How Miami against Duke reflects strange arc of Canes athletics. And Canes active in portal
A six-pack of Miami Hurricanes notes on a Wednesday:
▪ How UM’s two biggest revenue-generating sports have played against Duke in recent years is pretty emblematic of the peculiar path the athletic program has taken.
From 1983 to 2017, the UM football team went 13-1 against Duke. Since then, the Canes are 2-3 against the Blue Devils, with two blowout wins (48-0) and (47-10) but losses of 20-12, 27-17 and most recently, 45-21, in an October debacle at Hard Rock Stadium.
The notion of Miami losing three football games in five years to Duke seems unfathomable.
But then again, the thought of UM basketball playing Duke pretty evenly for nearly a decade must seem unfathomable to Blue Devils fans.
There has been no bigger men’s basketball national power than Duke this century, and UM is 7-8 against Duke during Jim Larranaga’s Miami tenure, including 7-7 in ACC play and 3-4 at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Those seven wins include a 76-74 victory last January in Durham, when Duke was ranked No. 2 in the country.
Before Larranaga took over at UM, the Canes were 2-15 against Duke.
The teams play at noon on Saturday in Durham, and this is the first time ever that a ranked Miami team will play an unranked Duke team. Duke was ranked in 30 of the prior 32 matchups. In the two it was not ranked, Miami was also unranked.
For the first time since the UM basketball program was reinstated in 1985-86, Mike Krzyzewski won’t be on the sideline; he retired last year after 42 years at Duke that included five national championships and 13 Final Four appearances. Former Duke player Jon Scheyer succeeded him.
Duke is 13-5, 4-3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference and 9-0 at home. Miami is 15-3 and 6-2 in conference after beating Syracuse on Monday.
As is usually the case in this matchup, Duke will have more size.
“Jon has a very talented team,” Larranaga said on his weekly show with WQAM’s Joe Zagacki. “They are very tall, start players 6-11, 6-10, bring a 7-footer off the bench. Their [small forward] is bigger than our [center]. We’ll have a very solid game plan.”
Bob Wischusen and Dick Vitale have the noon call for ESPN.
▪ UM’s Norchad Omier, the Arkansas State transfer, is 14th in the country in rebounds at 10.2 per game despite standing only 6-7.
“He’s unusual,” Larranaga said. “He’s like the shortest big man in the league. Norchad is amazing because he’s got more energy and enthusiasm for playing than anybody I can think of. He goes after every loose ball. Some night this season he might go for 20 and 20.”
Omier has the exact same number of points and rebounds in his past three games (13 and 13, 13 and 13, and 16 and 16 against Syracuse on Monday).
▪ The Canes would love to land Georgia five-star transfer cornerback Jaheim Singletary, who has kept his intentions confidential since entering the portal.
One positive for UM: defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae recruited him to Georgia. He played in just two games last season.
“He was my No. 1 player in the state [for the 2022 class],” recruiting analyst Larry Blustein said. “I watched him three times live and he blew me away every time. He has the build of a safety, athleticism of a cornerback. A real ballhawk.”
Singletary, who attended high school in Jacksonville, was rated the No. 2 corner and No. 10 player by Rivals in the 2022 class.
If Miami could lure Singletary, that would lessen the blow if Miami loses five-star cornerback Cormani McClain, who remains a UM nonbinding commitment but took an official visit to Colorado last weekend.
McClain was traveling to Boulder when UM coaches went to his high school in Lakeland to visit him. McClain has closely guarded his plans, and Miami will remain a possibility until McClain says otherwise.
▪ Former Southern Cal wide receiver Gary Bryant emerged impressed with UM in his visit last weekend, and UM badly wants him.
But Bryant isn’t ready to make a decision; he plans to visit Arizona this weekend and told 247 that Penn State was doing an in-home visit with him this week and that Arizona State, Texas A&M and UCLA want him to visit.
He won’t be an early enrollee anywhere; he plans to continue taking classes at USC.
Bryant had seven catches for 51 yards in five games as a freshman, then had 44 catches for 579 yards and seven touchdowns in 10 games in 2021. He played in only three games last season to preserve a year of eligibility.
UM also has interest in Alabama transfer receiver Tyler Harrell, who had 18 receptions for 523 yards and six touchdowns for Louisville in 2021. He transferred to Alabama last season but missed a lot of time with a foot injury and had just two catches.
▪ With Jake Garcia leaving, the Canes are expected to look for a fourth quarterback, potentially in the portal. Another experienced backup would help to supplement Tyler Van Dyke, Jacurri Brown and freshman Emory Williams.
They might again pursue four-star prospect Jaden Rashada, a former UM commitment who is now requesting his release from the Gators after his reported $13 million NIL deal in Gainesville fell through.
But 247 Sports suggests that there’s a decent chance the California-based Rashada — if given his release — could sign with a school in the Pac-12.
▪ We’re told UM quarterbacks coach Frank Ponce left by choice; he was not forced out.
There remains some mystery around offensive coordinator Josh Gattis. Two UM football staffers said early this week that they haven’t seen him around recently and aren’t sure of his job status.
He remains listed as offensive coordinator on UM’s website but wasn’t involved in the pursuit of the Southern Cal receiver, Bryant.
One player conveyed that he saw Gattis last week, and Canes players are still using his playbook.
Canesport and 247 Sports have both reported that it’s likely that Gattis will be replaced this offseason. UM hasn’t clarified the situation.
▪ During this down era of Canes football, even some of the five-star recruits haven’t worked out. Mark Pope, who caught 52 passes for 680 yards in three seasons at UM, will finish his college career at Massachusetts after playing at Jackson State last season.
Lorenzo Lingard, who transferred from UM to Florida after one season, recently transferred from UF to Akron. He had only 26 carries (for 150 yards) in three years at UF.
In the 2017 class, Rivals rated Lingard the nation’s No. 2 running back and Pope the No. 5 receiver.
This story was originally published January 18, 2023 at 5:28 PM.
