Confidence does wonders for a basketball player’s game. Just ask Justyn Mutts. 

“That’s the biggest thing that’s improved,” he said. “My confidence went up so much from when I first went to college, and now I feel like a completely different player.”

When Mutts refers to himself as a completely different player, it’s not just his uniform that changed. He’s averaging 14.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game in his first season playing at Delaware, more than doubling his production as a freshman at High Point two years ago. 

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Restoring his confidence and beginning the process of evolving into the multidimensional player he is helping Delaware to an impressive 9-1 start started when Mutts moved closer to home. 

A product of St. Augustine Prep, a high school power in Richland, New Jersey, Mutts went south to High Point to begin his college career. His journey began with some of the customary growing pains facing any freshman, like the size and speed of the game. 

But changes that had nothing to do with the game itself compounded the challenge. 

“Leaving home was a little difficult,” he said. “Then our coach [Scott Cherry] got fired, which made it a difficult decision to stay or leave.”

Mutts opted to leave, and that's when Delaware head coach Martin Inglesby stepped in.

A longtime assistant to Mike Brey at Notre Dame, Inglesby accepted the Delaware head coaching position in 2016 bringing with him a knowledge of the area. He grew up a short train ride away from the UD campus, starring in the Philadelphia Catholic League at Archbishop Carroll High School. 

“When I went to Notre Dame, we spent a lot of time recruiting I-95 guys,” Inglesby said. “And when I got here [to Delaware], it was important to get kids who came from great high school basketball programs. And those are conversation points: You can talk about playing in Philly, playing in Jersey.”

There are only 3 players in D1 college basketball that can claim this stat line so far for 2019-20:

✅ 5+ Double-Doubles
✅ 135+ Points
✅ 85+ Rebounds
✅ 10+ Blocks

Justyn Mutts, @DelawareMBB
Nathan Knight, @WMTribeMBB
Vernon Carey, @DukeMBB @JM_Squarepants #BlueHens pic.twitter.com/A4nydT6kxL

— Scott Klatzkin (@BlueHensRadio) December 4, 2019

And Mutts doesn’t mind talking up the history and culture of Jersey basketball. 

From the stars of a generation past, like Dajuan Wagner, to contemporary stars such as Karl-Anthony Towns and Kyrie Irving, Mutts said even when in the basketball hotbed of North Carolina at High Point, “I’ve gotta give it up to New Jersey.” 

The New Jersey connection made Delaware a seamless fit, and not just for proximity. 

“One of the first places I went to recruit as a [graduate assistant] at Wagner College was St. Augustine Prep with coach [Paul] Rodio],” Inglesby said. “So there was an instant connection [with Mutts] having known his high school. We knew we had a great opportunity for a kid to come home, and be a big impact guys for us.”

Mutts has been that in 2019-20, but had to wait a year per NCAA transfer rules. He practiced with the Fightin’ Blue Hens last season, a prospect that might have been frustrating for other players.

Not Mutts. Being back in his area and spending a season honing his game, he said, made the year out of games worthwhile.

“Getting away from the game, being able to take a step back, helped my patience,” he said. “Put the work in, and the results show through later."

That time also allowed him to cultivate a relationship with fellow transfer Nate Darling. Darling also spent 2018-19 redshirting, transferring in from UAB.

Like Mutts, Darling has been an instant impact player. His 21.3 points per game lead the Blue Hens, ranks second in the Colonial Athletic Association, and 19th in the nation.

For Inglesby, the big-time play he’s seen from the two comes as no surprise after a season seeing them jell in practices.

Going ??#BlueHens pic.twitter.com/j6IFhWDzN1

— Delaware Men’s Basketball (@DelawareMBB) December 10, 2019

“He spent the year off getting stronger,” he said of Mutts. “And he’s really connected with Nate Darling. Those guys grinded in the gym all the time.”

Like Mutts, Darling arrived from a prep powerhouse. The guard is from Nova Scotia, but played at Washington D.C. area DeMatha Catholic.

Like Jersey, D.C. takes a lot of pride in its rich basketball history. DeMatha in particular has produced noteworthy names like Victor Oladipo and Inglesby’s former colleague, Mike Brey.

That’s not the only connection to Delaware from Inglesby’s former coaching home, either. When talking about Mutts’ game, the former Fighting Irish assistant threw out an impressive parallel: Bonzie Colson.

Inglesby said Mutts can elevate to a level comparable with the former All-ACC forward. Continuing to tap into Mutts’ evolving confidence is a key to unlocking that potential.

“There’s times when he’s unselfish to a fault, where I need him to be more of a dude out; to get us 20, 25 [points],” Inglesby said. “But he’s such a team guy, he wants to get his team involved.”

Inglesby pointed to the Blue Hens’ Dec. 2 win over Columbia, noting that Delaware’s perimeter players fed Mutts in the post four straight possessions. When he wasn’t scoring on the interior, he was getting to the free throw line en route to 24 points.

That offered a snapshot into the kind of dominant presence Mutts can be for Delaware as his career and confidence continue to grow.