Canes aiming to build off last season’s Elite Eight run
Miami Hurricanes fans will get their first look at the 2022-23 men’s basketball team on Sunday, as UM faces Indiana University of Pennsylvania in a 2 p.m. home exhibition game.
Charlie Moore, Kam McGusty and forward Sam Waardenburg, the trio of veterans who led the Canes to the Elite Eight last spring, are gone. Despite the loss of experience, Miami was picked to finish fourth in the ACC preseason poll and was on the cusp of the AP preseason Top 25.
There is a buzz around the team, and coach Jim Larrañaga said he has been getting recognized more around town.
The two returning starters are Jordan Miller, who has emerged as a team leader, and Isaiah Wong, who came back for a final season after flirting with the NBA draft. Wong leads returnees with 15.3 points per game and was named first-team preseason All-ACC. He finished second to North Carolina center Armando Bacot for preseason ACC Player of the Year.
“Isaiah’s playing the best I’ve ever seen him play,” Larrañaga said.
Miller is coming off a breakout year. He averaged 10 points and 5.9 rebounds and played a key role during the NCAA Tournament run. As one of the most team’s most reliable ball handlers, Miller will be entrusted to bring the ball up the floor more than he did last season.
“Jordan is playing at a very high level in practice,” said Larrañaga, who added that Miller had a 4-to-1 assist to turnover ratio during preseason training. “I love how smart he’s playing. As long as he can continue to handle the ball as efficiently, we’re going to put the ball in his hands. He doesn’t dribble the ball to death. He’s very efficient, and he’s going to be really good.”
Two new players expected to make an immediate impact are Kansas State transfer guard Nijel Pack and Arkansas State power forward Norchad Omier, who is 6-7 and 250 pounds.
Pack averaged 17.4 points per game, shot 41.8 percent from the floor, made 40.5 percent of his three-point attempts and 84.5 percent of his free throws. He and Wong form a formidable backcourt, with tenacious defender Bensley Joseph also expected to play an expanded role.
“Nijel can facilitate, but also play off the ball and is a tremendous shooter,” Miller said. “I was surprised. He plays a lot bigger than his size. He’s going to add a lot to the team.”
Omier, the first Nicaraguan to play Division I basketball, was the Sun Belt Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year. He averaged 17.9 points, 12.2 rebounds and shot 63.2 percent from the field. Known for his boundless energy and positive spirit, Omier could be a force in the low post once he adjusts to the ACC.
“The biggest thing for Norchad is making the jump from a mid-major level to the ACC, going against the size of athlete we face every single night,” Larrañaga said. “He is a high-energy young man. He’s physically strong, jumps very well, has a nice shooting touch. But he’s also kind of young to the game in terms of American college basketball. He’s learning our way of doing things, and hopefully he’ll get a lot of help from his teammates.”
One difference the fans will notice at the Watsco Center is that at the request of new athletic director Dan Radakovich, the pep band and student section will be next to the visitor’s bench, not the home bench. The idea is to create more of a homecourt advantage.