Miami brings balance, unselfishness into NCAA Tournament

By James On Mar 16, 2023

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Voters choosing the Atlantic Coast Conference player of the year say Isaiah Wong is the best player in Miami.

He can be. Then again, Jordan Miller could do it too. Or Norchad Omier. Or Nijel Package. It almost varies by game.

Such is the strength of Miami heading into the NCAA Tournament.

The ACC regular season co-champions are one of only two teams to make the field of 68 to have four players averaging at least 13 points per game (Xavier is the other). It’s the kind of production that keeps defenses guessing and a good argument to suggest the Hurricanes have a chance to make another deep run in the tournament.

“One of the best teams in the country,” Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes said. “They are elite in offense. I don’t think they get enough credit for the way they advocate. His guards are really fast. They can really move their feet. They are physical. They are practical. … They have an outstanding team.”

Not only are they deep and even (Wong, Miller, Omier and Pack average 13-16 points per game), now, evidently, they’re upset.

Based on preseason forecasts, not much was expected of Miami this season, even after making the Elite Eight a year ago.

On Wednesday, the team, along with The Players’ Tribune, released a video that jokingly recommends those who fill in their brackets do not choose Miami.

“You didn’t choose us before, so why start now?” Miller asks in the video.

Fair question, though it’s also fair to think that Miami earned a lot of respect between preseason and postseason.

The Hurricanes, seeded fifth in the Midwest Region, open Friday against Drake, the 12th seed, in Albany, New York.

“We know we have a big challenge ahead of us,” said Drake’s trainer, Darian DeVries.

The Hurricanes were in the last 14 editions of the AP Top 25 this season, something only 12 other schools can say. They were the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament and lost to eventual champion Duke, falling in a semifinal game where Omier, the team’s best interior player, severely sprained an ankle 66 seconds after kickoff.

Wong and Miller started last season when Miami won 26 games and ended up losing to eventual national champion Kansas in a regional final. Pack and Omier transferred, and Wooga Poplar was promoted to the starting lineup.

They didn’t miss a beat.

“Someone asked me, ‘When did I think we could be really good?’” Miami coach Jim Larranaga said. “I said, I was amazed at the chemistry and the bond these guys had from Day 1 over the summer when our four freshmen arrived, when both of our transfers were ready and our returning players were there. Seeing them in training, they got along very well with each other and played very good basketball.

Miami believes his generosity sets him apart.

Case in point: During the regular season finale against Pitt, where Miami won to claim the No. 1 seed in the ACC Tournament and clinched a share of the conference title, Omier had a relatively easy layup opportunity inside. He missed, got his own rebound, scored and was fouled.

Miller stood near the 3-point line watching the play. He bent over at the waist, clapping so loudly in celebration that the thump could be heard from the stands inside a raucous sold-out arena.

The Hurricanes were like that all season. As long as Miami scores, nobody cares who gets the real bucket.

“It’s a good feeling knowing that everyone can go for 20 (minutes), go for 30 if they want to,” Wong said. “We just played as a team and I feel like we showed it on the court. We just play and play freely. We play together. We all like each other, we have chemistry and it shows.”