Nijel Pack returning to UM for fifth season, Canes sign Virginia Tech transfer Lynn Kidd
The University of Miami men’s basketball team got good news on Thursday: Nijel Pack is coming back for a fifth season and Virginia Tech transfer Lynn Kidd signed with the Hurricanes.
Pack announced his decision on social media under the title: “Pack is Back!”
“I am back,” Pack posted. “Going into my final season, my focus is getting healthy and leading our team to compete at the highest level in every aspect of the game, every day. Glory to God.”
Pack averaged 13.3 points, 2.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 25 games this season. He ranked first on the team in assists per game and assist-to-turnover ratio (2.0). He missed seven games with a knee injury, including five during the Hurricanes’ 10-game losing streak late in the season.
“We are very excited to have Nijel back in a Miami uniform,” UM coach Jim Larrañaga said. “He is one of the top guards in the country and has been an instrumental part of our program over the last two seasons. We are looking forward to having his leadership and experience on the team for another year and know he will help bring the program to new heights.”
In 2023-24, Pack scored in double-figures 18 games and had five-plus assists eight times.
Also Thursday, UM announced it signed Kidd, a 6-foot-10, 235-pound center with one year of eligibility remaining.
In 2023-24, Kidd, a Gainesville native, averaged 13.2 points and 6.5 rebounds in 23.3 minutes per game, while shooting a team-best 66.8 percent from the field. His .668 field goal percentage ranks first among ACC players.
“We are extremely happy to have Lynn join us because he is an incredibly gifted offensive scorer around the basket and who I considered the most improved player in the ACC this past season,” Larrañaga said. “He has put in the work to take his game to the next level. His work ethic is unmatched and he will bring maturity and four years of ACC experience to our team.”
Kidd, who more than doubled his scoring from the previous season, finished third in voting for the ACC’s Most Improved Player.
Miami had five players enter the transfer portal and another three (Wooga Poplar, Matthew Cleveland and Kyshawn George) are considering entering their names into the NBA Draft, with the ability to withdraw their names before the draft to maintain their college eligibility.
The Hurricanes who entered the transfer portal are Bensley Joseph, Jakai Robinson, Michael Nwoko, AJ Casey and Christian Watson. Norchad Omier has not announced his intentions. He entered his name in the NBA Draft last year, but chose to return for the 2023-24 season.
This story was originally published March 28, 2024 at 10:42 AM.