The Miami Hurricanes Have Found It's Next Point Guard
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Only time will tell when Miami head coach Jim Larranaga will decide to go younger in his lineup, but one of his key players might be ready to take that next step once they start learning the ropes.
Divine Ugochukwu has started to blossom into one of the best players on the roster, however, that was never the plan if you ask Larranaga.
He was a great find from NBA Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon and a potential gem that comes out of Texas.
"We'd already basically completed our high school recruiting when Hakeem Olajuwon called me. Hakeem is friends with my son Jay and he told my son Jay, ask your dad if he needs a point guard because I got a kid who plays with my sons in high school. They were 32-1 and I think this kid is going to be a really good guard," Larranaga said.
The plan was to redshirt him and develop the potential talent but as many have seen when he steps foot on the court, he has the keys to lead this program as its best true point guard that the Hurricanes desperately needs.
Ugochukwu has a great ability to get to the paint and finished over people and around the rim. He has a soft touch but if he gets into sticky situations he has the awarness to try and find another target around the proimter to knock down an easy shot.
The Hurricanes offense should be predicated toward his skill set and around most of the younger players on the team like Jalil Bethea and Austin Swartz.
Why is Miami Guard Jalil Bethea in the Dog House?
Larranaga knows that there is still a lot to learn but now, he has an idea of what he can do with other players and his style of play alongside one of the other veterans on the roster.
But he still has a lot to learn today. He played very, very well, and he's had games like this already. But we're trying to bring him along. He's kind of understudying Nijel Pack. At the end, and I should have gotten Nijel back in earlier so they could have played together more and moving forward. That's in the back of my mind," Larranaga said.
READ MORE FROM MIAMI HURRICANES ON SI:
Despite the Loss, Mami Freshman Jalil Bethea is Finding his Confidence
Tennessee Head Coach Rick Barnes Worried About Miami's Offense Ahead of Matchup
Seven Losses in a row for Miami Men's Basketball, This Time Against No. 1 Tennessee
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Justice Sandle is a graduate of Mississippi State University earning a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Communications with a concentration in Print and Digital Journalism. During his time in Starkville, he spent a year as an intern working for Mississippi State On SI primarily covering basketball, football, baseball, and soccer while writing, recording, and creating multimedia stories during his tenor. Since graduating, he has assumed the role of lead staff writer for Miami Hurricanes On SI covering football, basketball, baseball, and all things Hurricanes related.