’Canes rookies to be tested by ACC slate
CORAL GABLES — It was during an offseason workout that Bruce Brown got his first college reality check.
Brown, one of the most decorated, highly touted men’s basketball prospects in Hurricanes history, was on the court facing one of his future teammates, Davon Reed. Brown, a Jordan Brand Classic All-American and a five-star prospect known for his athleticism, tried to move Reed out of his way.
But despite his best efforts, Bruce couldn’t push past the 6-foot-6, 220-pound Reed, a Miami veteran.
Suddenly, Brown was faced with the reality that stuns many top prospects as they begin transitioning to the high level of play at an ACC program like Miami: the game, in many ways, is different now.
“I tried to push off a little bit, but [Reed] just stood there,” said the guard, who has now started 10 games and is averaging 10.9 points as Miami’s third-leading scorer. “I was just like, ‘Wow. I’ve got to get in the weight room if I’m going to compete with these guys.’ ”
Brown and his fellow freshman — forward Dewan Huell, guard DJ Vasiljevic, and center Rodney Miller — have all spent plenty of time in the weight room since those July workouts with their older, more experienced teammates. They’ve gotten to know those teammates and their new coaches. They’ve learned coach Jim Larrañaga and the Hurricanes’ system, a system that has helped Miami advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament twice over the course of the past four years. And three of them — Brown, Huell and Vasiljevic — are logging significant minutes for a young team in transition.
Tonight, the young Hurricanes face their next test: a nationally televised matchup against Notre Dame (14-2, 3-0), one of the last two teams unbeaten in ACC play through the first two weeks of the conference schedule.
They’ll play that game and try to defend a 21-game home winning streak that has become a source of pride for the Hurricanes (11-3, 1-1), who haven’t lost at the Watsco Center since Nov. 27, 2015. And they’ll take the next steps, Larrañaga hopes, in continuing their physical development to become the players he needs them to be as the schedule gets tougher and Miami pushes for another NCAA Tournament berth.
“I think they’ve all done a very good job,” Larrañaga said of how the freshman have played through Miami’s first 14 games. “If you look at Dewan Huell, he’s gained like 15 pounds and gotten a lot stronger. … Rodney Miller has made a very good adjustment. He had the longest way to go … and Bruce Brown now benches 300-pounds. You can see the significant difference in who’s more ready to play.”
For the freshmen, making the transition has been easier because of the effort so many of the Hurricanes veterans have put forward in helping them progress. With only nine scholarship players on the roster, Larrañaga notes, there is no infighting for playing time. And if the Hurricanes are going to challenge in the ACC, they’re going to need to work together.
So Reed, Kamari Murphy and Ja’Quan Newton have become instrumental in tutoring Miami’s younger players. They’re still making mistakes and learning, but the challenge hasn’t been quite as tough as maybe the youngsters imagined it would be during those early workouts.
“Once ACC play starts, it’s a different ball game. It’s the best conference in college basketball right now. A lot of athletic, strong people that are bigger than me,” said Vasiljevic, who hails from Australia. “That’s what I had to adjust to coming in. … But now I’m in the best shape I’m in. … I’m learning every day and I’ve definitely grown up.”