Confidence isn’t something DePaul’s newest transfer recruit Elijah Fishers lacks, in fact, he embraces it. Not only is he prepared to play in what many view as the toughest conference in college basketball, but he’s ready to make an immediate impact.
“I’m ready to showcase and show people that I’m here,” Fisher said. “I feel like I’m damn near the best player in the conference. I have so much confidence in myself. I want to showcase my talent here [in the Big East] and show people who I am. I’m meant to be here and I’m one of the top dogs in this league.”
Originally from Ontario, Canada, Fisher emerged as a prominent recruit, earning a five-star rating from ESPN, Rivals and 247Sports. He was also recognized as the 15th-ranked player in the country by Rivals before choosing to reclassify. Garnering 21 offers from top national programs, Fisher ultimately committed to Texas Tech.
During his first season at Texas Tech, his playing time was restricted, only appearing in 28 games and averaging 12.2 minutes per game. The 6-foot-6 guard averaged 3.3 points and two rebounds per game while shooting 46.1% from the field.
After his freshman season, Fisher decided to enter the transfer portal.
“The main reason I left was because of what happened with the coach and everything,” Fisher said. “I felt like I could do more because I never got the opportunity to play because I was held back in that organization. So I felt like DePaul had the best opportunity for me to showcase my talents.”
Texas Tech head coach Mark Adams was suspended for racially insensitive comments made toward one of his players and resigned on Wednesday, March 9 after the Red Raiders were eliminated from the Big 12 Tournament.
During the transfer portal process, Fisher was overwhelmed by how quickly things escalated and even before he officially entered his name into the portal, it was leaked and posted on social media that he was leaving Texas Tech, which resulted in coaches and players blowing up his phone trying to recruit him immediately.
“It was just a lot,” Fisher said. “It was weird because people already thought I was in the portal and my phone just started exploding and coaches were calling me trying to see where my head was at.”
Playing for head coach Tony Stubblefield was always the plan, and over the years, Fisher had grown a soft spot for DePaul once he took his unofficial visit to Chicago a few years prior.
“I’ve known the program for a long time,” Fisher said. “Since I already took a visit here, I already knew the ins and outs of the program. I wanted to go somewhere where I could play and showcase my talents.”
As soon as Fisher became a real possibility for the Blue Demons and Stubblefield, it became all hands on deck to secure him and make him a part of this team moving forward, viewing him as a foundation piece for the team’s core moving forward.
Fisher’s experience of playing in the Big 12 last season played a factor in the team’s decision to recruit him.
“I really think that helped him, being at Texas Tech last year and getting that experience playing in the Big 12,” Stubblefield said. “Once he came in the portal, he was a guy that I had a real high level of interest in, just because of his versatility, being able to play multiple positions, being able to guard multiple positions, just the strength of being college ready.”
Fisher is expected to make an immediate impact with the team, but it’s unclear at this time what that exactly looks like. However, if his performance off the bench against North Park is any indication of what the Blue Demons can expect this season, they may have found their next breakout star.
Fisher ended his debut against the Vikings, scoring 22 points off the bench and shooting 8-of-9 from the field while connecting with one three-pointer.
“It shows that he’s not afraid of nothing,” senior forward Da’Sean Nelson said of Fisher’s performance against North Park. “He’s gonna go out there and put it all on the floor every night. Last night was just a peak of showcasing his talent, and I feel like he got a lot more in the tank.”
Fisher not only brings experience from the Big 12, but also marked his debut with the Canadian national team the past two summers. His contribution helped Canada secure a bronze medal at the Federation International Basketball Association (FIBA) Under-19 World Cup and earned MVP honors at the BioSteel All-Canadian game in Toronto with his 28-point performance.
During the tournament, Fisher averaged 11.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game for Team Canada. He scored 18 points against Slovenia in the round of 16 on 8-of-13 shooting and secured 11 rebounds, the highest on the team.
The Canadian native cherished representing his country and playing for Team Canada during the tournament, and said he felt they had something to prove.
“That experience just means a lot to me because I’m playing for my country,” Fisher said. “I get to showcase Canadian talent as we had this stigma around us that we are soft and that we can’t do that. So it was just great for me to come out and showcase my country and show them that we’re not soft.”
Fisher’s goals at DePaul are simple: He wants to leave a mark on the program and become a DePaul legend. His aspiration is not only to become a standout figure in Blue Demon history, but also to be an integral part of the team’s journey to restore its past prominence within the competitive landscape of college basketball.
“I want to be that player that came in and provided a spark,” Fisher said. “I want to be a lockdown defender and guard the best players on Creighton or UConn. … My goal is to really just help the team get to where we can be one of the best teams in the league.”
