CaneSport TV: Up close with Miami Hurricanes big man Norchad Omier
The Miami Hurricanes were a small team last year, and coach Jim Larranaga says his roster is even smaller this year.
A guy who will be asked to play big?
That’s Arkansas State transfer center/forward Norchad Omier.
Omier, who picked the Canes over Texas Tech, Florida State and Georgetown, was Sun Belt freshman of the year in 2020-21 and Player of the Year this past season. In 2021-22 as a second-year freshman he averaged 17.9 points and 12.2 rebounds with 2.0 blocks, and the prior year he averaged 12.6 points and 12.3 rebounds.
“It’s good stuff happening down here, the coaches have been showing me a lot, little stuff,” Omier said. “I started playing basketball late, when I was 13. There’s a lot of small stuff coaches have been helping me with a lot. They’ve been great. The knowledge of all the coaches here, it’s amazing.”
For Omier, it’s a homecoming of sorts, since he spent a post-graduate year in high school at Miami Prep under coach Art Alvarez.
Omier’s story will resonate with Cane fans. The Nicaraguan didn’t play basketball until, as mentioned earlier, age 13 and he was lightly recruited before becoming one of the most productive big men in the nation.
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“Coming out of high school I always thought Miami was a great program and my dream school, but I had to make sure it was the right spot for me,” Omier said. “Coming on the visit, talking with the coaches, seeing the style of basketball they play, up and down, running, a really quick team attracted me a lot. I was looking for the right fit for me, and Miami was it.”
At 6-7 and 232 pounds, he was the league Defensive Player of the Year last season and just has the agility and knack for making plays.
His shooting percentage last year was 63.2 percent, so you get an idea that when he gets around the basket the ball’s usually going to find its way into the net.
A small 5 in the ACC, Omier says “I think it’ll be great, trust me. I do feel really confident.
“What I’ve been working on is learning to play with my new teammates – I’m a transfer on a new team. I’ve been working a lot on my three-point shooting – it’s going really good – midrange shooting, just trying to add more stuff to my bag.”
His plan is to help Miami make another big NCAA splash next season.
“Chemistry is great on and off the court, so I think we’re going to do really well,” Omier said.
