DePaul hires head coach of La Lumiere

[Herman Cain]

Looks like the hiring paid off. But now can they get Brian Bowen?

Bowen is looking for a program that will allow himself to showcase his game. I think part of the reason he has not yet committed is that some of the places he is looking at such as Michigan State and Arizona won't let him do that and have plenty of other good players. DePaul  may be willing to say the things Bowen wants to hear.

[GB Warrior]

Bowen is looking for a program that will allow himself to showcase his game. I think part of the reason he has not yet committed is that some of the places he is looking at such as Michigan State and Arizona won't let him do that and have plenty of other good players. DePaul  may be willing to say the things Bowen wants to hear.

"We beat Robert Morris", Leitao whispers seductively.

[Charlotte Warrior]

they got him, good for them.....and the BEast.... Now get Bowen

[Galway Eagle]

Huh. This could be the first step in some big changes to the big east. Would be fun to have a meaningful rivalry with DePaul again.

[B. McBannerson]

Huh. This could be the first step in some big changes to the big east. Would be fun to have a meaningful rivalry with DePaul again.

As I said last week, count me in as DePaul will make a resurgence.  New arena helps.  DL is not a bad coach, and it really only takes one or two dominoes to fall for other kids to take notice and snowball in recruiting. 

[Golden Avalanche]

Bowen won't play with Campbell. Barring a catastrophic injury, he's in college for only 33 games.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Bowen won't play with Campbell. Barring a catastrophic injury, he's in college for only 33 games.

I don't think anyone said they would. But I think this gets said about every 5 star and borderline 5 star. Yet every year about half of them stay another year.

That being said,  what I have heard about Bowen is that he wants to get to the pros as quick as possible

[Herman Cain]

As I said last week, count me in as DePaul will make a resurgence.  New arena helps.  DL is not a bad coach, and it really only takes one or two dominoes to fall for other kids to take notice and snowball in recruiting.

One additional thing that no one has considered is that DePauls new arena may end up serving as an entertainment vehicle for various conventions at McCormick Place. They may be able to get the place more than half filled which could give the game environment some dynamism. All it takes is a couple good recruiting years to get something to happen positive.

[Jet915]

Bowen won't play with Campbell. Barring a catastrophic injury, he's in college for only 33 games.

Bowen definitely see's himself as one and done but if you watch his game, he definitely needs to get stronger.  Doesn't really have any great qualities that would cement him as a 1st round pick.  If you look at some 2018 mock drafts, he's no where to be found.  My guess is that he is a two year player.

[B. McBannerson]

One additional thing that no one has considered is that DePauls new arena may end up serving as an entertainment vehicle for various conventions at McCormick Place. They may be able to get the place more than half filled which could give the game environment some dynamism. All it takes is a couple good recruiting years to get something to happen positive.

Some MU fans think they will be bad forever.  Not going to happen. A lot of positive things for them right now.  They will be a decent club within a few years and some momentum with the arena.  Signing a 5 star kid can lead to other recruits wanting to join the club and the challenge of bringing a program back.

[Tugg Speedman]

Some MU fans think they will be bad forever.  Not going to happen. A lot of positive things for them right now.  They will be a decent club within a few years and some momentum with the arena.  Signing a 5-star kid can lead to other recruits wanting to join the club and the challenge of bringing a program back.

So if they are getting better, who will they be better than in the Big East ... that is, consistently better.

I came up with one name ... the new Georgetown under Ewing.

Am I wrong for thinking this?  If so, what Big East team can you point to is on track to be regularly finishing below Depaul?

[Galway Eagle]

So if they are getting better, who will they be better than in the Big East ... that is, consistently better.

I came up with one name ... the new Georgetown under Ewing.

Am I wrong for thinking this?  If so, what Big East team can you point to is on track to be regularly finishing below Depaul?

I'm not sold on SJU yet under Mullin and I don't follow them close enough but I have to imagine that once this class that Willard sold his soul for graduates this year that they'll return to being an average at best team.

[warriorchick]

A lot of people here are talking like the new arena is going to be DePaul's salvation.  Unless they put a better product on the floor, any bump from the new facility is going to last two years, tops.  And recruits aren't going to be swayed by a better arena unless their other team choices are on the same plane of suckiness (or worse).  Allstate was never a "nice" venue, but that didn't stop them from packing the place when DePaul was good.

No one is going to go to see a crap team just because the facilities are nice.  But if they were good, they would go to watch them in an Catholic elementary school gym.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

I'm not sold on SJU yet under Mullin and I don't follow them close enough but I have to imagine that once this class that Willard sold his soul for graduates this year that they'll return to being an average at best team.

Agreed. My bet is in 2018-2019 the two teams on bottom will be Seton Hall and Georgetown. Depual probably 7th. The other 6 could be fighting for high seeds. BE recruiting is going up for everybody but Georgetown and Seton Hall right now.

[Tugg Speedman]

A lot of people here are talking like the new arena is going to be DePaul's salvation.  Unless they put a better product on the floor, any bump from the new facility is going to last two years, tops.  And recruits aren't going to be swayed by a better arena unless their other team choices are on the same plane of suckiness (or worse).  Allstate was never a "nice" venue, but that didn't stop them from packing the place when DePaul was good.

No one is going to go to see a crap team just because the facilities are nice.  But if they were good, they would go to watch them in an Catholic elementary school gym.

I agree with this and would add that anyone that believes that Depaul is going to turn around because of an inconvenient to get to from campus, not a basketball only new arena at McCormick place ... then MU is winning the national championship when they move into the top state of the art NBA arena!

