Purnell’s tenure at the helm of the team. Garrett’s father is an assistant coach on the team.

Billy Garrett Jr. and his father have a unique player-coach relationship

By Matt Paras Asst. Sports Editor

At DePaul’s men’s basketball practice, there is a drill that requires one side of the lane to post and score with the other side pulling up for a jump shot and shooting.

Running this drill one afternoon is assistant Billy Garrett Sr., making sure the players’ footwork is correct and that the shots go in. Garrett Sr. is quick to say something if he notices an error.

“You’ve got to make those shots,” he says to one player who misses a pull-up jumper.

The player looks and nods while jogging to the other side. It seems like a normal interaction between player and coach.

However, for this particular player, there’s something different about hearing the voice of Garrett Sr. in a practice setting.

For that player, Garrett Sr. is also his dad.

“We just have a connection and we kind of see things the same,” freshman Billy Garrett

Jr. said. “Me listening and understanding, what he’s trying to get in my head, it makes it easier.”

Garrett Sr. and Jr. are the second father-son tandem to work with each other at DePaul.

Legendary coach Ray Meyer and his son Joey Meyer worked together for a total of 14 years, with Joey playing with the Blue Demons for three seasons and also becoming an assistant coach under his father for 11 years.

“One thing I like about being in college is that he doesn’t treat me different like he would any other player,” he said. “I’ve never played for him before I got here so it’s all kind of new to me.”

Garrett Jr.’s arrival has brought big expectations. The 19-year old freshman ranked in ESPN and Rival’s Top 100 recruiting class becoming the first top 100 recruit to commit to DePaul during head coach Oliver Purnell’s tenure.

Garrett Jr. already has battled with beating expectations. The freshman genetically carries the sickle-cell trait, which is generally regarded as a benign condition

hairstyles of

Sophomore guard Brittany Hrynko is more than just the preseason Big East Player of the Year.

The charismatic Hrynko also plays with hairdos as varied as her formidable skill set.

With three years left at DePaul, one could wonder: What will DePaul’s brightest star do next?

GRANT MYATT | THE DEPAULIA

but can cause complications.

Those complications occurred when Jr. was 12 and he suffered a splenic sequestration crisis, in which the spleen enlarged without the flow of normal blood and needed a blood transfusion.

Garrett Jr. overcame that crisis and earned a scholarship from the Blue Demons. He now has to live up to his potential.

“Being a Top 100 recruit doesn’t really matter when you leave high school,” Garrett Jr. said. “I think people might be expecting certain things and I’m going to go out there and give them the best that I can.”

Garrett said his parents played a role in where he wanted to go.

He also noted that he had other options, but came here because he wanted to.

To Garrett Sr., he’s just glad that his son joined the Blue Demons. At no point was that guaranteed, he said. He wanted Jr. to make his own decision and rarely talked about it.

“My wife wouldn’t let me press him out,” Garrett Sr. said.

“He told (my wife and I) one day when we were out at dinner. One day he said the next time that Oliver was going to ask him if he was ready to come to DePaul, he was going to say yes.”

Now that they are together at DePaul, both said that their relationship as father and son tends not to intersect while on the court.

“I look at them like all my sons,” Garrett Sr. said. “I just try to leave the basketball stuff with basketball. I try to be his dad at home. In the quiet times, I’m trying to his dad. But then sometimes, I even end up mixing them.”

Garrett Jr. said he notices his dad’s impact when it comes to individual things.

“I’ll watch tape with him and he’ll say ‘you need to do this and you need to do that,’” Garrett Jr. said.

Ironically, Garrett Sr. said the two spend more time together now than when his son was younger. His job as a coach required him to miss most of Jr.’s high school games and practices.

Garrett Sr. noticed his son developing a deep passion for basketball between 10 and 11 years old. From there, he watched his son mature over the years into the player that he is today.

“As he’s matured, he at least understands the direction I’m taking him,” Garrett Sr. said. “He knows how hard he has to work.

He’s not ashamed or afraid to try and be good. “ All of his son’s hard work led to an emotional moment for Garrett Sr. after Jr.’s first exhibition game against Lewis University. Garrett Jr. scored 12 points and added four assists in an 84-79 win.

“Tonight was a little bit different because he’s been with me 18 to 19 years,” Garrett Sr. said. “I was just proud of him. It was a proud moment for him to be playing college basketball and me being able to sit there.”

Garrett knows he’ll have his father, coaches and teammates right there beside him.

“Everybody is close and everybody knows each other,” Garrett Jr. said. “It’s like a family atmosphere.”

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