#8 Miami Looking To Represent ACC Ahead Of Matchup Against #12 Kentucky
Miami coach Jim Larrañaga has known Kentucky coach John Calipari for a while, admiring his work. However, he feels they "Are in the same boat" and looks to prove that Tuesday night.
When discussing the matchup between the two teams, Larrañaga acknowledged that the Wildcats play very similarly to them with high-tempo and high-scoring offenses. Miami is currently averaging 89 points per game this season while Kentucky is at 94.3 per game.
Regarding the key players for Kentucky that Larrañaga and his staff have their eyes on, he first mentioned freshman D.J. Wagner who will likely be seeing a lot of Bensley Joseph in this matchup. Along with talking about some of the other key players, Larrañaga mentioned, "They just have so much talent...you can't just worry about one guy".
While Kentucky is a feared opponent, a player that the Wildcats will be prioritizing on Norchad Omier and his paint presence. Up to 15.8 points per game on the season, he's been a far better offensive player than he was during the 2022-23 campaign.
As a team, Omier stated, "(We need to) be confident but take it one game at a time". For this Miami team that's the way they need to stay, as last time the Hurricanes started a season off 5-0 they ended up losing the next four.
However, what might end up being the biggest long-term impact from this game is recruiting, as Coach Larrañaga knows the bump Miami's recruiting would receive with a win at Rupp Arena. The Hurricanes currently sit at number nine in the nation in recruiting for the 2024 cycle per 247 Sports highlighted by five-star Jalil Bethea.
Expected to enter the game Tuesday night as underdogs, Miami gets the chance to finally get the national recognition they deserve after consecutive Elite Eight runs, including the 2023 Final Four.
2023-24 Miami Hurricanes Basketball Schedule
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You can find Liam on Twitter @theleftyliam where he shares news on University of Miami basketball and football as well as opinions