DePaul can't afford another slow start

A plastic orange carton covers one of the baskets inside McGrath Arena, looking like a crushed pumpkin left over from Halloween.

On the court below, DePaul players run through a drill that is neither trick nor treat. They scoot around the lane, passing, cutting and screening. Players constantly shout but never shoot.

Moments later, the Blue Demons practice their half-court set, trying to score before the shot clock expires.

"None of you rotated!" third-year coach Jerry Wainwright bellows. "We just did the drill. Fifteen seconds, let's work!"

DePaul moves on to 4-on-4 drills as team managers keep score.

"You all got your (butt) kicked," Wainwright scolds a beaten foursome. "You are gonna get dunked on."

Toward the end of practice, the starters work against the scout team to prepare for the season opener.

"You're playing Creighton right now!" assistant coach Scott Wainwright barks.

This is what "all-ahead go" looks like at DePaul.

After a 2006-07 season where a 2-4 start in November doomed the Blue Demons in March, Wainwright has ratcheted up every aspect of his team's preparation, particularly conditioning, which he scrapped last year.

The self-proclaimed "process guy" has shelved his old ways and accelerated the learning curve for all of his players, including several highly touted freshmen.

"Last year I used the shoehorn to put 'em in that old gym shoe," Wainwright said. "This year I'm just jamming their foot right in there.

"We'll worry about bunions later."

Wainwright's reasoning?

DePaul can't wait until the seventh game to blossom, as it did last season by upsetting Kansas. The Demons can't wait until late January to make a postseason push, as they did by winning six of their final eight Big East games.

"Last year was a slap in the face," he said, "not only to the kids, but to myself. I was very easy on the kids. But the reality of it is, is you don't have any time anymore. Patience is an incredible virtue, but it's a weakness now in college basketball.

"The old saying -- 'creep, crawl, walk, run' -- you've got to skip steps."

Fortunately for Wainwright, he can press fast-forward with his team.

DePaul's four seniors -- Draelon Burns, Karron Clarke, Wesley Green and Cliff Clinkscales -- aren't strangers to Big East play. Junior guard Jabari Currie has started more games (38) than any player but Clarke (51).

The returnees don't need any incentive to start fast.

"We know for a fact that starting off so slow pushed us out of the NCAAs last year," Clinkscales said.

To reach the bracket this season, DePaul needs immediate help from its heralded newcomers. Freshmen Mac Koshwal and Dar Tucker and junior-college transfer Matija Poscic all will play significant roles -- Koshwal was named the first freshman captain in team history -- and none is shy of the spotlight.

"I haven't babied 'em," Wainwright said.

DePaul was the only Big East team to have two players selected in the NBA draft, and the holes left by Wilson Chandler and Sammy Mejia are substantial. Chandler and Mejia accounted for 42.5 percent of DePaul's scoring and 36.3 percent of the rebounding.

Outgoing forward Marcus Heard also will be missed after averaging 6.4 points and 4.5 rebounds off the bench.

Much of the scoring load will fall on Burns, who shed the microwave role to start 16 games and average 13 points in Big East play last season. The 6-foot-4 guard became DePaul's most reliable stretch-run playmaker, but one shot lingered with him throughout the summer.

After sparking DePaul with 18 points in the NIT quarterfinals against Air Force, Burns fired a dead-on 3-pointer as time expired, only to see the potential game-winner sail a biscuit too long.

"I heard it the most at home in Milwaukee, all my friends and stuff, my uncles, aunties, (asking) what I thought about the shot," Burns said. "I had five 3s in that game, so I thought that one was going in.

"When it missed, it just went in slow motion like in a movie."

DePaul fans have seen the Wesley Green movie too many times. Blessed with unique passing skills but cursed by injuries and weight problems, Green has puzzled his coaches and fans throughout his career.

Hopes are again high for Green after a strong NIT showing, and the big man will be trusted to secure the paint with Koshwal and Poscic. Defensive rebounding is one of the team's biggest concerns after losing Chandler, Mejia and Heard.

"(Wainwright has) been at me every day, trying to get me to take up that slack," Green said. "Every time I don't box out, he stops the play and he makes it known."

Wainwright wants to play faster at both ends -- "more toward speed than cautious" -- and has the personnel to do so.

Slashers like Burns and Tucker and a possible low-post force in Koshwal expand DePaul's offensive options, and several players (Currie, Clinkscales, Will Walker, Michael Bizoukas) can run the point. The Demons will play more 2-3 zone on defense, hoping to deflect more passes after ranking 12th in the league in steals last year.

"We've got faster guys and we're deeper," Clinkscales said. "That's why you see so much energy out there."

