Without Norchad Omier, How Would Miami Defend Drake's Darnell Brodie?
While there continues to be no definitive word on Miami forward Norchad Omier’s ankle injury, there will likely be issues for the Canes if he does not play against Drake.
Going against Drake’s 6-foot-10 and 275-pound center Darnell Brodie would be a task for Omier, at least if he were in the Miami starting lineup.
Assuming he does not play Friday night, the following three concerns make this matchup even more compelling than before.
Note: As of Wednesday morning, the SI Sportsbook had Miami as a 2-point favorite over Drake, but that could change depending on Omier’s status.
On the Glass
From 34 games this season, Brodie scored in double digits seven times. He should not be considered a scorer with an average of 8.8 points per game, but if Omier does not play, that could change how impactful Brodie will be.
For the season, Brodie has averaged 7.3 rebounds per contest. He reached double figures in rebounds seven times, as well as gaining 9 rebounds another four times.
That's why offensive putbacks and rebounding overall will be concerning for Miami. That’s a massive man in the middle for the Bulldogs.
Miami’s Anthony Walker has shown tremendous athleticism, but he’s listed at 6-foot-9 and 215 pounds. To say the least, giving away 60 pounds to Brodie will not benefit the Canes with Walker attempting to block him out.
By comparison, Omier weighs roughly 250 pounds. While shorter than Walker at 6-foot-7, he’s a brute and also one of the quickest interior leapers in college hoops. Losing Omier’s ability to rebound the basketball, and place a body on Brodie, just cannot be replaced with other Miami reserve big men.
Foul Trouble
Big-bodied interior players often draw quite a bit of attention, and fouls. Walker has been in college basketball for three seasons. He’s not as likely to get in foul trouble as some other younger post players due to his experience.
If he were to succumb to foul trouble, however, that could be a major problem for Miami. The next two interior options for Larranaga would be true freshmen A.J. Casey and Favour Aire.
Case has played in 26 games, while Aire just 14. Further, both players weigh about the same as Walker, making them unlikely to be able to consistently bang with Brodie and win those battles.
Clogging the Lane
Finally, the Miami offense often works best with a pass to the middle, near the free throw line to Jordan Miller, who has then made plays by shooting or passing the basketball. Further, Miami guards like Wooga Poplar, Nijel Pack and Isaiah Wong have used ball fakes and drove the lane with success.
Without Omier in the lineup, Brodie would possibly stick in the lane more often and dare Miami players to come downhill. Brodie has blocked 33 shots this season, and he’s difficult to shoot over with his long arms.
Even if Omier does play versus Drake, this will almost certainly be a competitive game that could come down to the last possession. Without him because of the ankle injury that was suffered against Duke, it’s going to be hard for the Hurricanes to keep Brodie from being more of a factor than he normally would be.
In short, it becomes much harder for Miami to defeat Drake without Omier in the starting lineup.
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