By Andy Walter

NEWARK — The murmur started in the Carpenter Center even before Delaware's name went up.

Blue Hen basketball  fans knew this might be UD's spot.

And it was.

Delaware, the 15th seed, will take on regional rival  Villanova, the No. 2 seed, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Pittsburgh, Pa. on Friday at a time TBA.

An hour and a half later, it was the Blue Hen women's turn to watch their name go up in an NCAA bracket.

Delaware found out they are also playing a regional powerhouse  - Maryland. The Hen women are seeded 13th and the Terrapins are the No. 4 seed.

Like the men, Delaware's women will also be playing on Friday.

The Blue Hen women beat Drexel, 63-59, earlier in the afternoon to win the CAA title and earn the program's first NCAA Tournament berth since 2013.

It will be the UD men's program’s sixth NCAA tourney appearance, all since 1992, and first since 2014.

The Hens last played Villanova on Dec. 14, 2019, falling to the 20th-ranked Wildcats, 78-70,  in Newark, N.J. Delaware is 0-14 all-time vs. Villanova but three of the last four meetings have been decided by 10 points or less.

In 2013, the Hens fell to the Wildcats only 84-80.

Delaware senior center Dylan Painter is a transfer from Villanova.

Fifth-seeded Delaware won the CAA tournament title on Tuesday night in Washington, D.C. with a 59-55 win over UNCW. The Hens beat three of the top four seeds to capture the championship.

Delaware is 0-5 all-time in NCAA tournament games but, of course, the big thing for a mid-major program is just having its name on the NCAA bracket and the national attention that comes with it.

The Hens last made the NCAAs in 2014, losing to Michigan State in Spokane, Wash. Delaware has also played in Dayton, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; Chicago and Charlotte, N.C.

Martin Ingelsby is the fourth head coach to take the Hens to the NCAAs, joining Steve Steinwedel, Mike Brey and Monte Ross.