Point is, after Depaul moves, what Big East time plays in a crappy arena?  I count none of them.  So it's not a positive for Depaul, it is a reduction of a negative.

[GGGG]

Is the Allstate Arena a "crappy arena?"  Or is it a crappy location.  The Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence is older and smaller and about the same distance away from campus as MU is to the BC.  You put the Allstate Arena within walking distance of the DePaul campus, and it's more than compatible. 

[Tugg Speedman]

Is the Allstate Arena a "crappy arena?"  Or is it a crappy location.  The Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence is older and smaller and about the same distance away from campus as MU is to the BC.  You put the Allstate Arena within walking distance of the DePaul campus, and it's more than compatible.

Disagree ... The Dunkin Donuts arena is 2 miles off campus in downtown Providence.  It's a 10-minute bus ride.  Similar to Georgetown and Verizon and really not much further than the BC from the western most part of MU's campus.

All-state is 16 miles off-campus and can take an hour to get to on a weekday night game (going to during rush -hour).  And while Dunkin and Verizon (and the BC) are in desirable areas (meaning bars, restaurants, and shops), All-state is next to a strip mall and an airport.

No comparsion

[The Lens]

Is the Allstate Arena a "crappy arena?"  Or is it a crappy location.  The Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence is older and smaller and about the same distance away from campus as MU is to the BC.  You put the Allstate Arena within walking distance of the DePaul campus, and it's more than compatible.

DePaul was averaging 9500-10000 fans when Pat Kennedy had the check book.  Sure their student section was small but fans were coming.  The issue is not the location (unless you care solely about students support).  The issue is the team has just sucked.  The arena has been a great thing for JLP to hide behind.  A bad arena doesn't make a team suck, a team that sucks makes an arena bad.

[warriorchick]

Is the Allstate Arena a "crappy arena?" 

It's crappy in the sense that it is a 37-year-old basic facility that has had no upgrades since the day it opened.  Apparently the $10 million Allstate paid for the naming rights was earmarked for improvements, but I can't tell what they are.

It's old-looking and it is bare-bones in terms of amenities.  Your food choices are basically limited to hot dogs and pizza.  Their scoreboard looks like an antique. The sound system is terrible.

[GGGG]

Disagree ... The Dunkin Donuts arena is 2 miles off campus in downtown Providence.  It's a 10-minute bus ride.  Similar to Georgetown and Verizon and really not much further than the BC from the western most part of MU's campus.

All-state is 16 miles off-campus and can take an hour to get to on a weekday night game (going to during rush -hour).  And while Dunkin and Verizon (and the BC) are in desirable areas (meaning bars, restaurants, and shops), All-state is next to a strip mall and an airport.

No comparsion

I don't think you understood what I meant.  IF the Allstate were somehow 2 miles from DePaul, it would be sufficient and there would be no need for a new arena.

[Avenue Commons]

Is the Allstate Arena a "crappy arena?"  Or is it a crappy location.  The Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence is older and smaller and about the same distance away from campus as MU is to the BC.  You put the Allstate Arena within walking distance of the DePaul campus, and it's more than compatible.

Good point. The Allstate isn't fancy in any way, shape, or form, but it has a decent layout and is the right size for a college team. The location is horrendous unless you live in Park Ridge.

[Avenue Commons]

And while Dunkin and Verizon (and the BC) are in desirable areas (meaning bars, restaurants, and shops), All-state is next to a strip mall and an airport.

What are you talking about? There is a Target NEXT DOOR!!!!!

[warriorchick]

Good point. The Allstate isn't fancy in any way, shape, or form, but it has a decent layout and is the right size for a college team. The location is horrendous unless you live in Park Ridge.

If you are looking at the entire Chicagoland area as your market, you can't get a more convenient location than the intersection of I-294 and I-90.

[MUBurrow]

Agreed. My bet is in 2018-2019 the two teams on bottom will be Seton Hall and Georgetown. Depual probably 7th. The other 6 could be fighting for high seeds. BE recruiting is going up for everybody but Georgetown and Seton Hall right now.

Not to hijack, but this speaks to a major reason why I didn't like the Ewing hire. There is kind of a recruiting tide that ebbs and flows for a team where at least a not-insignificant element of their recruiting fortunes are dependent upon the recruiting of their conference and other schools they are commonly compared to, for geographic reasons.  I feel like Gtown is strangely outside of that Big East slipstream right now, which is a bad thing given the success of the other teams. I feel like Ewing's inexperience with that environment provides far less reason for optimism than the savvy of someone like Amaker, even if he would have made for a less sexy hire.

[Pakuni]

It's crappy in the sense that it is a 37-year-old basic facility that has had no upgrades since the day it opened.  Apparently the $10 million Allstate paid for the naming rights was earmarked for improvements, but I can't tell what they are.

It's old-looking and it is bare-bones in terms of amenities.  Your food choices are basically limited to hot dogs and pizza.  Their scoreboard looks like an antique. The sound system is terrible.

The worst thing about the Allstate, by far, is the ungodly size of its rows. If you're somehow stuck in the middle of the row, you've got 15-20 people to get by to make it to an aisle.

Overall, the Allstate is fine. It's dated, the concessions are subpar (if that matters ... I don't think the deciding factor for many people is the dining experience) and the suites are far from luxurious, but there's not really anything wrong with it. The layout, location, sound system, concessions, etc., haven't prevented it from consistently being one of the most successful concert and family show venues in the country. And it's far, far, far down the list of what's prevented DePaul from being a more successful program for the past couple decades.