Five UM players in double figures as Hurricanes beat IUP 89-55 in exhibition game
It remains to be seen how the University of Miami men’s basketball team will fare this season after an Elite Eight run last spring, but this much is certain: the Hurricanes will have plenty of scoring options.
Five UM players scored in double figures in an 89-55 home exhibition win over Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Sunday afternoon.
Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller, the only returning starters, led the Canes with 19 points apiece. Miller went 8-for-10, had seven rebounds and two assists. Sophomore Wooga Poplar, making his first start, scored 15 points with five rebounds, three assists and two steals. Guard Nijel Pack, who transferred from Kansas State, had 11 points with six rebounds and six assists. Pack is known for his outside shooting, but converted just one of his seven shots from beyond the arc on Sunday.
One player who made a big impression was Arkansas State transfer Norchad Omier, an energetic 6-7 and 250-pound power forward known for his jumping ability. Omier, the first Nicaraguan to play Division 1 basketball, finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, one assist, two blocks and two steals in 21 minutes.
“I think we’ve got five, six, seven guys who can really put the ball in the basket,” UM coach Jim Larrañaga said. “So, it gives me confidence that if we can defend and rebound, that gives us a chance to be in good position at the end. I thought the guys did a great job. They executed the game plan exactly the way we would’ve liked.”
Larranaga emptied the bench in the closing minutes and 6-11 freshman center Favour Aire made the most of his four minutes. The Nigeria native and four-star recruit out of Bishop McNamara (Md). High scored four points with two rebounds, three blocks and a steal.
Poplar, who arrived at UM last season as a highly-coveted recruit, spent most of his freshman year getting used to the college game. He said last week that the college game was “a blur” to him as a freshman, but now he feels comfortable and ready to make a big impact.
Wong said he expects Poplar to be a surprise player this season. Larranaga agreed.
“Wooga is elevating his game to an extremely high level, his straight line driving and dunking ability, his defensive rebounding,” Larranaga said. “He has physical strength and toughness. He’s looking at having a very good year with a lot of room for improvement. The college game is so much faster. It doesn’t look like it, but the transition from high school to college is huge. For most freshmen, Wooga specifically, his high school experience was very different from here. He had to learn to play team defense, rebound, share the ball rather than just being the go-to guy who can shoot whenever he wants.”
The Hurricanes had a 25-3 edge in points off turnovers, led IUP 27-3 in fast-break points and 56-18 in paint points. In addition, UM forced 17 turnovers and committed only five and had 12 steals.
The Hurricanes tip off the regular season at home Nov. 7 at 7:30 p.m. against Lafayette. Fans can purchase an opening night ticket for both the men’s and women’s basketball game (Nov. 7 at 4 p.m. against Maryland Eastern Shore) for just $15 by clicking here.
This story was originally published October 30, 2022 at 5:33 PM.