The external expectations have dropped for DePaul, which was picked 11th in the Big East after finishing eighth last year. But the Demons seniors thirst for their first NCAA Tournament appearance after a beneficial NIT run.

"I don't think me, Draelon, Karron and Cliff are going to be satisfied with the NIT again," said Green, who redshirted during DePaul's last Tournament run in 2004. "Mentally, we're ready to make that next step."

DePaul at a glance

Coach: Jerry Wainwright (32-29, third year at DePaul; 218-173, 14th year overall)

2006-07 record: 20-14 (9-7 Big East, eighth)

Starters returning/lost: 3/2

Projected starters

• G/F Dar Tucker 6-5 210 Fr. Do-it-all freshman has progressed faster than Wainwright envisioned in preseason.

• F Mac Koshwal 6-10 240 Fr. DePaul's first freshman captain can be a superstar in the post.

• C Wesley Green 6-9 300 Sr. Enigmatic senior has lost weight, shown improved defense in preseason.

• G Jabari Currie * 6-4 215 Jr. Two-year starter at point could play off the ball more this year.

• G Draelon Burns * 6-4 210 Sr. Team's go-to scorer averaged 13 points in Big East play last season.

Reserves

• G/F Karron Clarke * 6-6 210 Sr. Needs to put chiseled body to use on the defensive glass after rebounding numbers dropped last season.

• C Matija Poscic 6-10 235 Jr. Athletic Croatian can run the floor and help Koshwal and Green defend the post.

• G Will Walker 6-0 180 So. Expected to play significant minutes at point guard after subpar freshman season.

• G Cliff Clinkscales 6-1 175 Sr. Co-captain can run the offense with few mistakes; dependable in clutch situations.

• G/F Mario Stula 6-7 210 Fr. Left-handed sharpshooter is sidelined with shoulder injury, NCAA eligibility issues.

• F Thijin Moses 6-8 175 So. Sharpshooter is suspended indefinitely for violating team rules.

• G Michael Bizoukas 6-1 175 Fr. Pure point guard has recovered well from bout with mono in preseason.

• C Kene Obi 7-2 260 Fr. Post project still is waiting for clearance from NCAA.

• F Adam Handler 6-5 215 Jr. Walk-on plays critical role on scout teams; played in 10 games last year.

• G Joshua Washington 6-1 175 So. Walk-on wears Sammy Mejia's old number; still waiting for first game action.

* Returning starter

Blue Demons' 2007-08 schedule

Friday at Creighton 7 p.m. (CLTV)

Nov. 17 NORTHWESTERN 1 p.m.

Nov. 24 NORTH CAROLINA A&T 1 p.m.

Nov. 28 TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 8 at Kansas 1 p.m. (ESPN)

Dec. 12 VANDERBILT 7:30 p.m. (ESPN Classic)

Dec. 15 ILLINOIS-CHICAGO 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 20 vs. Mississippi (San Juan Shootout) 4:30 p.m.

Dec. 21 vs. Clemson (San Juan Shootout) 2 p.m.

Dec. 22 vs. La Salle (San Juan Shootout) 2 p.m.

Dec. 29 at Detroit 3 p.m.

Jan. 3 VILLANOVA* 8 p.m. (ESPN2)

Jan. 5 PROVIDENCE* 7 p.m. (ESPN Classic)

Jan. 8 GEORGETOWN* 8 p.m. (ESPNU)

Jan. 12 at St. John's * 11 a.m. (Channel 23)

Jan. 16 at Villanova* 8 p.m. (ESPNU)

Jan. 19 RUTGERS* 1 p.m. (ESPNU)

Jan. 21 FLORIDA GULF COAST 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 26 at Marquette* 7 p.m. (ESPNU)

Jan. 30 SYRACUSE* 7:30 p.m. (Channel 23)

Feb. 2 at Notre Dame* 5 p.m. (ESPN Classic)

Feb. 5 at Providence* 6:30 p.m. (Channel 23)

Feb. 9 SOUTH FLORIDA* 1 p.m. (ESPNU)

Feb. 12 LOUISVILLE* 8 p.m. (Channel 23)

Feb. 19 at Connecticut* 6 p.m. (ESPNU)

Feb. 23 at Seton Hall* 7 p.m. (Channel 23)

Feb. 27 WEST VIRGINIA* 8 p.m. (ESPN2)

March 2 NOTRE DAME* noon (Channel 23)

March 6 at Cincinnati* 6:30 p.m. (ESPN360)

March 9 at Pittsburgh* 11 a.m. (Channel 23)

March 12-15 Big East tournament (at New York) TBA

*Big East Conference games

Home games in CAPS