Jim Larranaga updates health of Wooga Poplar

Miami upset Clemson on Wednesday, despite being without second-leading scorer Wooga Poplar.

After the win, head coach Jim Larranaga provided an update on Poplar, who is dealing with a sprained ankle.

“[Tuesday] he was limping, so I wasn’t counting on him for [Wednesday]. But then at like Noon, I was hearing he might play,” Larranaga explained. “I was like, ‘Oh, wait a minute… I’ve got to talk to our trainer and find out if that’s true.’ And then I called Sam and he said, ‘I’m working with Wooga and he’s on the treadmill.’ I was like, ‘Oh, that’s a real positive sign.’”

Unfortunately for Larranaga and Miami, Wooga Poplar ended up not being able to suit up.

The good news for the Hurricanes is that they won without him and it doesn’t seem like this will be a long-term injury for the junior.

“After he got off the treadmill he came walking into my office and said, ‘I can’t go. I’m still in pain.’ So he sat out,” Larranaga recalled. “Will Wooga be back by Saturday? It’s anybody’s guess. It’s not somebody who’s sprained ankles before, so when you have a new injury, it’s a little concerning. … Hopefully he’s ready, but if he’s not, the guys who played tonight have to do it again.”

Wooga Poplar is averaging 16.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game on the season. He also leads Miami with an average of 2.5 assists per game.

Jim Larranaga breaks down win over Clemson

Miami was impressive against Clemson on Wednesday, particularly in the second half.

The Hurricanes outscored Clemson 60-41 over the final 20 minutes of the game, despite being without second-leading scorer Wooga Poplar.

After the victory, Larranaga recapped the performance by his team.

“I thought that was a great college basketball game, very entertaining,” Larranaga said. “Both teams played very hard and very well. We had three guys over 20, so from an offensive standpoint, those three guys really played at a very high level.”

Those three players were Nijel Pack with 25 points and Norchad Omier and Matthew Cleveland with 23 points apiece.

The Hurricanes added 12 points each from Bensley Joseph and Kyshawn George. Those five were the only five Miami players who scored.

“We had five guys in double figures and our defense was trying to contest them,” Larranaga said. “They’re such a good offensive team, if you let them get in rhythm and just move the ball the way they like to, every one of their guys can make shots. They did that for a stretch, but we also defended them pretty well and got some stops ourselves.”