Coach L and his staff have a good start to the offseason.
The Miami Hurricanes Men’s basketball program has been busy during March Madness. Four guys left the program in mid-March: AJ Casey, Christian Watson, Michael Nwoko, and Bensley Joseph. The loss of Joseph bums me out. He had his struggles this season, mostly committing way too many turnovers. That said, I truly believe his issues stemmed from being asked to carry far more of a load offensively than he was used to because of Nijel Pack seven-game absence due to injury. I’m going to miss Bensley Joseph. He’s still a dog defensively and a good open three-point shooter. Providence should be happy to have him.
Now, let’s get to the good news! Coach L and his staff have recovered nicely in the last couple weeks. They are getting a big piece back fans thought was gone, brought in two transfers with size, and their biggest high school recruit won a dunk contest. We’re back baby!
NP24 x @caneshoops pic.twitter.com/FrD0aRBhda
— Canes Men’s Basketball (@CanesHoops) March 28, 2024
Nijel Pack returning for one more season is a huge win for this program. I have been a big fan of Pack since he came to Coral Gables. He played some of his best basketball in the NCAA Tournament last year. After an injury-plagued 2023-24, this is probably the best decision for him both short-term and long-term. If Pack has a healthy and productive season, he could follow former teammates Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller in being selected in the NBA Draft.
Welcome to The , @lynnkidd20 pic.twitter.com/0zC1qJHr0W
— Canes Men’s Basketball (@CanesHoops) March 28, 2024
Coach L has added some much-needed size to his roster, bringing in Virginia Tech big man Lynn Kidd for his last season of eligibility. Kidd was one of the most improved players in the ACC this past season. He led the conference in field goal percentage, shooting 66.8% for the year. Kidd had a great offensive game against the Canes in their first matchup this season, scoring 16 points on 8-8 shooting. He was less of a factor in the game at Miami, scoring only 6 points on 3-5 shooting, but he did pull down 11 rebounds. Not many players can replace what Norchad Omier brought to Canes basketball on both offense and defense (assuming he’s gone for good). Let’s hope Kidd fits in and has an awesome final season in Orange and Green.
Welcome to The , @brxnd0nn #Brandwagon pic.twitter.com/ISRW52PUXf
— Canes Men’s Basketball (@CanesHoops) April 5, 2024
The Canes added another transfer in Brandon Johnson. The 6’8” forward spent his last three seasons playing at East Carolina. He was second on the team in both scoring and rebounding in 2023-24. From what I’ve read online, he is a versatile player who can make shots and go get rebounds. That would be great! Coach L and his staff are doing a good job so far adding size for next season. The Canes were too small last year and it showed in more games than I can remember.
@JalilBethea2 pic.twitter.com/eZjjbMy4yZ
— Canes Men’s Basketball (@CanesHoops) April 2, 2024
This was the dunk that won Jalil Bethea the 2024 McDonald’s All-American dunk contest. Impressive. Bethea didn’t do much in the game, scoring 3 points on 1-5 shooting. Whatever. I don’t care how he played in some all-star game. I am excited for him to work with Coach L and play alongside Nijel Pack. That could be a killer ACC backcourt.
NBA Draft update
As expected, Norchad Omier declared for the 2024 NBA Draft. However, he still has the option to return to Miami. Apparently, Kyshawn George unofficially declared before Omier, again with the option to return to school. Coach L is also waiting to hear from Matthew Cleveland and Wooga Poplar. I’m not just saying this as a selfish Canes Hoops fan, but returning to Coral Gables should be an easy decision for both of them. Cleveland and Poplar looked great to start the year, but injuries derailed them. They need to come back, get healthy, and show what they can do for an entire season. If that happens, they could definitely hear their names called in the 2025 NBA Draft.
A good start to the spring for Coach L’s program, but there is still some wait-and-see with a few of his guys. I hope they make their decisions sooner than later, as the transfer portal is in full effect with some talented players who Coach L would love to convince to come to Coral Gables if necessary. Should make for an interesting next couple of months.
GO CANES!