With an Exceptional 11–2 Tally, Are Miami Hurricanes the Dark Horse in ACC?

2024 has started with a sensational spell. At least so for the Miami Hurricanes who decimated the Clemson Tigers by a respectable margin of 95-82 during their clash at the BankUnited Center on Wednesday. It was a huge win for the Miami as the Clemson were positioned at the 16th spot in the AP Polls. This was one of the major upsets that took place in the new year. 

This has all the critics wondering if the Miami are the dark horse and can win the ACC. Getting to a conclusion will only be possible when we take into account the collective effort of the Miami without which this win wouldn’t have been possible. But surprisingly the Miami hasn’t performed up to the mark every time.

Miami’s heroics

For the Miami their starting five raked in double digits. The highest scorer for the match was the Miami guard Nijel Pack who throttled 25 points. Other than that, their guard Matthew Cleveland and forward Norchad Omier besotted 23 points each. The supporting role was played by their other guards Kyshawn George and Bensley Joseph who soused 12 points each. Each of their starting five also contributed their part with rebounds and assists. Thus it was a comprehensive team effort with every athlete stepping in at the right moment and helping the Hurricanes over the finish line.

The win came as a surprise for many since the second-highest scorer in the Miami’s roster their guard Wooga Poplar was absent during the game. For the unversed, Poplar had injured the ankle during his game against the North Florida, which his team won by a blowout margin of 95-55. To the elation of the Miami fans, they continued their on-song performance and started their new year by giving an upset. For the record, Poplar averaged a whopping 16.2 points per game with 5.2 rebounds per match. 

The Miami applied their offensive strategies and were almost unstoppable, especially in the second half. While during the first half, the Hurricanes had a 35-41 tally against the Tigers, the former came back in the second half to throttle 60 points as opposed to the Tigers’ 41.

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The Clemson weren’t at the best of their defense and credit also goes to Pack who displayed his exemplary shooting skills. He has an astounding 8-for-13 field goals along with a credible 3-for-4 three-pointers. Furthermore, the Indianapolis-born had a cent percent free throw percentage. But the Miami’s campaign hasn’t been a cakewalk.

Miami’s Embarrassment 

They were defeated in the tournament previously by the Kentucky Wildcats and the Colorado Buffaloes. The Miami lost by a humiliating margin of 73-95 against the Wildcats. Only two of their core players namely forward Norchad Omier and Poplar amped up their game by smashing 20 and 19 points respectively. The rest of the Miami tried to make sense of the game and lost it without putting in much effort. Their tail failed in putting up a decent show against the Kentucky. 

History repeated itself during their game against the Colorado Buffaloes when the Miami could only score 63 points against the Buffaloes 90. Cleveland was the highest scorer for the Miami with 17 points whereas Omier stood second with 12. Poplar as usual tried to help his team over the finish line by playing the role of the third player with 11 points. However, the Miami were destined to lose the game since their other players did not provide much assistance and the Hurricanes were left hanging at 63. 

The first half was a neck-to-neck competition with the Miami scoring 36 and the Buffs edging past with 37. The next half however saw the Buffs completely dominating the Hurricanes by a 53-27 margin. Thus, winning their recent game against the Clemson shows the Miami resolve of strengthening their fourth and fifth player and giving and all round performance, fructifying to a major extent. Does this translate to winning the ACC? Or the Miami are yet to play against major teams?

Do you think the Miami are the dark horse?

The addition of Cleveland and George are the two athletes who can be given credit for the Miami’s victory. George lacked a feel for time and score which has been solved to a great degree as he has displayed top-notch skills in this game. He was able to become a scoring threat for the opposition which is a good sign for the Miami. Apart from him, credit also goes to Joseph for being his best from coast to coast. And of course, all of it wouldn’t have been possible without Pack who unleashed a rampage in the second half. 

The Miami have performed great in this game and have an 11-2 tally. But more of their gameplay remains to be seen against formidable teams such as the North Carolina and the Duke Blue Devils. If they are to win the ACC, they will have to put up a collective performance against big teams and win those games. From their previous performances this year it is obvious that they can’t conquer all relying chiefly on one or two players. Instead, it has to be a unified contribution that can help them reach new heights.

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The biggest issue for the Miami has been their depth along with their defense. They are more of a perimeter-oriented team and have a loose backcourt. Though they are skilled offensively and can give nightmares to their opponents, their defense has been a major concern. Their rim protection is also substandard. If the Miami can get eight to nine players and have a good bench strength along with a daunting defense then can surely win the ACC.