Better Know a Team: DePaul

Me, waving the pom poms for DePaul for the 2nd year in a row…

Year 2 of the Holtmann era brings some continuity, with a trio of returners in the starting lineup.
Can the ‘mons put it all together and sneak into the tournament?

Last Year’s Record: 14-20 (4-16), Crown Invitee!

Preseason Metrics (last season final):
Torvik: 69 (NICE!) (114)
KenPom: 78 (122)
EvanMiya: 97 (116)

Coach: Chris Holtmann, Year 2. Personally, I think Chris Holtmann is a great coach. The 3 Man Weave crew joke that he got 3-point-varianced out of a job at Ohio State, and that’s pretty…pretty…pretty accurate (conversely, Jake Diebler 3-point-varianced his way INTO a job at Ohio St., but this is a Big East blog, so let’s just leave it there). A lot of the perception around Holtmann may have changed as well had the 2020 tournament not been canceled, as he had arguably his best team that season at OSU, finishing 8th in KenPom. The next season is when things started turning sour for Holtmann at OSU, as they got bounced as a 2-seed by Oral Roberts.

To fans of other power conference observers, last season under Holtmann might not have looked like much…but we’re talking about a team that finished 304th in KenPom the year before, a ranking that is almost certainly an all-time low for a high major program, and outperformed their preseason KenPom ranking by 39 spots.

Utterly depressing stat: DePaul’s program rank on KenPom is 93. The last coach to beat that program rank? Jerry Wainwright’s second season in 2006-07, when DePaul went 20-14 (9-7 in the old Big East), finishing 50th in KenPom, losing to 1-seeded Air Force(!) in the NIT quarterfinals as a 3-seed. KenPom preseason ranks go back to 2011-12, and in those 13 seasons Holt has equaled or outperformed his preseason rank in 7. And a few of the misses warrant noting: projected 19th, finished 25th with Butler in 2016-17, 42nd and 44th with OSU in 2018-19, 10th and 11th with OSU in 2020-21. His biggest miss was 23 spots, from a projection of 8th to a finish of 31st with OSU in 2021-22.

If he’s going to bring DePaul back, he really needs to do it with defense. His first 3 years at Ohio St., including his best team in the COVID-canceled tournament year ranked 15, 25, and 19 in defense. He has not had a top-60 defense since. Last year’s defense at DePaul was 139, leaving much room for improvement. I think the pieces are a bit better defensively this year, so they should see improvement on that end.

All of which is to say…this is the year…DePaul will beat their KenPom program rank of 93 for the first time in 19 years. It’s probably a bridge too far to predict them to break their high-major-leading 21 year NCAAT drought—dating back to Dave Leitao’s first stint, when DePaul was a CUSA squad-–but it is not outside the realm of possibility.

Roster:

Starters
PG: Layden Blocker (Jr.), 6’2” 195 lbs.
SG: RJ Smith (R-Jr.), 6’3” 195 lbs.
SF: CJ Gunn (Sr.), 6’7” 200 lbs
PF: Kaleb Banks (Sr.), 6’8” 215 lbs.
C: NJ Benson (Sr.), 6’8” 235 lbs.

Rotation Bench
G Brandon Maclin (Sr.), 6’3” 215 lbs.
F Jeremy Lorenz (Jr.), 6’8” 230 lbs.
G Ilija Milijasevic (Jr.), 6’3” 190 lbs.
G/F Kruz McClure (Fr.), 6’6” 185 lbs.
F/C Theo Pierre-Justin (So.), 6’10” 215 lbs.
C Khaman Maker (So.), 7’1” 225 lbs.

