DePaul's Bruno prepares to say goodbye to 2 of his favorite 'daughters'
Bless Patty Bruno.
She and her husband, DePaul women's basketball coach Doug Bruno, have six sons.
And about 12 to 15 daughters each year.
The Brunos don't have any biological daughters, but the players on Bruno's teams each year more than fill that role.
And just like any parents of multiple kids, it would be tough for the Brunos to pick a favorite son ... or daughter.
But for Doug Bruno, a couple of his "daughters" from this season, who will be leaving the nest soon, certainly would have to rank near the top of the list ... if there was one.
Seniors Kelly Campbell and Chante Stonewall, who played their last regular-season home game for No. 12 DePaul as part of Senior Day on Sunday at McGrath-Phillips Arena in Lincoln Park, will leave the program as two of the best players Bruno has ever had the pleasure to coach.
Both turned heads as freshmen. And by their sophomore year, Campbell, a native of New Jersey, and Stonewall, from downstate Normal, were impact players. Now, they are that, and so much more. They are the leaders of the team. The heart and soul of the program.
"They're both just really special," Bruno said of Campbell and Stonewall. "They both had an impact on our team from the time they were freshmen. They've had an impact all four years and they're going to leave as two of the best seniors we've ever had."
Campbell is a "bring-your-lunch pail to work, jack-of-all-trades" point guard who leads the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio and is No. 4 in assists at 6 assists per game.
Stonewall, a long athletic forward who turns many of Campbell's pretty passes into baskets, leads the Blue Demons in scoring at 16.9 points per game and is one of the most complete players in the nation. She is the linchpin of DePaul's vaunted full-court pressure defense as the point of the press.
They have grown up as players together, as people, and as leaders. Both are team captains this season.
"When I first came in, I'll be honest, I thought Kelly was my biggest competition," Stonewall said with a laugh as she recounted first meeting Campbell. "But over the years, instead of being competitors, we have complemented each other. We've developed a lot. We've grown and come a long way."
Stonewall is the more talkative of the two. But Campbell has a voice, too. In a quiet way.
"We've definitely grown our relationship and we've grown as leaders as well," Campbell said. "We've been able to lead the other kids and connect on the court as well. We've always wanted the same things in basketball, so being on the same page has been good for us."
Campbell and Stonewall have been a part of three Big East championships and two Big East tournament championships so far, and are a perfect three-for-three in NCAA tournament berths.
They agree that winning the Big East tournament championship in the final seconds last year is their favorite memory of their careers so far.
"We've got some games to go though, so let's make a new one," Campbell said with a smile as Bruno, sitting next to her, gleamed with a twinkle in his eye, as only a proud papa could.
Follow Patricia on Twitter: @babcockmcgraw