UTEP men’s basketball to venture across the country for matchup at Delaware
EL PASO, Texas - The UTEP men’s basketball team (5-11, 1-4 CUSA) will venture back across the country to lock up with first-year CUSA member Delaware (5-11, 1-4 CUSA) at 5 p.m. MT/7 p.m. ET on Thursday.
It is the first of two games on the week for the Miners, who will also play at defending regular season and tournament champion Liberty at 1 p.m. MT/3 p.m. ET on Saturday.
UTEP went 1-1 in El Paso in its initial home week of league play, besting then co-league leading Middle Tennessee, 83-80, in OT before falling to WKU, 68-56, last time out on Jan. 10.
This week’s stretch will conclude a brutal sequence of nine of 13 outside of El Paso (two neutral, seven road), including five of seven in hostile territory to commence league action.
It is the opposite story for the Fightin’ Blue Hen, who by week’s end will have capped a sequence with seven of nine at home.
UD is 3-5 at home on the year (1-2 CUSA) while the Orange and Blue stand 0-6 on the road (0-3 CUSA).
The Hens dropped a pair of contests on the road last week, including most recently being held off at LA Tech, 70-68, in OT on Jan. 10.
UD led by as many as 12 in the contest before the Bulldogs eventually stormed back to force OT and stake the victory.
The matchup between UTEP and Delaware is the first of two on the year between the programs, with the Hens making the return visit to the Sun City on Jan. 31.
Jon Teicher (45th year) will be on the call on “The Home of UTEP Basketball” 600 ESPN El Paso and the UTEP Miners’ App.
It will also be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required), Scott Klatzkin (play-by-play) and Bill Harman (analyst) describing the action.
GET TO KNOW DELAWARE (5-11, 1-4 CUSA)
Delaware is in its first year as a member of Conference USA after joining the league from the Coastal Athletic Association.
It enters the matchup with the Miners on a two-game skid to stand at 5-11 overall (1-4 CUSA).
The Fightin’ Blue Hens are 3-5 at home (1-2 CUSA).
Iron man Christian Bliss, who leads the country in minutes per game (39.1), does it all for UD.
He’s produces 15.2 ppg (eighth CUSA), 5.6 rpg and 6.4 apg (second CUSA/17th NCAA), making him the only player in the country with all of those metrics.
He also gets after it on defense with a team-leading 2.0 spg (second CUSA/53rd NCAA).
Bliss does the bulk of his rebounding on the defensive end (4.9-eighth CUSA).
He is very accurate at the line (85.2-second USA) and is a consistent threat from distance (2.3 triples per game-seventh CUSA).
Justyn Fernandez (14.5 ppg-ninth CUSA), Tyler Houser (12.5 ppg-17th CUSA) and Macon Emory (11.6 ppg-25th CUSA) are also in double figures in scoring while Jameel Brown is just shy at 9.8 ppg.
No one else is above 5.0 ppg. Emory has been all over the boards (7.4 rpg-eighth CUSA), helping him produce a quartet of double-doubles (second CUSA/81st NCAA). Houser also boasts two double-doubles.
Bliss isn’t the only player to be heavy in playing time, with the Hens boasting the top three and four of the top eight for mpg in CUSA.
Following Bliss is Emory (36.0-second CUSA/13th NCAA), Fernandez (35.3 mpg-third CUSA/18th NCAA) and Houser (32.2-eighth CUSA). Fernandez is also a sharpshooter, nailing 2.3 triples per tilt (seventh CUSA).
Delaware starts everything with its defense, holding foes to 41.3 percent (fifth CUSA/67th NCAA) from the floor.
It does so without foul, committing only 15.2 fouls per game (second CUSA/30th NCAA).
That all adds up to allowing 70.8 ppg (sixth CUSA/106th NCAA).
The Hens are also in the top three of CUSA for free-throw percentage (72.5-third) and 3-point percentage (35.1-second).
Given that four of the five starters all account for 32+ minutes per game, it isn’t surprising that UD is last in the nation for bench scoring (8.3 ppg).
It is also last in the country for free throw attempts per game (13.6).
The Hens find themselves in the bottom 300 in the NCAA for fastbreak scoring per game (4.6-360th), free throws made per game (9.9-356th), rebounding margin (-3.8-322nd), offensive rebounds per game (6.9-358th), scoring margin (-4.9-306th), scoring offense (65.9-344th), turnover margin (-2.6-335th) and turnovers forced per game (10.1-337th).
The program has existed since the 1905-06 season and has played in the NCAA Tournament six times (1992, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2014, 2022, 0-6 record).
It also has earned one NIT bid (2000, 0-1 mark) while making one appearance in the CBI (2012, 0-1). The University of Delaware has origins to 1743.
Notable alumni include Joe Biden (former President of the USA), Chris Christie (former New Jersey Governor), Richard Heck (Nobel Prize-winning organic chemist) and Joe Flacco (Super Bowl MVP who later led the Cleveland Browns to the playoffs).
SERIES HISTORY: FIRST MEETING
Thursday’s matchup is the first meeting between the programs.