Bench Warmers
C Isaiah Medina (Fr.), 7’0” 230 lbs.
C Fabian Flores (Fr.), 7’2” 250 lbs.
F Amsal Delalic (So.), 6’8” 215 lbs. (Medical Redshirt this season)

Big Non-Conference Games:

11/14, 7:30pm v. Northwestern, truTV

Emerald Coast Classic
11/28, 6pm v. Ga. Tech (N), CBS Sports Network
11/29, TBD v. Drake/LSU (N), TBD

12/13, 11am at Wichita St., ESPNU

What’s Old: The ‘mons return 3 of their top-4 scorers from a season ago, headlined by senior CJ Gunn. Gunn led the ‘mons with 12.9 ppg, adding in 4 boards and an assist on 42.9/30.3/77.0 shooting, in 26.6 mpg. While Gunn was the leading scorer, he was not the most efficient player, and his 30.3% from deep is pretty ugly, when you consider he took almost 50% of his FGA from 3, 5.5 per game. Which explains why, despite posting 28.6 points per 100 possessions, Gunn had an O-Rating of just 102.9 per Sports Reference, and an ugly -0.7 ORAPM per CBB Analytics. Defensively, the story is not much better for Gunn, with a -0.5 DRAPM. The DRAPM and his 107.1 D-Rating underscore what a traffic cone Gunn was on defense, as he managed 1.3 steals in his 26.6 mpg, but still grades out as a poor defender metrically.

I believe.

Call me crazy but I think Layden Blocker is good at basketball, and it might be one of my most irrational opinions. In 25.5 mpg for DePaul last season he posted 9.5/2.9/3.1 on 40.3/33.7/78.3 shooting. That’s thoroughly mediocre from an efficiency standpoint. But his 3 to 2 A-to-TO ratio is decent, and he’ll have the ball in his hands running the offense more this season with the departure of Conor Enright, who had the ball in his hands a lot when he was healthy, and David Thomas, who played most of the point minutes when Enright got hurt. Blocker’s assists per 40 of 4.8 puts him in the 92nd percentile per CBB Analytics. I think this, plus a year of developing under Holtmann will do wonders for Blocker. Diving deeper, Blocker created 17 ppg last season for himself and his teammates, 80th percentile, significantly better than Thomas’ 7.6 (37th percentile). He was also 92nd percentile in assists per 40 at the rim & 3’s, meaning he’s getting his teammates metrically ideal opportunities.

Defensively, I think Blocker is underrated. He’s one of the longer guards in the game, which helped him average 1.1 steals per game. The rest of his defense leaves much to be desired. So my belief in Blocker’s defense may be entirely irrational as he grades out metrically every bit as bad a defender as Gunn. But sometimes, you just gotta believe.

The ‘mons return a third key cog in center N.J. Benson. Benson is just a fun player to watch. He’s undersized at the 5…but only from a height perspective. He’s stocky and strong, but more athletic than he looks, and plays with energy. Last season Benson was DePaul’s highest rated RAPM player, 5.5 (97th percentile). He posted 9.0/6.2/0.9, with 1.4 blocks per game in just 21.9 mpg. He’ll have a stranglehold on the starting 5 role this season, as DePaul is not particularly deep behind him. With additional minutes, he can turn into one of the best centers in the conference behind Zuby Ejiofor and Tarris Reed despite clocking in at just 6’8”. He also showed improvement late in the season, from the time of his first start in late-December through the Crown loss to Cincinnati, a span that also saw him miss a month before returning for the Big East Tournament, he averaged 10.9/7.8/1.1, with 1.6 blocks per game in 26.7 mpg.

The headline defensively is obviously that block rate. It would not be surprising to see him get to 2 blocks per game if he plays 30+ mpg this season. Even more impressive though is Benson’s personal foul efficiency of 1.32x last year, good for 98th percentile nationwide. That means Benson posted 1.32 steals and blocks for each personal foul. His defensive rebound percentage of 22.6% led the Big East last season, and his overall rebound percentage of 16.6 was 2nd overall. Better than Oswin Erhunmwunse, Ryan Kalkbrenner, Zach Freemantle, Zuby Ejiofor, and Tarris Reed. So you have an undersized 5 capable of protecting the rim, cleaning the glass, and doing it all without fouling a ton. His DRAPM was 1.8, 88th percentile last season per CBB analytics. What’s not to like?

