At Depaul Home Game

[Avenue Commons]

DePaul's walk-on (Pantelis Xidias) is entertaining but I think I'd grow tired of his routine as a fan (of which there seem to be few) and especially a teammate.

DePaul basketball has been pathetic for some time. It's really a shame. Jean Lenti Ponsetto should have been fired many moons ago.

The kid is fantastic. An injection of energy in a program that can never get its feet under them. Re-hiring Leiato after he bailed on them made no sense. Should have gone for the "young up and comer" or stolen away Porter Moser from LUC.

[MU82]

I think they should build another new arena way off-campus. Maybe put it in Naperville. That'll be sure to help get on-campus students to games.

[Avenue Commons]

I think they should build another new arena way off-campus. Maybe put it in Naperville. That'll be sure to help get on-campus students to games.

I agree with the previous poster that this location only marginally solves the problems with the Allstate Arena location. It's too bad, because if they waited a couple of years they maybe could have put their stadium in Lincoln Yards. The developers tried to put in a "soccer stadium" (that was a guise for a concert location) and that got shot down. Maybe a DePaul related facility would have gotten traction. That would have been an amazing location for DePaul.

[Dr. Blackheart]

Did anyone else think Wintrust is the worst at getting people into the game?  The lines outside moved at a snail's pace to get people past security.

Next time, enter via the Marriott skyway. Zoomed right in except for the two ahead who tried to do electronic entry and were being lectured by the usher who said they should have printed the pdf like me.  DU:  Always behind the times.

[warriorchick]

DePaul enrollment is surprisingly larger than Marquette.  They boast undergraduate students totaling 14,507 and a total enrollment at 22,437.  Compare to Marquette undergraduate at 8,435 and total enrollment at 11,605.

Pealing back the numbers further, we can see a "logjam" of DePaul students. With 14,507 undergraduates, the equal distribution of each class should be 3,627. Yet, the most recent DePaul Freshman class was 2,575.  Marquette Freshman class was 2,162. Our four year equal distribution of class size is 2,109.  What I take from this is that DePaul students are "associated" with the school longer and do not graduate on-time. 

Game attendance boils down to intensity and full time dedication of the students and then the connection Alumni feel for the school.  Disclosure: I went to law school at DePaul and I saw the problem back then too...

Just like most other schools that have a high number of commuters, I would think you are going to get more part-time students.

[The Sultan]

But, but, but the new arena was going to solve all of DePaul's problems.

Because you know, Ray Meyer had such a hard time selling tix to the Rosemont.  Poor DePaul, the arena thing was always something they could point to, something they could blame.  Now what do they have?  Admittedly the program is moving in the right direction but no one in Chicago seems to care.  If I'm a parent in the 'burbs looking for quality yet affordable entertainment, Rosemont seems 100% more desirable than McCormick Place.

Is the program really going in the right direction?  Or is a slightly worse BE, combined with a couple decent seniors, making it look that way?

[Galway Eagle]

Is the program really going in the right direction?  Or is a slightly worse BE, combined with a couple decent seniors, making it look that way?

Look at their incoming recruiting class plus eligible transfer for next year.

[Cheeks]

I agree with the previous poster that this location only marginally solves the problems with the Allstate Arena location. It's too bad, because if they waited a couple of years they maybe could have put their stadium in Lincoln Yards. The developers tried to put in a "soccer stadium" (that was a guise for a concert location) and that got shot down. Maybe a DePaul related facility would have gotten traction. That would have been an amazing location for DePaul.

Location isn't much better, but the smell of a new arena helps a lot more than the dump that was Rosemont.  From the locker rooms, to concessions, to availability and proximity to surrounding offerings, this is a huge upgrade over Rosemont, even if geography to campus is negligible. 

[Cheeks]

The kid is fantastic. An injection of energy in a program that can never get its feet under them. Re-hiring Leiato after he bailed on them made no sense. Should have gone for the "young up and comer" or stolen away Porter Moser from LUC.

