Yes, it's looking glum for DePaul; Wainwright can only hope
At a point in time when many DePaul fans don't want Jerry Wainwright around at all, it turns out there actually are two of him.
The public Wainwright sits after practice in the lobby of the Sullivan Athletic Center at Sheffield and Belden gabbing with reporters and sharing a laugh and a quip with everyone who walks by - his players, athletes in other sports, other DePaul coaches, "regular" students and school employees.
He knows their names, hometowns and idiosyncrasies as well as the right things to say to put smiles on their faces.
It's a gift honed by decades of recruiting and public speaking, and it speaks to the way he has become an integral part of the tight-knit DePaul community.
But then, a few minutes later, there's the private Wainwright who closes the door to his office and fiddles absent-mindedly with a noisy piece of paper while trying to explain how his Demons got where they are and where he wants them to go.
This Wainwright looks older than his 61 years and thinner than when this 8-12 season began. He sleeps maybe two hours per night.
At one point, he rises from his chair and finds the manila folder on his desk that's stuffed with thoughts meant for his players.
There's one saying per piece of plain copier paper. Here's one example:
"You cannot live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you."
Here's another:
"Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time."
Usually, several such aphorisms cover the bulletin board in the players' locker room. Recently, Wainwright removed all except one:
"To Realize Your God-Given Talent and Potential, You MUST Do A TREMENDOUS Amount of WORK."
Wainwright sees no other way for his Blue Demons to extricate themselves from the basement of the Big East.
Second-ranked Connecticut (18-1) shows up at the Allstate Arena today to hammer another nail into that basement door.
"I really believe this: We have not accepted losing," Wainwright said. "But by the same token, to truly be a winner, you have to embrace the work that it takes to be a winner.
"The bottom line is, you have to deserve to win. Winning is a process. We collectively have to work harder.
"Everybody has to go the extra mile to get this done. We can't close our eyes and wish."
Coincidentally, a vocal portion of DePaul's shrinking fandom closes its eyes and wishes Wainwright's four-year tenure will end in March. They know DePaul, in terms of conference standing and RPI ranking, hasn't been this far down since 2001-02.
That served as the final season of Pat Kennedy's five-year roller-coaster ride in Lincoln Park. Kennedy "resigned" four days after wrapping up a 9-19 season.
Does Pat equal Jerry?
If fans are waiting for Wainwright to "resign" after this season, athletic director Jean Lenti Ponsetto says it'll be a long wait.
"I think DePaul has every intention right now of Jerry continuing with our program," Lenti Ponsetto said. "I think he's expecting to. We're expecting to. We're all building and we're planning accordingly."
Wainwright and Lenti Ponsetto share much of the same phraseology and philosophy when it comes to DePaul's premier sport.
They talk about processes, being educators, being caught with a youthful squad in a year when the Big East is at its most powerful and ravenous.
Lenti Ponsetto believes DePaul's Big East transition would have been tough enough had Dave Leitao, who took the Demons to the NCAA Tournament in 2004 and the NIT in 2005 before leaving for Virginia, stuck around.
But the challenge became bigger with the switch to Wainwright - and Wilson Chandler's decision to leave DePaul after his sophomore year to become a 2007 first-round pick of the New York Knicks - and so on.
"It's a process," Lenti Ponsetto said. "It's not something that happens overnight. And the process, I think, gets a little bit more elongated when you compete in a highly competitive conference like ours.
"Where it's not only that we've got to deal with the top teams in the league, we've got to deal with the top teams in the country. We're looking to place ourselves back among them.
"But I also understand and know that, when you're in a 16-team conference, it cycles through. I think the Big East could lose 27 of its best players this year.
"Which means some of those teams that are playing where we're playing at right now, if we can retain the student-athletes that we have, it might be time for us to start to cycle through a little bit."
How to hop on the cycle
The trick, of course, is for Wainwright and Lenti Ponsetto to figure out how to worm into that upper echelon and stay there.
Lenti Ponsetto says DePaul isn't leaving the Big East. Revenues are up across the board since the move and they've allowed athletics to make major infrastructure improvements.
She also says the school, which is in the last year of a six-year deal with the Allstate Arena, will soon re-up with the Rosemont facility, so don't expect an on-campus arena anytime soon.