Rounding out the returnees is PF Theo Pierre-Justin, the Frenchman played just 6.3 mpg and appeared in just 17 games for the ‘mons a season ago, and figures to have about the same minimal impact this season.

What’s New: A bunch of newcomers look to fill the holes left by the departures of Enright and Isaiah Rivera, the latter being the 2nd leading scorer from a year ago. That group is headlined by Kaleb Banks, a 6’8” forward from Tulane, and a former teammate of CJ Gunn’s at Indiana as freshman and sophomores. Like Gunn, Banks did not see the floor much in 2 seasons at IU under Mike Woodson. Last year he took a step down in competition to the American, and had a breakout season with Tulane. Banks posted 14.7/6.7/1.0, adding in 1.3 blocks in 31.4 mpg for the Green Wave, on 50.6/34.1/73.1 shooting. He’ll slot in between Gunn and Benson in the front court as the starting 4. While he’s a more than good enough shooter to create spacing, he truly shines at getting to the rim, where he takes 38.4% of his shots, and makes them at a 78% rate (good for 94th percentile, and probably closer to 99th percentile among non-centers). He fills out his shot diet primarily with 3-pointers, sporting a metrically sound 79.5% rim + 3 rate per CBB Analytics. And when he drives, he frequently gets to the lane, ranking 95th percentile in shooting-fouls per game at 2.0, and 99th percentile in And-1’s, as he uses his strength to finish through contact, with 35% of his drawn shooting fouls resulting in an And-1 (87th percentile). If there’s one area he struggles offensively, it’s creating his own shots, as 87.6% of his 3-pointers were assisted, and 55.6% of his 2-pointers (32nd and 24th percentiles). With Blocker’s distribution qualities, along with those of newcomers Brandon Maclin and RJ Smith, Banks should have no trouble getting set up for the looks he wants.

Defensively, Banks is a MENACE. He cleans the defensive glass to the tune of 4.4 DRPG (92nd percentile per CBB Analytics), protects the rim to the tune of 1.3 bpg (96th percentile), and even adds in nearly 1 steal per game (0.8, 64th percentile). Much like Benson, Banks does all of this without fouling, sporting a personal foul efficiency ratio of .90x, good for 87th percentile. In short, Banks and Benson will be a formidable frontcourt on the defensive end. They will protect the rim and clean the glass exceptionally well.

Benson and Banks will be joined in the front court by 6’8” sophomore Jeremy Lorenz from Wofford. Lorenz is another solid defensive piece, sporting a 2.5 DRAPM per CBB Analytics. Lorenz is mediocre offensively, posting 8.0/3.8/1.7 in 22.1 mpg shooting 50.0/31.0/71.6. He’ll try to do most of his damage inside, taking 41.9% of his shots at the rim, and 21.5% in the rest of the paint per CBB Analytics. He’s an OK shooter, posting 31% from deep, so he is someone defenses will have to respect, so he’ll be able to maintain the spacing when he spells Banks at the 4, or create a 5-out if he spells Benson, with either Banks or Lorenz guarding the 5 on the other end.

In the backcourt, starting alongside Blocker will be either Brandon Maclin or RJ Smith. Smith comes in from Colorado, so his Big12 experience probably gives him the slight edge. Smith was a sniper for the Buffs, shooting 38.6% on 3 3-point attempts per game per Sports Reference. His line was 6.2/2.5/1.7 on 44.8/38.6/77.3. Smith figures to be an integral part of an offense that will once again be 3-point centric for the ‘mons. If you’re an astute observer, you’ll notice that so far every projected starter other than Benson, the center, shoots at least 30%, and 3 outta 5 shoot better than 33%. 

Maclin is a solid shooter, knocking down 35.8% of his 3’s on 3.2 attempts per game. He posted a line of 10.0/4.3/2.2 on 42.6/34.3/71.8 shooting. The knock on Maclin offensively is that he can get mid-range happy, sporting a 3 + Rim rate of just 68.4%, which is 38th percentile in the country. Holtmann will want him taking more 3’s considering his at the rim FG% is only 57.1%, 34th percentile per CBB Analytics.

