CaneSport TV: Up close with Wooga Poplar, who is looking for bigger role in Year 2 with Miami Hurricanes hoops
Sophomore guard/forward Wooga Poplar got valuable experience for the Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball team last season, playing in 34 games and averaging 2.3 points and 1.4 points in 8.6 minutes per game.
While it’s expected he will still be coming off the bench this season, his role could be expanded as the 6-5 guard will help make up for the departure of Kam McGusty.
For Poplar, who began playing basketball in 10th grade, last year when he got in games he was still kind of swimming.
“Last year it helped me a lot, the game was moving really fast for me, so I feel it’s kind of slowing down now and I learned a lot from our previous guys,” Poplar said. “I got thrown into the fire. The game was moving too fast for me, I wasn’t comfortable, really wasn’t playing that much.
“I’m ready this year. Now this yewar a big jump and you’re just going to have to see.”
Poplar says he sees a key aspect of his game he’s developed that can help Miami win games: Defense.
“My role is playing defense, doing all the dirty work, knocking down open shots, getting open shots (for his teammates),” Poplar said. “In high school, defense wasn’t really a problem for me because high school defense is not really defense. I felt I always could play defense, just didn’t know how to do it the right way. Once I came to Miami and they showed me all the fundamentals of defense, I feel that’s when it got better. Now I just want to play defense and hit open shots.
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“I’m trying to be a better basketball player in general – being more consistent, everything. I just want to do whatever will help my team win. It’s not about me. Whatever will make the team win, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Poplar knows this is a team that has to replace some pieces – namely McGusty, floor leader/ball distributor Charlie Moore and do-everything 4-man Sam Waardenburg.
The Canes added key pieces with transfer PG Nijel Pack and big man Norchad Omier transferring in.
Miami also returns high-scoring 2 guard Isaiah Wong and a solid scoring/rebounding option with Jordan Miller.
“The chemistry is even better from the summertime, has always been good,” Poplar said. “Now we’re really getting it together, the chemistry is really going well.”
