Miami players share initial reactions to arriving at Final Four

The Final Four is special for many reasons, and the spotlight put on the kids on the court is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for some.

Arriving at NRG Stadium in Houston for the first time ahead of this weekend’s national semifinals, Miami‘s Isaiah Wong said it’s a great time to be a Miami Hurricane. He’s counted his blessings, and teammate Jordan Miller is in the same boat. He and his teammates have worked all season long for the opportunity, but no ‘Cane summed up the last month better than sophomore guard Bensley Joseph.

“I am just living this experience, it’s a dream come true,” Joseph said Thursday. “A lot of people in the world dream about playing in the Final Four, and it’s a blessing. We put in a lot of hard work all season, and this is the time now, so we’re just here to experience it.”

When Joseph committed to Miami, the Hurricanes had just finished a 10-17 abbreviated 2020 season. He’s stuck true to his commitment and it has paid off big time. He didn’t commit with the hopes of being a Final Four contender each year, but perhaps because he believed in head coach Jim Larranaga’s philosophy enough to take the chance.

Joseph has averaged 16.6 minutes per game for Miami over the past two seasons. His role was extended a bit as a sophomore, and he has averaged 5.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists this season. Miami’s talented backcourt doesn’t allow him extended minutes on the floor like Wong and Miller, but he’s been a serviceable body for Miami and is only expected to improve over the next couple of seasons — which makes this Final Four experience even more important for the former four-star recruit.

Experience is something no one in this year’s Final Four group has — except for Jim Larranaga. It has been almost two decades since he led George Mason to the 2006 Final Four, but Larranaga’s message to his team before the game was akin to the one he gave the Patriots 17 years ago.

“Have more fun,” he said. “Basketball is a game. You want to enjoy it. You don’t want to put a lot of pressure on yourself and be all stressed out. It’s very hard to play when you’re uptight and you’re worried about the score or maybe the opponent. You really have to execute the game plan. That means every player doing their job executing their role.

“We’ve been able to do that so far and hopefully, we’ll do it on Saturday.”

Tip-off between the Hurricanes and Huskies will immediately follow the first of the two Final Four games between FAU and San Diego State. UConn is a 5.5-point favorite heading into the weekend.