DePaul University Athletics
DePaul Men's Basketball - A Year To Remember
3/31/2004 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S BASKETBALL
News & Notes On The 2003-04 DePaul Basketball Season
The Final Record
DePaul finished the 2003-04 season with a record of 22-10. The 22 wins were the most since 1987-88 when DePaul went 22-8.
NCAA Milestones
DePaul made its 22nd trip to the NCAA Tournament this season and it’s first since 2000. The Blue Demons are 21-25 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. DePaul's double-overtime win over Dayton in the first round marked the Blue Demons first NCAA Tournament win since March 16, 1989 - a 66-63 win over Memphis State in Boise, Idaho. The seventh-seed that DePaul earned this year was the highest since the Blue Demons were the fifth-seed in the 1992 NCAA Tournament's West Region.
Conference USA Champs
DePaul finished in a five-way tie for the Conference USA regular season championship in 2003-04 with a 12-4 record. It was the program’s second regular season conference title. The 1991-92 squad won a share of the Great Midwest Conference title.
Top Seed in Tournament
For the second time in the program’s history and the first time in Conference USA, DePaul was the top seed in the conference tournament. DePaul also reached the championship game of the league tournament for the first time since 2000.
Conference Wins
The Blue Demons posted a school record 12 conference wins this season. The previous best was 10 in 1998-99. DePaul also won six league road games which was also a school record. Over the past two seasons, DePaul has posted 20 conference wins, the most in any two-year period in school history.
A Win Against Everyone
With the victory over South Florida on March 6, DePaul has now beaten every team in Conference USA during Dave Leitao's first two seasons as the Blue Demon head coach.
Comeback Kids
DePaul pulled off two of the greatest comebacks in school history this season. On December 7, with 19 minutes remaining in the game against Bradley at the Allstate Arena, the Blue Demons were down 48-28 and with five seconds left in the contest, DePaul had erased that deficit and had a six-point lead before going on to win 77-74. On February 11, DePaul trailed at Saint Louis 38-17 with 4:11 remaining in the first half but then out-scored the Billikens 53-30 the rest of the way to post a 70-68 victory.
Conference Honors
DePaul had three players earn Conference USA post season. Seniors Andre Brown and Delonte Holland were both named second-team All-Conference while Sammy Mejia was named to the league's All-Freshman team.
Conference Tournament Honors
DePaul had two players earn mention on the Conference USA postseason All-Tournament team in Delonte Holland and Quemont Greer. In three tournament games, Holland averaged 19 points and 7.7 rebounds while Greer averaged 13 points and 7.3 rebounds.
CBS/Chevrolet Player of the Game
In both of DePaul’s NCAA Tournament games, Drake Diener was named the Blue Demons’ CBS/Chevrolet Player of the Game. In the win over Dayton, Diener scored a career-high 28 points including 10-for-10 free throw shooting. In the second round again Connecticut, Diener recorded his first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
Four Times A POW
DePaul had two players earn Conference USA Player of the Week honors this season. Drake Diener was named the Conference USA Player of the Week on January 19 and March 8 and Andre Brown was tabbed on February 16 and March 1. Four DePaul players have earned C-USA Player of the Week honors since Dave Leitao came to DePaul two seasons ago (Joe Tulley, Sam Hoskin, Diener and Brown).
Andre Concludes Fine Career
Andre Brown finished his four-year DePaul career as the eighth player in Blue Demon history to score 1,000 points and grab 800 rebounds. Brown finished with 1,146 points and 855 rebounds.
Brown Among All-Time Leaders
Andre Brown has inked his name into DePaul’s all-time record book. The 6-9 Chicago native concluded his career ranked among the program’s all-time best for rebounds (8th – 855), minutes played (10th – 3,099), blocked shots (13th – 70), rebounding average (14th – 8.0), field goal percentage (tied 16th - .502), games played (25th – 107) and scoring (28th – 1,146).
Third Time Is a Charm
Andre Brown became the first DePaul player to lead the team in rebounding average for three straight seasons since Tyrone Corbin did it from 1983-85. Despite missing nine games due to knee discomfort, Brown averaged 9.2 boards per game.
Andre One of Four
Andre Brown is one of four players in Conference USA history with 800 rebounds in a career. Brown (855) joins Kelly Wise (Memphis, 1,075), B.B. Waldon (USF, 928) and Kenyon Martin (Cincinnati, 869).
Double the Fun
Andre Brown recorded 13 double-doubles in the last 24 games of his career. Brown posted 28 double-doubles in his career.
Drake Hits the Books
Drake Diener was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District V team on February 19. The junior Secondary Education major carries a 3.37 GPA. He became the first Blue Demon since Stephen Howard in 1992 to earn the honor.
More Drake Books
For the second consecutive year, Drake Diener was named to the NCADA’s I-AAA Scholar-Athlete Team. Diener was one of five players to be selected on every ballot.
Diener for Three
Drake Diener is now fourth on DePaul's all-time 3pt. field goals made list with 131 and sixth in attempts with 342. Drake is also sixth in DePaul history for 3pt. field goal percentage (131-342 = .383).
Drake's Season
Drake Diener recorded some single-season milestones during the 2003-04 campaign. His 3pt. field goal percentage (.459) was the third-best single-season percentage as was his 68 3pt. field goals. He logged 1,115 minutes of court time, the fifth-most in school history. Diener’s free throw percentage (.871) was sixth and his 3pt. field goal attempts (148) were 10th.