Not so sure.  They have a good recruiting class coming in next year.  The tide is turning. They are competitive this season, infusion of talent next season, new arena.  They went "slow and steady" vs flashy hire that would walk away after a few years.  This may end up just fine for them, but requires patience which so few fans nowadays have.

[lawdog77]

Not so sure.  They have a good recruiting class coming in next year.  The tide is turning. They are competitive this season, infusion of talent next season, new arena.  They went "slow and steady" vs flashy hire that would walk away after a few years.  This may end up just fine for them, but requires patience which so few fans nowadays have.

How many years should they wait?

[Cheeks]

How many years should they wait?

For DePaul, I'm going beyond the 4 to 5....they are a special case.  Joking aside, this is year 4 I think for him.  I expect them to be a possible post season team next year, which would be 5 years.

They have 11 wins already, same they ended up with all of last year.  One more conference win equals their win total from last year. 

People just have no patience anymore. 

[Dr. Blackheart]

For DePaul, I'm going beyond the 4 to 5....they are a special case.  Joking aside, this is year 4 I think for him.  I expect them to be a possible post season team next year, which would be 5 years.

They have 11 wins already, same they ended up with all of last year.  One more conference win equals their win total from last year. 

People just have no patience anymore.

No NCAA appearances since joining the Big East (old and new).  $100 million sunk in a new arena miles from campus. Their coach got caught cheating and is on his second run. 

Can the rest of the Big East get their NCAA shares back? Can their alums get their donations back?  Mother Teresa wouldn't have patience for this crap.

[Galway Eagle]

Fun fact about depaul (unsure if it is still true) they force students to pay for season tickets. It's an incorporated fee in their tuition. If they weren't able to do that I wonder how their athletic budget would look if they weren't pulling that BS.

[Frenns Liquor Depot]

Apparently Theo disagreed, and I definitely want to be on his side in a fight.

I should also mention that it was after a call that did not go Theo's way. So it was a taunt, not an expression of hope.

Oh I took it as a taunt and I'm on Theo's side of course....but looking objectively I think it's pretty good one -- Id be laughing if we yelled that at an opposing player with a propensity for fouling.

[brewcity77]

The kid is fantastic. An injection of energy in a program that can never get its feet under them. Re-hiring Leiato after he bailed on them made no sense. Should have gone for the "young up and comer" or stolen away Porter Moser from LUC.

Porter Moser? You're kidding, right? Go look at his coaching resume circa 2016 when DePaul hired Leitao. Hell, even now I'd probably take Leitao over Moser. PM has one NCAA appearance in his career. Last year was his first winning conference record since he was in the Sun Belt & Dwyane Wade was at Marquette.

Not saying Leitao is a great coach, but this is a better team than any they've had since his last go around & the recruiting is improving. It's probably about as good as DePaul could've done considering their management.

[Galway Eagle]

Porter Moser? You're kidding, right? Go look at his coaching resume circa 2016 when DePaul hired Leitao. Hell, even now I'd probably take Leitao over Moser. PM has one NCAA appearance in his career. Last year was his first winning conference record since he was in the Sun Belt & Dwyane Wade was at Marquette.

Not saying Leitao is a great coach, but this is a better team than any they've had since his last go around & the recruiting is improving. It's probably about as good as DePaul could've done considering their management.

2007 was a better team than this depaul team.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

Fun fact about depaul (unsure if it is still true) they force students to pay for season tickets. It's an incorporated fee in their tuition. If they weren't able to do that I wonder how their athletic budget would look if they weren't pulling that BS.

https://depaulbluedemons.com/sports/2018/7/27/tickets-depa-student-tickets-faq-html.aspx?id=5

How much is the fee?
The fee is $25 per quarter for the fall, winter and spring quarter for all enrolled students.

What sports does the fee cover?
The fee covers entrance to all home DePaul athletics events, including NCAA men's and women's basketball, women's softball, women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis and any other athletic events where a fee is charged. DePaul also participates in cross country, track and field and men's golf.

