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Miami basketball newcomers need to make big impact in 2019-20

By Alan Rubenstein

WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 26: Sam Waardenburg #21 tries to get the ball to teammate Chris Lykes #0 of the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes as Brandon Childress #0 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons tries to stop him during their game at LJVM Coliseum Complex on February 26, 2019 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA - FEBRUARY 26: Sam Waardenburg #21 tries to get the ball to teammate Chris Lykes #0 of the Miami (Fl) Hurricanes as Brandon Childress #0 of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons tries to stop him during their game at LJVM Coliseum Complex on February 26, 2019 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. (Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images) /
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If the Miami basketball team is going to return to the NCAA Tournament, the newcomers need to make a big impact in 2019-20.

The Miami basketball team lost a lot from their 2018-19 team. Anthony Lawrence jr, and Zach Johnson who were the Hurricanes second and third leading scorers and Ebuka Izundu who was the leading rebounder all graduated. The three-man recruiting class plus graduate transfer Keith Stone are not impact players.

The three-man freshman class, Isaiah Wong, Harlond Beverly and Anthony Walker will be in the rotation but they are not expected to be the type of players to come in and be able to carry the Miami basketball team. None of the three are expected to start. Miami also adds Kameron McGusty who sat out in 2018-19.

McGusty transferred to Miami from Oklahoma following the 2017-18 season. He will start at guard with junior point guard Chris Lykes and senior Dejan Vasiljevic. Stone will potentially start at forward, but he is out until late November or December recovering from a knee injury.

Redshirt sophomore forward Deng Gak is also recovering from a knee injury. Gak played in only eight games last season before the season injury. Redshirt junior Rodney Miller will start at center this season after taking last season off to work on his game. Miller gives the Hurricanes good size up front at 7’0, 255 pounds.

The 2018-19 season did not go as planned for the Miami basketball team because of injuries and attrition. They aim to make their fourth NCAA Tournament in the past five seasons in March. There is doubt nationally about the Hurricanes goals and if they can return to the NCAA Tournament.

Eammon Brennan of The Athletic answered a fan’s question about if he thinks that the Hurricanes can return to the NCAA and if Lykes will receiver national recognition.

"Do you think Miami makes it back into the NCAA tournament this year? Chances Chris Lykes becomes a national name? — Carter B.“Lykes did an admirable job given the circumstances last season, which is to say he didn’t have a whole lot of reliable offensive help and took on a large share of Miami’s shots and possessions, but he wasn’t exactly a paragon of efficiency, either.The Hurricanes are losing their two next-best options (Anthony Lawrence and Zach Johnson) and their best big (Ebuka Izundu).The reinforcements (a 29th-ranked recruiting class, per 247 Sports, as well as Florida grad transfer Keith Jones) may not be the kind of “lift-this-team-right-now” players Miami would need to make a marked improvement over last season.I might be missing something. Miami wasn’t as bad as 14-18, and a few more wins on the margins might just get them in off the bubble fringe. Lykes may get some more recognition, but I’m not hugely optimistic overall.”"

Next. Miami releases challenging non-conference schedule. dark

The Miami basketball team needs to stay healthy, especially until Stone and Gak return from injury. A five-game improvement over last season will get them to 19-13. Syracuse and Louisville entered the 2019 NCAA with records of 20-13. Miami should be able to receive an NCAA Tournament bid in 2020 with a 19-13 record.

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