Preseason Tip-Off: Miami Beats TCNJ 111-54 In Exhibition

Thoughts On Miami's Exhibition And What It Tells Us About The Team Going Into The Season

Brian Smith, All Hurricanes

In a night where Miami was without one of their best players in Wooga Poplar, the Hurricanes got everyone going in a dominating 111-54 win over The College of New Jersey (TCNJ).

Leading the way for Miami was Norchad Omier, who has made significant strides since last season. Omier posted a double-double with 23 points and 12 rebounds on the night. He flashed a revamped jump shot and tighter handle, as it seems those were areas of focus after talking with scouts this offseason.

Nijel Pack and Matthew Cleveland also made their marks on the game, with 13 and 11 points respectively. Pack finished with seven assists, while Cleveland had nine rebounds. Bensley Joseph ended the night as the leading assist man, dishing out eight for the Hurricanes.

In place of Poplar, freshman guard Kyshawn George got the start and showed that he'll be a top reserve option for head coach Jim Larrañaga. After an inconsistent first half, George didn't miss a shot in the second and ended with 12 points. There's no doubt that the professional experience has helped George in this transition so far.

As goes for the rest of the team, it appears Miami's bench might not be as big of a problem as previously thought. Miami's top recruit in this past class Michael Nwoko showed he can really be the backup big this team needs with 16 points and seven rebounds. "He's got a really good game when he sticks with it" and that's what he did tonight.

Christian Watson and AJ Casey both flashed as well, as it looks like Miami has a solid nine-man rotation going into this season.

In terms of the regular season, Miami tips off the 2023-24 season campaign with NJIT next Monday November 6th at 7:00 PM.

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