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Few observations from Miami-NJIT

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This starting lineup is one of the best we have ever put out, with 4 people that have a shot at All-ACC honors (all 4 won't get it obviously but any one of the 4 could make an All ACC team) and Bensley who although not at that level has good experience in Coach L's system and has a been a part of winning teams.

On the other hand, I am really worried that we have very limited proven depth on the bench, and am very skeptical in anyone other than George really developing into an ACC-caliber role player (I hope I am wrong about Casey/Watson/Nwoko) this season. Coach L really needed to get another PG in the portal to either start and let Bensley be a super sub (i.e. subbing for both guards), or to be a super sub for Bensley/Pack.

Consequently this team is basically one starter getting in foul trouble away from struggling against any top 100 team, and one significant injury away from basically being a bubble team and 2 injuries away from being out of tourney conversation. Now we have been really lucky the last 2 seasons to avoid major injuries, but this lack of depth that has plagued the program since the "scandal" is a problem that will bite us again (as it bit us in 2020 for example).
 
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JackMcClinton89 said:
This starting lineup is one of the best we have ever put out, with 4 people that have a shot at All-ACC honors (all 4 won't get it obviously but any one of the 4 could make an All ACC team) and Bensley who although not at that level has good experience in Coach L's system and has a been a part of winning teams.

On the other hand, I am really worried that we have very limited proven depth on the bench, and am very skeptical in anyone other than George really developing into an ACC-caliber role player (I hope I am wrong about Casey/Watson/Nwoko) this season. Coach L really needed to get another PG in the portal to either start and let Bensley be a super sub (i.e. subbing for both guards), or to be a super sub for Bensley/Pack.

Consequently this team is basically one starter getting in foul trouble away from struggling against any top 100 team, and one significant injury away from basically being a bubble team and 2 injuries away from being out of tourney conversation. Now we have been really lucky the last 2 seasons to avoid major injuries, but this lack of depth that has plagued the program since the "scandal" is a problem that will bite us again (as it bit us in 2020 for example).
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Casey and Nwoko looked very active last night on both ends of the court. You cannot compare the 2020/21 starting 5 with the last 2 years nor this year before the injuries started mounting up. Picking any team in the Top 10 right now and they are 1 or 2 injuries away from watching their season blow up. We are no different. You think Duke is the same team if Filipowski is lost or Purdue loses Edey? Not a team in the country is making the Sweet 16 if they lose key starters. Even Kansas drops off significantly after its base 8. Lose ****enson and/or McCuller and they are in trouble.
 
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JackMcClinton89 said:
This starting lineup is one of the best we have ever put out, with 4 people that have a shot at All-ACC honors (all 4 won't get it obviously but any one of the 4 could make an All ACC team) and Bensley who although not at that level has good experience in Coach L's system and has a been a part of winning teams.

On the other hand, I am really worried that we have very limited proven depth on the bench, and am very skeptical in anyone other than George really developing into an ACC-caliber role player (I hope I am wrong about Casey/Watson/Nwoko) this season. Coach L really needed to get another PG in the portal to either start and let Bensley be a super sub (i.e. subbing for both guards), or to be a super sub for Bensley/Pack.

Consequently this team is basically one starter getting in foul trouble away from struggling against any top 100 team, and one significant injury away from basically being a bubble team and 2 injuries away from being out of tourney conversation. Now we have been really lucky the last 2 seasons to avoid major injuries, but this lack of depth that has plagued the program since the "scandal" is a problem that will bite us again (as it bit us in 2020 for example).
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Idk Angel, Sheldon, Davon, Murphy, and Tonye were all pretty darn good. Same with Shane, Scott, TMJ, Kadji, and Gamble.
 
EltonJohn13 said:
Idk Angel, Sheldon, Davon, Murphy, and Tonye were all pretty darn good. Same with Shane, Scott, TMJ, Kadji, and Gamble.
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Crazy only one player drafted from those two teams combined.

Last year’s team might see 4 of the 5 starters ultimately drafted (Wooga and Omier this year as legit possibilities).

This year could have 3 of the 5 ultimately drafted (Wooga, Omier, and Cleveland)… and I would bet one of George, Casey, and Watson will be drafted.
 
