Delaware Blue Hens
2014-2015 Overall Rank: #108
Conference Rank: #2 CAA
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After a 6-7 start, Delaware won 19 of their next 21 games, including 13 straight to start the new year, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1999 with a 75-74 victory over William & Mary. CAA Coach of the Year Monte Ross’s hard work paid off in his eighth season. After opening his tenure at Delaware with a 5-26 record in 2006-07, Ross’s teams have consistently improved. Last season, he featured a veteran team, as all five starters were upperclassmen, and the experience yielded his best season at the school. Now, Ross must try to win with a young group of players, as there are just two upperclassmen scholarship players on the roster.
2013-14 Record: 25-10, 14-2
2013-14 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Monte Ross
Coach Record: 90-131 at Delaware, 90-131 overall
Who’s Out:
Delaware had their own version of the big three last season. Bad news for the Blue Hens, all three are gone. Devon Saddler, Jarvis Threatt and Davon Usher all averaged at least 18 points per game out of the backcourt and were instrumental to the Blue Hens success. Saddler led the team in scoring, averaging 19.7 points per game, earning First Team All-CAA honors for the second consecutive season. He departs as Delaware’s all-time leading scorer with 2,222 points during his four-year career. Usher, a graduate transfer from Mississippi Valley State, joined Saddler on the All-CAA first team after averaging 19.4 points and 6.1 rebounds in his only season at Delaware. Usher set a Delaware record for points in a season in his lone year with the team, scoring 694. Threatt was supposed to be the team point guard this season, but he was kicked off the team after the end of last season. He averaged 18 points and 5.4 assists per game and while he didn’t earn All-CAA honors, he was named the MVP of the CAA Tournament. Joining the trio in departing is another key starter, Carl Baptiste. The 6-foot-9 forward was the team’s leading rebounder and fourth leading scorer, averaging 11.1 points and 7.9 rebounds per game last season.
Who’s In:
Ross brings in a five man recruiting class that will look to help replace the departed production. Guards Kory Holden and Anthony Mosley will both be given the opportunity to earn early playing time in the backcourt. Delaware has no true point guard on their roster after Threatt’s departure, and if either of the players can step into that role, they could receive big minutes in their first season. Holden is more of a pure point guard out of the two, and he is the likely replacement for Threatt. Chivarsky Corbett, a 6-foot-5 forward, and a pair of 6-foot-9 forwards, Skye Johnson and Eric Carter, will look to bolster the frontcourt. With Baptiste gone, there are minutes to be had there, and any of theses three players could end up playing in that role.
Who to Watch:
Delaware returns just one starter in Kyle Anderson, and he will be counted on heavily this season. Anderson started all 35 games last season, joining the four departed players in double figures, averaging 11.0 points per game. The senior guard is a long-range specialist. Last season he led the team in both made three pointers, 85, and three-point field goal percentage, 37.6. Anderson needs to make just 14 more this season to rank first in school history in career three-pointers made. Marvin King-Davis started 19 games a year ago and should be a full-time starter this season. The 6-foot-7 forward, who averaged 5.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game last season, will be key in replacing Baptiste in the frontcourt. Forward Devonne Pinkard and guard Cazmon Hayes, who both played in at least 32 games last season, are two other options for the starting lineup. Pinkard averaged 2.4 points per game, while Hayes averaged 2.0. If Ross elects to stick with the three-guard lineup, Hayes is the man, or he can go with a small forward, in which case Pinkard would be the starter. Filling Batiste’s starting spot will likely come down to a battle between 6-foot-9 forwards Barnett Harris and Maurice Jeffers. Neither player saw very many minutes last season, but that should change this year. Harris played in 29 games, earning one start, while Jeffers played in 18. Both players averaged less than ten minutes per game and under a point per game. Sean Locke, Dylan Miller and Tom Allhouse will add depth.
Final Projection:
Finding a point guard is key for Delaware this season. Neither of the returning guards are true point guards and that could be a problem. Ross will likely need one of the two freshmen to step up and take control of the position. If that doesn’t happen, he will be forced to play either Anderson or Hayes in the role. That situation would be detrimental to the team, as Anderson, who is a tremendous shooter in the off guard position, would likely be the one taking over the point. Holden is likely the best option for Delaware at the point this season, and if he can put up solid numbers, they could have another good year. The talent isn’t at the same level as it was last season, but this is a young team and there is plenty of potential.
Projected Postseason Tournament: CBI/CIT
Projected Starting Five:
Kory Holden, Freshman, Guard, DNP last season
Kyle Anderson, Senior, Guard, 11.0 points per game
Devonne Pinkard, Sophomore, Guard, 2.4 points per game
Marvin King-Davis, Junior, Forward, 5.1 points per game
Barnett Harris, Sophomore, Forward, 0.4 points per game
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 79.5 (19th in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 75.7 (300, 9)
Field-Goal Percentage: 44.4 (162, 3)
Field-Goal Defense: 44.3 (202, 6)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 7.2 (78, 2)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.7 (150, 3)
Free-Throw Percentage: 71.1 (133, 1)
Rebound Margin: -2.9 (284, 9)
Assists Per Game: 10.8 (303, 5)
Turnovers Per Game: 9.5 (8, 2)
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