"That's a little frustrating for people to think somehow that's going to be the magical turnkey," Lenti Ponsetto said. "An on-campus arena isn't going to be the magical turnkey. It's still going to be a process.
"Would it be nice to have an on-campus arena? Sure. Would it be easier for our kids, our students, to get out to the games? Absolutely. But I think we've found a way to compensate for that."
And, as mentioned before, she expects Wainwright to be in place next year.
So what's left? Nothing except improving the roster.
Can DePaul recruit?
Wainwright can't wait for Ohio State transfer Eric Wallace, a combo forward with absurd athleticism, to become eligible next year.
He also expects junior-college transfer Mike Stovall (a combo guard) and Los Angeles high school senior Tony Freeland (a powerful 6-foot-5 rebounder) to help immediately.
He's looking for a point guard and a big man to round out this year's recruiting class. And he hopes to strike it rich in the future - particularly with the mother lode of Chicago blue-chip prospects in the Class of 2011.
But Wainwright isn't blind or deaf to the challenge he faces. He has been asked point-blank by a potential recruit whether he will be at DePaul next season.
"We certainly have to answer tough questions," Wainwright said. "Because why wouldn't somebody ask that question? As a high school coach or as a father, I certainly would."
Veteran recruiting analysts, ones who talk with players and coaches and handlers virtually every day, have varying opinions whether Wainwright and DePaul can attract Chicago blue-chippers.
"As their struggles continue," said Joe Henricksen, who has been publishing the City/Suburban Hoops Report for 14 years, "it becomes that much more difficult, I think, to find themselves as a legitimate option for top-tier players in Chicago."
Illinois already has commitments from the best Chicago players (Waukegan's Jereme Richmond and Crane's Crandall Head) in the Class of 2010.
As for the Class of 2011, Henricksen hasn't heard anyone except Morgan Park's Wayne Blackshear mention DePaul.
Roy Schmidt, a 25-year veteran on the recruiting scene who co-publishes Illinois Prep Bulls-eye, hears the Blue Demons are in on a few additional 2011 prospects.
"The perception is that Jerry Wainwright is an honest, genuine guy who cares about his kids," Schmidt said. "He wants them to succeed, not only at the college level but after they leave the program.
"That being said, things are probably not going as well recruiting-wise as they have in the past."
Though DePaul assistant coach Ramon Williams works the city along with Wainwright, Schmidt and Henricksen both say the Demons aren't as omnipresent on the scene as other in-state schools.
Marshall senior point guard Darius Smith, who ranks with Warren's Brandon Paul at the top of this state's Class of 2009, stands as an intriguing barometer of DePaul's future.
The Demons need a point guard and Smith, a ferocious defender, could play immediately. But he's being recruited far and wide as one of the nation's most improved unsigned players.
"There's no question that Darius is a player that's a must-type for DePaul," Schmidt said. "I think that there's still a shot."
That's all Wainwright asks - and not just of Smith.
"Here's the test of time on a visit, irregardless of how people outside perceive (us)," Wainwright said. "Players should ask our players two things. One, did the guy ever lie to you? And, two, are you getting better? Are you improving?
"If those two questions are answered in a positive way by everybody in our program, our recruiting won't be affected. We'll get the right kids for the right reasons.
"And I can tell you without hesitation I would expect our players to answer those questions the right way."
Connecticut (18-1, 7-1) at DePaul (8-12, 0-7)
When: 8 p.m. at Allstate Arena
TV: Channel 23
Radio: WSCR 670-AM
Skinny: The second-ranked Huskies have reeled off 7 wins in a row after losing their Big East opener to Georgetown. More impressive, this marks their fifth road game in a seven-game stretch. Jeff Adrien leads four double-figure scorers with 14.3 points per game. Seven-foot-3 junior Hasheem Thabeet contributes 13 points, 10.1 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per night. DePaul will have to bring its best effort on the boards just to avoid getting crushed there. Connecticut outrebounds foes by 9.2 per game, while DePaul ranks 15th in the Big East at minus-3.2 per game. The Demons' margin has been a league-worst minus-11.6 in Big East games.
