This is great news for Blue Demon basketball. DePaul has been inching closer to other city schools like Houston, San Francisco & Dayton, which have made a complete transition from national powerhouse to second tier basketball program. Many people would say they have already joined them. Except for the short-lived Q. Richardson era (two years) there hasn’t been much to get excited about this last decade. And while CUSA had some strong programs, I don’t think the conference helped the University in recruiting top talent.
But the Big East is a whole new ballgame. DePaul will get to renew some traditional rivalries with Notre Dame. St. John’s and Georgetown. They will also get games with great programs such as Syracuse & UCONN.
Dave Letiao has already brought some respectability back to the program. They will certainly need to get a whole lot better to before competing in the Big East. But the exposure the Blue Demons will receive in the Big East should help them compete with area recruits who would normally opt for a Big Ten squad. And the additional TV exposure will definitely help DePaul nationally. Let’s just hope DePaul’s ready when they begin their Big East schedule two tears from now.