Prior to the loss to Northeastern last Friday, Miami was one of the hottest teams in college basketball.
The Hurricanes beat Mississippi State, Utah, and Butler in consecutive games. Not only did they win, but the margins were 26, 24, and 10. Of the 5-0 start, Miami won by an average of 21 points.
While the last two games, one of which was the loss, has been more of a struggle, the Hurricanes still look like one of the most balanced teams in the nation. They were badly underrated to start the season, as an unranked team who could have easily been in the top 15. They are now showing what happens when a squad is underrated like that.
The start to this season is a contrast to the slow start that doomed the season for the Hurricanes last season.
Offense has not come as a challenge to Miami early in the season, as it has only failed to score 80 twice in the first seven games, and each of those games, they put 77 on the board.
Plus, the scoring is diverse. In the most recent win at Nebraska in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge, seven players scored at least seven points for the Hurricanes and no player had more than 15. The group shares the ball and have proven to be one of the deepest teams in the nation.
The only issue is that they also play in one of the deepest conferences in the nation. The depth of the conference ultimately led to the downfall of last year’s Miami squad after the slow start.
While Angel Rodriguez has been his usual strong self, Miami has been aided by the progression of players like Ja’Quan Newton. Last season, Newton averaged 4.0 points and 1.4 assists per game. This season, Newton has averaged 11.7 points, 2.6 assists, and a steal per game as Hernandez’s back up. Much of the depth and progression has come from the tone setting of the duo.
As a starter, Rodriguez is clearly the heart and soul of the squad, scoring 13 points, and dishing out 4.7 assists per game. His assist to turnover ratio is well over 2:1 as well for a team that runs plenty of fast paced offense. Sheldon McClellan has actually overshadowed Rodriguez on the offensive end at times though. McClellan is scoring 17 points per game, while shooting just a smidge south of 60 percent from the floor.
Though Miami is clearly is a guard dominated team, that makes the play of Tonye Jekiri even that more crucial. Though he is just short of a double-double at 9.4 points and 10.3 rebounds a game, Jekiri is the size and athleticism inside that the Hurricanes otherwise lack at seven-foot. However, the uses his athleticism as well on the defensive end and is averaging 1.6 blocked shots per game.
Only time will tell if Miami is a squad that is ready to compete for a crown in the deep ACC, they are certainly heading in the right direction. A quick start clearly sets the table to momentum going into conference play. Miami has Charlotte, Florida, Charleston, La Salle, and Princeton before starting conference play. Only one of those games are a road game. With this, Miami has a legitimate shot to enter ACC play with an 11-1 mark.
