No. 14 Miami gets a quick chance to reset after its season-opening loss, and Wagner walks into the kind of matchup that can tell you a lot about where the Hurricanes are right now.
Miami opened with a 77-67 defeat to No. 1 Florida, and the issues showed up where the Hurricanes could least afford them.
The offense had trouble scoring inside, the perimeter game that showed up in the exhibition against Vanderbilt vanished, and some of the team’s top options never found a rhythm. Shelton Henderson had the roughest outing of his college career, going 2-for-13 from the field and failing to make the kind of impact Miami needed.
The arrival of Malik Reneau has also changed the shape of the offense, and it has looked stale so far, something Jai Lucas will need to sort out soon.
That makes Wagner an important next step. The Seahawks are coming off a loss of their own, falling to Boston College and scoring only 50 points. Even so, three players reached double figures against the Eagles, and the game gave Miami another look at an ACC opponent’s defensive pressure.
For the Hurricanes, there were still a few encouraging signs in the Florida loss. Acaden Lewis looked like a star at point guard, even if he has to tighten up his turnover-to-assist ratio and get more involved.
Miami also needs him to have the ball in his hands more so he can better control the offense. The bench is another area that needs a chance to show more, and Caleb Gaskins will be looking to bounce back after early foul trouble in the opener.
Defensively, Miami did have some positive tape from the Florida game, especially against what was described as the best front court in the country. The challenge now is pairing that with a cleaner offensive showing against Wagner.
The two teams have met only once before, and Miami scored 57 points in that game. The exact date of that meeting is not available.
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