ACC Preview: #11 Miami Hurricanes

Projected Starters
C-Anthony King 6'9 245 SR- 8.8ppg 6.9rpg 1.8blk 53%FG 68%FT
PF-Raymond Hicks 6'7 230 JR- 4.7ppg 2.8rpg 51%FG 65%FT
SF-Lawrence Gilbert 6'7 200 FR- Top 125 recruit
SG-Jack McClinton 6'1 185 SO- Transfer from Siena
PG-Anthony Harris 6'2 187 SR- 9.5ppg 3.1apg 41%FG 83%FT 35%3pt

Background
Miami nearly reached the NCAA tournament last season with all-ACC performers Guillermo Diaz and Robert Hite in the backcourt, along with the steady Gary Hamilton grabbing big rebounds in the paint. Now those three players have graduated and Miami has found themselves in major rebuilding mode. Coach Frank Haith is building a core of talent with one of their best recruiting classes featuring three top 150 players.

Premium Players
Anthony King will be handling the ball more than any Hurricanes player this season. His shot selection and accuracy improved over the course of last year, but he needs to bring his offensive game up another notch for Miami to contend. Luckily, King shines on the defensive end with outstanding shot blocking abilities. The senior, experienced point guard Anthony Harris will run the offense coming off a campaign riddled with injury setbacks. The speedy guard has an average jump shot but his energetic, loose style of play will fit Miami well. His driving ability is evident and he will assume much responsibility trying to get the offense into a flow early in the year.

Role Players
It appears more and more likely freshman Lawrence Gilbert will man the small forward position to begin the year. Gilbert is another Miami player gifted with superior athleticism and strong playmaking ability, but the simple fundamentals of his game need to improve for a starting gig at the college level, such as shooting and avoiding turnovers. He could get some serious competition in different lineups with freshmen James Drews and Dwayne Collings, who both are top recruits. Raymond Hicks is another player who struggles on the offensive end but shines defensively, much like King. The top option off the bench for Miami is sophomore Denis Clemente who averaged 5 PPG last year, but went on interminable droughts from the arc and finished with a ghastly 30% FG. That needs to improve for the Canes to have some support off the pine.

Final Thoughts
Miami will have serious trouble scoring points this season. They have premiere defensive players and enough athleticism to contend, but they don’t have an impact shooter that Diaz and Rite played the role of so well the last few years. They need a mix of incoming freshmen and experienced players like King and Harris to step it up in a big way offensively for Miami to reach the NIT.

Schedule and Prediction
11/11 vs. Florida International- W
11/14 vs. Alcorn State- W
11/17 @ Evansville- W
11/18 (N) Buffalo- W
11/19 (N) Cleveland State- W
11/25 vs. Lafayette- W
11/28 @ Northwestern- L
12/3 vs. Georgia Tech- L
12/9 vs. Lehigh- W
12/11 vs. Mississippi State- L
12/16 vs. Stetson- W
12/20 vs. Binghamton- W
12/23 @ Louisville- L
12/30 @ Nebraska- L
1/2 @ UMass- L
1/6 vs. Wake Forest- W
1/10 @ Maryland- L
1/14 vs. Duke- L
1/16 @ Boston College- L
1/20 @ Florida State- L
1/23 vs. Virginia Tech- L
1/31 @ North Carolina- L
2/3 @ Virginia- L
2/7 vs. Boston College- L
2/10 vs. NC State- W
2/17 @ Wake Forest- L
2/21 vs. Virginia- W
2/24 @ Florida State- L
2/28 @ Clemson- L
3/3 @ Florida State- L

Projected Record: 12-18 (3-13)