How Does Dylan Disu's Injury Impact Texas vs Miami?
The Miami Hurricanes have advanced to the Elite 8 after dismantling Houston 89-75.
The Canes will now take on the Texas Longhorns. There’s an interesting injury situation that has created several questions, however.
Despite Texas knocking off Xavier 83-71, the bone bruise to multi-talented forward Dylan Disu has him in a walking boot.
Maybe that's why the opening line by the SI Sportsbook has Texas -4. After being a #2 seed and playing so well thus far during the NCAA Tournament, it might have been a higher number with a healthy Disu.
Will #5 seeded Miami be preparing for a completely different team, or will the Canes still be going against a squad that will present plenty of firepower?
Miami's post players Norchad Omier and Anthony Walker would have less height to worry about, and that’s also a potential NBA player not being in the Texas lineup in general.
There should be multiple ways that Jim Larrañaga and his second Elite 8 team in a row prepare for Texas. It’s a roster with different types of talent from guards to low post players. Just ask Xavier after it trailed for the entire game last night.
Before going into options for Disu's replacement, also note that Texas has serious guard talent like Tyrese Hunter that scored 19 versus Xavier, as well as fellow starting guard Marcus Carr, as he notched 18 points versus Xavier as well. Both of them have been consistent scorers this season.
More about the guard matchups in another article that's coming up at All Hurricanes.
For now, here are some of the questions that Larrañaga and his staff will be faced with while preparing to play against Disu or not.
1) What would Texas lose if Disu does not play?
He’s a rare 6-foot-9 and 225-pound forward that can score off the dribble, even if he starts above the 3-point line. In short, he can be a difference-maker at times.
From the Feb. 25 game against Baylor when he scored 24 points until his injury, he’s been one of the best offensive weapons in the Big 12 and college basketball.
Since the Baylor game, Disu scored in double digits in every game but one – a 9 point performance versus Kansas in which he played only 11 minutes – which proved his confidence has been at a season high.
Disu’s 8.8 scoring average might seem puzzling; it should. He’s very talented but just recently put it all together. He’s found a way to consistently score despite not being a tremendous shooter from behind the arc, as Disu has only hit 31.3% of shots from deep.
That’s a lot of talent to lose if the Longhorns do in fact go without him against the Hurricanes.
2) Will Miami’s defense be able to win more end-of-the-shot clock battles without Disu in the lineup?
The point above about Disu being able to take his defender off the bounce should not go unnoticed. Sometimes a talented player must create a shot. Disu has been a proven commodity for scoring with a hand in his face. Therefore, edge to the Canes if he’s sitting on the bench.
Of course Miami would gain an advantage if he’s not playing. That’s simply one less talented scoring option for Miami to worry about. Still, that presents another potential issue, which has been addressed in question No. 3.
3) Which player will step up in Disu’s absence if his injury persists and keeps him on the bench?
Based on the Xavier game, senior forward Christian Bishop should be the player Miami should definitely consider Disu’s replacement. He came off the bench and basically took over where Disu had left off during previous contests.
Bishop went 8 for 12 from the floor, 2 for 2 from the foul line, for an 18-point effort against the Musketeers. He also pulled down 9 rebounds.
To say the least, Texas did not miss Disu last night. Which should be considered rare.
Think about it for a moment. How many teams can afford to lose the rare all-around skills of Disu? Texas just placed a 6-foot-7 and 220-pound athlete into the contest and watched him dismantle a physical Xavier front line.
In short, Texas will be just fine overall. The only major question would be how often Bishop could consistently create his own scoring chances at the end of the shot clock like Disu? Other than that, he’s more than capable of giving Miami fits down in the post.
There’s also another player that can step up that’s already in the lineup for the Longhorns.
4) Will another Texas starting forward make up for Disu being out of the lineup?
Yet another long and lean athlete for the Longhorns would be Timmy Allen, as he’s 6-foot-6 and 210 pounds. He’s the other starting forward in the lineup for the Longhorns that sees his name called for set plays.
He’s averaged 10.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per contest so far this season.
As for big performances, Allen dropped 21 points on Illinois on Dec. 6, as well as having scored 15 or more points in a game 10 separate times.
He’s not a major 3-point threat. Allen has done the majority of his work in transition, from mid-range, and at the rim. Regardless of Disu’s status on Sunday, the matchup with Allen will be interesting.
If he goes one-on-one with Miami’s Jordan Miller throught the game, that’s a great matchup to zone in on as it could be the determining factor for which teams goes to the NCAA Final 4. Those two players mirror one another in terms of athleticism, and their sizes are similar as well.
5) What about a wildcard player for Texas?
Perhaps texas interim head coach Eric Terry calls on a talented first-year player to add scoring?
From just outside of Tampa in Spring Hill, Fla., that’s where Dillon Mitchell came from prior to enrolling at Monte Verde Academy in Clermont, Fla. He signed with Texas as a highly touted prospect. He’s a freshman, but again, the talent has been proven with a tremendous offer list out of the prep ranks.
Mitchell was ranked the No. 5 overall prospect in the land by 247 Sports. He’s not been a primary scoring option, however, and perhaps he will get a few more looks at the rim if Disu does not start versus Miami.
For the season, the 6-foot-8 and 205-pound first-year college player has averaged 4.4 points and 3.9 rebounds.
AllHurricanes.com is your home for all things Miami Hurricanes football, recruiting, basketball and other athletics, all the time. Follow along on social media at @AllHurricanes on Twitter and All Hurricanes on Facebook for round-the-clock news and analysis.
Fan Nation High school football recruiting analyst covering the state of Florida, as well as across the Southeastern United States and the state of Texas.