Rob Grabowski-US Presswire
While it seems like the DePaul Blue Demons are still a year away, their best player certainly isn’t. Cleveland Melvin has been going off, with his latest masterpiece being a 32-point performance in a tight loss to Cincinnati. Melvin also pulled down eight boards.
This was only Melvin’s second 30-point game all season, but he is starting to come together as one of the most talented players in the Big East. Melvin’s averages of 17.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1 block, 1.6 steals and 51% shooting percentage are all mouth watering. Even on a team like the Blue Demons, he is thriving. What’s more impressive is that it was against a good team like Cincinnati.
I honestly thought DePaul would be better this year, but a 10-7 record is not what they had in mind. Brandon Young has been excelling like Melvin, but Moses Morgan, the team’s expected third option, has taken a step backwards. However, all three players are juniors, and they have a few pieces around them to truly be competitive next year.
For now, let’s just watch Melvin put on a show. He should be in the Big East player of the year race, and even if he doesn’t win it, you bet he’ll emerge as a favorite for next year. Until then, I expect him to keep churning out performances like the one against the Bearcats. DePaul’s next game is Saturday against St. John’s.
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