Miami basketball not in initial 2023 bracketology

The Miami basketball team is not on the initial ESPN Bracketology released on Tuesday morning. Miami is not close to finalizing its roster for the 2022-23 season. The Hurricanes lost leading scorer Kameron McGusty, point guard Charlie Moore, backup center Rodney Miller and starting center Sam Waardenburg.

Those four completed their eligibility. Guard Isaiah Wong who just finished his third season with Miami is deciding on his future. Wong has two years of eligibility remaining with the extra season granted because of Covid. Wing Jordan Miller announced he will be returning to Miami for a second season in 2022-23.

Miller was a transfer from George Mason during the 2021 offseason. The Miami basketball team was left off of most of the early 2022 bracketologies. Miami won three games in the 2022 NCAA Tournament to advance to a regional final for the first time. Kansas eliminated Miami 76-50 in the Midwest Regional Final in Chicago.

Miami head coach Jim Larranaga stated he wants to add an experienced guard for the 2022-23 season. The Hurricanes are also pursuing several frontcourt players. Miller is currently the only starter who is definitely returning for next season. Wong is the only other 2021-22 Miami starter with eligibility remaining.

Larranaga stated that Miller will have a bigger role in 2022-23. Rising fourth-year sophomore Harlond Beverly returns next season after sitting out all but four games last year following spinal surgery. Rising sophomores Bensley Joseph and Wooga Poplar will step into bigger roles after being quality reserves in 2021-22.

Wing Jakai Robinson is back for the Miami basketball team after redshirting as a true freshman in 2021-22. Anthony Walker projects as a starter in the frontcourt. Miami will likely search for one transfer in the backcourt and one in the frontcourt to fill out its 2022-23 roster. Miami signed four players in the Class of 2022.

All four signees are 6’6 or taller. Miami signed center Favour Aire, power forward A.J. Casey and wings Danilo Jovanovich and Christian Watson. It was critical for Miami to add size to a roster that was sorely undersized last season. Center-power forward Deng Gak will also have a decision to make on his future with Miami.

The ACC is fourth in the bracketology with six teams in the bracket. Five ACC teams earned NCAA Tournament berths in 2022. Duke, Miami and North Carolina all advanced to the Elite Eight. The Blue Devils and Tar Heels advanced to the Final Four. After defeating Duke in the Semifinals, UNC lost to Kansas in the National Title Game.

Lunardi projects Notre Dame as an 11 seed in the First Four four the season straight season. North Carolina has the highest projected seed from the ACC at second in the East. Duke is third in the Midwest, Virginia eighth in the East, Florida State, 11th in the East and Virginia Tech 11th in the West Region.