Miami Scouting Report

[housekeys]

UConn wins if it keeps Miami under their 48% FG, and off the FT line. I would be surprised if our offense will be the issue.

This may be the game that will showcase UConn's depth. The bench and transfers, which happen to be all guards, will have a big role in this game, IMO. It is critical that Clingan be effective at stopping the dribble drives to the basket when called upon. UConn can not revert back to the early BE season, when we overplay the opposition on the perimeter and they blow by us and get calls driving to the basket.

 

[housekeys]

View attachment 86121I don’t i’ve seen a group more obnoxious than this miami bunch.

The Miami posters are discussing the right topic (can UConn defend Miami's guards), but are making the wrong conclusion.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

UConn & Miami Offense in March:

 

[JustbrewitMan]

UConn & Miami Defense in March:

 

[Khal Drogo]

As far as bad losses are concerned, Maryland is a tournament team. Game was on the road no less. So not really a horrible loss.

Hopefully we can take advantage of their perimeter defense. I think they'll struggle to fight through screens and find shooters.

We will see. In

Maryland shot 72% from 2. That’s a bad loss.

 

[aburks41]

Both Houston and Texas are great defensive teams no doubt about it, but both of those teams are small. Their starting guards are 6' tall, which is the same size as Miami. Our smallest guard is 6'5". It will be interesting to see how much of a difference that makes.

I also felt that Houston was one of the most overrated teams in the country this year. I was never impressed by watching them, same with Purdue. And Miami barely beat Texas without their starting center. Christian Bishop stinks

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Both Houston and Texas are great defensive teams no doubt about it, but both of those teams are small. Their starting guards are 6' tall, which is the same size as Miami. Our smallest guard is 6'5". It will be interesting to see how much of a difference that makes.

I also felt that Houston was one of the most overrated teams in the country this year. I was never impressed by watching them, same with Purdue. And Miami barely beat Texas without their starting center. Christian Bishop stinks

It jumped off the screen how little Miami had to respect Bishop both offensively and defensively. He was a total non-factor.

 

[HuskyHawk]

UConn & Miami Defense in March:

So their offense is on fire, but their defense sucks. UT was missing their rim protector.

Now let's see the shot quality charts. Ours is spectacular and theirs is awful. They live at the line and the refs were very favorable to them as they came back against Texas.

 

[aburks41]

It jumped off the screen how little Miami had to respect Bishop both offensively and defensively. He was a total non-factor.

Yup, and the Miami center still had 4 fouls. I think that's gonna be the key for us, we need to get him into early foul trouble. And at the other end of the court, keep Miami off the FT line. I think they went like 25-27 from the FT line in the 2nd half alone. They lose in a blowout if Texas doesn't foul them on every possession

 

[Tenspro2002]

Not sure I love defending a 5-out offense, though fortunately the ability of pretty much all of our guards to switch screens is helpful. If they're not rolling much on the pick and roll, the high hedge should be effective at mitigating penetration. This may also be a game where we go to some zone to keep rim protection in place, assuming they don't get hot from 3.

Miami's defensive shortcomings seem to be related to their high-risk, high-reward style. Limiting live-ball turnovers is essential. We can't let them get momentum like they did against Texas off of turnovers. Strong offensive rebounding can keep them at bay as well, though there is some risk there in giving up fast break opportunities if we don't get the board.

Getting Omier in foul trouble is key. I wonder if this is a game to actually coach up Sanogo to go hunting for contact instead of a more finesse style. Newton getting to the rim may help here too. Jackson is going to need to have his lob game on point to make sure that we're taking advantage of Clingan's immense height advantage.

And we're going to have to hit 3s like we have been. The fact that we're playing in a football stadium doesn't excite me.


Overall, I feel like this is likely to come down to whether they hit a ton of tough contested 2s like they did against Texas. They have a lot of moxie, a lot of intangible stuff going for them right now, which in my opinion makes them more dangerous than the matchup on paper suggests.

 

[August_West]

View attachment 86121I don’t i’ve seen a group more obnoxious than this miami bunch.

That's because they have like 9 fans in total that actually watch college basketball and understand the game. The rest of them are there for the ride and will hop off as soon as they are gone, and they can go back to whatever it is that those people do. They don't even understand why their own team is good and can definitely be a handful for us. We understand that better than them.

Buh Bye Flori-duh

 

[Tenspro2002]

UConn & Miami Offense in March:

So we're good at the rim, good at top-of-the-key and wing 3s, but bad at corner 3s and at midrange stuff which we don't take a lot of anyway. They're bad at defending the right side, including perimeter and midrange. So-so defending the rim.

This is going to have to be a game for Newton to drive and score or get fouled. Officiating will be a big factor here, which makes me nervous. If we get Jeff Anderson, we're screwed.


They're good in the midrange and at corner 3s (which I feel like we've struggled to defend at times), but only so-so at the rim and elsewhere on the perimeter. We've defended almost everywhere well, except some midrange spots and maybe the right side for 3s (including the corner).

