What a lousy season. Plus, a couple underachieving sophomores leave Coach L’s program.
Hey everybody. We’re back for another week of Miami Hurricanes Men’s and Women’s Basketball. The guys lost to Boston College in the first round of the ACC Tournament on Tuesday night, ending their season. The Lady Canes opted out of a smaller postseason tournament after not being selected for the 2024 Women’s NCAA Tournament.
Last week:
The Canes lost a THIRD game to Boston College this season, 81-65. The Eagles were on fire from the start, making several three-pointers in the opening minutes. They kept up the hot shooting, scoring 47 points in the first half on their way to a 15-point lead at halftime. I opted out of watching the second half, as I knew this year’s Canes team did not have what it took to overcome that kind of deficit. Sadly, I was correct. Norchad Omier put up 18 points and 13 rebounds and Nijel Pack had 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists in what was likely their last game in a Hurricanes uniform. There is a chance they could come back as they both have one year of eligibility remaining, I just don’t see that happening.
The Lady Canes will not be playing in the 2024 Women’s NIT or WBIT. Instead, Coach Meier will try to coach up her existing players while possibly looking to the transfer portal to improve the roster. Jaida Patrick is the only senior on the team, so Meier has plenty of youth to work with.
This week:
The guys lost two underachieving players to the transfer portal today in sophomores AJ Casey and Christian Watson. Casey averaged 1.9 points and 2.0 rebounds per game this season, shooting 39% from the field. Many Canes fans, including myself, had hope for Casey coming into 2023-24. He showed a couple flashes last year; another offseason should have benefited him a ton. Not so much. Casey played more timid than he did last season, and just looked lost when he was out there. Casey had some pedigree coming out of high school. He was the 80th-ranked overall prospect, 14th power forward, and third player in Illinois. I hope he can regain his confidence on a new team. Watson was another disappointment in his second season, putting up 2.8 points and 1.5 rebounds on 37% shooting. He had a couple decent showings early in the year, playing good perimeter defense and making a couple three-pointers. Then, suddenly, Watson couldn’t make a shot and wasn’t playing the same level of defense. If you’re not doing either one of those things, it’s hard to get on the court. Watson also had some pedigree coming out of high school, being the top-ranked player from Washington D.C. Best of luck to Watson as well.
These departures are great news for Coach L and his program. While it’s disappointing Casey and Watson didn’t develop into better players, it’s preferable to have those scholarship spots for two guys who can help get this team back to the top of the ACC. Let’s see if Coach L can work his transfer portal magic again and bring in a big guy and a shooter.
Thank you for reading this season and enjoy March Madness!
GO CANES!