UM men’s basketball season starts Monday. Here’s what you should know, players to watch
An Elite Eight banner, the first in University of Miami history, will be raised to the Watsco Center rafters Monday night just before tipoff of the Hurricanes’ season opener against Lafayette.
The ceremony will bring back memories of UM’s thrilling, unexpected March Madness run last spring. That team, led by veterans Charlie Moore, Kam McGusty and Sam Waardenburg, was predicted to finish near the bottom of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Instead, the Canes came one game shy of the Final Four.
Moore, McGusty and Waardenburg, who accounted for 52 percent of Miami’s offense, are gone. This year’s team will be younger and a bit smaller, but there is good reason to believe coach Jim Larranaga has enough talent to build on last year’s success.
They won’t surprise anyone this season. UM was picked fourth in the 2022-23 preseason ACC poll and just outside the AP Preseason Top 25.
The two returning starters — Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller — are highly motivated to carry the team back to the NCAA Tournament. Wong is back after flirting with the NBA Draft. Miller, who transferred in from George Mason last season, has emerged as a vocal team leader on and off the court.
“I think Jordan Miller is one of the best players in the ACC, the guy is doing everything at such a high level… his field-goal percentage, offensive rebounding, he can defend one through five,” Larranaga said. “He could be the defender of the year in this league. That’s how good he is. We’re counting on Jordan to have a huge year.”
Two newcomers, transfers Nijel Pack and Norchad Omier, will have an immediate impact. Their athleticism should make up for the players who departed. Sophomores Wooga Poplar and Bensley Joseph will play bigger roles.
“It’s going to be similar in a lot of ways in that we’re going to have five guys on the floor who can score,” associate head coach Bill Courtney said. “We are probably more athletic than we were last year. Maybe not from a skill perspective when you lose Charlie Moore, Kam McGusty, and Sam Waardenburg — three highly skilled players — but with Nijel Pack, Norchad Omier and Wooga Poplar replacing those guys, where you lose in skill, you gain in athleticism, so you’ll see a very athletic and fast-paced group this year that’s going to be very fun to watch.”
The fun begins Monday night at 7:30 (ACCNX). It is the first of three home games and then the Canes head to Uncasville, Connecticut, for a two-game tournament on Nov. 19-20.
Pack replaces Moore at point guard. He was a Big 12 first-team player last season with Kansas State, where he averaged 17.4 points and shot 43.6 percent from three-point range.
“A key for Nijel is not only get his teammates involved but also still be aggressive so he can get his own offense as well,” Courtney said.
Omier, the first Nicaraguan to play Division 1 basketball, is a 6-7 and 250-pound forward who was the Sun Belt Player of the Year last season. He is known for his charisma, boundless energy and athleticism.
“Norchad comes every day with infectious energy,” Courtney said. “He goes after every rebound, every block, sometimes to his detriment. He won’t stop. The motor runs constantly.”
Larranaga warns it could take time for Omier to adjust to higher level of competition.
“I don’t want anybody to start creating unrealistic expectations for that young man because there will be new challenges for him every night,” the coach said. “At 6-foot-7 he’s not nearly as big as most 5-men that we’re going to play against, including Lafayette, who has a 7-footer (Justin Vander Baan) who transferred out of Boston College. He’s got his challenges, but he also has some terrific gifts, probably the main one is his energy and enthusiasm, the personality he brings to the court.”
2022-23 SEASON AT A GLANCE
Last season: 26-11, 14-6 and 4th place ACC, Elite Eight NCAA Tournament
Who’s Gone: Charlie Moore, Kam McGusty, Sam Waardenburg, Rodney Miller, Deng Gak
Key Players Back: Isaiah Wong, Jordan Miller, Wooga Poplar, Bensley Joseph, Anthony Walker
New Players to Watch: Nijel Pack, Norchad Omier, Favour Aire, AJ Casey, Christian Watson, Danilo Jovanovich
