DePaul head coach Tony Stubblefield continues to add talent this offseason through the transfer portal after securing both South Carolina guard Chico Carter Jr. and Texas Tech guard Elijah Fisher. 

Fisher and Carter Jr. will be joining what may be Stubblefield’s best recruiting class since becoming head coach of the Blue Demons. This team is highlighted by newcomers of Minnesota combo guard Jaden Henley, Wyoming forward Jeremiah Oden, freshman NBA Academy Africa guard Dramane Camara and JUCO Triton forward Keyondre Young.

“Stubbs seems to be identifying people who he thinks can have Herculean leaps, with Henley, Oden and Fisher,” DePaul superfan Joe Breslin said. “They are all coming in from last place teams, which is a little alarming, but if they all are significantly better than they were last year we have a shot to finish a little better than last.”

On Friday morning, Elijah Fisher announced via Instagram that he is heading to the Windy City, committing to head coach Tony Stubblefield and the DePaul Blue Demons.

When the news came out about a player of Fishers’ caliber joining the Blue Demons, some fans felt a sense of relief since the program missed out on five-star transfer Arterio Morris earlier in the week.

“After the news last week broke that Arterio Morris would be going to Kansas and not DePaul, I was desperate for some good news,” said DePaul senior Tim Anderson. “It feels like a solid step forward for the program. He is an extremely talented basketball player, and I am excited to get back into the student section at Wintrust Arena to cheer him on. DePaul fans have had a bad taste in their mouths for decades, and Fisher represents a potential shift in the destiny of DePaul’s basketball program.”

Fisher, 19, originally from Oshawa, Canada has three years left of eligibility and was highly touted out of high school before spending one year at Texas Tech. He appeared in 28 games for the Red Raiders, averaging 3.3 points, two rebounds and 0.4 assists per game. 

The 6-foot-6 Canada native reclassified to the 2022 class as a consensus five-star from ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports, choosing Texas Tech over Kentucky, Kansas, Oregon and other top programs.

Fisher attended Crestwood Prep in Toronto, Canada where he competed for the Under-18 high school team as a seventh grader. Fisher became the first middle schooler to play for Crestwood Prep’s varsity men’s basketball team.

During his final season at Crestwood Prep as a junior, Fisher averaged 28 points and 13 rebounds, while also coming away with three steals per game.

Fisher made his Canadian national team debut last summer, helping Canada win bronze at the FIBA Under-19 World Cup and winning MVP honors at the BioSteel All-Canadian game in Toronto with his 28-point performance.

On March 27, Fisher announced on Instagram that he would be exploring other opportunities to further his collegiate basketball career, leaving Texas Tech and entering his name in the transfer portal.

“I am leaving open the option to return, but after careful consideration I have made the decision to enter the transfer portal as I explore the best options for my academic and basketball future,” Fisher said.

DePaul Athletics announced the official signing of South Carolina guard Chico Carter Jr. transferring to DePaul on Monday, May 1 with one year left of eligibility.

“Chico [Carter Jr.] brings a great skillset to our team next season,” Stubblefield said. “He is a sharp-shooter who has a lot of experience and has played high-level basketball. We’re excited to see him in action at Wintrust Arena next season.”

Carter Jr. started 25 games for South Carolina last season, averaging 9.8 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game, while shooting nearly 48% from beyond the arc. Carter Jr.’s season was cut short after missing the final seven games of the season with a knee injury.

Before playing at South Carolina, Carter Jr. spent two seasons at Murray State, where he averaged 9.7 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. During his time in Murray, Kentucky, Carter Jr. helped lead the program to a conference regular season championship in 2020.

“Chico Carter’s 47% from three on a good amount of attempts is incredible,” Breslin said. “Missing the last 10 games of the season with a knee injury is a little concerning but sounds like he will be good to go. This is a great get.”

After the departures of Umoja Gibson and Javan Johnson, Stubblefield found immediate replacements in Carter Jr. and Elijah Fisher as the team continues to prepare for the 2023-24 season.

“It’s a massive win for coach Stubblefield,” Anderson said of how big of a deal landing Fisher is for the program. “As someone who was known for his ability to recruit at Oregon, it hasn’t translated fully to being the head coach of DePaul. Many fans are bitter and jaded in the string of decommits and poor overall performance in the past two decades. If Fisher comes in and flourishes in Stubbs’s offense and the team looks more competitive in the Big East, it could begin to lay a foundation for what DePaul could become in the future.”