DePaul University Athletics
Grant, Coleman Navigate Whirlwind Experience
2/23/2016 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
CHICAGO ââ'¬"What happened on a memorable Wednesday last fall left Jacqui Grant and Amarah Coleman in a tearful embrace as their DePaul teammates began to celebrate and coach Doug Bruno shouted his approval.
DePaul athletics director Jean Lenti Ponsetto had stopped by the Nov. 25 women's basketball practice at McGrath-Phillips Arena to give the team a special update. Grant and Coleman had been waiting a number of months to discover their basketball fate after transferring from Illinois.
When Bruno saw his boss come walking in, he shouted: "Thumbs-up or thumbs-down?"
Ponsetto's enthusiastic thumbs-up accompanied by a big smile brought a joyful temporary halt to the workout.
"When Jeanne gave us the thumbs-up, Amarah and I gave each other a big hug and tears came to my eyes," Grant said. "I still get emotional just thinking about that moment.
"We had been in limbo. Coach told us to prepare as if we'd play right away, and if we didn't, prepare to make ourselves better. It was a difficult thing to balance.
"A couple weeks earlier, I had heard about other transfers who got a no from the NCAA. The longer we didn't hear from the NCAA, maybe the better chance we had. I've never experienced anything like all the anticipation and waiting. It was hard and really tested my patience. But when we got the OK, it was all worth it.
"I'm just thankful I had Amarah with me."
Coleman added: "Waiting for the NCAA to make a decision on our eligibility was very nerve-wracking. Jacqui and I got to a point where we decided to just keep getting better and not get caught up in the process.
"When Jeanne gave the thumbs-up, players, coaches, everyone was celebrating and it was a great feeling. It was like a new beginning. We didn't have to put everything off and wait until next year."
In an instant, everything began to crystalize for Grant.
"It changes your mindset in practice," she said. "Now you really begin to focus on what the team wants and getting ready to play with your new teammates. Practice was helping both of us understand what 'DePaulBall' means and to learn the offense and defense DePaul plays."
Two days later, the dual transfers played their first game as a Blue Demon against Colgate at McGrath-Phillips Arena.
"The Colgate game was like a season-opener for me," Coleman said about 96-46 victory. "I can remember that game like it was yesterday. As soon as Jacqui and I got in, we made two good plays back to back. It was a great start to our DePaul careers.
"We were both excited, went in there and didn't play timid. We wanted to show people we could play."
Bruno knew the timing of their eligibility couldn't have been much better.
"It was like a whirlwind for Jacqui and Amarah," Bruno said. "They had come to a new team, new campus with new coaches and players. There was all the uncertainty of whether they would be cleared to play this season.
"Once they became eligible, they were thrown into the heart of our nonconference schedule with games against No. 1 Connecticut, No. 3 Notre Dame and nationally ranked Texas A&M and Northwestern. Not long after that, it was the BIG EAST opening weekend on the road against St. John's and nationally ranked Seton Hall."
DePaul, ranked No. 19/21, came into the season with a Top 25-caliber team looking to earn its 14th consecutive NCAA tournament berth. Adding Grant and Coleman made the Blue Demons that much better and deeper.
"Jacqui has great basketball instincts and we're seeing signs of those productive instincts coming together," Bruno said of his 6-foot, 3-inch starting forward. "She is becoming more consistent on a possession-by-possession basis on both sides of the ball.
"She brings additional size and rebounding possibilities that we'll need against bigger teams. Jacqui has good passing ability and guard-like skills with the ability to make the three-pointer.
"Amarah is very explosive and is making a marked improvement. She is putting herself on the floor by what she is doing in practice and what she is doing between the touches. She is defending off the ball, rebounding and playing help defense.
"What Amarah has added is great run-and-jump quickness and athleticism. Now, it's a matter of all that being constructively applied."
It's never easy being the new kid, whether in the class room, on the court or on campus.
"Coming here was like a student arriving at a new school," Grant said. "You have to learn about the culture and personality of the team. It was a little scary, and I was really nervous. It helped that I knew Megan and also Lauren Prochaska. I had lived on my own last year and now I have Megan, Lauren and Brooke Schulte for roommates. It's been great.
"All the players have made us feel welcome and accepted us from the beginning. They've helped us learn a new system and are always asking us to hang out. Our teammates and our coaches all go the extra mile to make us feel welcome."
The 5-11 Coleman can sense the team's camaraderie.
"My new teammates and coaches are all very caring," Coleman said. "They want Jacqui and I to learn everything. They stop practice for us and teach it to us. You feel good, like the team is really looking out for you. There's good team chemistry here because we all trust and believe in each other."
It didn't take long for Grant and Megan Podkowa to begin making connections in the front court.
"Megan and I can do a variety of things that post players can't always do," Grant said. "We can both shoot the three-pointer, post up, distribute and rebound. Having two of us can make it hard for other teams to match up.
"I knew Megan when I got here from playing on the same AAU team for two years. We know each other's games pretty well, and that helped to ease my transition.
"She has helped me in practice and has been teaching me a lot of things. Megan is really smart with and without the ball and knows how to use her body. She is one of the smartest players I've ever known."
Coleman was also familiar with a few of the Blue Demons.
"I was a little nervous at first meeting new people in a new environment on a new campus," Coleman said. "It was helpful to have Jacqui alongside me.
"It turns out I had nothing to worry about. Everyone was loving and caring. They welcomed us and immediately began to share what they have here. It's been a very good experience.
"I had known Ashton Millender a little bit from playing against her in high school. I played against Mart'e Grays in AAU ball. I knew both of them as players."
Bruno has known about Grant and Coleman for quite a while and remembers quite vividly how he recruited them.
"It's kind of an irony that Jacqui is here now because we were maybe the first to offer her," Bruno said. "The first time I saw her, Jacqui's Maine South team was playing was at New Trier her sophomore season. After the game, I went right to her coach and said I was going to extend an offer.
"Originally, she was going to announce her commitment on May 1 of her junior year. I was in Virginia with USA Basketball and came back early for the decision. She asked for five more days. Then there was another delay. Eventually, I got a call from her saying she was going to Illinois.
"We made an offer to Amarah her junior year, but Illinois had made an offer earlier. By the time we offered, she had already committed to Illinois."
Grant won't ever forget how difficult it was to make that decision.
"I'm honored to be here, especially after I said no to DePaul the first time," Grant said. "It was really hard, and I was in tears when I called coach Bruno.
"But I guess everything happens for a reason. As a 16-year-old kid, how much did I know? As you grow up, you learn. I made the right choice the second time around."
The last thing Coleman wanted coming out of Homewood-Flossmoor's program was playing for a local university.
"When DePaul recruited me in high school, I didn't show a lot of interest because I wanted to get far away from home," Coleman said. "I realize now there are advantages to being closer to home.
"My second game at DePaul was against Connecticut, and that was fun to go against the No. 1 team. We have high expectations of ourselves, and it was great to see we could play with the best in the country. We all came out fired up for that game and I got a steal pretty quickly once I got in.
"I've still got a lot to learn about DePaul's system, and it's been a gradual process for me. My new teammates understand I'm still learning about 'DePaulBall' and that it's not just about running up and down the floor. It's also about sharing the ball, movement, communication and doing whatever it takes to make the team better."
