Miami Hurricanes basketball team working to get healthy for Louisville tomorrow night

A Miami Hurricanes basketball team that isn’t at full strength physically will look to get back on track tomorrow night at the Watsco Center against Louisville off a tough overtime loss at Wake Forest.

Good news for the Canes is that Wooga Poplar has returned to practice (“he’s not 100 percent, sometimes it’s two or three weeks before it’s 100 percent healthy, but you can tape and support the ankle so you can play,” Larranaga said) after missing the last two games with a sprained ankle. Starting guard Nijel Pack and big man Norchad Omier both sprained their ankles last game and also are not at 100 percent. Of those two it’s more likely Pack sits than Omier. Pack didn’t practice yet since the injury.

“I’m assuming they are all going to practice today, but I wouldn’t assume too much (on if all three will start),” Larranaga said. “We want to be at full strength, be healthy.”

The Canes enter the game with an 11-3 record (2-1 ACC), and the team is led scoring-wise by Omier (18.1 PPG, 9.8 RPG), Poplar (16.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG), Matthew Cleveland (15.6 PPG) and Pack (13.7 PPG, 4.0 APG).

A big boost for Miami this year has come from freshman Kyshawn George, who started in Poplar’s place the last two games and had a season-high 21 points in the game against Wake Forest.

When the team is fully healthy again it will be interesting to see if George resumes coming off the bench or perhaps is a starter with Bensley Joseph (9.1 PPG) coming off the bench.

Asked about that, Larranaga said, “I am so confident in my veterans, love the progress (George is making). … Whether he starts or is our sixth man like Joseph did last year (the team will figure it out). Whether Kyshawn starts or comes off the bench, I have to find time for him to play quality minutes.”

George averages 7.1 points per game.

“He showed up in July and was 6-7 (vs. 6-5 when he was first getting recruited by Miami), and by the time the team photo was shot he was 6-8 and 200 (pounds),” Larranaga said. “He’s gotten taller, heavier and stronger – on the court he’s an effortless shooter, has great range, beautiful touch, but the best part is he’s really smart, knows how to play. … He has progressed so well.”

Larranaga says he continues to help George work on his game, with a recent emphasis on his dribbling skills, and Larranaga stressed that the other day he worked with George on that “in my office!”

As for the next opponent for Larranaga, George and this Canes team?

The Cardinals enter with a 5-9 record and have lost three in a row and six of the last seven. “Reeling” might be the right word for UL, and at the same time Miami needs to get things righted on its side off a tough overtime loss to Wake Forest Jan. 6.

Louisville is led by four players that average scoring in double figures: Skyy Clark (14.9 PPG, 2.6 APG), Mike James (13.0 PPG, 5.9 RPG), Tre White (12.7 PPG, 6.1 RPG) and JJ Traynor (10.2 PPG). Brandon Huntley-Hatfield also averages close to a double-double with 9.2 points and 8.6 rebounds.

After Louisville, Miami faces 9-5 Virginia Tech three days later – the Hokies most recently lost to FSU and Wake Forest and face Clemson tomorrow.

“From the beginning we’ve empahsized how much we had to improve rebounding and defensive-wise,” Larranaga said. “We’re 7-1 when we out-rebound the opponent. … From a defensive standpoint I think we’ve made some very calculated improvements. Now can we make it consistent? Because what’s happening on a regular basis is we’re scoring a lot of points but giving up a lot of points – if we can play a little better lockdown defense (that’s key). It’s got to be a little more consistent.”