Unhappy comparison
Under Pat Kennedy Season Overall CUSA RPI Average home attendance 1999-2000 21-12* 9-7 40 10,034 2000-01 12-18 4-12 151 8,221 2000-02 9-19 2-14 193 4,797 Totals 42-49 15-33 *NCAA first round Under Jerry Wainright Season Overall Big East RPI Average home attendance 2006-07 20-14** 9-7 68 10,145 2007-08 11-19 6-12 158 9,262 2008-09 8-12 0-7 194 7,454 Totals 39-45 15-26 **NIT third round Indiana (5-13, 0-6) at Northwestern (10-7, 2-5)When: 7:30 p.m. at Welsh-Ryan ArenaTV: Big Ten NetworkRadio: WNUR 89.3-FMAudio: wgnradio.comSkinny: The Wildcats start a remarkable homestand with the not-so-remarkable Hoosiers. Northwestern gets to play six of its next seven games in Evanston, which should provide a chance to climb in the Big Ten standings. The freshman-laden Hoosiers have put up plenty of fight at home but have struggled mightily on the road. Of their nine away games, they're 1-8 with most defeats in the 20- to 25-point range. Junior Devan Dumes, who hurt his ankle two weeks ago at Illinois, is healthy again and leads IU with 12.9 points per game. Co-Big Ten player of the week Kevin Coble is shooting 88 percent at the line (28 of 32) in league play.UIC (10-9, 3-6) at Green Bay (15-6, 7-2)When: 7 p.m. at Resch CenterNet TV: uicflames.comRadio: WIND 560-AMSkinny: The Flames start the Horizon League's second round-robin with one of the teams that greased their 3-7 skid. Green Bay won the original meeting 66-61 on Jan. 3 in Chicago as senior Terry Evans, who averages 9.7 points, went berserk with 28 points. UIC's shooting percentages, which were supposed to be a strength, have steadily plummeted during the team's struggle. The Flames are down to 41.2 percent shooting overall and 33.6 from 3-point rage. Easier shots might come when junior point guard Spencer Stewart, who has missed the last three games with a bad foot, returns to the fold.Loyola (12-9, 4-5) at Milwaukee (12-8, 7-3)When: 7 p.m. at U.S. Cellular ArenaNet: horizonleaguenetwork.tvRadio: WLUW 88.7-FMSkinny: The Ramblers suffered an 80-66 defeat when the Panthers visited the Gentile Center on Jan. 3, but UWM has to be feeling a little down after losing at struggling Valpo before getting pounded by 30 at league-leading Butler. The Panthers shot just 27 percent last week with 19 turnovers per game. Loyola senior guard J.R. Blount gets to play in front of his hometown fans for probably the last time in his strong career. Not to put pressure on Blount to score, but the Ramblers are 10-5 when he produces double figures and 2-4 when he doesn't.Northern Illinois (6-11, 2-3) at Miami, Ohio (10-7, 3-2)When: 6 p.m. at Millett HallRadio: WSCR 670-AMSkinny: According to the RPI numbers, this MAC game pairs the league's worst team (the Huskies are No. 332 out of 343 nationally) against the league's best team (the Redhawks are No. 43). Miami's losses include road trips to Pittsburgh, Xavier, West Virginia, UCLA and Dayton. NIU has won just once in 18 tries at Miami - and the win came way back in 1981. The Huskies are struggling to find consistent scoring threats. During Saturday's 58-45 home loss to Central Michigan, freshman guard Mike DiNunno poured in 25 points while the next-best scorers (Sean Smith and Ante Dzepina) each had 4. <p class=factboxheadblack>What they're saying</p> <p class="News"><b>The AD's perspective:</b> "DePaul has every intention right now of Jerry (Wainwright) continuing with our program. I think he's expecting to. We're expecting to. We're all building and we're planning accordingly."</p> <p class="News">- Jean Lenti Ponsetto</p> <p class="News"><b>The coach's perspective:</b> "It's kind of like what happened with (Illinois coach) Bruce (Weber). All of a sudden, Bruce had scholarships available and playing time available. We certainly tried on the Demetri McCameys and the Evan Turners. If we could just get one of those guys, we'll get another one. And that's kind of how it goes, especially if they're successful."</p> <p class="News">- Jerry Wainwright</p> <p class="News"><b>An outsider's perspective:</b> "My personal opinion? DePaul has become nonexistent in the eyes of high school basketball players in Chicago." </p> <p class="News">- Joe Henricksen, City/Suburban Hoops Report</p>