Here are takeaways from UM’s 94-61 men’s basketball exhibition win against Saint Leo
Miami Hurricanes fans got their first glimpse at the overhauled men’s basketball team Wednesday night and although it is far too early to make predictions, they left the Watsco Center with reason for optimism after the 94-61 exhibition win over Saint Leo.
Only three UM players are back from last season, and Nijel Pack is the lone holdover from the 2023 Final Four team. Coach Jim Larranaga and his staff restocked with six transfers and the highest-ranked recruiting class in program history.
Freshman sensation Jalil Bethea, a five-star guard and McDonald’s All-American, showed what all the fuss was about in his college debut. The 6-5 Philadelphia native came in off the bench and scored on three straight possessions.
Bethea’s first UM basket was a contested midrange pull-up jumper. He followed that up with a dribble drive to the basket and faked a defender with a left-handed shot. He also went 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
His night was cut short when he was ejected with a Flagrant 2 foul following a loose-ball battle on the floor with Saint Leo’s Trey Murray with 13 minutes to go. He wound up with 10 points in nine minutes.
“He had 10 points at halftime, got into a scrum in the second half, and unfortunately, the way the officials saw it, he had to leave the game,” Larranaga said.
Another freshman who stood out was Divine Ugochukwu, a guard from the Houston area who was recommended to Larranaga by NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon, whose sons were Ugochukwu’s high school teammates. He led all players with six assists in 14 minutes.
“Originally, when he came in this summer, we were planning to redshirt him, but he was so good at finding the open man, making layups, playing very good on-the-ball defense, and we told him about a month ago, `We’re not redshirting you because you can really be a contributor this year as a freshman,’” Larrananga said of Ugochukwu.
The new-look Hurricanes’ front court is in experienced hands with 6-10 Virginia Tech transfer Lynn Kidd and 6-8 East Carolina transfer Brandon Johnson. Kidd finished with 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting and had nine rebounds. Johnson was the top rebounder of the night with 12.
“I had a little bit of a rough start, but overall I was excited and feel I had a good game,” Kidd said. “Brandon is the perfect [front court partner] for me. I don’t see a hole in his game. He can pass, shoot, dribble, play defense, rebound, he’s a complete player.”
Samford transfer guard AJ Staton-McCray, a Delray Beach native, started in place of injured Matt Cleveland and was involved from the get-go. He nailed an early three and had six points, five defensive rebounds, two assists, one block and one steal.
The only two familiar faces in the game — returning guards Pack and Paul Djobet — played with poise and confidence.
Pack, bothered by knee injuries last season, proved he has not lost his touch. The fifth-year guard led all scorers with 18 points and had five assists. Pack worked on strengthening the muscles and tendons around his knees, and in doing so added quickness and stamina.
Sophomore Djobet looked much improved and made a case to be in the regular rotation with 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting with three rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
“Paul has been practicing very hard from the summer, he got in the weight room, he’s stronger he’s jumping better,” Larranaga said. “He has kind of grown up. He’s no longer a freshman learning, he’s a sophomore leading.”
Pack added: “Paul plays that high-energy level all the time, and that’s something we can really benefit from coming off the bench, bringing that spark. If he can continue that the rest of the year, it sets us up really well.”
Cleveland missed the game with an undisclosed upper body injury. He is expected to return to practice Thursday and might be ready for the season opener Monday at home against Fairleigh Dickinson. Cleveland averaged 13.7 points and 6.1 rebounds for the Hurricanes in 2023-24.
Idaho State transfer Kyree Huie also missed the game with a hand injury. He had surgery and his return date is unknown.
This story was originally published October 30, 2024 at 10:09 PM.