Takeaways from Miami Hoops' 80-53 Win Over Louisville
The Miami Hurricanes dominated Louisville, 80-53, in their first ACC game of the season on Sunday at the KFC Yum! Center. This was Miami's second-straight win over the Cardinals.
Here are five takeaways from the game.
1. The Cardinals' collapse continues.
While Louisville is 0-8 to start its season, the Cardinals have especially struggled over their last five games.
Louisville has lost its last five contests by an average of 25.8 points.
Against Miami, the Cardinals turned the ball over 19 times and only shot 29.8% from the field.
Yesterday’s win over Louisville? Our 6️⃣th straight @accmbb road win 😤 pic.twitter.com/lXBvpgJMHb
— Canes Men’s Basketball (@CanesHoops) December 6, 2022
2. Miami dominated with a balanced scoring attack.
11 Hurricanes scored against Louisville, with guard Jordan Miller leading the bunch with 14 points.
Along with Miller, guard Isaiah Wong and forward Norchad Omier scored in double figures.
The 'Canes have relied on a balanced scoring attack all season. Entering Sunday's game, not a single Hurricane ranked in the top-20 in points per game in the ACC.
3. Anthony Walker played well off Miami's bench.
Fourth-year forward Anthony Walker has struggled offensively to start Miami's season, but he scored the ball effectively against the Cardinals.
Walker scored a season-high five points and grabbed five rebounds. He also nabbed a pair of steals.
As a veteran off Miami's bench, Walker will need to provide consistency as ACC play gears up for the Hurricanes.
4. Miami's freshmen gained valuable experience.
As Miami built a comfortable lead in the second half, freshmen Christian Watson and Favour Aire played double-digit minutes for the first time this season.
Watson scored five points, and Aire scored six points and secured three rebounds.
While the two freshmen may not contribute much this season, extended playing time against an ACC opponent is crucial for their respective developments.
5. A test against Cornell awaits the Hurricanes.
UM's next game will be on Wednesday at 7 p.m. against Cornell, which has won its last seven games in a row.
The Big Red rank 16th nationally in points per game and are second in 3-pointers made and attempted.
Miami's been led by its defense this year, and this unit will be challenged against a high-powered Cornell offense.
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Luke Chaney is a contributing writer for Sports Illustrated-FanNation's AllHurricanes.com, covering recruiting and Miami Athletics. You can also find Luke on WVUM 90.5 FM as a play-by-play broadcaster. He is also the Sports Editor for The Miami Hurricane. Follow Luke on Twitter @luke_chaney4.