He is turning into Ray Meyer with a Jersey accent. He’s falling into the same old Public League trap, buying the same don’t-fire insurance from the media, looking and sounding just as befuddled during and after losses.
So far DePaul coach Pat Kennedy has been handled with care by the Chicago media because, well, most of us are human. Like the beloved old “Coach,” the likable Kennedy is always available to save your radio show, provide a colorful sound bite for your TV piece or fill your empty notebook.
Kennedy took over a program that had fallen to 3-23 under Meyer’s son, Joey. He won over media members loyal to Meyer. By keeping heavily hyped recruits Quentin Richardson, Lance Williams and Bobby Simmons in Chicago, Kennedy quickly lifted DePaul back onto Dick Vitale’s ESPN radar.
But the reason DePaul is back on the map is also the reason it remains stuck on the NCAA tournament bubble. Like Meyer, Kennedy has sold his coaching soul to too many overrated, overpublicized, overpampered Chicago-area products who are beyond coaching.
No city’s media devotes as much idol-making coverage to high school sports as Chicago’s. By junior year, area stars have turned into legends before their time, boasting entourages of parents, street agents, college recruiters and shoe-camp power brokers. Too often they tell their suddenly famous coaches what to do. Too often they dominate inferior competition with raw athleticism and have no idea how to play winning basketball.
Kennedy’s reputation among NBA scouts is that he isn’t much of a bench coach or practice teacher. His buddy Vitale vehemently disagrees. The fact is Kennedy couldn’t have been a complete fraud and coached five Florida State teams through the ACC into the NCAAs, once reaching the Sweet 16.
But at DePaul, Kennedy has resisted suggestions that he hire a sharp-eyed bench coach in the mold of Tex Winter or Bill Guthridge. His X-and-O guy is his nephew, Brian. His other two assistants, sartorial showman Tracy Dildy and Donnie Kirksey, were hired mostly because of their relationships with area high school movers and shakers.
Kirksey is related to Thornwood’s Eddy Curry, who will play next season for DePaul if he doesn’t go pro. Curry will make the perfect Blue Demon. He has a lot of hot dog in his game and he has consumed more than his share. At the KMOX Shootout in early December, he appeared to be out of shape and 20 pounds overweight. But he’s nearly 7 feet tall, has some skills and soon will probably ask Kirksey if DePaul could rename his dorm for him.
Kennedy and his assistants grovel for these kids, who act as if they’re doing DePaul a favor to stay home and not turn pro. Before Kennedy can criticize them, it’s as if he has to get permission from their high school coaches, parents or various hangers-on. Former Houston coach Guy V. Lewis was similarly criticized for just “rolling the ball out” at practice, but as yet no Hakeem Olajuwon, Clyde Drexler or even Larry Micheaux has been spotted at DePaul.
Richardson, last season’s reluctant go-to guy, has found a low-pressure niche as a role player for a Clippers team featuring Lamar Odom. Perhaps Richardson’s departure inspired the same feelings in Kennedy that Mark Aguirre’s early exit did in Meyer.
“I’ve got my team back,” Meyer said.
Despite Kennedy’s belief this team could be better, it has turned into a clanking Frankenstein of ill-fitted egos and one-dimensional games. Juniors Williams and Simmons are no better than they were as freshmen. Steven Hunter remains 7 feet of Bambi. Freshman Imari Sawyer has NBA quickness and Globetrotter skills, but no idea how to play basketball. Five of freshman Andre Brown’s shots were blocked Wednesday night in a 14-point loss at Southern Mississippi.
The 8-6 result is a team ranked far too high–a preseason 18th by Sports Illustrated–predictably and unfairly has turned into the country’s biggest bust. This team is high on hype, low on chemistry, savvy, toughness and guts. These kids are too cool to play too hard.
They’ll be lucky to finish .500. If the NIT takes DePaul, it will be primarily on reputation.
The worst break DePaul ever got was when the best modern player to come out of the Chicago area, Isiah Thomas, told Meyer he would join Aguirre at DePaul but opted for Indiana. Thomas was a rare talent who knew how to win. DePaul has never had a player in his league.