The DePaul Blue Demons have been going through it for well over a decade now. At this point, you know how it is, but their recruiting seems to be improving a bit if nothing else. They have a big-time class in 2019 coming their way assuming that it doesn’t pit fall underneath them. And their class of 2018 isn’t too shabby, either. The Blue Demons have the sixth-ranked class in the Big East coming in this fall, which places them higher than the Seton Hall Pirates, Xavier Musketeers, Butler Bulldogs and Marquette Golden Eagles.

Let’s take a glance at the talent that will be brought in to DePaul this coming season.

FLYNN CAMERON

From: Auckland, New Zealand
Played At: Hillcrest Christian College (Queensland, AUS)
Position: Guard
Height/Weight: 6’3, 198 lbs.
Star Rating: 3-Star
Rankings: 169th Nationally, 28th Position, 1st in Country

So, Flynn Cameron technically counts as a 2018 recruit. But DePaul fans know that he’s been with the program since last year. Cameron joined the team in 2017, but sat out because of when he enrolled (in the winter quarter) and because he was redshirted, as well.

At 6-foot-3 and 198 lbs., Cameron is a guard who will hope to add some depth in that department. The Blue Demons have the likes of Devin Gage, Eli Cain, Max Strus, Jalen Coleman-Lands, among others already in their lineup. So having a player like Flynn will only add to the rotation.

His offensive abilities are still a bit of a work-in-progress, but DePaul will hope to develop him into a solid rotation piece as the years go on.

GEORGE MASLENNIKOV

From: Odessa, Ukraine
Played At: Holy Spirit Preparatory School (Atlanta, GA)
Position: Power Forward
Height/Weight: 6’9, 220 lbs.
Star Rating: 3-Star
Rankings: 182nd Nationally, 33rd Position, 8th State

A Ukrainian native is also headed to DePaul this season. George Maslennikov should prove to be a necessary depth piece down low for the Blue Demons. Maslennikov is originally from Odessa in the Ukraine, but played his high school ball down in Atlanta. Per DePaul’s roster page he averaged 13 & 7 as a senior and helped lead Holy Spirit Prep to championships in consecutive seasons.

Given that DePaul only has a handful of players down low, it’s possible that we see him hit the floor early in his career. DePaul only has the likes of Femi Olujobi, Jaylen Butz and walk-on Mick Sullivan set in stone down low right now. So with that said, we might see Maslennikov early and often.

JOHN DIENER

From: Cedarburg, Wisconsin
Played At: Cedarburg HS (Cedarburg, WI)
Position: Shooting Guard
Height/Weight: 6’3, 180 lbs.
Star Rating: 3-Star
Rankings: 418th Nationally, 92nd Position, 6th State

The third and final recruit on the docket in this post is John Diener. Diener comes to DePaul from Cedarburg, Wisconsin, located north of Milwaukee. He’s a 3-star player in the class of 2018 and an under-the-radar talent, listed at 418th nationally in the 247Sports recruiting rankings.

Like Cameron, Diener is a guard who will add depth to an already loaded rotation. And he comes to DePaul after a celebrated high school career. He scored over 2,000 points in high school and was named an All-State selection three times. He averaged over 20 points per game in his career and had 23.3 points per game in his senior season per the DePaul roster page. He does have a little bit of history with DePaul as he’s Drake Diener’s cousin.

That kind of scoring production will hope to translate to the Blue Demons in 2018 and beyond as he looks to make an impact as a freshman.

MORE THOUGHTS...

Vijay Vemu: This will be an interesting season for DePaul recruits as the team again lost some players to transfers. One guy who will be expected to come in and help on day one is Flynn Cameron. While he was on the team last year, he still counts as an incoming recruit as he only joined in January. Cameron could be the guy who helps DePaul with their point guard woes. At 6’3, he has good size and can distribute the ball around. He also knows how to hold his own offensively. With the loss of Justin Roberts, the Blue Demons needed a point guard and Cameron may be the one.

Nobody knows how much playing the other two will get in John Diener and George Maslennikov. Diener knows how to put the ball in the basket as he was one of the top high schoolers in his home state of Wisconsin. If anything, DePaul got a good two guard who can give back up to Eli Cain if need be. Maslennikov will give the Blue Demons front man depth. Without Marin Maric and Joe Hanel now graduated, there are a lot of young guys in those front court spots. Between Paul Reed, Jaylen Butz, and George Maslennikov there is playing time up for grabs.