Like his dad, Nelson Jr. taking his team to new heights
Delaware faces Villanova in first round of NCAA tourney
NEWARK, DEL. » The resemblance is uncanny.
If you look at Jameer Nelson Jr. from afar or up close, you think you’re looking at his dad, former Chester and Saint Joseph’s great, Jameer Nelson Sr.
His voice is similar, too. And, like his famous father, the Haverford School grad is making a name for himself at the Division I level as a junior guard at Delaware so the comparisons are only natural.
Nelson Jr., though, said he isn’t affected by it “because I’ve been Jameer Nelson Jr. my whole life.”
“A lot of people have helped me with not comparing myself to him,” Nelson went on to say. “Coach (Phil) Martelli would tell me, ‘I’m not my dad.’ He’s always giving me great advice like that.”
His dad has given him terrific guidance, too. Who better to get pointers from than a man who was the national Player of the Year as a senior for the Hawks in 2004, spent 14 years in the NBA, playing in one AllStar Game, and is the assistant general manager of the Delaware Blue Coates, the NBA G-League affiliate of the 76ers?
“He tells me to be present in the moment and have fun,” Nelson Jr. said. “The most part is to have fun, embrace the moment and try to go out and win. Do what I can to help my team.”
That’s what he’ll try to do Friday when the 15thseeded Blue Hens (22-12)
take on second-seeded Villanova (25-7) in the opening round of the NCAA tournament Friday afternoon at PPG Arena in Pittsburgh (2:45/CBS).
This is Nelson’s first trip to the big dance as a player, but not in his life. He was a toddler when his father took the Hawks on that magical run in 2004 when Saint Joe’s went undefeated in the regular season and advanced to the Elite Eight after losing in the Atlantic 10 tournament.
Nelson doesn’t have many recollections of that. He was too young. However, he has vivid memories when his dad made a run to the NBA Finals with Orlando in 2009.
“I was 12 or 11,” Nelson Jr. said. “I was there. I was in LA. I was in Orlando. I was a ball boy so I was there.”
Initially, Nelson Jr. planned to follow in his father’s footsteps and attend St. Joseph’s. He committed to the Hawks early in his senior
year but withdrew that commitment when Martelli was fired after the 2018-19 season and went to George Washington instead.
He had a solid freshman season with the Colonials. He averaged 10.4 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists while playing 31 minutes a game in 31 games with 28 starts. His playing time dropped off by five minutes per game as a sophomore so midway through his sophomore year he decided to look for a better situation.
“My freshman year I felt like I was developing,” Nelson Jr. said. “I had a pretty good freshman year. I felt I could have shot the ball way better, I felt I could have done a lot of things way better, turnovers and stuff like that. My sophomore year they brought transfers in and I had to leave for my career. I felt that if I had stayed there I wouldn’t have been doing well there so I had to leave.”
Delaware coach Martin
Ingelsby saw Nelson’s name in the transfer portal and decided to reach out.
“I think (the Nelson family) were very comfortable with us and how we handled our guards,” Ingelsby said. “There was an opportunity to come in right away and I think the sky’s the limit for him as a basketball player.”
Nelson Jr. has found a home in Newark. He leads the team in scoring (13.7), is second in assists (2.2) and third in rebounding (5.0) and was a second-team AllCAA selection.
“I think because we have a lot of good guys on the team,” Nelson Jr. said of his success. “We wanted to change the culture for the better and make each other more accountable, get on each other in practice. I feel our practices when we compete, its high intensity. We love each other off the court. We’re always hanging with each other off the court. When you’re connected on and off the court it just makes things so much easier.”
Ingelsby is glad to have him.
“He brings a toughness, a competitiveness, a fearlessness (to the team),” Ingelsby added. “He’s a great teammate. He’s a really hard worker. He’s having fun playing basketball again and I think that’s been infectious to our group. He loves his teammates. It’s just a family atmosphere and he can impact the game in so many ways on both ends of the floor, whether it’s scoring, rebounding or defending. He’s got a really bright future ahead of him.”