Valparaiso's Javon Freeman-Liberty transfers to DePaul

[ihatetea]

He’s from Chicago. Playing there is apparently very important to him if he was trying to go to Northwestern before and just couldn’t due to grades. Idk much about him, maybe he has a girlfriend/wife/child back there and wants to be around more often. Different people have different priorities, non-basketball stuff might be much more important to him, hard for us to say if he doesn’t make a public statement about it.

[houstonbrave]

Wow and if nothing changes he gets the opportunity to sit out for a year before playing for a bottom dweller. I wish him well but a really confusing move especially for someone who wanted to find his way to the NBA.

[Da Coach]

Leaving a better coach at Valpo.

I just checked and if the site I found is accurate, DePaul hasn't had anyone drafted into the NBA since 2007, and that's about the last time DePaul was relevant. I don't think they've had a .500 record since and they are almost always last in the conference.

I just don't understand why you'd want to go to a team that's gotten rolled over for the last decade, especially considering some of the teams that were supposedly interested according to ESPN (Oregon, Arkansas, Marquette, Georgia, BYU). I think he's going to regret this move.

You are correct.
This page lists all the DePaul players who have played in the NBA
https://www.basketball-reference.com...college=depaul

There are 37 of them who have played in the history of the NBA, including the most recent, Max Struss, who played 2 games for the Chicago Bulls this past season, though he was never drafted.
If you click on the header for the first column (YEAR), it will list the DePaul players who were drafted starting with the most recent.
The most recent draft pick was Wilson Chandler, a 2007 draft pick.
For the record, Valparaiso had Alec Peters drafted in 2017, the season before they entered the MVC.

But your other point is about how bad DePaul has been. This page lists their record-

https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/schools/depaul/

Since joining the Big East in 2005, they have had only 1 season with a winning conference record. That was a 9-7 Big East record in 2006-07, good for a tie for 7th place.
In the last 12 seasons, they have averaged fewer that 3 conference wins per season, and have finished 16th (dead last), 16th (dead last), 16th (dead last), 16th (dead last), 15th (dead last), 10th (dead last- Big East conference restructured), tied for 7th (out of 10), 9th (out of 10), 10th (dead last), tied for last, tied for last, 10th (dead last).
They have finished dead last or tied for last in the Big East in 10 of the last 12 seasons, and have not made the NCAA Tournament since 2004. That is by far the worst record of futility of any member of any of the Top 6 major conferences in basketball.
Dave Leitao just finished the 5th year of his second stint as DePaul's head coach, and only in his first year when they finished 9th out of 10 did he avoid last place. He is 64-98 overall, and an unbelievable 19-71 in Big East play. Nonetheless, the DePaul AD just gave him a nice contract extension through 2023-24-
https://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...x7y-story.html

Good luck to Javon Freeman-Liberty.

[LongTimeFan]

Didn't I see somewhere about his grandmother?

Found it:

https://twitter.com/AintuJavon/status/1255171815279861760?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1255171815279861760&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fs9e.github.io%2Fiframe%2F2%2Ftwitter.min.html%231255171815279861760

[BUfan17]

It doesn't seem that weird of a move to me for him being a Chicago kid. DePaul was looking really hot in the beginning of last season before falling apart in conference play, they won @ Iowa, @Minnesota, and vs Texas Tech. The Big East was also stacked last year just like the Big Ten. DePaul could be decent in the future, their conference season is just brutal though with the quality of teams.

[Da Coach]

Yeah, my DePaul friends have been saying this for years. I'd really like to see DePaul become a power again, but I don't think it will happen under Leitao. They will have some decent talent next year, but not enough to get very far in the Big East. Their 3 top returning scorers and best players will be seniors (Charlie Moore, Paul Reed, Jaylen Butz), which means they will all be gone by the time Javon Freeman-Liberty becomes eligible (unless he gets a waiver). Beyond that, they have mostly mid-major talent, IMO.

[Tommy]

You know if he wanted to be closer to family, Peoria isn't THAT far from Chicago.

[houstonbrave]

Valpo is 56 miles from Chicago. It’s kinda hard to believe being closer to Chicago was the big driver.

[ihatetea]

An hour+ of driving is farther than a 10 minute train ride. It’s 2 years in a row where his goal was to play for a school in Chicago. Evidence suggests he wants to be there. If his grandma has serious health issues, or even just needs extra help, why would you begrudge the guy for trying to be around as much as he can? Weird thing to get hung up on imo

Also, people keep saying he’s going to a worse team, but Valpo finished tied for eighth in the valley last year. Yes, they made the conference championship game, but were set to lose 2 of their 3 best players before Freeman-Liberty transferred. 2 guys that played exceptionally well in that tourney. Even if he had stayed, they might have been a back half team next year

[Da Coach]

I think kids sometimes might use excuses like these (closer to home, sick family member, etc.) to try to get a waiver from the NCAA and not have to sit out a year. But I'll take him at his word that there are family health issues, because if his real reason was to play for a better team or to make the NCAA tournament, he sure wouldn't have transferred to DePaul. If he doesn't get his waiver to play in 2020-21, he will end up playing for a DePaul team that will be rebuilding in 2021-22, since all their top scorers and key players next season will be seniors (Charley Moore, Paul Reed, Jaylen Butz).

(And Valpo actually tied for 6th in the Valley last season)

[ilikebradley]

I always feel bad for that kid when we beat him, but now I don't have to.

[Tommy]

why would you begrudge the guy for trying to be around as much as he can? Weird thing to get hung up on imo

Just having a conversation about a player from our conference on a message board and nobody is calling him names or wishing him ill will. I'm not sure why discussing one of the best players leaving our conference on a BU message board is such an issue, but let me quote you and say:
Weird thing to get hung up imo

[egib52]

(Charley Moore, Paul Reed, Jaylen Butz).

(And Valpo actually tied for 6th in the Valley last season)

Reed actually has his name in the draft, and I have seen some mocks with him in the 1st round, and others early second round, so I doubt he will be back.

[Da Coach]

DePaul played their first game last night against Western Illinois, and former Valparaiso star Javon Freeman-Liberty was in the starting lineup for DePaul.
He had a pretty good game- 19 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists. Their next game on Dec. 27 against Providence starts their Big East schedule.
https://goleathernecks.com/sports/me.../boxscore/8315