Miami Hurricanes Basketball Player Breakdown: Bensley Joseph
For the Miami Hurricanes, rounding out the last of the projected starting lineup for this year in guard Bensley Joseph, who now has the chance to raise his game to another level.
Joseph has served as the team's backup point guard the past two seasons, being an active defender and quietly one of the best shooters on the roster. However with an increased role, can Joseph become the player Jim Larrañaga needs him to be?
2022-23 Season Stats:
5.3 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 2.0 APG, 0.6 SPG, 39.8% 3PT
Storyline for the Season:
As mentioned above, the storyline for Joseph this coming season will be if he can maintain his efficiency with an increased role. Joseph excelled as a corner three point shooter this past season, but will be asked to do more off the dribble shooting with Isaiah Wong off to the NBA.
On top of scoring, his playmaking will be crucial for the Miami Hurricanes offense. Nijel Pack is primarily a shoot-first guard, so Joseph will be looked at to be a key playmaker for this offense. Luckily he'll be surrounded by a talented starting five that can knock down shots. Expect for Joseph to get some work in the pick and roll with Norchad Omier this coming season.
Expectations for Next Season:
The expectations for Joseph going into next season starts of with his defense. If Miami does decide to go with Pack and Joseph in the backcourt, Joseph will be the one tasked with guarding the top guard.
He will not only need to dedicate his focus to defending top players, but still being a shooter and playmaker on the other end. Additionally, Joseph will be expected to develop more as a shooter. While his shooting splits are fine, he needs to increase the volume and the type of shots he takes. If he's able to do so, he'll be a big indicator if Miami can continue to make runs in March.
Prediction: Joseph starts over 90% of the games for Miami alongside Pack. Joseph sees a slight dip in efficiency but increases his overall volume. Due to the talent around him, he finishes the season as the fifth leading scorer and returns to Miami for a fourth year.
Miami Hurricanes 2023-24 Basketball Schedule
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