Jim Larranaga expects to get Nijel Pack, Wooga Poplar, Norchad Omier back next season

Jim Larranaga has produced two dream seasons for the Miami Hurricanes, making deep NCAA Tournament runs in both. This year resulted in a trip to Houston for the Final Four — the first in program history. A special group of players has been in Coral Gables and according to the head coach, some might be returning for another go-round.

When speaking to the media, Larranaga revealed he expects at least three players to return. Nijel Pack, Wooga Poplar, and Norchad Omier will be back in a Miami uniform next season according to their head coach. Larranaga did admit you can never fully know with how college basketball operates these days.

“I have had discussions with all of them,” Larranaga said. “And I will say — I’m counting on them for next year. Conversations with player today, you can’t predict anything. I think those guys are planning to come back. Who the heck knows in today’s college basketball world?”

If any of the three are going to leave, the deadline for the NBA Draft is upcoming. Players have until April 23 to enter their name but of course, can always keep an avenue open to the college game.

From a scoring perspective, Pack, Poplar, and Omier were all in the top five for Miami during the 2022-2023 season. Poplar was the only one not averaging double-figures but was close behind at 8.4 points per game. Omier was the team’s leading rebounder, snagging 10 boards per game.

Pack is a welcomed surprise back after being an addition via the NCAA transfer portal. He previously played for Kansas State but immediately made an impact for Larranaga. An average of 13.6 points per game was good enough to land him third on the squad.

While this is all good news for Hurricane fans, here is one key piece Miami will be without next year. Isaiah Wong has declared for the 2023 NBA Draft and he will not maintain his college eligibility. If another Final Four run is going to be on the table, replacing Wong’s leadership will be the biggest challenge. Or, if there is a step forward taken in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, a national championship appearance is in the cards.

Thankfully, the Hurricanes have the nice trio of Pack, Poplar, and Omier expected to be on the roster. As Larranaga pointed out, nothing is official until it’s official. But he seems to have their word that they will all be back in the program this year.