The Canes player who benefited from a ‘man to man meeting.’ And UM football, hoops notes
A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Wednesday:
▪ When this Canes coaching staff looks at Brashard Smith, they see more than a guy who can be a multi-purpose weapon.
They see someone who can develop into a reliable receiver.
So it was interesting when Mario Cristobal revealed on WQAM’s Hurricane Hotline this week that “2 1/2, 3 weeks ago,” the coaching staff had “a legitimate face to face, man to man meeting” with Smith telling him “it’s got to look this way” when he plays.
Smith also was told that “your team needs you and it’s time to step up.”
Smith has responded; he has 17 catches for 165 yards.
Lately, Josh Gattis is deploying him more as a receiver and less as a runner than former coordinator Rhett Lashlee used him.
Last season, Smith had six rushing attempts and 16 receptions. He has two carries this season for 13 yards.
“Proud of him that he took on the challenge, lost himself in his craft and the result is a guy performing at a much higher level,” Cristobal said.
▪ Don’t kid yourself: UM is viewing this in some ways as a rebuild.
“As we rebuild our program,” Cristobal told Joe Zagacki and Don Bailey Jr., “our margin of error isn’t very big. The mental errors, we have to avoid. It’s playing assignment football and eye discipline.”
Cristobal loves the foundation of this freshman class but declined this week to say how many recruiting classes he needs to turn the program around.
Though tight end Jaleel Skinner made a key mistake by failing to get out of bounds late against North Carolina, Cristobal said: “We expect him to be an elite player here.”
Defensively, lineman Nyjalik Kelly is getting the most playing time of the freshmen, including 15 snaps last week.
“Every time he steps on the field it’s exciting,” Cristobal said. “We’ve got to get him to play faster.”
UM defensive end Jahfari Harvey marveled on Wednesday that Kelly has “got something you can’t teach. Somebody so big, so long, can bend so well and get up under you, I haven’t seen it my whole life.”
▪ UM likes what it’s getting from Corey Flagg Jr. and Keontra Smith at linebacker. Playing time dropped for Caleb Johnson and Waynmon Steed last week. Freshman Wesley Bissainthe has been in the 10-to-15 snap range and his role could grow.
“Corey Flagg is doing a really good job,” Cristobal told Zagacki and Bailey. “When you have that much confidence and knowledge of the scheme, sometimes you can make a wrong right and help guys get lined up and help a young player learn the playbook a little better.”
Flagg’s command of the playbook is one reason he has stayed ahead of Johnson, the UCLA transfer.
And Cristobal said “Keontra Smith is playing better, throwing his body around, being more physical. His interception [against UNC] was a tremendous momentum swing for us.”
▪ Look for cornerback Daryl Porter Jr., the transfer from West Virginia, to get a longer look after playing well against North Carolina. “Darrell is just scratching the surface with his ability,” Cristobal said.
With Tyrique Stevenson available this week, UM has a tough call on snap distribution among Porter, DJ Ivey and Te’Cory Couch.
▪ UM basketball coach Jim Larranaga, during ACC media day on Wednesday, said Isaiah Wong “is going to have an incredible senior season. Isaiah Wong has had a tremendous college career, and his best is yet to come.”
Wong needs to show NBA scouts that he can consistently make threes. His three-point percentage has dropped every season from 37.3 to 34.7 to 30.2 last season.
“If he had put his name into the portal like had been rumored, he would have been as highly recruited as any player in the country,” Larranaga said. “But I think Isaiah called me the day that came out, and he said, ‘hey, I’m either going to the NBA or coming back to Miami. I love Miami.’”
Jordan Miller comes off a solid first season at UM (10 points, 5.9 rebounds) after three years at George Mason.
“Jordan made such a great transition, smooth into our program and added so much, and he’s playing a such a high level,” Larranaga said. “I think these two guys are definitely deserving of all-conference honors.”
▪ Larranaga announced that the student section and the band will be moved from near the Hurricanes’ bench to the other side of the floor, adjacent to the opponent’s bench.
“This year I believe for the first time since I’ve been at Miami, we are going to move the pep band and the student section to the opposing team’s end zone, trying to create a little bit more havoc for our opponent when they come in, maybe giving us a little better advantage,” Larranaga said. “But at the end of the game, should we be celebrating, we’ll be down there with the band and the student body.”
This story was originally published October 12, 2022 at 5:16 PM.
