One of Monday night’s best individual battles is hiding right in the lane.
When No. 14 Miami opens against No.
1 Florida in Tampa, the spotlight will land on two Nigerian big men who already have history: Miami transfer Somto Cyril and Florida’s Rueben Chinyelu. The rematch comes after a chippy, controversial meeting last January that ended with Cyril being tossed.
The game tips at 6 p.m. ET at Benchmark International Arena in the Orion180 Tip-Off Classic.
Their last collision came in Gainesville, and it didn’t last long for Cyril. In Georgia’s 92-77 loss at Florida, he was ejected midway through the first half after officials reviewed the play and upgraded it to a flagrant-2 foul.
After a made basket, the two were fighting for space under the rim when Cyril swung his arm and fist toward Chinyelu. The original call was a common foul, but the replay changed everything.
Florida then ripped off the next eight points and stretched the lead quickly. Cyril was seen apologizing to Georgia coach Mike White as he left the floor to a chorus of boos.
Now he arrives at Miami after a breakout sophomore year at Georgia that put him on the map as one of the SEC’s most disruptive defensive bigs. He led the conference and ranked 13th nationally with 2.2 blocks per game, finished as the nation’s leader with 83 dunks and earned a spot on the SEC All-Defensive Team.
He also gave Georgia real efficiency around the basket. The 6-foot-11 center set a school record by hitting 75.9% of his shots from the field, going 120-of-158. He finished the season at 9.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while climbing into Georgia’s single-season block leaders.
Chinyelu brings his own bruising presence to the matchup. He enters the season as the reigning Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, becoming the first Florida player to win the award.
Last season he averaged 11.2 rebounds per game, making him the first Gator in 50 years to average double figures on the glass. He also scored 10.9 points per game and ranked among the nation’s top rebounders.
So while the rankings say Miami-Florida, the paint may decide the night.
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