UM finally becoming a basketball school as Cavinder twins, Omier help energize crowds | Opinion
The college football season ended with a big, boring thud on Monday night, as juggernaut Georgia bullied the TCU Horned Frogs 65-7 in a game that was over by halftime.
Surely, Alabama would have been a more formidable opponent, but that’s a discussion for another day. Nick Saban having to sit through that beatdown on national T.V. without vomiting had to be one of the toughest tasks of his career.
Thankfully, it is over, and we can shift our attention to another great college sport, one known for its thrilling championship tournament in March.
The college basketball season tipped off a few months ago, but for those of you who haven’t paid attention because you’ve been obsessed with the College Football Playoff, recruiting, and the transfer portal, now is a good time to tune in to a few months of hoops.
That is especially true if you are a University of Miami fan. The men’s basketball team, coming off an Elite Eight run last March, is 13-2, ranked No. 16 and in second place in the ACC with a 4-1 league record, ahead of traditional powers Duke, North Carolina, and Virginia.
The Hurricanes are undefeated at home heading into Wednesday night’s game against Boston College.
The Miami women’s team is also making noise with a pair of Top 25 wins over a four-day span last week. The Canes knocked off No. 22 North Carolina on Thursday and No. 9 Virginia Tech (with 6-6 ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley) on Sunday.
UM, despite its recent struggles, is still best known as a football school. But perceptions are gradually changing with the success of the basketball program. Crowds are starting to show up. Best of all, Miami students are finally figuring out that college basketball can be a blast.
For too long, the Watsco Center crowd was made up primarily of UM alumni and families, who are loyal and wonderful, but don’t get loud the way students get loud.
When the arena announcer urged them to “Make some NOISE!” they went from a murmur to a polite cheer. When the arena-cam tried to get them to dance, they looked timid. When students are told to make noise, they make NOISE! When an arena camera goes anywhere near them, they mug and show off their dance moves.
UM men’s coach Jim Larranaga said he noticed more students showing up toward the end of last season and wanted to build on that. He reached out to the pep band, spoke at the law school, and invited the Category 5 spirit club to attend a practice and eat pizza and chicken wings with the team.
“Those groups got the word out that, `Hey, we need more students at the games to support this team,’’’ Larranaga said on Tuesday. “There’s been a rallying call, more and more students are showing up and creating an electric atmosphere. The energy in the building has been sensational. Our players and coaches have noticed it and we want to keep that going.”
It also helps that the Hurricanes are so much fun to watch. Three of the most entertaining players this season are transfers.
Power forward Norchad Omier, the first Nicaraguan to play Division I basketball, became an instant fan favorite with his boundless energy and megawatt smile. Nicaraguan fans wave their nation’s blue and white flags and wait for Omier in the parking lot for photos and autographs.
He also is known for shouting “Baby Food!” to teammates to demand the ball when he thinks he has a mismatch under the basket. The arena announcer says “Baby Food!” when Omier scores and students are showing up with giant cardboard cutouts of baby food jars.
Growing up in Bluefields, Nicaragua, Omier gravitated toward baseball, soccer, volleyball and track. He didn’t pick up basketball until his mid-teens.
Omier, now 6-7 and 248 pounds, was headed to Mexico at age 17 to play pro basketball when he came to Miami to attend a camp held by Miami Prep and Miami Tropics AAU coach Art “Pilin” Alvarez, known for his pipeline to Latin American prospects. Among the players coached by “Pilin” were J.J. Barea, Guillermo Diaz, and Angel Rodriguez.
Alvarez is headed to Nicaragua this weekend with Barea to put on a camp and scout for talent.
Alvarez said once he saw Omier, he ripped up the kid’s pro contract and his plane ticket to Mexico. “I told Norchad to call his Mom, and I explained to her that he should come spend a year at Miami Prep and go play college ball,” Alvarez said Tuesday.
Omier averaged 26 points and 20 rebounds at Miami Prep and raised eyebrows with 40 points and 17 rebounds against IMG Academy. He went to Arkansas State, where he played for coach Mike Balado, a Cuban American from Miami who had coached at various high schools and colleges in South Florida.
He was voted Sun Belt Freshman of the Year his first year and Player of the Year his second before transferring to UM.
The UM women’s team, meanwhile, has been energized by twin guards Haley and Hanna Cavinder, who transferred from Fresno State. They have four million TikTok followers and an estimated $1 million in NIL sponsorships.
But anyone who thinks the Cavinders are more devoted to social media than basketball has not seen them play. Haley, the starting UM point guard, averaged 18.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists over the past three games. She is fearless and demanding of her teammates. Hanna adds a spark off the bench.
“Haley is the most competitive kid I have coached in my entire career, times 10,” coach Katie Meier said on Sunday.
If you haven’t been to a UM basketball game yet this season, give it a try. Guaranteed it will be more fun than Georgia-TCU.
This story was originally published January 10, 2023 at 6:06 PM.