If you were to tell me Miami head coach, Jim Larranaga,would still be at the school for 10 more years, I wouldn’t doubt it. The last couple years under Larranaga have been nothing but great for the Hurricanes. This stretch would include four NCAA Tournament appearances and two sweet-sixteen appearances, as well. The Hurricanes look to get back to their winning ways and hopefully keep the loss margin below ten games. Let’s see what the Hurricanes are shaping up to be and what category they belong to (see what I did there?).
Returning Players:
The Hurricanes are set to bring back three of their last season’s starting five. These three players are Bruce Brown Jr. (forward), Anthony Lawrence Jr. (forward), and Dewan Huell (center). Brown Jr, last year, averaged a staggering (11.4) points, (7.1) rebounds, and (4.0) assists. This provided a clean boost for the Hurricane offense as they attempted to compete with the highly skilled offensive teams in the ACC. Next, was Lawrence who had his rounding of points with an (8.8) average and (6.5) average rebounds. Lawrence’s efforts were a good support for their traditional style of basketball system and was noticed by many. Finally, we get to the beast of a center in Dewan Huell. I feel Huell can make the NBA with his (6″11) height and averaging (11.4) points, along with his (6.7) rebound average. All three of these players will look to shape the younger core to their style and hopefully get a good base going for this team into the season.
Incoming Players:
Miami had no recruitment class this offseason, but instead brought in a great deal of guards that will shape up their backcourt. This group would be: Zach Johnson (Florida Gulf Coast), Anthony Mack (Wyoming), and Kameron McGusty (Oklahoma). However, only Johnson and Mack will be eligible to play this season with McGusty left with the option to redshirt. this is probably for the best, since one of the three wouldn’t have been seeing the court as much as they’d like to. The decision to go out and recruit this group for this system was perfect. They all bring in a great sense of offense to help out the Hurricanes scoring troubles that they might’ve have. Look out for the instant impact of Johnson and Mack.
Key Games:
Nov. 13 v. Stephen F. Austin – This tough and gritty S.F. Austin team always provides a hard matchup for any team that they don’t regularly play. They will look to do this and give Miami an upset.
Jan. 30 at Virginia Tech – These two foes will most likely be one spot away from each other when this season is all done. This will help shape up who gets where and how.
Mar. 2 at Duke – The Blue Devils are looking more and more deadly as this preseason rolls on. They will look to cap off every team in the ACC, especially Miami who will look to ascend. Look for Miami to give Duke a run for their money on the road.
Projected Season:
Record: 20-11
ACC Tournament: Quarterfinals
NCAA Tournament: Second Round
Photo Credits: http://caneswatch.blog.palmbeachpost.com/2018/02/10/miami-hurricanes-basketball-five-takeaways-from-a-72-70-loss-at-boston-college/
