Programs on the Decline: DePaul looking blue

What's the most obvious Program on the Decline?

DePaul.

And it's not just that the school finished 0-18 in the Big East last season; it's that the school finished 0-18 in the Big East last season and retained Jerry Wainwright, meaning it not only lost but also embraced the losing. Sure, there were changes on the staff, and they seem to be having a positive effect. But you show me a power-conference program that tolerates 0-18 in a coach's fourth season and I'll show you a power-conference program that ceased trying to be relevant.

There's no other way to spin it.

And don't take this as a shot at Wainwright, per se, because it's not meant that way. The man is respected in the business, and his accomplishments at UNC-Wilmington and Richmond suggest he's good at what he does. Still, there's no denying what he does hasn't worked in the Big East. DePaul has finished 12th or worse in three of Wainwright's four seasons, never been better than tied for seventh in the league. And there's nothing to suggest it's going to get better this season, proof being how the Blue Demons are most people's pick to finish last in the league again.

Beyond that, Wainwright has no Top 100 prospects committed.

So there isn't much help on the way.

And that's why DePaul highlights the CBSSports.com List of Programs on the Decline.

(Programs listed in alphabetical order)

UAB

Why it's here: The Blazers made three consecutive NCAA tournaments under Mike Anderson, who parlayed that success into a job at Missouri. UAB hired Mike Davis to replace him, and though things seemed to be on the right track for a while, the bottom line is that UAB hasn't returned to the NCAA tournament since Anderson left, missing it each of the past three seasons. Meantime, there have been too many academic problems and too much roster turnover for there to be any sense of stability. The result is that UAB is now expected to finish near the bottom of C-USA this season.

Binghamton

Why it's here: Binghamton pushed the limits of what Binghamton is supposed to be by hiring a coach (Kevin Broadus) with a questionable recruiting history and allowing him to enroll players (Tiki Mayben, D.J. Rivera, etc.) with questionable pasts. The result was a trip to the 2009 NCAA tournament, but everything has crashed down in incredible fashion over the past month. Mayben was arrested for allegedly selling crack cocaine, then dismissed along with five other players. The athletic director was forced to resign, Broadus was publicly humiliated, and then he broke NCAA rules by contacting prospects during a no-contact period. Bottom line, Binghamton is done as an America East threat, and Broadus' career is on life-support now that the school has placed him on a paid leave of absence.

Charlotte

Why it's here: The 49ers made five NCAA tournaments in Bobby Lutz's first seven years, and they did it in a tough Conference USA against the likes of Rick Pitino's Louisville Cardinals, Bob Huggins' Cincinnati Bearcats, John Calipari's Memphis Tigers and Tom Crean's Marquette Golden Eagles. They finished first or second in the final two seasons of the old C-USA. But the move to the A-10 coincided with a decline in the program, and Charlotte has missed the NCAA tournament each of the past four seasons while winning 20 games only once.

DePaul

Why it's here: In fairness to Wainwright, the DePaul administration hasn't provided all the bells and whistles in terms of facilities that a Big East coach probably needs to win. But a recruiting base of Chicago is still a recruiting base of Chicago, and that alone is a massive advantage if it can be utilized. Lately, it has not been. That's another reason for the decline.

Oregon

Why it's here: It's not that Oregon is on the decline, exactly. It's just that it doesn't seem like the program has any momentum despite a ton of advantages -- among them a strong Nike affiliation, a new arena opening next season and assistant Kenny Payne's relationship with basketball power broker William Wesley. Oregon would've removed Ernie Kent and replaced him with Gonzaga's Mark Few if Few wanted the job this past offseason, which is proof that the administration doesn't genuinely believe Kent is its coach of the future. Consequently, the present suffers, and now the Ducks are trying to rebound from last season's 2-16 record in the Pac-10.