Delaware Blue Hens
2013-2014 Overall Rank: #95
Conference Rank: #3 CAA
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Delaware finished the 2012-2013 campaign tied for second in the CAA with a 13-5 mark. For the Blue Hens and Coach Monte Ross it has been a steady building process. For four straight years the program has increased their win total. A fifth straight year will see Delaware in the postseason. While the backcourt remains strong, the frontcourt must replace both starters on a team that did not have much depth to being with.
2012-13 Record: 19-14, 13-5
2012-13 Postseason: None
Coach: Monte Ross
Coach Record: 90-131 at Delaware, 90-131 overall
Who’s Out:
Jamelle Hagins is a huge loss. The athletic forward averaged 11.6 points, 10.7 rebounds and 2.4 blocks. It was his rebounding that kept Delaware in many of the close games that they pulled off late last season. Also gone is his frontcourt mate, Josh Brinkley. Brinkley rarely put up big numbers, but he did much of the dirty work and used his big frame to create space for the four scoring threats on the squad. Larry Savage and Will Townsville did not see much action last season, but Savage provided some decent, albeit undersized, frontcourt depth when he was available.
Who’s In:
The backcourt needs depth, and Cazmon Hayes could provide some, but the frontcourt will have to get some serious production from a group of four freshmen. That will not be a big problem if Zacarry Douglas lives up to his potential. The versatile 6-7 forward will not be the traditional interior scorer that Hagins was, yet he is a great scorer who can knock down the mid-range jumper with consistency and attack the basket. Perhaps his most noteworthy attribute is his ability to hit the glass on the offensive end of the floor. Devonne Pinkard can add some depth behind Douglas and Barnett Harris and redshirt freshman Maurice Jeffers are the bigger options who can bang around in the paint more. If there is going to be anything coming close to quality depth in the frontcourt, Jeffers will have to at least be able to eat up some fouls and grab a few rebounds off of the bench.
Who to Watch:
The success or failure of the frontcourt will make the difference between a competitive team and a team that can win the CAA. However, the talented backcourt trio is why Delaware could be in for a special season. It starts with senior Devon Saddler. He fell just shy of averaging 20 points per game and will score from everywhere on the floor. He even got to the charity stripe 6.2 times per game in 2012-2013 and shot 82 percent once he got there. Jarvis Threatt has Saddler’s driving ability and is one of the most dangerous slashers in the conference. On top of his 13.0 points per contest, Threatt averaged 3.2 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.8 steals. The third member of the starting backcourt is Kyle Anderson. While mostly a sharpshooter, Anderson has slowly developed a decent game inside the arc. But as long as he keeps shooting relatively consistently, he will be doing his job. The backcourt depth was mostly provided by Terrell Rogers last season. The diminutive point guard will likely be in the same situation this time around, but that year of experience is huge. Saddler sat out just a touch over two minutes per game last season and if Rogers can boost up his playing time it will go a long way in keeping the backcourt fresh.
Final Projection:
Carl Baptiste and Marvin King-Davis are the only returning scholarship forwards and they will compete with the newcomers for playing time. Baptiste has started a handful of games and should be ready to step into a starting spot. The 6-9, 245 pound senior has not done much scoring during his collegiate career, but he has not really had to either. Now he probably has to. Even if he does not develop into a consistent interior scoring threat, Baptiste can do plenty of rebounding. King-Davis did not play much as a freshman, yet still has potential. Staying injury free is always helpful, but it is a must for this group. It was last season too and the Blue Hens did not face any major injury problems. If they get lucky again, Coach Ross will boost the win total to 20 and maybe beyond.
Projected Postseason Tournament: CBI/CIT
Projected Starting Five:
Jarvis Threatt, Junior, Guard, 13.0 points per game
Kyle Anderson, Junior, Guard, 9.1 points per game
Devon Saddler, Senior, Guard, 19.9 points per game
Zacarry Douglas, Freshman, Forward, DNP last season
Carl Baptiste, Senior, Forward, 4.0 points per game
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 69.0 (132nd in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 68.9 (233, 9)
Field-Goal Percentage: 42.3 (221, 6)
Field-Goal Defense: 41.1 (96, 2)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 4.4 (323, 11)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 30.9 (NA, NA)
Free-Throw Percentage: 75.4 (14, 1)
Rebound Margin: 2.0 (115, 4)
Assists Per Game: 9.7 (336, 11)
Turnovers Per Game: 12.7 (123, 4)
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