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Pentagon Cane said:
Casey and Nwoko looked very active last night on both ends of the court. You cannot compare the 2020/21 starting 5 with the last 2 years nor this year before the injuries started mounting up. Picking any team in the Top 10 right now and they are 1 or 2 injuries away from watching their season blow up. We are no different. You think Duke is the same team if Filipowski is lost or Purdue loses Edey? Not a team in the country is making the Sweet 16 if they lose key starters. Even Kansas drops off significantly after its base 8. Lose ****enson and/or McCuller and they are in trouble.
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We were very fortunate with few injuries last season. Fingers crossed for this upcoming one.
 
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Peter Ariz said:
Thought about that the other day. Crazy how we went from thinking season was over to not even worrying about it once he took the floor against Drake.
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If he doesn't play against Drake then we don't win that game. I mean it didn't even look like his ankle was bothering him all tournament.
 
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You can tell the people that don't watch college basketball regularly, whenever people start whining about depth. There are few and I mean FEW teams out there with elite depth, mostly because the kind of players that provide that depth aren't content to warm the bench and hit the portal. The days of future NBA players warming the bench at Duke, UNC and other places are long gone, and it wasn't ever a thing at Miami. Miami has more than enough depth and talented role players to survive. The question is which of the young players will take a step up as the season goes on, and honestly, I think it will be Nwoko and George. You can't teach size and athleticism, and even if they aren't dynamite offensively, they will be able to eat minutes as willing defenders.
 
Peter Ariz said:
Here are a handful of my observations from the win over NJIT.





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Wow!!! Norchad's shot looks silky smooth. If not for his body type, you'd think those 3's came from a G or SF. He's definitely improved his game.

Nice to see the Canes have outside threats from basically everyone on the court. That is going to make them very hard to defend.
 
JackMcClinton89 said:
This starting lineup is one of the best we have ever put out, with 4 people that have a shot at All-ACC honors (all 4 won't get it obviously but any one of the 4 could make an All ACC team) and Bensley who although not at that level has good experience in Coach L's system and has a been a part of winning teams.

On the other hand, I am really worried that we have very limited proven depth on the bench, and am very skeptical in anyone other than George really developing into an ACC-caliber role player (I hope I am wrong about Casey/Watson/Nwoko) this season. Coach L really needed to get another PG in the portal to either start and let Bensley be a super sub (i.e. subbing for both guards), or to be a super sub for Bensley/Pack.

Consequently this team is basically one starter getting in foul trouble away from struggling against any top 100 team, and one significant injury away from basically being a bubble team and 2 injuries away from being out of tourney conversation. Now we have been really lucky the last 2 seasons to avoid major injuries, but this lack of depth that has plagued the program since the "scandal" is a problem that will bite us again (as it bit us in 2020 for example).
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Very good points, I just happen to view it from an optimistic stance: not many teams will be able to withstand our top 5-7 players playing Laranaga Ball!
 
JackMcClinton89 said:
This starting lineup is one of the best we have ever put out, with 4 people that have a shot at All-ACC honors (all 4 won't get it obviously but any one of the 4 could make an All ACC team) and Bensley who although not at that level has good experience in Coach L's system and has a been a part of winning teams.

On the other hand, I am really worried that we have very limited proven depth on the bench, and am very skeptical in anyone other than George really developing into an ACC-caliber role player (I hope I am wrong about Casey/Watson/Nwoko) this season. Coach L really needed to get another PG in the portal to either start and let Bensley be a super sub (i.e. subbing for both guards), or to be a super sub for Bensley/Pack.

Consequently this team is basically one starter getting in foul trouble away from struggling against any top 100 team, and one significant injury away from basically being a bubble team and 2 injuries away from being out of tourney conversation. Now we have been really lucky the last 2 seasons to avoid major injuries, but this lack of depth that has plagued the program since the "scandal" is a problem that will bite us again (as it bit us in 2020 for example).
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As opposed to which team in college basketball? I would take a bench group of George, Casey, Watson and Nwoko over pretty much any team in the country. Not to say our bench is great but rather to say that no team has a great bench.
 
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