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What are your expectations for Miami basketball in 2024-25?

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Best case. We stay healthy. The rotation sorts itself out at guard. Matt plays stellar at the 3. Huie is able to become a legit enough ACC big. Jalil is as good as advertised. Top 3 in the ACC and we make it to the sweet 16 (possibly further).

Worst case: The log jam at guard creates chemistry issues with guys like Stanton-McCray. Jalil somehow struggles early and doesn't see the court much creating a negative feedback loop. Injuries up front force guys like Johnson-Arigu to play more. We get embarrassed early vs Arkansas. Brandon Johnson struggles against ACC rosters. We're wildly inconsistent in conference play beating teams like UNC but losing to teams like BC. We get swept by FSU. When the season is over we finish 10th or so in the ACC.
 
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Chris Farley Idk GIF
 
casualcane said:
Best case. We stay healthy. The rotation sorts itself out at guard. Matt plays stellar at the 3. Huie is able to become a legit enough ACC big. Jalil is as good as advertised. Top 3 in the ACC and we make it to the sweet 16 (possibly further).

Worst case: The log jam at guard creates chemistry issues with guys like Stanton-McCray. Jalil somehow struggles early and doesn't see the court much creating a negative feedback loop. Injuries up front force guys like Johnson-Arigu to play more. We get embarrassed early vs Arkansas. Brandon Johnson struggles against ACC rosters. We're wildly inconsistent in conference play beating teams like UNC but losing to teams like BC. We get swept by FSU. When the season is over we finish 10th or so in the ACC.
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Above is pretty spot on. Can go either way. So many new players. Let's see how they mesh.
 
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Who's our "secret scrimmage" with, and when? I see Wooga had 15 when Villanova and Penn State (I think) met recently.
 
i think this team missed adding one more crucial piece. I think we will be middle of the pack ACC with hopes of making the tourney right up till February.
 
I think we're going to end up with around 20 wins, give or take a couple of wins/losses depending on how things shake out. There's definitely some talent on the team. Our strength should be our experience and depth. This team has plenty of 4th/5th year players that should bode well for us. Most of the guys should be hungry and anxious to play great in hopes of giving themselves an opportunity at the next level. I'd expect the upperclassmen to be able to carry us through the regular season and if we're fortunate enough into a deep post-season run. We should be able to go 8-9 deep without much of a drop off. However, with that being said I think there are a few questions at the guard position that need to be answered. Pack's health is one. He needs to stay healthy. Missed a lot of games last season due to back, ankle and knee injuries. Hopefully, those are a thing of the past and we'll be able to get a full slate of games from him. Going to be difficult to have any kind of success without him on the floor. With the newcomers, how will Blackmon and Stanton-McCray adjust to playing in the ACC? This is certainly another question that needs to be posed. One thing is to do it at the mid-major level like at Stetson and Samford, but it's a whole 'nother story being able to do it in the ACC. Particularly for guards. Not trying to put any added pressure on Bethea, but we're going to need some production from him at some point. I don't expect him to start the season off blazing, but would be nice if over the course of the regular season we can get double digit ppg out of him. I'm not too concerned with our other positions. I think Cleveland has the most upside from the rest of the bunch. I expect to get solid production from the other 3 newcomers in Lynn Kidd, Brandon Johnson, and Kirk Huie. The transition for big guys is usually a bit easier and a lot smoother. Playing with effort and energy, rebounding and contesting shots is easily more transferable than being put in charge of running the offense and knocking down shots.

If all goes well, I expect we'll be an NCAA Tournament team once again and with some luck we may be able to make a run once there.

My predictions for the rotation to start the season opener are as follows:

G- Nijel Pack
G- Jalen Blackmon
F- Matt Cleveland
F- Brandon Johnson
F- Lynn Kidd

6th- AJ McCray
7th- Kirk Huie
8th- Jalil Bethea
9th- Paul Djobet
10th- Austin Swartz
 
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8/16 run would be nice. End in the 10-20 range.

Duke is the only team I know on paper should lose at most 4 games. Beyond that the conf seems pretty wide open with new faces and teams in the same boat as us.
 
Sweet 16 is realistically attainable. We have the starting pieces and we have the depth. I’m also incredibly biased but I think we have a very focused, experienced group of players who see their individual goals connected to the team’s goals.

Does anyone know the average age of our starting 5? It has to be at least 21. That helps at tourney time.
 
If Pack and Cleveland play great, and to their capability the team can be a top 6-7 ACC team, and make the tournament. Another season of injuries, and inconsistent lineups, and they will be a bottom 3rd ACC team.
 
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From what I’ve read I think Djobet could see time at the 4. Not sure how serviceable the Yale big is
 
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