As I said above, this is going to come down to whether they hit a ridiculous percentage in the midrange or get foul calls in their favor.

 

[Tenspro2002]

Yup, and the Miami center still had 4 fouls. I think that's gonna be the key for us, we need to get him into early foul trouble. And at the other end of the court, keep Miami off the FT line. I think they went like 25-27 from the FT line in the 2nd half alone. They lose in a blowout if Texas doesn't foul them on every possession

Was that bad Texas defense or a favorable whistle for Larranaga?

Because I don't trust a Jeff Anderson crew (if we get him) to call a neutral game for Hurley against him. And unless we just blitz them from 3 and run them out of the building, a lot of this will come down to who's getting those calls on drives into the lane.

 

[CTBballfan243]

Miami has a lot of 1 on 1 players who take it to the hoop. The biggest problem I see for UConn is where do they hide Karaban on the defensive end of the floor. Overall, this is not a great matchup for UConn.

 

[sdglast]

So we're good at the rim, good at top-of-the-key and wing 3s, but bad at corner 3s and at midrange stuff which we don't take a lot of anyway. They're bad at defending the right side, including perimeter and midrange. So-so defending the rim.

This is going to have to be a game for Newton to drive and score or get fouled. Officiating will be a big factor here, which makes me nervous. If we get Jeff Anderson, we're screwed.


They're good in the midrange and at corner 3s (which I feel like we've struggled to defend at times), but only so-so at the rim and elsewhere on the perimeter. We've defended almost everywhere well, except some midrange spots and maybe the right side for 3s (including the corner).

As I said above, this is going to come down to whether they hit a ridiculous percentage in the midrange or get foul calls in their favor.

Agree. One of the common denominators in all their losses is not getting to the free throw line. Keeping them off the line and getting their center in foul trouble is key, as Miami does not have any size/bulk behind him. I agree on the concerns about 3 point shooting in a dome setting, as sight lines can be more difficult for players. However, that can also be true of many of the shots Miami takes which are longer 2s. I think a team like Marquette is a good comp for Miami in the sense that they rely on taking you off the dribble for kickouts or mid-range 2s and don't have a lot of size underneath. I think Marquette is a much better defensive team than Miami, and the way to beat UConn is to get in their face and challenge them especially off the dribble. Not sure Miami has the ability to do that, as they are a smaller team than even Marquette. Key will be UConn's ability to defend Miami's penetration, as well as whether Miami can rebound with UConn. Also interesting, will Miami zone UConn and defy them to hit 3s (and will UConn return the favor by zoning Miami to stop their penetration)? Honestly, glad UConn got this matchup on Saturday and not potentially on Monday, as it gives Hurley ample time to scout and prepare for what is a terrific offensive team who is playing at a very high level. Should be an entertaining game with lots of offense.

 

[shizzle787]

UConn by 25. It’s in the bag!

This guy needs a courtesy hanging.

 

[JustbrewitMan]

Agree. One of the common denominators in all their losses is not getting to the free throw line. Keeping them off the line and getting their center in foul trouble is key, as Miami does not have any size/bulk behind him. I agree on the concerns about 3 point shooting in a dome setting, as sight lines can be more difficult for players. However, that can also be true of many of the shots Miami takes which are longer 2s. I think a team like Marquette is a good comp for Miami in the sense that they rely on taking you off the dribble for kickouts or mid-range 2s and don't have a lot of size underneath. I think Marquette is a much better defensive team than Miami, and the way to beat UConn is to get in their face and challenge them especially off the dribble. Not sure Miami has the ability to do that, as they are a smaller team than even Marquette. Key will be UConn's ability to defend Miami's penetration, as well as whether Miami can rebound with UConn. Also interesting, will Miami zone UConn and defy them to hit 3s (and will UConn return the favor by zoning Miami to stop their penetration)? Honestly, glad UConn got this matchup on Saturday and not potentially on Monday, as it gives Hurley ample time to scout and prepare for what is a terrific offensive team who is playing at a very high level. Should be an entertaining game with lots of offense.

FWIW, All 4 teams' coaching staffs will have good scouts prepared for all 3 other teams heading into the weekend. Any scouting/prepping done from Saturday to Monday will be "fine-tuning" things...

 

[ucp990411]

The Miami posters are discussing the right topic (can UConn defend Miami's guards), but are making the wrong conclusion.

Maybe they don't know that we just held the #1 rated offense in the country to 54 points

 

[Icehawk]

Watched the Larranga interview yesterday and was a bit surprised he claimed they wouldn't start real practice & planning vs UConn until Thursday.

Miami is the worst city, I would know I've been stuck in this hellhole for a decade and a half. The definition of fair weather fans here.

