No. 17 Miami heads into its matchup with North Alabama carrying momentum, but also a few clear things to clean up.
The Hurricanes are 2-1 after rolling past North Florida 89-51, a game they controlled by owning the paint and building everything from the inside out. Even with the blowout win, Miami still has work to do as it settles into Jai Lucas’ system.
The offense has looked sharper since the loss to No. 1 Florida, but Lucas said the group is still sorting through how to handle the number of bodies on the floor at times.
That’s why the focus now is on a tighter rotation and better spacing ahead of the next “buy game” against North Alabama.
One of the biggest points of attention is sophomore guard Lewis, who scored just two points against North Florida but filled a very different role. Lucas said the guard’s value went well beyond the box score.
“You know, when you watch him, you can forget he's a sophomore because of how talented he is, and he's still learning to play the position,” Lucas said about Lewis. “And now we're asking him to play the position a little bit differently than he did last year.
Last year, they needed him to score a lot. We don't need him to score as much.
We need him to score, but not as much. But we really need him to get the ball in places when it needs to get there.
“So he's going through adjustment period.I thought he didn't score well, but I thought he played one his best floor game of the year, including Vanderbilt. I know he had 10 assists, but his reads, his ability to get the ball out of his hand quick, um getting it to multiple people, taking care of everybody, kind of setting the table, I thought was huge for us.”
Miami’s last outing also showed how much the Hurricanes can overwhelm teams on the glass. They hit only five threes against North Florida, but still finished with 63 rebounds.
North Alabama, meanwhile, comes in after a strong showing against Oklahoma. The Lions sneaked out a win against the SEC team, and Mike Evbagharu led the way with 27 points while missing only one shot, keeping the game tight throughout the second half.
The programs have never met before, so this will be the first matchup between Miami and North Alabama.
In Other News...
Miami Defense Suddenly Has A New Secondary Concern Before Duke
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If Poyser cant go, Miami does have backup options lined up to handle the safety spot, which at least gives the staff some flexibility. Still, any uncertainty in the back end is worth watching closely against a Duke offense that will test communication and depth, making Poysers status one of the more important items on the pregame checklist. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Gets An Early Test Of How Real This Start Is
No. 17 Miami gets a chance to keep building early momentum Friday when North Alabama comes to town for a 5 p.m. ET matchup at home. Both teams enter at 2-1, which gives this one a little more substance than the usual November tune-up, especially for a Hurricanes group coming off a win over North Florida and looking to show its start is more than just a fast opening stretch.
North Alabama arrives after a loss to Oklahoma, so the Lions will have their own motivation to steady things against a ranked opponent on the road. The game will air on ACC Network with Mike Corey and Tom Crean on the call, giving Miami another early-season stage to answer the first real question of the year: how much of this start can hold up once the schedule starts to ask more of it? [Read more 🡒]
Malachi Toney Still Has A Heisman Case Miami Fans Will Debate
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Toneys case is built less on the current betting market and more on what he had already shown before the setback, which is why the conversation around him has not gone away. Even with the injury clouding the finish, his season has been strong enough to make him a legitimate finalist-level talking point, and that is the kind of unresolved Heisman thread Miami supporters are likely to keep arguing about as the year winds down. [Read more 🡒]