By Andy Walter

NEWARK — It was pretty clear when the season ended that the Delaware men’s basketball roster was going to undergo some changes in the off-season.

The plan, though, seemed to be to build around its top returning players.
But on Tuesday probably its best player put his name in the NCAA Transfer Portal.

Jameer Nelson, Jr., the CAA’s leading scorer and a first-team all-conference selection, now has his name in the portal.

He’s one of three Blue Hens looking to transfer, joining veteran guards Ebby Asamoah and Gianmarco Arlettei who are now listed on the NCAA Transfer Portal.

“Jameer has been a great ambassador for our basketball program," Delaware coach Martin Ingelsby said in a press release. "He’s a CAA champion, first team all-league performer, and a tremendous teammate and leader. He plans on graduating this summer from the University of Delaware and will explore his options in the transfer portal. We will support him as he goes through his process.”

A transfer from George Washington three years ago, Nelson, Jr. became the center of the Hens’ offense this past winter. The 6-foot-1 guard netted as many as 39 points in a game while averaging 20.6.

Nelson, Jr. played all 40 minutes in three contests and was on the court for 35.2 minutes per game. He also made the CAA’s all-defensive team.

The son of the former St. Joe’s and NBA standout, Nelson, Jr. has aspirations of playing professionally.

Like many mid-major programs, Delaware has lost some very talented players to transfer over the last several seasons. Former Blue Hens Andrew Carr (Wake Forest) and Justyn Mutts (Virginia Tech) were both starters in the ACC this past winter.

Both Asamoah and Arletti have had their ups and downs for the Hens over the past few seasons.

Asamoah has started 50 games at Delaware, played in 97 and once scored a career-high 30 points in a game last season. But he’s averaging 6.0 points and 2.7 rebounds for his career.

Likewise, Arletti netted 21 points in a game two seasons ago, has started 25 games, played in 75 and led the squad with 27 blocks this past season. But he’s averaging 4.0 points and 2.2 rebounds in three seasons.

Of course, Delaware’s coaching staff is now working to restock its roster. Among the players in the portal who have reportedly received interest from UD are Langston Wilson (Washington), Rickey Bradley (VMI), Tyler Houser (VMI), Bradley Dean (Va.-Wise), Brayon Freeman (Rhode Island) and Dom Campbell (Notre Dame).

Most of those players who have double-digit lists of teams they've heard from. On Tuesday morning, there were 366 players in the portal.

Sports editor Andy Walter can be reached at walter@iniusa.org. Follow on Twitter at @DSNSports.