Eliminating sugar from his diet in the offseason was a revelation for DePaul sophomore Billy Garrett Jr.
“I cut out all sugar for a month,” said Garrett, who averaged 12.5 points as Big East rookie of the year. “I cut my body fat down to about 61/2, 7 percent. It increased my vertical and it’s made a big difference in my game.”
For the Blue Demons, that could mean sweeter results — an escape from the Big East cellar and perhaps more local and national relevance.
DePaul’s 12-21 season (3-15 Big East) was its third straight with double-digit wins but sixth in a row in last place. Touted as a rebuilding expert when he signed a seven-year deal in 2010, coach Oliver Purnell hopes to finally crack the code.
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“I do think we have a group here that’s capable of bouncing forward, not just bouncing back,” he said. “Obviously last year was tough on everyone. (But) having worked with this group all summer long, first of all we have more talent than we’ve had. We (also) have the ability to have outstanding leadership and we’ve got a group of guys with outstanding character.”
Garrett will carry a heavier leadership role as one of two returning starters.
“Individually I want to be one of the best players in the Big East and one of the best point guards in the country,” said Garrett, the son of DePaul assistant Billy Garrett Sr. “But it really comes with winning first. In order for me to have success individually, we have to have team success, so that’s the main priority. Once we win, everything else will take care of itself.”
Also back is 6-foot-11 sophomore center Tommy Hamilton IV. He was named to the Big East’s all-rookie team after averaging 7.7 points and 4.8 rebounds.
A considerably leaner Hamilton checked in this fall at 255 pounds, down almost 30 pounds from last season’s listed weight. He also tried out Garrett’s no-sugar diet but took a pass.
“There were (still) a lot of things I had to cut out, a lot of snacks I usually like to eat and I couldn’t,” he said. “And I was working out a couple of times a day, getting some extra cardio in. I have more stamina. I can go harder for a longer period of time.”
DePaul has six newcomers, including transfer forwards Myke Henry from Illinois and Rashaun Stimage from Daytona (Fla.) State. Stimage is out with a broken bone in his left foot but could return for the Big East season in January.
Between Garrett, Hamilton and junior guard Durrell McDonald (5.4 ppg), DePaul returns 51.5 percent of its scoring. That trio, plus senior forward Forrest Robinson, accounted for 54.1 percent of the rebounding.
In last week’s 72-68 exhibition victory over Lewis, senior forward Jamee Crockett, Robinson and McDonald joined Garrett and Hamilton in the starting lineup, while Henry had a team-high 17 points.
“We’ve got nowhere to go but up,” Purnell said. “A lot of people are picking us to not do much, and that serves to motivate this group even more.”