Once Upon A Time In Las Vegas
Delaware (9-6 SU, 6-8 ATS) travels to No. 23 Charleston (15-1 SU, 10-5 ATS) on Saturday afternoon at 5pmET from a sold-out TD Arena.
The Cougars have won 14 straight to lead the nation after beating North Carolina A&T 92-79 on Thursday night.
The Blue Hens won their first CAA game when they beat Elon 57-52 at home as a 12.5-point favorite last Saturday. Last season, they split with the Cougars, losing by three points at home and winning by a point on the road.
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Delaware comes into this game as the defending champ, but went just 10-8 last season, to finish tied for fourth place in the CAA. This season, they have shown flashes of a championship-caliber team, but they aren't there yet. The Blue Hens won five straight games from early December to Dec. 19, followed by a 60-59 road win over Rider, but losing two straight home games to Ohio (95-76) and CAA-rival Hofstra (87-73). Last Saturday, they rebounded to beat Elon by five, holding the Phoenix to just 34% shooting. However, Delaware struggled offensively by making just 39% of their shots and 25% (5-of-20) of their 3-point attempts. Senior Jameer Nelson Jr. led the hens with 15 points and 10 rebounds on 5-of-13 shooting. La Salle transfer Christian Ray added 14 points and six boards on 5-of-8 shooting.
New Year's Slamajama ?? pic.twitter.com/xjOT2sYuYw
— Delaware Men's Basketball (@DelawareMBB) December 31, 2022
The Blue Hens are averaging 70.7 points per game on 44.3% shooting (31.3% 3pt). They are allowing 70.7 points per game on 45.3% shooting and 36.5% (325th) from three-point range. They are struggling on the boards, ranking 286th in rebound margin at -2.2.
Nelson Jr. leads the squad with 19.7 points per game after averaging 13.6 points last season. Jyare Davis (6-7, 230), one of the most talented big men in the league, adds 16.6 points and 5.2 rebounds.