There’s a lot working against Miami but that program has a soul and they’ll be game.
Date 2/21 || Time 7:00 || Venue Watsco Center || Video ESPN
Next up for Duke is a trip to Coral Gables (unemployment rate: 1.4 percent) to take on the University of Miami Hurricanes. And while this has been a disappointing year for the ‘Canes, this is always a dangerous trip, especially if Tyrese Proctor cannot go (he stayed home from the Florida State trip, in the concussion protocol after the Wake Forest game).
Miami was ranked 13th in the AP’s preseason poll but things haven’t gone according to expectations: the ‘Canes are currently 15-11 overall and 6-9 in the ACC.
The wins have come over Notre Dame (twice), Virginia Tech (twice), Clemson and Pitt.
The first four are not that impressive; the last two certainly are.
Since beating Virginia Tech 82-74 on Feb. 3rd, Miami has lost to Virginia, UNC, Clemson and Boston College. The loss to Virginia was a brutal 60-38 beatdown, Clemson was by 17, BC by eight. Only UNC was winnable at the end (go figure), with Miami losing 75-72.
It’s not happening by accident. Matthew Cleveland has been dealing with a hip injury and in two of the last four games he shot 0 percent. He shot just 26.7 percent against Virginia Tech and got hot against UNC, hitting 47.1 percent.
As for Nijel Pack, he’s been dealing with a back injury all season, is probably doubtful for the Duke game and may be out for the rest of the season too (update - out for Duke, possibly back for Georgia Tech).
Given Miami’s general lack of depth, it’s a real problem. Against Boston College Saturday, Jim Larrañaga had to turn to freshmen Michael Nwoko and Paul Djobet and sophomore Jake Robinson.
They’re all getting some minutes - Djobet is pulling about 10.1 per game while Nwoko gets about 8.3 and Robinson 6.0.
More to the point, Nwoko is 6-10 and 254. Djobet is 6-7 and 195 while Robinson is 6-5 and 208.
All three are young players and we’re not sure how much any of them can help cover what Pack and Cleveland do, which includes being key parts of Miami’s three point, perimeter oriented attack and obviously ball handling.
Wooga Poplar and Kyshawn George actually lead the team in three point shooting percentage. Poplar hits 42.6 percent from three point range and George hits 40.8 percent of his but he’s currently putting up just 7.5 ppg.
However, Poplar has missed some practice time lately due to an injury of his own and George hurt an ankle against Virginia.
Obviously either guy could go off as could other people but the team is used to getting a lot from Pack and Cleveland who average 13.7 and 14.0 points respectively.
Pack leads the team in assists as well with 3.6 per game although Bensley Joseph is close with 3.5 of his own.
Pack and Nijel also lead the team in minutes played with 33.4 and 32.4 per game. And with five guys getting at least 30 minutes per game and a thin bench, that’s a big hit.
We don’t know what’s up with 6-9 sophomore AJ Casey but he hasn’t played in the last two games.
Injuries may have crippled Miami’s season but Norchad Omier is still doing well. The big guy is putting up 17.2 ppg and 9.9 boards and he’s still often the strongest player on the court. Omier is just 6-7 but he more than holds his own with bigger players.
Despite Miami’s issues, it probably won't be an easy game. Against UNC, Miami took the game to the very end. It’s a very competitive program and Duke will get the best they have to offer.
Kyle Filipowski presents a challenge for the ‘Canes. He’s able to shoot from outside, which means someone has to defend him out there, he can score inside, he passes well and he rebounds too. In their last meeting last year, Filipowski hit 8-9, pulled down 11 boards and got five assists.
Mark Mitchell could be difficult too. The most likely matchup, assuming Miami plays man, would be George, but whoever guards him, Mitchell is a real matchup problem for the Hurricanes.
And obviously Miami saw what Jared McCain did to Florida State Saturday. He might not shoot like that again but you have to respect him as if he will. He was devastating in Tallahassee and Miami cannot afford to let him get loose.
Jeremy Roach has been a great asset for Duke and a tremendously steadying force. We expect Caleb Foster will start whether Proctor makes the trip or not and we love what Jaylen Blakes brings off the bench. He’s a tremendously disruptive player.
We’ve also seen a lot of progress from Sean Stewart, who has the potential to really change this team with athleticism and rim protection.
It’s odd to get this far and not mention Ryan Young, who doesn’t necessarily play a lot but always plays hard. Lately he’s shown a surprising knack for blocking shots. It’s interesting for a guy who really doesn't leap well and who has never really shown that particular knack before.
Duke is certainly going to be favored here and Miami has a lot to overcome, but we’ve seen enough of Larrañaga’s program over the years to know they’re going to give their all. Don’t expect this one to be easy.
