After 11 consecutive losing seasons, the DePaul basketball program finally broke through with a winning record last season.<\/p>\n
The Blue Demons earned a bid to the CBI and advanced to the finals before losing to South Florida in a best-of-three series. While taking part in the CBI is not exactly something you brag about, the stigma of finally breaking through with a winning record could do wonders for the DePaul basketball program.<\/p>\n
The Blue Demons had a relatively soft non-conference schedule and did not take advantage of it. They went only 7-4 with their best win coming against Penn State. DePaul picked it up in Big East play, though. The Demons amassed seven conference wins (its most wins since the 2006-07 season). Along the way, the Demons swept two teams (St. John\u2019s and Seton Hall) that made the NCAA Tournament.<\/p>\n
On a personal level, Max Strus<\/a><\/strong> had a standout season<\/a> while being named to the All-Big East Second Team after averaging 20.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. Meanwhile, forward Paul Reed<\/a><\/strong> was the conference\u2019s Most Improved Player of the Year after averaging nearly a double-double. He averaged 12.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, while also shooting 56.2 percent from the field.<\/p>\n Reed is back, and he has only just begun to scratch the surface of his immense potential. He has excellent footwork and is in the middle of seemingly every play. He can score with ease around the basket. The hope is he can keep expanding his perimeter game (he connected on 15 of his 37 3-point attempts last season).<\/p>\nWho’s Back<\/strong><\/h3>\n