Miami Hurricanes basketball has reached out to these transfers. And UM football notes
A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Monday:
▪ The men’s basketball program needs to add between three and six players to restock its roster, and several targets have emerged.
Colleague Michelle Kaufman mentioned one possibility with Georgia forward Toumani Camara, who started 25 games and averaged 12.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks a game for the Bulldogs last year.
Here are six others in the transfer portal who have had conversations with UM:
USF forward Alexis Yetna, who averaged 11.4 points and 8.9 rebounds last season while shooting 31.5 percent (17 for 54) on threes. UM has had two Zoom sessions with him. The 6-8 forward from Paris has started 49 games the past two seasons.
West Virginia forward Emmitt Matthews: The 6-7 forward from Tacoma, Washington, averaged 7.8 points and 4.0 rebounds and shot 30 percent on threes (15 for 50) last season. He has started 67 games in three seasons.
Toledo point guard Marreon Jackson: The 6-1 Jackson was named Mid-American Conference Player of the Year last season; he averaged 18.1 points, 6.9 assists and 1.8 steals and shot 34.8 percent on threes (86 for 247). The Cleveland native, who has one season of eligibility remaining, has made 307 three-pointers on 37.0 percent shooting in four seasons. He would be the ideal replacement for Chris Lykes, who’s considering Arkansas and Southern California.
East Carolina forward Jayden Gardner: The 6-7 forward averaged 18.3 points and 8.3 rebounds this past season and 18.0 points and 8.7 rebounds in three seasons as a starter. He was first team All-American Athletic Conference this past season.
Furman forward Noah Gurley: The 6-8 forward averaged 15.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 blocks while shooting 33.9 percent on threes (28 for 112). The Fayetteville, Georgia, native has started all but five games in three seasons.
George Mason forward Jordan Miller: The 6-6 guard, a Virginia native, averaged 15.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists, while shooting 46.3 percent from the field and 33.3 percent on threes (24 for 72).
Incidentally, UM center Nysier Brooks transferred to Mississippi on Monday.
▪ It’s now official: Attendance for UM’s spring game on April 17 at Hard Rock Stadium will be limited to “player guests only,” athletic director Blake James conveyed.
The Canes have decided not to permit fans to attend because of the pandemic. Florida, as of Friday, led the nation in recent positive tests for COVID-19 variants.
ACC Network will televise the UM scrimmage live at 11 a.m.
▪ UM is down to only one non-binding commitment for the 2022 football class (Georgia-based quarterback Jacurri Brown) after Tampa Carrollwood Day defensive tackle Brandon Cleveland decommitted last week in what appeared to be a mutual decision.
But the Canes are in the mix for a bunch of prospects and don’t seem particularly concerned.
“We know that signing day is what matters,” Hurricanes coach Manny Diaz said last week. “There’s some people that sometimes do some things to create fake momentum in recruiting. It’s what happens when the faxes come in, and that’s really what matters. The most important thing that matters is how you develop them when they show up.”
As perspective, seven FBS programs have 10 or more 2022 commitments, led by Georgia’s 12; Ohio State, LSU and Notre Dame have 11 each. FSU has seven and UF five.
The Canes hope to sway several prospects if on-campus visits are permitted to resume in June. For now, the NCAA has extended the dead period through May 31.
“I think getting them on our campus is going to separate us from a lot of other people,” defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson said.
▪ Quick stuff Part 1: Elijah Roberts, being used at defensive tackle, has been very active in the first three weeks of spring ball. The question is whether Leonard Taylor will overtake Jordan Miller or Roberts or Jalar Holley for the No. 4 tackle job when the five-star freshman arrives on campus this summer…. Safety Keshawn Washington, overshadowed by Brian Balom among UM’s freshman safeties last season, recovered a fumble the other day and has flashed…. Linebacker Corey Flagg has been faster and more active after losing 12 pounds.
▪ Quick stuff part 2: NFL-bound Brevin Jordan predicted Will Mallory “is going to be the best tight end to come through this university.” (That would be difficult to accomplish with a school that produced Greg Olsen, Jeremy Shockey and Kellen Winslow Jr.) “He is going to be a problem” and the first tight end selected in the NFL Draft next year, Jordan predicted. “The dude is a freakish athlete.” (One NFL scout called Mallory a potential mid-round pick with the ability to move up.)...
Defensive backs coach Robinson seems like a great addition. Players have been effusive in their praise of him, as much as any defensive coach I can recall here. “He’s like no other,” safety Bubba Bolden said. “I’m very happy he’s here. He taught me so many new things, things I never even thought of. There are so many things in my game I can fix that he’s noticed.”
▪ Quick stuff Part 3: Diaz told ACC Network’s Packer and Durham that “with so many guys coming back, this is as a competitive spring as I can remember anywhere in my coaching career.”...
Diaz said opening against Alabama Sept. 4 in Atlanta “adds a great sense of urgency for our entire offseason program. How do we get us to the level that we want to get Miami at? If we are concerned about Miami, we will ultimately play better, no matter who the opposition is. We have a lot of respect for what they have done at Alabama. We know it will be a difficult contest, but it is still a new year and there will be new players on both teams. If you want to be the best, you have to play the best and we are excited to line up against those guys.”...
UM announced that Legends, a company founded by the Dallas Cowboys and New York Yankees, will oversee UM’s marketing partnerships and rights, replacing Learfield. Legends also represents the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, Las Vegas Raiders, Orlando Magic, University of Notre Dame and Georgia Tech.
This story was originally published April 5, 2021 at 1:45 PM.
