Canes book visits with more football portal targets. And Larranaga blunt about basketball team
After snagging a top safety and a coveted wide receiver in the transfer portal, UM now hopes to land at least one of multiple defensive tackles visiting campus this week.
UCF’s Matthew Alexander, a 6-3 and 290 pound tackle, visited UM on Thursday after previous visits to Georgia and Northwestern.
Alexander, who plans to visit Mississippi State later this week, had 35 tackles, including four for loss, in 409 snaps this season and overall has 60 tackles and a sack in three years at UCF.
Pro Football Focus rated Alexander the 17th-best player of 42 on UCF’s defense this season.
Meanwhile, Louisiana Tech’s David Blay will visit Miami during the next three days after visiting Penn State and Southern California in recent days. South Carolina also is in the mix for the 6-3, 303-pound nose tackle.
247 Sports rates him the No. 2 defensive lineman and No. 24 best prospect overall in the portal.
Blay, who was a no-star prospect out of Levittown, Pennsylvania, in 2022, had 46 tackles, 10.5 for losses, 12 quarterback pressures and 6.5 sacks this season, with that sack total ranking third in Conference USA.
Kentucky’s Keeshawn Silver, another defensive tackle who was pursued by UM, committed to Southern California this week.
UM is losing veteran defensive tackles Simeon Barrow Jr., Marley Cook and CJ Clark. End/tackle Rueben Bain Jr., Ahmad Moten and Class of 2024 five-star prospect Justin Scott are among the returning Canes at the position.
The Canes so far have added two players in the portal: Jacksonville State safety Zechariah Poyser and LSU receiver CJ Daniels.
▪ Former FIU receiver Eric Rivers, who visited Miami, committed to Georgia Tech.
▪ Washington State’s John Mateer, the top quarterback in the portal, committed to Oklahoma. UM strongly pursued him.
▪ Alabama receiver/tight end Caleb Odom, who was being pursued by UM, committed to Mississippi.
▪ The Canes reportedly are expected to pursue Wisconsin cornerback Xavier Lucas, a Plantation American Heritage alum who’s in the transfer portal.
▪ Former UM running back Chris Johnson Jr., who entered the transfer portal last week, committed to SMU.
Basketball update
In his weekly coach’s show, UM men’s basketball coach Jim Larranaga was brutally blunt about his 4-7 team’s shortcomings in the wake of a 94-75 win against Presbyterian that snapped a seven-game losing streak.
“We have the same issue we’ve had since the start of the season - defense and rebounding,” Larranaga told WQAM’s Joe Zagacki, while looking ahead to Saturday’s 2 p.m. home game against Mt. Saint Mary’s.
“We’re 23rd in the country in offensive efficiency, and you would never know that watching us play because we give up so many points and second chance points. The defense, as much as we try to improve it, has been very challenging and frustrating for the coaches and the players. Defensively, we just don’t have great individual defenders. We see it every day in practice.”
The Hurricanes rank 105th of 355 Division 1 teams in points per game (79.1) but 241st in points allowed (73.6).
“You’ve got to be able to play defense,” Larranaga said. “It starts with our guards. When you ask me about the Elite Eight and Final Four team, it starts with Charlie Moore was a great point guard at both ends of the court… Isaiah Wong didn’t win ACC Player of the Year just for his offense. He was also a very hard nosed tough defender.
“It starts with your guards. That’s our biggest weakness. When your guards are constantly needing him from your bigs, then the [opposing] bigs end up scoring, because the big guys need to go over and help. We’re getting better. It doesn’t show statistically yet.”
And offensively, “sometimes we dribble way too much because guys will think of themselves as really good one-on-one players.”
Larranaga said the return of 6-9 Idaho State transfer Kiree Huie from injury will help, though he didn’t offer a timetable. “He’s a 6-9 athletic, big man who can defend and rebound; he can defend post players and can get defensive rebounds.”
Larranaga said losing has been “painful, but not just for me but for everybody - our coaches, our players, our fans, our season ticket holders.”
Larranaga said freshman guard Jalil Bethea, the five-star prospect who was 247 Sports’ No. 7 overall recruit in this year’s class, has improved his effort defensively but “his execution is a work in progress. He’s learning; it’s a little slower than we would all like.”
Bethea is averaging 5.7 points and just 12.1 minutes per game in 11 appearances.
Bethea has great potential but “right now, it’s [just] potential,” Larranaga said. “If he can improve his defense and rebounding, that will earn him a lot of playing time.”
This story was originally published December 19, 2024 at 3:05 PM.