Drake in C-USA
Drake Diener led Conference USA in 3pt. field goal percentage and also finished among the league leaders in field goal percentage (8th), 3pt. field goals made (14th) and scoring (20th).
Love the Drake
Drake Diener nailed six 3pt. field goals in the wins over Memphis and East Carolina, tying him for second on the school's single-game list. Brad Niemann holds the record of seven set against Chaminade in 1988. Diener, whose previous best was five, shares second place with Niemann and DePaul's current Director of Basketball Operations Joe Tulley (who also accomplished the feat twice).
Freshman Assists
Sammy Mejia was the fourth freshman in DePaul history to hand out 100 assists in his rookie season. Mejia (140 assists) joins Imari Sawyer (179), Rod Strickland (159) and Howard Nathan (123).
Sammy Dishes
Freshman Sammy Mejia had a season-high 12 assists in the win over Marquette on February 7. The 6-5 native of the Bronx, became the first DePaul player to post a double-figure assist total in a game since Rashon Burno had 11 against Ohio on December 5, 2001. His 12 assists were tied for 10th on DePaul's single-game best list. Mejia also handed out 11 in the win over Southern Miss and had 10 against TCU in the C-USA Tournament quarterfinals.
Mejia's Triple Double
Sammy Mejia was the only player in C-USA this season to post a double figure scoring game, a double figure rebounding game and a double figure assist game.
Mejia on the Glass
Sammy Mejia grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds against Charlotte on January 6. Mejia's 13 rebounds were the most by a DePaul guard in a game since Joe Tulley (DePaul's current Director of Basketball Operations) grabbed 13 against UAB on February 24, 2001.
Mejia Among C-USA Leaders
Sammy Mejia finished the season ranked among C-USA’s leaders for assists (6th), assist-to-turnover ratio (11th) and free throw percentage (13th).
Right On Q
Quemont Greer had a solid junior season. The forward from Milwaukee was one of four players in Conference USA to finish in the top 10 in rebounding and top 21 in scoring. He finished the year among C-USA’s leaders for rebounding (seventh), blocked shots and scoring (21st).
Holland In C-USA
Delonte Holland finished the season third in Conference USA in scoring at 16.5 points per game. The 6-7 senior tossed in 20 or more points in a game 10 times during the 2003-04 season.
Delonte Holland etched his name into the school and conference single-game best lists at Cincinnati on January 10. The 6-7 senior went 17-for-18 from the free throw line. The 17 free throws made tied for the third-best performance in DePaul history while the 18 attempts were tied for fifth in school annals. Holland also recorded the second-highest free throws made total in a Conference USA game.
Green Was Red
Freshman Wesley Green underwent shoulder surgery on November 20 and sat out the entire 2003-04 season as a medical redshirt. He will have four seasons of eligibility remaining starting in 2004-05.
Glass Eaters
The Dave Leitao era at DePaul is 61 games old and the Blue Demons have been impressive on the glass during his regime. In those 61 games, DePaul has out-rebounded its opponents 45 times. In four games the rebound totals have been even.
At The Allstate
DePaul finished its 24th season of playing at the Allstate Arena (formerly the Rosemont Horizon). DePaul is now 250-83 (.751) all-time including a 24-7 ledger under head coach Dave Leitao.
Name That Floor
The floor at the Allstate Arena was officially dedicated as Ray and Marge Meyer Court during the DePaul-Notre Dame game on December 14.
Building the Demons
Following is a listing of how and when the members of the 2003-04 DePaul team became Blue Demons.
Brown: signed letter-of-intent in November, 1999
Brumfield: signed letter-of-intent in May, 2002
Craigwell: walked-on in October, 2003
Diener: signed letter-of-intent in November, 2000
Exilus: signed tender in May, 2002
Farrell: walked-on in October, 2001
Green: signed letter-of-intent in November, 2002
Greer: signed letter-of-intent in November, 2000
Heard: signed letter-of-intent in November, 2002
Holland: signed letter-of-intent in November, 2001
Mejia: signed letter-of-intent in November, 2002
Seals: signed letter-of-intent in November, 2000
Smith: signed letter-of-intent in November, 2002
Thompson: signed letter-of-intent in April, 2003
C-USA Predictions and Finishes
In a vote of Conference USA coaches, DePaul was picked to finish seventh in the preseason poll. Following are the results of the voting and each team’s finish in the final regular season standings.
2003-04 C-USA Preseason Coaches Poll (finish)
1. Louisville (tie 6th)
2. Cincinnati (tie 1st)
3. Marquette (8th)
4. Memphis (tie 1st)
5. UAB (tie 1st)
6. Charlotte (tie 1st)
7. DePaul (tie 1st)
8. Saint Louis (tie 6th)
9. Southern Miss (10th)
10. USF (14th)
11. TCU (9th)
12. Tulane (12th)
13. East Carolina (11th)
14. Houston (13th)
A Look Ahead
DePaul signed two players as a part of its nationally ranked recruiting class during the November signing period.
Aking Elting
G 5-10 160 Elizabethtown, N.C.
(East Bladen H.S./College of Southern Idaho)
Dorell Wright
F 6-7 210 Lawndale, Calif.
(Leuzinger H.S. /South Kent Prep)
