| | By Andy Katz
ESPN.com
CHICAGO -- Most of the photos of DePaul players are down in the school's offices this week because of a new paint job.
They may want to hold off on hanging any solo shots of Quentin Richardson.
The Blue Demons are through paying homage to "Q".
No one is bitter over Richardson's early departure for the NBA. Well, let's just say, the Blue Demons aren't complaining that Q, or all the attention toward Q, is gone.
|  | | Freshman Andre Brown makes DePaul better, but won't be asked to fill void left by Quentin Richardson's early departure to the NBA. |
And the Blue Demons might actually be better without him, even though they don't have their cover boy back (see: ESPN The Magazine College Basketball Preview Issue '99).
"At times it was tough last year to have someone on the cover of a magazine, projecting him to leave early," junior guard Rashon Burno said during ESPN.com's preseason tour Tuesday. "It caused some friction. This year's team is on the same page and we don't have anybody who thinks they're better than the program, not to say that we had that last year. We're a team, not one player. We've got lots of talent, but everyone is willing to sacrifice to win games."
Read between the lines: This team is fine being a collection of high-profile players without one domineering identity.
"We didn't think that one of us would be singled out when me, Q and Lance Williams came here," said junior Bobby Simmons. "But Q ended up being the one who got all the publicity. We don't have that this year."
The hype over Richardson delivered the Blue Demons back from the bottom of Conference USA to an NIT appearance in his freshman season and an NCAA Tournament first-round exit in his second year. But last year was also marred by the on-and-off again distraction of having Paul McPherson being suspended for academic reasons. Like Richardson, McPherson bolted early for the pro league.
"It was a distraction to have all the attention focused on Q," said sophomore center Steven Hunter, sitting under a framed photograph of Richardson's magazine shot in the sports information office. "It was also a distraction to bring Q out of the post and put him on the wing. His natural position was inside. Now everyone here has a natural position and we're not trying to showcase anyone for the NBA."
The Blue Demons aren't making this stuff up, either. The eligibility of 6-foot-8 McDonald's all-American Andre Brown last week could have suddenly shifted the attention all to Brown.
Instead, the Blue Demons seem to relish their eligible star. Brown's presence in practice has energized the team, forced them to be more competitive and determined that someone is definitely going to sit in the frontcourt or backcourt even though they could command starting minutes.
DePaul coach Pat Kennedy won't commit to Brown starting, but it seems to be a foregone conclusion. Brown would start at small forward, meaning the 6-7 Simmons slides down to shooting guard. As a result, only one point guard will start -- likely 6-2 Imari Sawyer over Burno. Shooting guards Joe Tulley and George Baker will now definitely come off the bench.
Brown's eligibility means three players are competing for two spots inside -- the 7-foot Hunter, 6-9 junior Lance Williams and 6-8 Jon Oden. While Brown was eligible to practice last week, he still wasn't eligible to play and that had an effect on the team. Not now.
"The other three guys weren't getting pushed hard," Sawyer said. "With four guys now, you're playing for time every day. You're going to battle and make it more competitive. Everything has gone up in practice since he got eligible. He's running hard, everyone is. It's been a big change."
Big is the operative word.
Brown said he's relieved this issue is behind him and even more comfortable playing small forward. He's an active forward who can score from different spots on the floor, especially on the boards -- somewhat similar to Q.
"He has energized us," Kennedy said. "Anyone who doesn't compete will look bad. Competition definitely helps. He's very active. He's quick, very quick off the floor, and keeps balls alive. He's not a wild colt, but he's a dangerous kind of player."
The fallout from the big lineup means the Blue Demons will play mostly zone. But Simmons could have problems trying to defend a quicker, smaller guard like Cincinnati's Kenny Satterfield. But he said they will have a hard time defending him.
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It's not a reflection on Quentin, but a media creation of Quentin. The cover of the magazines, and the ESPN cover, they started creating an image of Q bigger than life. Any time a team has that, a team has hard time dealing with that. ... They wanted to create another Jordan-esque guy here. And it was Q and Sammy Sosa last year in Chicago. ” |
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— Pat Kennedy,
DePaul head coach |
"If we don't turn the ball over, and get it off the glass, we'll be at an advantage," Kennedy said. "The biggest disadvantage will be our passing. If we don't pass well, then we may have to reduce the lineup."
The quicker lineup and better shooting lineup will be off the bench when Kennedy goes with Sawyer and Burno together or Tulley and, or, Baker. But the Blue Demons are leaning toward hunkering down inside and being tough to get around in the post.
It's their way of being a collective unit, rather than one star making all the plays.
"I'm a team player and I'll do whatever we have to do to win," said Burno, who started 30 of 32 games last season. "When both of us (with Sawyer) are in there, we'll create a lot of havoc in the backcourt. We can pressure, push the ball and press. This year's team is meshing earlier. We've left all the egos and outside distractions alone. We got a taste of the tournament and the new guys have come in and helped me, Lance and Bobby be even hungrier."
Shooting over the zone will be a tough adjustment for opposing teams. But what DePaul has in size, it will give up in overall quickness. Sawyer said the only forward who lacks foot speed is Williams. If that's the case then the Blue Demons will be a difficult out in Conference USA for Cincinnati, South Florida and Charlotte, let alone in the Great Alaska Shootout against Syracuse and possibly Missouri. DePaul also has a sure dates with Missouri, Kansas and Florida on the road, along with a midseason game against UCLA.
"We could be one of the best frontcourts in the country," Williams said. "Andre brings a winning attitude to the program and any time you've got another big guy to play against me, Steve and Oden, then that's great."
The zone might have a taller look up front with Hunter playing some at the top of the zone to distract penetration. Whatever the case, this DePaul team will have a new look that doesn't need, nor will miss, Q.
"It's not a reflection on Quentin, but a media creation of Quentin," Kennedy said. "The cover of the magazines, and the ESPN cover, they started creating an image of Q bigger than life. Any time a team has that, a team has hard time dealing with that. The other difference is that we were young last year having to deal with that. Maybe an older, more experienced group, could handle the influx of a huge P.R. campaign. They wanted to create another Jordan-esque guy here. And it was Q and Sammy Sosa last year in Chicago."
Kennedy made DePaul's season even harder Wednesday when he agreed to replace Cincinnati on Temple's schedule. The Bearcats had to back out of an ABC game on Jan. 20 because they overscheduled by one game. Gonzaga was the first choice, but the network nixed the deal. DePaul had to move a conference game at Saint Louis to Jan. 31 instead of hosting the Billikens. DePaul will travel to Saint Louis in late December instead of going on the 20th. The Blue Demons will return the game to Temple in 2001, when the Owls get a home game back against Cincinnati, as well.
"We should be better by the end of the season," Kennedy said. "I don't know if we'll be better earlier in the season. Unless we've got a lot of confidence quickly. It's not going to be an easy road for us."
Based on what the players are saying without Q and with Brown, that shouldn't be a problem.
Andy Katz is a senior writer at ESPN.com.
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