2026-27 Top 100 Teams Countdown #82: Delaware Blue Hens

One of the more interesting teams in the top 100. Gotta start with a Big East transfer Deshawn Harris-Smith who only appeared in 6 games for Georgetown last season, but made decent contributions in those game. To really see who Delaware is getting, you gotta go back to 2023-24 where Harris-Smith was at Maryland and started 30/33 games averaging 7.3 PPG and 4.3 REB in the Big 10! He's consistently been able to be an impact player at the Power 5 level and that's why I think he will lead this team greatly and be an all conference guy. Devin Dinkins, Kachi Nzeh, and key Nevada rotational piece Chuck Bailey III also join this team. Dinkins averaged 12.1 PPG and just over a steal a night for Manhattan, Kachi Nzeh averaged double figures and shot 41% from 3 with about a block and a steal a game getting it done on both ends for Little Rock. Great balance of experience and young talent on this team with multiple key returners from last season to come off the bench from an already threatening starting 5. They rank 2nd in the CUSA in returning minutes, projected effective experience, and projected production from transfers while ranking 1st in projected effective talent!

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