[Galway Eagle]

https://depaulbluedemons.com/sports/2018/7/27/tickets-depa-student-tickets-faq-html.aspx?id=5

How much is the fee?
The fee is $25 per quarter for the fall, winter and spring quarter for all enrolled students.

What sports does the fee cover?
The fee covers entrance to all home DePaul athletics events, including NCAA men's and women's basketball, women's softball, women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis and any other athletic events where a fee is charged. DePaul also participates in cross country, track and field and men's golf.

$75 a year x 23,000 students? That's a decent chunk of change they're getting from people who don't give a damn about the subpar product they're putting out there

[brewcity77]

2007 was a better team than this depaul team.

Maybe. Also not a tourney team, but most of that team was put together by Leitao anyway. Even Wilson Chandler originally committed to Leitao as head coach.

[Galway Eagle]

Maybe. Also not a tourney team, but most of that team was put together by Leitao anyway. Even Wilson Chandler originally committed to Leitao as head coach.

Yeah but 20 wins and 9-7 in the old big east is eye catching enough that they were better.

Fair point about who recruited that team though.

[Cheeks]

No NCAA appearances since joining the Big East (old and new).  $100 million sunk in a new arena miles from campus. Their coach got caught cheating and is on his second run. 

Can the rest of the Big East get their NCAA shares back? Can their alums get their donations back?  Mother Teresa wouldn't have patience for this crap.

#17 recruiting class coming in next year.  Tied for 3rd place in Big East yesterday.  Better prospects than they have had in a long time.  No one is denying they have been a mess, but Year 4 is better than years 1, 2, and 3 in this rebuild with year 5 looking promising.

[Cheeks]

Mother Teresa and a lot of other basketball experts wanted Wojo fired 3 months ago.....

[NorthernDancerColt]

The DJ was awful! Terrible song selection at a few key moments. And they're game - intro song stinks.

I was there and agree. Of course, one person's trash is another's treasure, and it's often a generational thing. I can see how some alums (read "vesties") aren't fans of the DJ's at FF. I can also see how many students and younger alums like the concept.

Any ideas how to make it work? Maybe a Potto-sponsored graphic wheel spin that acts like a possession arrow, only it signals the next dead-ball music. E.G: The wheel lands on '80s. Jamal Cain springs back to life with a timely "3", the opponent forced to call TO...and the DJ plays "Don't you Forget About Me."

I think the DJ's are fine if they can select music that keeps everyone happy (to a point...as long as you don't approach Lawrence Welk era lol). I don't think Emcees are necessary. Not at Marquette anyway, where people show up and know how and when to get engaged. DePaul is almost a no win situation. If they don't have either a DJ or emcee, it's a library for most games, unless MU and well-represented visitors like Creighton and Xavier are beating the crap out of them...then it gets loud, for the(ir) wrong reason. If they do have an emcee, he's gonna drown out/elicit-no-response from the sparse home crowd. I really feel for that program...they have to be tired of MU fans taking their place over.

[GooooMarquette]

https://depaulbluedemons.com/sports/2018/7/27/tickets-depa-student-tickets-faq-html.aspx?id=5

How much is the fee?
The fee is $25 per quarter for the fall, winter and spring quarter for all enrolled students.

What sports does the fee cover?
The fee covers entrance to all home DePaul athletics events, including NCAA men's and women's basketball, women's softball, women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's tennis and any other athletic events where a fee is charged. DePaul also participates in cross country, track and field and men's golf.

So the students could get into the games free...the arena is newer and supposedly more accessible to students...and they still get that kind of turnout?

Maybe they should make it a mandatory graduation requirement to go to at least one game per season. Of course, then most of the students would just transfer to Loyola....

[NorthernDancerColt]

So the students could get into the games free...the arena is newer and supposedly more accessible to students...and they still get that kind of turnout?

Maybe they should make it a mandatory graduation requirement to go to at least one game per season. Of course, then most of the students would just transfer to Loyola....

You would think in a city run for much of its history by Hizzoner and son....TURNOUT would not be a problem. The latest Daley is well-funded, but I'm hoping Mendoza somehow prevails...she has Ike and Greg style energy.