Takeaways from Miami Hoops' 79-65 Win Over UNC Greensboro
The Hurricanes used another strong second half to power past UNC Greensboro, 79-65. Miami was led in scoring by guard Jordan Miller, who finished with a game-high 19 points.
Here are five takeaways from the game.
1. Miami starts off slow once again.
The 'Canes trailed after the first half for their second consecutive game, as they were losing to UNC Greensboro, 34-33, heading into the break.
Miami outscored the Spartans 46-31 in the second half, but head coach Jim Larrañaga's team will need to put together better opening halves as the competition level increases.
2. Miami shot well from deep.
After missing its first five 3-point shots, UM made 13 of its last 22 jumpers from deep.
Miller and guards Isaiah Wong and Harlond Beverly led this charge. Each player connected on three shots from beyond the arc.
These opportunities were created by crisp ball movement and a relentless transition attack after the Spartans' misses and turnovers.
3. Jordan Miller's offensive role has expanded.
While Miller still excels in the short corners and on the blocks, he has played a more perimeter-oriented style of offense than he did for much of last season.
Through the first two games of the year, the senior guard has attempted 10 3-pointers, making four of them. This is a sharp contrast to the end of last season in which he only attempted five shots from deep over Miami's final 10 games.
If Miller can continue to space the floor as well as he has, the frontcourt pairing of him and forward Norchad Omier should complement each other well.
4. UM's ball movement was excellent.
Miami shared the ball really well last season. The team averaged 14.1 assists per game, which ranked in the upper fourth in all of college basketball.
The Hurricanes facilitated the ball even more effectively on Friday, totaling 19 assists. As mentioned previously, this team effort helped Miami create so many open shot opportunities from the perimeter.
Omier and Kansas State transfer Nijel Pack led UM with four assists each.
5. Harlond Beverly played excellently off Miami's bench.
The junior guard has had a tumultuous road to recovery after a back injury derailed his season after only four games, but he is once again making an impact for the 'Canes.
Beverly nailed a career-high three made baskets from deep during his 21 minutes off the bench. He also played tenacious perimeter defense and helped the team's rebounding, grabbing three boards.
Performances like these from Beverly bodes well for the Hurricanes' guard depth moving forward.
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