Three Takeaways from Miami's One-Point Victory over Virginia Tech
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CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The Miami Hurricanes are surging at the right time as they prepare to take on No. 14 Virginia. Moreover, to start 'Virginia Week', the Canes had to battle one of the hardest teams in the conference, Virginia Tech.
The team had to learn about themselves, given their lack of depth, and they continue to show they are growing at a rapid pace as one of the best sleeper teams in the country.
Against the Hokies, three things stood out, proving they can be even better with a fully healthy roster.
One of the Best Defenders in the Country
If you don't believe that Ernest Udeh Jr. is one of the best defenders in the country, then you need to move the rock.
On ball, a shot blocker, etc. He has every tool that makes him elite while also showing the wrinkles in the Hurricanes' defensive game.
"Ernest is probably one of the people I'm hardest on because one I feel he needs it because he's also one of the guys who I feel like he doesn't know how good he is and I have to bring it out of him," Lucas said. "He is capable of being one of the best defenders in the country and I saw that in the summer and so I have the utmost confidence in switching it and what we had to do and the way he guarded Neokli in those possessions when we switched with him, same thing with number zero.
"He has those capabilities and I have to stay on him and let him realize like you are that good. Don't take a back seat and so he showed up in those moments and he shut them down. "
Tre Donaldson, Clutch Gene
Scoring a career high is one thing, but the star senior was more than just a scorer for the team. he scored the final 15 points of the game, taking over and will the Canes to victory.
"He's done it time and time again. It wasn't shocking. It was needed and he found a way he willed us to it. And that's what senior guards who have been in big moments and why you bet on pedigree of guys who've won state championships, conference championships and played in big games for moments like this."
New Defensive Wrinkles
A 1-3-1 zone last game, and switching defenders this game, Jai Lucas continues to be a defensive mastermind for this team, changing and updating wrinkles in the defensive scheme.
"We had to start switching just because their pace was a lot faster in person than it was on film. And watching some of their games, the games they have struggled against North Carolina State, against Florida State, against Duke, it was because of the switching.
Now normally we aren't a switching team, but it was kind of the thing we had in our back pocket where if we felt like they were getting too comfortable in the offense instead of going zone as much, it would just be to switch everything. And we did, and we were able to kind of just grind it out and steal some possessions during that."
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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.
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