Defensively, Maclin generates a lot of steals, with a steal percentage of 2.8%, 86th percentile, and cleans the glass decently for a guard, with a D-rebound rate of 14.4%, 65th percentile nationally. For my money, that makes you a solid defensive piece, but the advanced metrics disagree, with DRAPM giving Maclin a -0.7.

As is the fashion these days, the ‘mons bring in an Eastern European of their own, Ilija Milijasevic. Milijasevic comes in as a junior. He’s a larger guard, measuring 6’3” and 195 lbs. In 2024 he averaged 12.4/3.7/2.9 in the U20 Eurobasket, and in the Adriatic League last season he averaged 45% from deep for something called “Mega Superbet.” Here’s to hoping he stays away from any similarly named entities in the US while in college. He’s reportedly one of the best shooters in Europe per Arman Jovic, a top Euro scout, and projects as a strong 3 & D type.

Rounding out transfers that might see time is St. John’s import Khaman Maker. “Big Juba” as Johnnies fans affectionately called him, Maker hails from South Sudan, and is a raw athlete with a huge, lanky frame, standing 7’1” and 220 lbs. Maker should be a redshirt freshman, but he managed to play 3 minutes for the Johnnies last season, ironically in an 89-61 victory over DePaul. While it remains to be seen if Maker can develop into a player at this level, given the lack of height in DePaul’s frontcourt, Maker should get plenty of opportunities this season against bigger frontcourts.

DePaul also brings in a trio of freshman. The most likely to contribute is all-name team candidate Kruz McClure. McClure is a 3-star, ranked 190th in the class of 2025 by the 247 Composite rankings. McClure likely won’t see many minutes early in the season, as he’s missed most of the preseason with injury. However, he’ll definitely be given the opportunity to learn and develop as the season goes on.

The other 2 freshman additions are in the front court, and both are 7-foot centers. Isaiah Medina is a 7’0” 4-star ranked 11th in the 247 Sports Composite, while Fabian Flores is a 7’2” Spanish product who also had interest from Florida. With a lack of height in the front court, it will be interesting to see what type of playing time Maker, Medina and Flores are able to earn.

There’s one final addition who unfortunately will not see the floor this season, and that’s sophomore Amsal Delalic. Delalic is a Bosnian G/F, standing 6’8”. He started 2 games and played in 21 for Pitt last season. Delalic suffer a torn ACL over the summer, and will miss the entire 2025-26 season.

Dudes rock.

The Optimist’s Take: The defense greatly improves for the ‘mons, anchored by a high-quality, if undersized defensive front court of Benson & Banks, with Lorenz providing depth. The Benson-Gunn-Blocker continuity helps this team improve. Blocker blossoms into the high-end lead guard I believe he can be. If Blocker develops, scoring should not be a problem with shooters galore, plus Gunn and Benson. The key here could be Banks. He could easily overtake Gunn as the leading scorer on this roster, and he has the ability to be an elite 2-way player.

The Hater’s Take: DePaul going to DePaul. Blocker is just mid and not a Big East PG. The perimeter defense is abysmal, and taller frontcourts feast on the undersized Benson, Banks and Lorenz. Gunn is inefficient and does not improve his shooting, while sucking up a higher usage rate, leading to an inefficient offense

Fan Pulse: ‘sco Mons! Optimistic about steady progress and what Holtmann is building.

Bottom Line: I believe in the ‘mons. I believe they’ll be top-100 in KenPom for the first time since 2019-20 under Dave Leito (94th). I think they get there on the strength of an improved, but still not great defense, a Layden Blocker jump, great shooting and NJ Benson being a menace. I project that they’ll beat their program rank of 93 for the first time since Jerry Wainwright in 2005-06. I think IF everything breaks right, they could climb as high as 6th and maybe, just maybe sneak into the NCAAT. I believe. For now though, I’ll slot them 7th.

Prediction: 19-12 (9-11), 7th Place