It’s been a great start to the year for DePaul basketball. Going 5-0 compared to the previous season where they only went 3-29.
There’s been a lot of great moments this season from lots of the talent on the roster.
A roster that has comprised of almost entirely transfers with the exception of freshman forwards Chris Riddle and Théo Pierre-Justin, and a pair of walk-ons.
So which five players have had the best start to the season? This list could even change as the season progresses. This list is not in any particular order.
Isaiah Rivera
The most obvious person on this list is graduate transfer guard Isaiah Rivera. This season, he’s been a threat from the perimeter.
Currently, he averages 16.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.0 steal per game. This comes while shooting 55.8% from the field and 48.5% from beyond the arc. Compared to his previous season with the UIC Flames, where he averaged 15.4 points and 4.2 rebounds while averaging 46% overall and 41.6% long range.
He made his name known to DePaul basketball fans in the first game of the season against the Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles, where he scored 25 points, five rebounds, two blocks, and one steal while shooting 5-9 (55.5%) from the three and 10-17 (58.8%) overall.
Other than the most recent matchup against the Eastern Illinois Panthers, Rivera has shot over 50% overall and over 40% from beyond the arc. Against the Panthers, he only shot 5-14 (35.7% ) overall and 2-8 (25%) from the three-point line.
He is one of the clear leaders of the team and it will be interesting to see how he leads the rest of the players going forward as they approach conference matchups.
Conor Enright
Another local Illinois prospect, redshirt junior Connor Enright transferred from the Drake Bulldogs, a powerhouse in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). His playstyle is similar to that of former NBA all-star Rajon Rondo as someone who is more of a passing point guard, while also being a pest in terms of on-ball defense. For context, Rondo averaged 7.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game in his 16-year career.
This season for DePaul basketball, he averages 6.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 0.8 steals, and a career-best 7.6 assists. In terms of assists, last year he only averaged 3.2 in his final season with the Bulldogs.
Looking at his box scores from the first five games, he’s totaled 38 assists in this season. This includes two straight eight-assist games and an 11-assist game against Eastern Illinois.
He helps bring the fast-paced offense the team has been creating this season into reality and makes life difficult for opposing players.
David Skogman
Graduate forward David Skogman transferred to the Blue Demons from Davidson, where he averaged 13.3 points, 4.9 rebounds while shooting 55.6% overall and 47.1% from beyond the arc. So far, he’s improved and become the undisputed big man on the roster.
Currently for DePaul basketball, he averages 11.0 points and a career-high 7.6 rebounds per game. He also has improved his shooting percentages from last year, averaging 61.8% overall and 56.3% from long range. He had a great debut against Southern Indiana where he recorded a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. In their latest matchup against Eastern Illinois, he scored 11 points, six rebounds, and one block while shooting 4-6 (66.7%) from the field and 3-5 (60%) from beyond the arc.
There are times where he hesitates to attack the paint during games, but give him the ball outside the line and he will light up the opponent.
J.J. Traynor
J.J. Traynor is a graduate transfer formerly from the Louisville Cardinals. Last season, Traynor averaged 10.1 points, 4.6 rebounds while shooting 36.8% from long range and 51.6% overall. This season for DePaul basketball, he averages 8.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, a career-high, 37.5% from beyond the arc, and 68.2% from the field, another career-high.
Traynor is one of the more consistent players on the team. He has games where he scores a double-double in 11 points and 10 rebounds against the Mercer Bears, or scoring 11 points and eight rebounds against the Prairie View A&M Panthers. There are also games against the Duquesne Dukes or Southern Indiana where he scores less than five points but plays like a pest in terms of interior defense.
A consistent threat from the bench, with extra flair in alley-oop dunk plays, just like the last player on this non-ordered list.
Jacob Meyer
He’s not catching those alley-oop passes, he’s the one launching them into the air.
Sophomore guard Jacob Meyer transferred from Coastal Carolina, where he averaged 15.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, and one steal per game. He also 44.9% from the field and 40.2% from long range. This year, he averages 15.4 points and 4.0 rebounds coming off the bench as a sparkplug type of player. He also is averaging 46.3% overall and 40.6% from beyond the arc.
He made his name known to DePaul basketball fans on opening night where he scored the game-tying three-pointer that forced the game to overtime and helped the Blue Demons get their first win under head coach Chris Holtmann. That night, he scored 23 points and three rebounds while shooting 57.1% from the field and 44.4% from the three.
Despite being a sophomore, he carries himself as a leader coming off of the bench, that fire DePaul basketball needs when its starters are subbed out to rest.