2008 DePaul Basketball Picks & Predictions
The DePaul Blue Demons have missed the Big East Conference tournament twice in the three years it has been a league member. Last season head coach Jerry Wainwright’s team was 11-19 overall and 6-12 in the Big East, due mainly to a soft middle in a conference dominated by bruising big men. DePaul’s most productive returner plays in the post, which is good news for the Blue Demons. Mac Koshwal will need help however, and while fellow Big East All-Rookie team selection Dar Tucker is back along with guard Will Walker, the rest of the team is filled with more questions than answers. Keep reading our college basketball predictions to find out if we think this DePaul team will turn it around after last year’s letdown performance. Head over to BetUS where the Blue Demons are at +1500 odds to win the Big East Conference this season.
Mac Koshwal nearly averaged a double-double last season posting 10.7 points and 8.4 rebounds a game despite playing out of position for much of the season. Koshwal is projected to play exclusively at power forward this season which will allow him to defend comparable opponents and not always serve as the primary rebounder. As a freshman, Koshwal proved his durability averaging 31.3 minutes and with a refined shooting touch and fewer turnovers, he could stack up with the league’s best big men. Senior center Matija Poscic from Croatia could provide the much needed help down low, as he added weight and increased his strength in the offseason, but he must stay healthy as a back injury limited him most of last season. Poscic can run the floor when healthy and has good shot-blocking ability. Krys Faber was the last recruit to sign with DePaul, but he should play major minutes immediately and could start alongside Koshwal. Faber can play both positions, but will likely play center where he brings mobility and decent shooting range. Kene Obi will get time off the bench as he is an imposing presence who can help DePaul’s rebounding and interior defense.
Dar Tucker ranked second in team scoring last season averaging 13.6 points per game despite coming off the bench. Tucker will put up fantastic dunks, great passes, and he will attack the basket, but he must improve on defense to be a star in this league. Will Walker proved he was a Big East-caliber player last season, but he must emerge as a capable point guard, where he has played only sparingly. If Walker can emerge at the point, then Jabari Currie, the team’s top 3-point shooter, can move to his natural position at shooting guard. DePaul has two natural point guards in redshirt freshman Mike Bizoukas and true freshman Jeremiah Kelly, but Walker provides the experience the team needs. Croatian Mario Stula provides excellent size at the wing, but the NCAA ruled him out for all of last season and the first seven games of this year. He is considered a fail-safe shooter once he finally gets on the court.
Final Analysis
Jerry Wainwright’s team will make the Big East tournament this season guaranteed, as everyone is getting in, but they still have to prove they belong in the Big East after coming over from Conference-USA. DePaul has started out slow every year under Wainwright, but this year they have a more manageable schedule and will need to take advantage of it. With our NCAA basketball picks we don’t see DePaul getting an NCAA Tournament bid with so much youth and so many questions, but the Blue Demons have the talent to post a decent league finish and snag an NIT berth. The college basketball odds makers don’t really think they will contend for the Final Four either as DePaul is at +20000 odds to win the NCAA Championship, but that would almost be a sucker bet since we don’t even see them making the big dance, but they could be a good team to keep an eye on this season on a nightly basis when doing your college basketball betting.
