College Basketball
Max Strus
Max Strus, star shooting guard for DePaul University is fresh off of winning BIG EAST Player of the Week honors for the third time this year! Standing 6’6″ with a sweet looking jump shot, Max has potential NBA player written all over him. The DePaul Blue Demons star is enjoying yet another monster year, averaging 18.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. This is a far cry from the player who received one Division I offer coming out of high school. Fans are enjoying the show; however, Max Strus has been preparing for these moments his entire life.
Late Bloomer
Entering his Sophomore year of high school, Max stood 5’9″. As a result, Division I coaches labeled him as “too small.” This was music to the ears of Lewis University Men’s head basketball coach, Scott Trost. Trost coached Max’s older brother Marty and knew the talent the younger brother possessed. As a result, Trost made it a mission to convince Max to enroll at Division II Lewis University. This resulted in one of the best stretches in program history. The Flyers compiled a 46-17 record in Max’s two seasons, and he scored enough to join the 1,000 points club. Strus parlayed this two-year run into a full scholarship at DePaul.
“Like Mother Like Son”
It’s almost fitting that Strus’ journey to Division I basketball lead him to DePaul. After all, Strus’ mother, Debbie, was a Hall of Fame volleyball player at the school. Therefore his childhood was spent watching the likes of Drake Diener and Quentin Richardson suiting up for the Blue Demons. Finally, Max was going to have the opportunity to show he belonged in a major Division I conference.
Setting the Tone
Just as he’d done his entire career, Strus had to prove himself worthy to his DePaul teammates. Brandon Cyrus (Forward) recalls not thinking much of Strus as he laced up for their first “open gym.” That was quickly put to rest when he put on a shooting clinic to go along with some impressive athleticism. In spite of having to sit out a year due to NCAA policy, Max became an immediate leader for the Blue Demons. On the court, he made an immediate impact, averaging 16.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game as a Junior.
What the Future Holds
Strus and the Blue Demons capped off this week’s action with a MONSTER win over St. John’s. In true Max fashion, he carried DePaul to the finish line with a career-high 43 points to go along with five rebounds. This came days after hanging 25 points on the Hoyas. As a result, Max is averaging 34 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists this week. This leaves DePaul with a current record of 14-13 overall. With upcoming games against Georgetown and Creighton, the Blue Demons will look to finish with an above .500 record for the first time in over a decade.
As has been the case for most of the season, Strus will be heavily relied upon if DePaul is to finish out the regular season strong. It has been a long road for the once two-star prospect, but as always Strus will shine brightest on the biggest of stages.
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Photo Credit
@DePaulHoops via Twitter
