Miami basketball lineup projected one of ACCs most dominant

Isaac Trotter of 247 Sports wrote the article “Highlighting the ACC’s most intriguing 5-man lineups” published on Monday. Miami basketball players have bought into the guard-dominant system created by Jim Larranaga that strives for all the players to be able to handle and share the ball.

The Miami basketball team lost ACC Player of the Year Isaiah Wong and wing Jordan Miller to the NBA following the 2022-23 season. Miami won a share of the ACC Regular season title and earned the number-one seed in the conference tournament with an offense that led the ACC averaging 79.05 points per game.

Wong led Miami but was only ninth in the ACC averaging 16.16 PPG. Miller was 13th in the ACC averaging 15.3 PPG. Nijel Pack averaged 13.6 PPG and Norchad Omier 13.1 as the other Miami players in double figures. Offensive balance is the objective of the Miami basketball team. That should continue in the 2023-24 season.

Bensley Joseph will replace Wong in the starting lineup. Florida State transfer Matthew Cleveland will replace Miller on the wing. Expect rising junior Wooga Poplar to take a huge step forward and become a primary scorer for Miami with Cleveland and Pack next season. Trotter summarized the projected Miami starting five.

"“Why this lineup is fun: Skill, skill and more skill. Miami is Miami because of the intersection between skilled decision-makers who all happen to be extremely willing to give up the rock because it will come back to them.Even with Cleveland stepping into the Jordan Miller role and Poplar earning part of the Isaiah Wong role, Miami’s principals should still absolutely stick.Questions about Miami’s depth is certainly fair, but this has a chance to be one of the ACC’s most dominant lineups offensively because it should trigger more than enough pressure points all across the floor.The three-point efficiency defined Miami, but in reality, it was the constant ball movement and rim pressure that made it special. That shouldn’t slow down in 2023-24.”"

Miami will mostly play a four-out one in lineup again with Omier in the post. Cleveland brings versatility that Miller provided in the last two seasons. Miami needs Cleveland to continue to improve as a three-point shooter in 2023-24. Cleveland improved from 17.5 percent on threes in 2021-22 to 35.0 percent in 2023-24.

After getting acclimated to the Miami basketball program in 2022-23, expect Omier and Pack to take similar jumps to the one Miller took last season. Cleveland, Pack and Omier will be the face of the program to begin the 2023-24 season. Poplar should equal Cleveland, Pack and Omier as the season starts.