CaneSport TV: Up close with Miami Hurricanes PG Bensley Joseph
While transfer Nijel Pack was brought in to start at point guard for the Miami Hurricanes and fill the shoes of the departing Charlie Moore, backup point guard Bensley Joseph is valuable to this team in his own right.
While Joseph doesn’t have the scoring punch or playmaking ability of the high-octane scoring Pack, he is a defensive standout and strong ball-handler/distributor.
His role?
“I expect high things for myself, personal goals,” Joseph said. “Trying to be one of the top defenders in the country, lead by team by being one of the top floor generals as well.”
In practices it’s Joseph that goes against Pack quite a bit, and he says Pack’s one of the best pure knockdown shooters he’s seen.
“I try to make it hard for him, as much as possible,” Joseph said. “He’s a shooter, a talented scorer. Great pace with the ball, hard to guard. … His IQ is underrated, I feel people don’t give him credit for that.
“He’s a terrific shooter as everyone knows, can score lights-out. He’s in the ACC now, I have a year under me, so going to show him what he’s going to expect from other teams. Just making it hard on him. … We’re just pushing each other at a high rate.”
Oh, and they have a little trash talk now and then, it appears.
“I don’t want to get into me and him, because I lock him up!” Joseph says before adding “We go back and forth. He’s really a talented scorer, talented player.”
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Last season as a true freshman Joseph played as a backup in the final 36 games and averaged 2.3 points while shooting 18 of 39 (39.5 percent).
“(This offseason I worked on) lots of shooting, floaters in my game and defense,” Joseph said. “Trying to stay in the best shape I can. Also a big one was reads and being a point guard. I learned a lot (watching Charlie Moore) and playing alongside him. Taking a lot of what he did last year to bring to my game this year.”
Out of high school Joseph was a consensus 4-star recruit and chose Miami over BC, Georgetown, Marquette and Providence.
The goal that Joseph has for this Miami Hurricanes team?
“As a team get back to the Elite Eight – I believe as a team if we all buy in and start clicking together we can make that run possible,” Joseph said. “I see things shaping up like a gel-together team.”
