There are more than 2,000 miles between Newark and Las Cruces, New Mexico. Considering close proximity was once the major ingredient in college sports rivalries, it was quite odd to see Delaware and New Mexico State playing basketball as Conference USA adversaries on January 17 at the Carpenter Center. Such is the structure of modern-day collegiate athletics, where, despite what the map suggests, California and Florida State are ACC counterparts, Rutgers plays Washington in Big Ten duels, and West Virginia faces Arizona in Big 12 battles.

And so it was for the Blue Hens and Aggies, who met for the first time in a game in which the Blue Hens were undermanned and overmatched. It was difficult to not lament the hotly contested skirmishes against geographic neighbors Drexel, Towson, and Hofstra that most recently characterized Delaware’s Coastal Athletic Association existence and its North Atlantic Conference/America East life before that. Experiencing Bliss: Transfer guard a blessing as injury-riddled Hens begin tough stretch.

As long ago as they were, even old East Coast Conference and Middle Atlantic Conference bouts with the likes of Lehigh, Lafayette, Temple, and Bucknell were worth wistful reflections.

But the problem Delaware is having right now in basketball has nothing to do with miles between foes, though it will certainly help Delaware when it gets to know its new opponents better and these unfamiliar referees also. There is a competitive gap that the Blue Hens have often been unable to travel. It was clearly evident in New Mexico State’s 97-68 rout of Delaware, which is now 5-13 overall and 1-6 in Conference USA.

“We’re getting a sense of what Conference USA is all about with the size and the physicality and the bodies and the men,” 10th-year Delaware coach Martin Ingelsby said after lauding how well New Mexico State played.

“They’re tough; they’re physical; they’re old,” he added. “We don’t necessarily have that from an experience standpoint.”

Delaware’s first season in CUSA has shown it the type of players it will need to match up better. Whether Delaware can get them remains to be seen.

It may ultimately result in the Blue Hens’ absence from the 2026 CUSA Tournament, for which only the top 10 in the 12-team league qualify.

The UD women are experiencing their own struggles and face the same undesirable scenario, as their CUSA Tournament also is limited to the top 10. They were 5-10 overall and 1-4 in the league after beating Liberty on January 17.

Injuries and the lack of depth it has created remain a problem for the Delaware men, who had eight of their 13 scholarship players available for the New Mexico State game. That’s one more than several recent games.

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It’s not going to get any easier with road games now looming at Liberty, New Mexico State, and UTEP the rest of this month.

Delaware entered the January 17 game last in the CUSA in rebound margin and managed just 24 boards to the Aggies’ 35. The Hens were also last in the league in scoring offense with 66.1 points per game and barely exceeded that.

Also worst in the league in steals and turnovers forced, the Hens were well below their season average in both categories.

Guard Justyn Fernandez alluded to Delaware needing to be more attentive on the defensive end.

“I just don’t think we’re being tough enough right now,” he said.

What certainly is tough is life in the CUSA.

Delaware has plainly and painfully learned at the outset of its first year in the league that the travails are worse than the travels.