What Will Miami Hurricanes Basketball Look Like in 2017-18

2017-18 Recruiting Class

The class of 2016 was regarded as Miami’s best ever. The incoming class has also gotten that distinction. In addition to Walker, the Hurricanes welcome 5’7 guard Chris Lykes who is exceptionally quick and showed he has hops. He’s been compared Spud Webb.

Forward Sam Waardenburg from New Zealand enrolled in January, and Deng Gak who will join Walker and Lykes in the fall is a 6’10 forward from Australia.

Waardenburg chose Miami over Virginia, SMU and Utah. He has played internationally with the Kiwis. Gak was also another coup for Jim Larranaga. He chose the Hurricanes over Kansas, Duke and Florida.

Lykes is a lightening bug and will give the Hurricanes the true point guard they lacked this season. He isn’t likely to start next season, but he should get a lot of playing time.

Walker could be the key to how successful Miami can be next season. He is a mega talent. He has to be better than Huell was this season. Walker told 247Sports that “I can’t wait to go to Miami and shock the world.” Walker reputation is that he has good range and exceptional athleticism.

It seems as if Walker chose Miami because he sees the potential there and wants to make it a destination school for basketball:

"“I feel it…I definitely do feel it. It’s just so many great pieces. It’s like making a puzzle. Sometimes you don’t got those certain pieces so you wait for a little while, but once you find all the right pieces and the puzzle is coming together, you get one beautiful picture and that’s what we’re working on for Miami.”"

Walker thinks highly of classmates Gak and Lykes and is looking forward to playing with other future teammates, telling 247:

"“A lot of potential,” Walker said. “Bruce Brown is a great player. Dewan Huell a great player. Ja’Quan Newton is a great player. The list goes on and on and the people that are going in such as Chris Lykes is amazing, Deng Gak is 6-10, but he’s a wing. We have so many different styles of play coming in to one team and it’s scary.”"

Walker and Lykes have gotten to know each other:

"“I have a close relationship with Chris..He used to hit me all of the time about coming to the ‘U.’ I felt like when I went there that team just has a bond. I got that feeling that everyone talks about..If you have a close relationship with your teammates and the coaches and you can feel the love, everything will fall into place.”"

Losing Reed and Murphy will re-constitute the chemistry much like Jim Larranaga had to do last fall. The five man recruiting class will give Miami three more scholarship players than they had this past season.

Next: Davon Reed and Kamari Murphy Leave Miami Setting a Standard

That will provide huge influx of talent. They will be much younger than 2016-17, but should be able to challenge for a higher finish than their ninth place result this season.