DePaul singing praises of Ewers
Sorry, Anna Martin.
But there is no way you can successfully defend your current title at DePaul.
The 5-foot-9 junior guard is the reigning winner of the team’s Pat Ewers Unsung Hero award after “quietly averaging 10.8 points per game” last season, as was stated in a news release last April.
Martin has been anything but quiet this season. She has been so opposite of unsung that she might as well be declared ineligible for a repeat win right now.
Sing that from the rooftops.
Martin has gone from a tidy supplemental role for the Blue Demons to the leading scorer of the most insanely tough women’s basketball conference in the country, the Big East. She is averaging 21.9 points per game for DePaul, which is 7-1 and ranked No. 20 in the nation.
Martin is the first DePaul woman to ever lead the Big East in scoring. The Blue Demons have been in the league for six years.
“Really? I didn’t even know. This is the first time I’ve heard that. I don’t really check up on that stuff,” laughed Martin. “It’s still early, but it’s pretty cool, though.
“I’ve always had a scorer’s mindset and I’ve always been aggressive about slashing and getting to the basket. I knew coming into this year as an upperclassmen that I would have to do that more. I worked really hard in the offseason.”
The Blue Demons lost five seniors from an uber-talented class that paved the way to last season’s Sweet 16 appearance and a school-record 29 wins. Gone are vital players such as Felicia Chester, Sam Quigley and Deirdre Naughton.
“Last year, it was easier for me to kind of step back because we had so many good seniors who could score and lead the team,” said Martin, who earned a starting spot as a sophomore despite all the talented veterans above her. “I was really honored to win (the Unsung Hero) award, but I was kind of wondering why. That was probably why. I could kind of step back at times.”
Stepping forward this season came naturally for Martin. She doesn’t mind being a go-to scorer, or the player teammates look to in tough situations. She was able to do that year after year at her high school in Kentucky for a team that won three state titles and featured multiple future Division I players.
“Anna is so confident,” DePaul coach Doug Bruno said. “She is such a big-time scorer, and she’s been doing that on some really good teams. I think she should be an all-American. She’s come out of the blocks blazing and she’s doing it all within the team system. Some players who lead their leagues in scoring shoot all the time, like 17 to 19 times a game. Anna takes like 12 or 13 shots per game. She’s really efficient. That says a lot.”
Martin has the Big East talking now, but because of her unsung role last season her name didn’t make many preseason conversations. She was left off the Big East’s preseason all-conference team, as well as the honorable mention list.
“Maybe Anna is playing with a bit of a chip on her shoulder,” Bruno said. “I know I have a chip on my shoulder for her. But she’ll get them (awards) at the end of the season.”
The word “Unsung” won’t be on any of them.
Big city, big game: The DePaul women#146;s basketball team will head to New York#146;s Madison Square Garden to be showcased on national television Sunday (noon, ESPNU) in a nonconference tilt against No. 7 Tennessee.The game is part of the Maggie Dixon Classic, which holds special meaning for the No. 20 Blue Demons.Dixon was an assistant coach at DePaul for six years before taking a job as the head coach at Army in the fall of 2005. The following spring, she led Army to its first NCAA appearance. Her team lost to Tennessee in the first round. After weeks later, just a day after the women#146;s national championship game, Dixon collapsed and later died in the hospital of an arrhythmic episode to her heart. She was 28.Sunday#146;s Maggie Dixon Classic also involves an earlier game with top-ranked Baylor and St. John#146;s (10 a.m. ESPNU).pbabcock@dailyherald.com 21213185DePaul guard Anna Martin is leading the Blue Demons in scoring this season.Photo courtesy of DePaul Athletics/Steve Woltmann