Introductions are in order for the newest Hurricanes on both Miami men’s and women’s basketball teams.
Both teams have started hot, winning their first two games this season, and much of the success can be attributed to the play of transfers and freshman recruits.
Along with veteran returning guard Nijel Pack, Stetson transfer Jalen Blackmon and five-star freshman Jalil Bethea have assisted in the guard position as first-year Hurricanes.
Their transition to UM has been seamless, as both Blackmon and Bethea noted during Miami’s Media Day in October.
“Here we are just playing off each other. We still have great sets, but it’s really just making plays for your teammates and more free flowing, which I enjoy,” Blackmon said, comparing his time at Stetson to Miami.
Bethea reiterated this sentiment.
“I feel like in Miami the game fits me. [Head coach Jim Larrañaga] lets his players be free. He lets us be who we are.”
The team stats back up the statements of Miami’s stars, as Blackmon and Bethea are averaging the second and fifth highest amount of points on the team, at 16 and 11 points per game, respectively.
The production within this new class of ’Canes is not isolated to just Blackmon and Bethea. Transfers Lynn Kidd, Brandon Johnson, and A.J. Staton-McCray, along with freshman Divine Ugochukwu, have become weapons alongside Miami’s arsenal of veteran players.
The women’s team had its roster revamped by the transfer portal as well.
Natalija Marshall, a graduate transfer from Notre Dame, has made her presence known in this stacked Miami lineup at the forward spot, averaging the most points on the team with 14.
Marshall spoke on the team’s bonding strategy prior to the season.
“I think that chemistry is building and it will continue to grow,” Marshall said. “There’s only so much you can do in a few months, but I think we’ve made a lot of progress just kind of building that and gelling that culture and dynamic with each other.”
Along with leading the team in points per game, Marshall averages the highest number of rebounds, with nine per contest – a testament to her play on the boards.
With the addition of seniors Darrione Rogers and Cameron Williams and freshman Ahnay Adams on Miami’s roster for head coach Tricia Cullop’s first year, the Hurricanes have crafted themselves into a potentially dangerous basketball team.
With both teams off to an early fast start in the ACC, fans can expect each squad to improve throughout the season, becoming a looming presence for rival opponents.