 

[sdglast]

FWIW, All 4 teams' coaching staffs will have good scouts prepared for all 3 other teams heading into the weekend. Any scouting/prepping done from Saturday to Monday will be "fine-tuning" things...

I agree. But the focus for UConn has and will be Miami because you can't play Monday unless you win Saturday. Miami is probably the most difficult of the 3 teams to prep for, so glad they play them Saturday.

 

[FfldCntyFan]

That's because they have like 9 fans in total that actually watch college basketball and understand the game. The rest of them are there for the ride and will hop off as soon as they are gone, and they can go back to whatever it is that those people do. They don't even understand why their own team is good and can definitely be a handful for us. We understand that better than them.

Buh Bye Flori-duh

I haven't visited an opponent's message board since ~2008-2009 but I'm tempted to sign onto the Miami board just to say they may not even be the best team south of Boynton Beach.

 

[Conndog]

I like much better UConn’s chances of stopping Miami’s offense than Miami’s chances of stopping UConn’s offense. We have to limit fouling them and putting them on the line. Don’t bother trying to block a shot, just maintain position as best as possible & block out for rebounds.

 

[WhereistheDove?]

I like much better UConn’s chances of stopping Miami’s offense than Miami’s chances of stopping UConn’s offense. We have to limit fouling them and putting them on the line. Don’t bother trying to block a shot, just maintain position as best as possible & block out for rebounds.

I'd maybe just hedge, that we're almost certainly not going to stop their offense. Even if they can't run exactly what they want, their guards' ability to finish on what are generally viewed as not particularly good looks is dangerous. UConn needs to cut into their efficiency and not give up the easy looks that Texas did.

I think the key is really going to be their ability to defend the 3 point line against UConn. I've watched the UT game and am now halfway through the IU game and Miami's defensive strategy seems to be pack the lane and give up whatever 3 point looks the opponent wants. UT was better at exploiting that, but not to the level they will see from UConn, whereas Indiana passed them up (or didn't see them) and missed a bunch of wide open looks.

 

[aburks41]

Miami has a lot of 1 on 1 players who take it to the hoop. The biggest problem I see for UConn is where do they hide Karaban on the defensive end of the floor. Overall, this is not a great matchup for UConn.

We kind of already saw this with Arkansas. Council, Black, Devo Davis, and Nick Smith are as talented as Wong, Pack, and Miller. The only difference is the Arkansas guys can't shoot 3's, Miami guys can...however they don't really take that many of them.

I think you put Karaban on that Woopaga guy or whatever his name is. He's their least efficient scorer. Andre will have to be on Miller or Wong.

 

[Umami Zen]

I'd maybe just hedge, that we're almost certainly not going to stop their offense. Even if they can't run exactly what they want, their guards' ability to finish on what are generally viewed as not particularly good looks is dangerous. UConn needs to cut into their efficiency and not give up the easy looks that Texas did.

I think the key is really going to be their ability to defend the 3 point line against UConn. I've watched the UT game and am now halfway through the IU game and Miami's defensive strategy seems to be pack the lane and give up whatever 3 point looks the opponent wants. UT was better at exploiting that, but not to the level they will see from UConn, whereas Indiana passed them up (or didn't see them) and missed a bunch of wide open looks.

Pastner said in his podcast with @gwhuskyfan that he felt they had a short bench and if their 5 got into any kind of foul trouble vs Sanogo/Clingan it would be a problem for them.. Does your viewing suggest the same re: the bench??

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Pastner said in his podcast with @gwhuskyfan that he felt they had a short bench and if their 5 got into any kind of foul trouble vs Sanogo/Clingan it would be a problem for them.. Does your viewing suggest the same re: the bench??

Definitely in the front court. I have my doubts about Omier's ability to really stop Sanogo and especially Clingan, who he'll be giving up 7-8 inches to. IU game may be a good blueprint on this one. They were able to get Omier some quick fouls and keep him on the bench, and Jackson-Davis just feasted while he was out. If he's limited to 26 or so minutes (what he played vs. IU), their margin of error becomes razor thin.

I don't think they have huge depth issues at guard for a couple reasons. 1) they do have some talent on the bench, 2) they're super athletic so fatigue doesn't seem to be as big of an issue, and 3) it's a shared point duties offense, so "cutting the head off the snake" isn't quite as damaging as it is for some other teams that run all their offense through one guard.

 

[Ports21]

View attachment 86121I don’t i’ve seen a group more obnoxious than this miami bunch.

CIS is the Gezpatcho/propaganda wing of Miami. Extremely homerish, I can't even deal with them.

 

[RipCity]

Omier is a load, but he’s 7 inches shorter than Clingan. Who on that team can stop a Clingan from going over the top?

 

[Umami Zen]

Omier is a load, but he’s 7 inches shorter than Clingan. Who on that team can stop a Clingan from going over the top?

No one

 

[WhereistheDove?]

Gezpatcho

I'm picturing the Gezpatcho but they really like gazpacho.