Hurricanes hope to rebound from loss with Wednesday home game vs. St. Francis Brooklyn
The University of Miami men’s basketball team will tip off Thanksgiving weekend with a home game against St. Francis Brooklyn at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday.
Coming off an 88-70 loss to Maryland on Sunday, the Hurricanes (4-1) are looking to get back to winning. UM coach Jim Larranaga, who won his 700th game last Saturday against his alma mater Providence, blamed the loss to the Terrapins to the Canes’ lack of energy and inability to match Maryland on the boards.
The Terps outrebounded Miami 39-20.
“We played with a little low energy, and we have to pick it up,” said guard Isaiah Wong, who led UM with 22 points in that game.
Through the first four games, all UM wins, the undersized Hurricanes outrebounded their opponents. Leading the way was Arkansas State transfer Norchad Omier, a 6-7 and 240-pound power forward who is the first Nicaraguan to play Division I basketball.
Omier is averaging 14.2 points per game and 10.2 rebounds, which ranks fourth in the ACC. He had a game-high 19 points and 12 rebounds in Miami’s 74-64 win over Providence.
“How good is he? Norchad? Oh, my goodness,” Larranaga said during a courtside radio interview after the win over Providence. “He’s 6-7, 240 pounds of energy, of dynamite, TNT. His teammates love him. The coaches love him. He’s just a fun person to be around. When you put him in good positions where he can finish, he finishes with authority, at both ends, whether it’s a defensive rebound, or a slam dunk.”
Omier is shooting 61.7 percent from the field, has five blocks and six steals. He has also become a crowd favorite with his energy, enthusiasm, and trademark “Baby Food!” phrase he shouts to teammates, urging them to give him the ball.
Asked where the “Baby Food” thing started, Omier explained that he first used it at the first practice after the freshmen arrived on campus. He was being guarded by freshman Danilo Jovanovich. “I was like, `This is a mismatch,’ and I just yelled `Baby Food!’ I don’t even know why. And they just stuck with it since then.”
Omier’s teammates say they feed off his energy.
“He’s brought plenty of energy, he’s very exciting to watch, he’s an animal on the glass, plays really hard and that’s what we preach here as a team,” guard Bensley Joseph said, speaking of Omier. “Coach L loves guys that play hard and are all about the team and Norchad is the perfect example of that and I’m very grateful to be playing with this dude.”
Four Hurricanes are averaging double-digit scoring through the first five games — Wong (15.2), Jordan Miller (14.8), Omier (14.2) and Nijel Pack (10.4). Wooga Poplar is the fifth starter, and point guard Bensley Joseph has been getting significant minutes off the bench.
St. Francis (2-2) plays in the Northeast Conference and is coming off a 61-58 home win over Saint Peters. The Terriers came from behind for the victory and were led by senior guard Larry Moreno, who scored 14 of his team-high 19 points in the second half. Another player to watch is Josiah Harris, who had 16 points and 13 rebounds against Saint Peters.