Delaware entered last year’s Colonial Athletic Association Men’s Basketball Tournament as a No. 5 seed that hadn’t played well heading into the postseason, losing its last three games.
The Blue Hens promptly pulled off three upsets to win the title and go to the NCAA Tournament.
This year, Delaware is seeded just one spot lower at No. 6 and is actually on a three-game win streak heading to the Entertainment & Sports Arena Washington, D.C.
But the Blue Hens, despite being as healthy as they’ve been in weeks, appear to be in a much more difficult position this year going into Saturday’s 8:30 tourney opener against Northeastern and may be a bigger long shot to repeat.
Been there, done that
Delaware’s unexpected run to the title last year has been “a good reference point” for this year’s team, said coach Martin Ingelsby, a pleasant reminder of the possibilities that exist.
“This is a new team though,” Ingelsby said, mentioning returnees Jameer Nelson Jr. and Jyare Davis as the centerpieces of a very different lineup.
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But they are quite aware, the coach added, that last year’s title came after a solid week of preparation and was the product of a group effort, both of which will be necessary again.
“I think that experience from last year has us all believing in ourselves and believing that we can go do it again,” said Jyare Davis, last year’s CAA tourney MVP.
Nelson on a roll
Championship basketball teams need big-game performers and the Blue Hens have one in guard Jameer Nelson Jr., who leads the CAA in scoring (20.48 ppg) and steals (2.48).
“The ways he’s impacted the game over the last two weeks on both ends of the floor has been as impressive as I’ve seen [by] a college guard in recent memory,” Ingelsby said.
Nelson has been CAA Player of the Week the last two weeks, which were highlighted by his 39-point effort against UNCW and 30-point outing at North Carolina A&T. He joined Davon Usher (2014) as the only Blue Hens with back-to-back 30-point games since the 1980s.
Longer path to title
With the CAA’s expansion to 13 schools this year, Delaware (16-15 overall, 8-10 CAA) would have to win four games to repeat. So depth is critical but the Blue Hens’ bench is not particularly strong.
The top four seeds have byes until the quarterfinals and the top two, No. 1 Hofstra and No. 2 Charleston, both appear quite strong. Charleston is the first team to go 16-2 in CAA games and be seeded second.
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“Two really great teams at the top who played at historical levels,” Northeastern coach Bill Coen said.
Drexel did win the CAA tourney as the No. 6 seed two years ago, but the Dragons also needed just three wins.
Delaware and No. 11 Northeastern (10-19, 6-12) split their two regular-season games, each winning at home. The winner moves on to play No. 3 Towson (20-11, 12-6) Sunday at at 8:30 p.m. in the quarterfinals. Delaware did beat the Tigers at home.
Different team
Delaware mowed down No. 4 Drexel, No. 1 Towson and No. 2 UNC-Wilmington last year to win its second CAA Tournament title and secure the school’s sixth NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament bid.
But those Blue Hens were deeper, more experienced, better balanced across the floor and were actually the league’s preseason favorite before overcoming late-season inconsistency in the tournament.
Delaware has never appeared to be among the league’s elite this season while losing a pair of games to each of the top two teams and coping with injuries that compromised an already thin roster. Christian Ray is the only starter who has not missed games to injuries.
Improved health a boost
L.J. Owens returned last weekend at North Carolina A&T and Elon after missing almost a month with a wrist injury, a major boost for the Blue Hens. Likewise, Davis played 25 and 36 minutes in those two games after missing the home finale.
While guard Ebby Asamoah missed those two games in North Carolina, he could return this weekend, so Delaware goes into the tournament as healthy as it’s been since early January. The Blue Hens played their first game against Northeastern without Nelson and the second without Davis.
“I think the most important thing for our group was to get healthy,” Ingelsby said.
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