Miami Hurricanes Need to be Concerned About Dewan Huell
At the beginning of the season Miami Hurricanes Center/Power Forward Dewan Huell was backing up his statement that he might be a one and done player and declare for the 2017 NBA Draft. After averaging 10.1 Points Per game and 6.4 rebounds through the first seven games, Huell has fallen off significantly.
In the seven subsequent games, Huell is averaging four PPG and 4.5 RPG. His minutes have also fallen off significantly. His production has fallen as he became a starter. Huell averaged 22.1 minutes per game as a reserve, but just 18.5 as starter.
Miami needs Huell to be a reliable big man in the post to be a successful team. They’ve had an erratic offense this season that has largely relied on its perimeter players to provide scoring. Four of the Hurricanes top five scorers are listed as guards.
Kamari Murphy can not do it alone in the post and he’s not nearly as dynamic of a player as Huell. Murphy is averaging 7.2 PPG and leads the team with 7.6 RPG. Huell’s lack of production has given more playing time to Ebuka Izundu.
Huell replaced Anthony Lawrence Jr. in the starting lineup. Once Jim Larranaga committed to starting Huell over Lawrence, he was essentially returning to a bigger starting five. Izundu had been replaced by guard Bruce Brown. That gave Miami four wings in the starting lineup with Murphy as the lone post player.
Izundu missed one a game earlier this season with an injury and has played limited minutes in other games. He is averaging 5.0 PPG, 3.2 RPG and one block in just 11.6 minutes per game.
In spite of their reliance on the perimeter, the Hurricanes still rank 22nd nationally with a rebound margin of 7.4. Brown has been a huge presence on the boards at just 6’4. He is second on the team averaging 7.4 RPG.
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Despite the heavy reliance on their perimeter players, the Hurricanes are not a great three point shooting team, nor do they rely on it much. Miami has had just three games that they have attempted more than 35 percent of their shots from beyond the arc and eight games making 35 percent or better on three point attempts.
Only three of those eight games have occurred against what can be recognized as a mid major team or above. Having a lack of efficient three point shooters and/or low post scoring will allow opponents to pack their defense in and dare Miami to make shots from outside.
The Hurricanes have had one game with two lost post players reaching double figures. That was the opener. Huell and Murphy each scored 13 in a 92-43 victory over Western Carolina.
The Hurricanes are the midst of four out of five games on the road. The last of those games is at number eight Duke. Teams usually shoot much better at home. The Duke game will commence a stretch where the Hurricanes play five out of seven games against ranked teams.
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They are going to need to get some low post scoring or they will risk missing the NCAA Tournament for the third time in the last four years and the fourth time in Larranaga’s six seasons with Miami.