Claire McMahon preferred a surprise ending to her college recruitment.
The Lincoln-Way East junior forward told DePaul coach Doug Bruno that she wanted to attend Friday’s practice to “check things out.”
Instead, the 6-foot-2 McMahon orally committed to the Blue Demons. She said she chose DePaul over Bradley, Valparaiso, UIC, Southern Illinois, Lehigh and Liberty.
“I wanted it to be a surprise,” McMahon said. “I didn’t even tell my sisters or grandma. My parents knew. I knew on Monday that I wanted to go to DePaul.”
McMahon averaged 12.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists per game this season and shot 45 percent from the field, including 42 percent on 3-pointers (59-for-140).
“I got the offer from DePaul about two weeks ago, and I had time to think about it,” McMahon said. “I thought, ‘Why not go to DePaul?’ Coach (Bruno) has been there forever and is not leaving. It’s a great program and the environment in the gym for games is something you want to be a part of. It wasn’t a very hard decision.”
Lincoln-Way East coach Jim Martin said McMahon should fit in well at DePaul.
“Claire is a big guard who can shoot the ball, handle the ball, can see the floor well and make passes over zones,” Martin said. “(Bruno) sees something in her that he finds very interesting. It’s hard to pass DePaul up. It’s a great school and one of the finest programs in the Midwest.”
