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GAME THREAD: Miami vs. Coppin State

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We will get a much better idea of where this team is at after the upcoming tourney when we face some better comp. I really do like the depth potential of this team (particularly compared to the skeletally thin rosters we have rolled out since the 2017-2018). However, I do expect we see some growing pains in non-con as Coach L figures out which lineups/combinations are the most effective.
 
JackMcClinton89 said:
We will get a much better idea of where this team is at after the upcoming tourney when we face some better comp. I really do like the depth potential of this team (particularly compared to the skeletally thin rosters we have rolled out since the 2017-2018). However, I do expect we see some growing pains in non-con as Coach L figures out which lineups/combinations are the most effective.
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Agreed… I think at this point I’m comfortable saying Pack, Cleveland, and Johnson are really, really good.

Kidd has done it in the ACC and has the skills but IMO he needs to be a complementary piece.

Blackmon can shoot and is a very smart and savvy player… that translates but I’m still concerned about his athleticism and defense.

AJ can defend at high major level.

Bethea is a stud but he’s finding his legs at this level.

I think Djobet is a glue guy who can give good minutes and defend 1-4.

Divine is a freaking gem. We’ll see as the comp ratchets up but I think he can do it against higher level comp. Gonna be interesting to see how he handles teams with elite rim protectors.

I don’t think Swartz or Johnson Arigu are quite ready.
 
Watching the game now, 11 on Coppin State's gotten stuffed like 10 times and I'm not even through the first half. Even Nijel got him somehow
 
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Trinton Breeze said:
I can confirm that four-star SF Josh Powell is at the Miami vs. Coppin State game
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Josh Powell is an Archbishop Molloy kid from Queens, NY. Same HS as Coach Larranaga graduated from. Not a critical factor but a nice "in" that I'm sure Coacl L will mention in passing.
 
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JackMcClinton89 said:
We will get a much better idea of where this team is at after the upcoming tourney when we face some better comp. I really do like the depth potential of this team (particularly compared to the skeletally thin rosters we have rolled out since the 2017-2018). However, I do expect we see some growing pains in non-con as Coach L figures out which lineups/combinations are the most effective.
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I'm most interested in how we look defensively against better teams. I'll be happy if we hold our own.
 
IncaneInTheBrain said:
Based purely on merit, he'd be the starting point guard
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Nigel had 9 assists and is a better player than Divine right now.

Divine is 0/1 from three for the year. He’s definitely going to be able to help us but it would be surprising if he can maintain his production against high major teams who have athletic guards (that will defend the drive until he proves he can consistently make them pay) and rim protectors.

Again… Divine is an absolute gem and there’s little doubt he’s gonna be a star here, but I don’t think he’s earned the starting point yet.
 
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hotshot said:
I'm most interested in how we look defensively against better teams. I'll be happy if we hold our own.
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This.

This time last year we played Kentucky and got absolutely dusted off the court defensively. Let's see if things have changed on that end.
 
AmherstCane said:
Nigel had 9 assists and is a better player than Divine right now.

Divine is 0/1 from three for the year. He’s definitely going to be able to help us but it would be surprising if he can maintain his production against high major teams who have athletic guards (that will defend the drive until he proves he can consistently make them pay) and rim protectors.

Again… Divine is an absolute gem and there’s little doubt he’s gonna be a star here, but I don’t think he’s earned the starting point yet.
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Love what we've seen of Divine. Amazing, considering he's a true freshman.

Bensley Joseph comes to mind, though, in terms of him always looking good in Nov and Dec, then fading when the ACC schedule hit. I'm sure L won't throw Divine in over his head when ACC play starts in earnest.
 
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Gables Canes said:
We are DEAD LAST in current SoS. 364 out of 364.

So while I've been encouraged by our early results, we've played absolute garbage to start this season. We should know a lot more after this Charleston tournament.
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With that being said, here's what I've observed so far

- Pack has really improved as a distributor. He's avg 7 assists per game. He looks much more comfortable playing the PG role
- Blackmon looks to be a great shooter and smooth scorer overall. I, like others, am concerned about him and Pack out there together when it comes to the defensive end of the floor. Both are small and average athletes.
- Cleveland looks MUCH more comfortable at the 3 spot. We still may need him to play some spot minutes at the 4 while Hueie is out
- Brandon Johnson has impressed me. A true stretch 4 who is smooth, fluid, and rebounds well
- Offense isn't an issue for Kidd. I would like him to be more aggressive as a shot blocker
- Staton McCray looks limited offensively, but I love his defensive tenacity. He does need to watch some of the fouls, though
- Bethea is still getting adjusted but you can see the sky is the limit for him. I'm a bit surprised he's only played 15 minutes per game so far. L is still figuring out the rotations
- Divine was an absolute STEAL. Kid can drive, distribute, and defend. Like D$ and others have pointed out, I'm not sure how he fares as a shooter. The good news is this team has so many shooters that I don't think we'll need him to shoot too much this year
- Djobet has been solid even if his stat line is sort of ugly. He'll be an important glue guy off the bench
- Swartz and Johnson-Arigu are still getting their feet wet

Overall, this team appears to have very good backcourt and wing depth. We're thin up front again though, particularly with Hueie out.
 
hotshot said:
Love what we've seen of Divine. Amazing, considering he's a true freshman.

Bensley Joseph comes to mind, though, in terms of him always looking good in Nov and Dec, then fading when the ACC schedule hit. I'm sure L won't throw Divine in over his head when ACC play starts in earnest.
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Only thing I’d add is that Divine finishes around the rim better as a true freshman than Bensley did as a junior. I have no doubt Bens is a far better shooter today than Divine, but Divine has size and what seems like a better natural finishing ability. And Coach L has a proven track record of making his guys better shooters.

Will be interesting to see if Divine can still penetrate and score against ACC comp. If so… Wong comparisons incoming.
 
AmherstCane said:
Nigel had 9 assists and is a better player than Divine right now.

Divine is 0/1 from three for the year. He’s definitely going to be able to help us but it would be surprising if he can maintain his production against high major teams who have athletic guards (that will defend the drive until he proves he can consistently make them pay) and rim protectors.

Again… Divine is an absolute gem and there’s little doubt he’s gonna be a star here, but I don’t think he’s earned the starting point yet.
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Nijel may better player on the whole, but Divine is a (much) better point guard. Nijel at the point has always been a clunky fit because L's offense requires a guard that can apply rim pressure and find the open man when the defense collapses. Divine's done that more in 3 games than Nijel has his entire career here.

One of Nijel or Jalen next to Divine would be the ideal pairing, but won't happen because they can't put the other on the bench. Instead, we get a kludgy staring backcourt, and dude that's clearly overqualified playing backup PG.
 
DMoney said:
Does anybody have info on Divine's shooting? He's laser-focused on driving, but he's so good there it doesn't matter against this level of competition. His size and physicality stand out live.
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His shot is hot garbage, his jump and his release look disconnected
 
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