After the Canes’ unexpected loss in the first round of the NCAA tournament, the prep for next season has officially commenced. Finding out that Lonnie Walker (hired an agent, definitely gone) as well as Bruce Brown and Dewan Huell (did not hire agents, can possibly return) all announced their intentions to enter the NBA Draft, Miami’s coaching staff suddenly finds themselves in a sticky situation. Unfortunately with the impending NCAA investigation, Miami has had very little luck with recruiting. The coaching staff has instead turned to the transfer market to see who will be able to fill the shoes of three outstanding players. Miami is also no stranger to working their magic with transfers in the past, as they’ve been able to land guys like Sheldon McClellan and Miles Wilson. Wilson is beginning his UM career next season after transferring from Mount St. Mary’s and sitting out (and redshirting) last season due to transfer rules. Here are excerpts on two players that are considering making the move to Coral Gables:
Kameron McGusty
Hailing from Katy, Texas, McGusty is choosing to transfer from the University of Oklahoma after two seasons, so he will have to sit out a year before having two years of eligibility left. Kameron has narrowed his list of suitors to just three: Virginia Tech, Houston, and Miami. He is actually making his way to Coral Gables as we speak for a visit this weekend. The 6’5” guard had a fantastic freshman season for the Sooners, playing in all 31 games and averaging 14 points/game in conference play while earning an All Big-12 honorable mention. He even enjoyed a nice streak of scoring in double-figures for 15 consecutive games. During his sophomore season however, his numbers took a slight dip due to some guy named Trae Young taking over the offense. McGusty started 8 games during his sophomore season in contrast to 17 the year before. With a long, lanky figure and a playing style most similar (in my opinion) to the style of Dorell Wright, McGusty should be an instant contributor after sitting out a year.
Zach Johnson
Shooting guard Zach Johnson is currently seeking a graduate transfer from Florida-Gulf Coast with one year of eligibility left. A South Florida native, Johnson spent 3 years playing at Miramar High School before transferring to Miami Norland for his senior season and teaming up with current Hurricane forward Dewan Huell for a state championship. According to Jeff Borzello of ESPN, Johnson has heard from a multitude of Power 5 schools, including Miami. However, what makes the chase for Johnson very unique is that he has also chosen to enter the NBA Draft without hiring an agent. Each team recruiting him will have to perform double duty in swaying him to attend their school as well as convincing him to hold off entering the draft. Zach can score in volumes, as he averaged 16.1 points/game this past season for the Eagles and even dropped a light 37 points in the Atlantic Sun conference championship game. Luckily for the Canes, they have the homecoming pitch working in their favor as well as a possible reunion with Huell. Johnson should be a very dependable scorer for the Canes should he decide to bring his talents back home.
Overall, Miami has made a lot of progress with McGusty considering they’ve been able to get a visit from him. Johnson’s recruitment is still in the primitive stages as he’s still getting calls from a ton of schools so let’s hope Jim Larranaga can work his magic.
Kameron McGusty
Hailing from Katy, Texas, McGusty is choosing to transfer from the University of Oklahoma after two seasons, so he will have to sit out a year before having two years of eligibility left. Kameron has narrowed his list of suitors to just three: Virginia Tech, Houston, and Miami. He is actually making his way to Coral Gables as we speak for a visit this weekend. The 6’5” guard had a fantastic freshman season for the Sooners, playing in all 31 games and averaging 14 points/game in conference play while earning an All Big-12 honorable mention. He even enjoyed a nice streak of scoring in double-figures for 15 consecutive games. During his sophomore season however, his numbers took a slight dip due to some guy named Trae Young taking over the offense. McGusty started 8 games during his sophomore season in contrast to 17 the year before. With a long, lanky figure and a playing style most similar (in my opinion) to the style of Dorell Wright, McGusty should be an instant contributor after sitting out a year.
Zach Johnson
Shooting guard Zach Johnson is currently seeking a graduate transfer from Florida-Gulf Coast with one year of eligibility left. A South Florida native, Johnson spent 3 years playing at Miramar High School before transferring to Miami Norland for his senior season and teaming up with current Hurricane forward Dewan Huell for a state championship. According to Jeff Borzello of ESPN, Johnson has heard from a multitude of Power 5 schools, including Miami. However, what makes the chase for Johnson very unique is that he has also chosen to enter the NBA Draft without hiring an agent. Each team recruiting him will have to perform double duty in swaying him to attend their school as well as convincing him to hold off entering the draft. Zach can score in volumes, as he averaged 16.1 points/game this past season for the Eagles and even dropped a light 37 points in the Atlantic Sun conference championship game. Luckily for the Canes, they have the homecoming pitch working in their favor as well as a possible reunion with Huell. Johnson should be a very dependable scorer for the Canes should he decide to bring his talents back home.
Overall, Miami has made a lot of progress with McGusty considering they’ve been able to get a visit from him. Johnson’s recruitment is still in the primitive stages as he’s still getting calls from a ton of schools so let’s hope Jim Larranaga can work his magic.
