The DePaul University Blue Demons, based in Chicago, are a division I basketball program in the Big East Conference. In recent seasons, the Blue Demons have been experiencing with major struggles in the powerhouse Big East, but for their history as a whole, the school has been a frequent participant in postseason tournaments. Among the best NBA players from DePaul University are a Hall of Fame center and one of the top ten assist leaders in league history.
George Mikan:
Hall of Fame center George Mikan was one of the early stars of the league and an elite NBA player from DePaul University. Mikan joined the NBA in 1948 and was the league’s most dominant inside presence, earning spots in the first four NBA All-Star Games ever played. Mikan played seven seasons for the Minneapolis Lakers, winning five NBA Championships, three scoring titles, and two rebounding crowns. He retired with career averages of 23.1 points and 13.4 rebounds per game.
Mark Aguirre:
Mark Aguirre was great scorer and one of the best NBA players from DePaul University. Aguirre was the star of the Dallas Mavericks for most of the 1980s, but he joined the Detroit Pistons in 1989 to help take home back-to-back NBA Championships. He poured in between 22 and 30 points per game for six straight seasons in Dallas, earning spots on three All-Star teams in that stretch. He is one of fewer than 60 players to average a full 20 points per game for an entire NBA career, scoring 18,458 points in total.
Terry Cummings:
One of the greatest NBA players from DePaul, Terry Cummings was one of the best power forwards of the 1980s. Cummings had a brilliant start to his career, scoring more than 20 points per game in seven of his first eight seasons. After leading the Blue Demons to the NCAA Tournament in all three of his collegiate seasons, Cummings won the 1983 NBA Rookie of the Year Award for the Clippers with averages of 23.7 points and 10.6 rebounds. After joining the Bucks, he participated in the 1985 and 1989 All-Star Games.
Rod Strickland:
Point guard Rod Strickland was one of the best assist men in basketball and a top NBA player from DePaul University. Strickland played 17 seasons with nine franchises, spending his best years with the Spurs, Blazers, and Wizards. Though he was primarily a scorer at DePaul, Strickland became a great distributor in the pros, posting ten seasons of more than seven assists per game. He retired with 7,987 assists, good for the ninth highest total in NBA history.
Dave Corzine:
Center Dave Corzine was one of the best NBA players from DePaul University. Corzine averaged a double-double for his four years at DePaul, leading the team to a pair of NCAA Tournaments during his time there. He spent 13 seasons in the NBA from 1978 to 1991 with his most successful campaigns spent as the starting center for the Chicago Bulls. In 1982-83, he averaged career highs of 14 points and nine rebounds per game while starting all 82 games for Chicago.
References:
NBA & ABA Players Who Attended DePaul University. Basketball-Reference.com
