UM might face No. 16 Clemson with two starters out

This is a bad time for injuries to hit the Miami Hurricanes.

When the 16 -ranked

th

Clemson Tigers (11-1, 1-0 ACC) visit Miami (10-2, 1-0) for a men’s basketball game Wednesday night at 8 (ESPN), the Hurricanes could be without 40 percent of their starting lineup.

The Canes, who are essentially No. 30 in the nation in terms of votes received, will likely be back in the Top 25 next week if they ace their two tests this week, including a game at Wake Forest on Saturday.

But that will be difficult to accomplish without point guard Nijel Pack (lower extremity injury) and/or shooting guard Wooga Poplar (back).

Miami coach Jim Larrañaga,

speaking to the media Tuesday, seemed to indicate that Pack is closer to a return than Poplar.

“[Pack] practiced a little [on Monday],” Larrañaga said. “Hopefully he will be 100 percent [on Wednesday], but I don’t know yet.

“[Poplar] didn’t practice. I don’t know if he will be available.”

Pack, who has missed two straight games, spaces the court because of his deep shooting range that often stretches yards past the three-point line. During his four-year college career, Pack has a 14.4 scoring average, and he makes 41.7 percent of his three-pointers.

Poplar, who was injured in Friday’s win over North Florida, ranks second in the nation in three-point percentage (50.0). He averages 16.2 points and makes 87.5 percent of his free throws and 54.3 percent on two-pointers.

Miami has won three straight games, although not against Power 5 opponents (La Salle, Stonehill, North Florida).

SWISS IMPORT

In the past two games without Pack, Miami has started Kyshawn George, a 6-8 freshman from Switzerland who is already an NBA prospect.

George, who is eight inches taller than Pack, is averaging 11.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the past two games. He gives Miami a different dimension due to his height.

“We’re encouraging him to be more aggressive,” Larrañaga said of George. “He’s got a lot of skills, but he’s very youthful. His body is not yet physically mature.

“But he can shoot the three [40 percent accuracy this season]. He can handle the ball. He’s a good passer. He moves the ball, and guys like playing with him.”

If Pack and Poplar are both out Wednesday, Christian Watson (4.3 scoring average) and AJ Casey (3.3) are candidates to start against Clemson, a team Miami has beaten three straight times.

This season, however, the Tigers have added Joseph Girard III, a transfer from Syracuse who is Clemson’s second-leading scorer (15.6).

Girard, speaking to the media following Clemson’s 93-58 win over Radford on Friday, has fit right in at Clemson.

“It feels like I’ve been here five years,” Girard said.

Clemson’s leading scorer is PJ Hall, who ranks second in the ACC (20.5 points) while shooting 64.5 percent on 2pointers and 39.6 percent from deep.

Chase Hunter is Clemson’s other double-figure scorer (11.0), and Ian Schieffelin ranks third in the ACC in rebounds (9.7).

“This is the best Clemson team we’ve faced,” Larrañaga said.

However, Clemson is coping with injury issues, too: Alex Hemenway (42.9 percent career shooter on three-pointers) and Jack Clark (63 starts) are likely out for Wednesday.

OMIER’S IMPACT

The Hurricanes, meanwhile, rely heavily on center Norchad Omier, who leads Miami in scoring (17.6), rebounds (9.8) and two-point percentage (68.0). He also ranks second in the ACC in rebounds and field-goal percentage (62.6).

Since Omier arrived last season, Miami is 21-1 when he posts a doubledouble.

Miami’s other starters are Matthew Cleveland (14.9 scoring average, 59.6 percent on two-pointers, 43.3 percent from deep) and Bensley Joseph (8.8 points, team-high 2.1 steals, 42.9 percent on 3-pointers).

“What I do best,” Joseph said Tuesday, “is bring a defensive mentality.”

UM is 8-0 at home. Clemson is 5-1 away from home, including neutral sites.

The Hurricanes lead the series 17-16, and they are 9-4 at home against the Tigers.

“We know how good Miami is,” Clemson coach Brad Brownell told the media last week, “and we’re going to have to play well to win, especially down there.”