Speed could key Blue Demons' rise

It looked like more of the same. For all the preseason hoopla surrounding former Clemson coach Oliver Purnell's takeover of the DePaul Blue Demons, the bottom line was identical to the miserable year Jerry Wainwright (and interim coach Tracy Webster) put together in 2009-10. In each season, the Blue Demons managed just one Big East win and maintained its stranglehold on last place, a streak that's now three years strong. The Big East may have been the best league top-to-bottom last year, but DePaul's continued ineptitude meant there was a considerable talent drop-off between the conference's upper reaches and its basement.

But just because the record didn't reflect success doesn't mean that Purnell's first year was a flop. There were crucial changes to the team's style and culture that should go a long way toward bringing the team back to respectability, and possibly position the Blue Demons for their first season above .500 since 2006-07.

To see what DePaul needs to do to rise from the ashes, become an ESPN Insider today.

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