PITTSBURGH – Two former All-Colonial Athletic Association players will begin Friday’s NCAA Tournament game for Delaware on the bench.
It’s a testament to Delaware’s depth and a result of some misfortune that Ryan Allen and Dylan Painter will likely have such a perspective at PPG Paints Arena.
The Blue Hens also hope it’s a sign that maybe this is the year they’re good and deep enough to beat Villanova, which hasn’t happened in 15 tries, or prevail in the NCAA Tournament, in which Delaware is 0-5.
Certainly, Villanova coach Jay Wright, whose sixth-ranked Wildcats take on the Blue Hens at 2:45 p.m. (CBS-TV), has taken notice.
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“It speaks to their talent level,” said Wright, who coached Painter into his third collegiate season, before he transferred to Delaware.
“It’s hard to seed teams and there’s a lot of issues with seeding. By rule they’re probably a 15th seed. Talentwise they are not a 15th seed and that’s a good example right there [Allen and Painter coming off the bench].”
Big East Tournament champ Villanova is a No. 2 seed and, naturally, is heavily favored.
Delaware’s depth has allowed coach Martin Ingelsby to do more situational mixing and matching in his backcourt, where Allen has played in a UD record 132 games with 109 starts and is Delaware’s No. 3 all-time scorer, and frontcourt, where Painter was a fixture until sidelined by a sprained ankle at Towson on Jan. 27.
That gave Jyare Davis the opportunity to step in and demonstrate his talents, which led to him being named CAA Rookie of the Year and CAA Tournament MVP after Delaware upset three higher-seeded teams to win the title and land here.
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When Allen and Painter enter a game, often after the first media timeout more than four minutes in, “I like the dynamic that it brings to our group,” Ingelsby said. “They’re confident guys. They wanna do what’s best for the team.”
The CAA Rookie of the Year in 2018 and a third-team All-CAA pick last season, Allen has played a career-low 29.9 minutes per game, with Ebby Asamoah getting the starting nod for his defensive ability. That started when Allen was suspended for a Dec. 21 game vs. Iona.
Allen hasn’t been able to equal the prolific 3-point shooting that characterized his freshman and sophomore seasons, but is still capable of making clutch shots from long range, driving to the hoop or converting at the foul line.
“I was willing to sacrifice anything for the moment we had a week ago,” Allen said, referring to winning the CAA title. “I just took it as one of those opportunities to prove my point in saying, ‘I was willing to do anything for a championship,’ and just coming off the bench, being able to support my guys, it’s something that I have fun doing to be honest.”
Teammate Jameer Nelson Jr., who confessed that he “hated” Allen after going against him when he was at George Washington the last two years before transferring to Delaware, complimented Allen on his approach.
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“For him to go through all the stuff he’s going through that people don’t even know,” said Nelson, who is now Allen’s roommate, “it shows how much of a competitor he is and what a hard worker he is, and how he’s dedicated to the game.”
The many Villanova-Delaware connections Friday will also include Allen.
He and Villanova guard Justin Moore are former DeMatha Catholic teammates in high school, though Allen was two grades ahead, and Villanova’s Brandon Slater was a year behind Allen on D.C.-based Team Takeover AAU squads that practiced together.
“It’s going to be fun being out there with them at the same time,” Allen said.
Painter’s loss of his starting spot has been more difficult because it resulted from an injury. He missed five games and played sparingly in others.
A first-team All-CAA pick last year when he was the CAA’s premier post player, Painter has had to adjust to his new role while coping with the injury.
With Davis in foul trouble, for instance, Painter scored 12 points in an important 32 minutes in the CAA semifinal win over Towson.
“It’s actually been kind of hard for me,” Painter said. “Pretty much from the start I was always a starter my whole career here. And just coming off the bench, at first it was hard.
“But I can’t really complain because my two frontcourt mates Andrew Carr and Jyare Davis have been playing out of their minds lately, playing unbelievable basketball. It’s great to come in and spell them for a couple minutes, and any three of us can have it going on any night.”
Have an idea for a compelling local sports story or is there an issue that needs public scrutiny? Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com.
