After making four postseason appearances in the last five seasons, this season will be filled with a lot of question marks. For one, Jack McClinton has graduated and moved on, and he accounted for nearly 20 points per game. Also gone are Brian Asbury, Lance Hurdle, and Jimmy Graham.
Where will that production come from this season? Expect some of it to come from Dwayne Collins, the team's returning top scorer and rebounder from last season. Collins averaged 10.6 points and 7.3 rebounds last season, and figures to improve on that scoring total this season. Senior Adrian Thomas can score some too particularly from the perimeter, but has had an inability to stay healthy during his career. Cyrus McGowan could see an increase in playing time and production as well, along with sophomore Julian Gamble. Freshman Donnavan Kirk is a slender big man who may contribute but is better known for his rebounding ability and his famous high school. Kirk is a graduate of Detroit Country Day, which boasts former graduates Shane Battier and Chris Webber.
In the frontcourt, James Dews should also see a nice increase in scoring from last season. Dews averaged 8 points per game last season, and is the lone returnee in the backcourt this season. Dews will probably play shooting guard, while Villanova transfer Malcolm Grant will run the point guard position. Grant led Villanova in 3 point shooting percentage his freshman season at 47%, but was caught in a numbers game with Scottie Reynolds and Corey Stokes playing ahead of him. Also expected to see time in the backcourt is freshman Durand Scott, a heralded recruit ranked in the top 10 among shooting guards in the class of 2009. Wingman Dequan Jones has spent the summer working on a jumpshot to go along with this freakish athleticism, and should contribute off the bench.
Frank Haith has a lot of talent, but he most needs a consistent output from his big man Dwayne Collins. Collins has had a career of huge games followed by silence the next time he took the floor. The frontcourt needs to help Collins out and if Grant, Dews, or Scott can average 40 points between the trio, the Hurricanes could see a top 6 finish in the ACC. If things don't pan out though, Frank Haith could find Miami relegated to the cellar and himself on the hotseat.
by Will Ojanen
Fantasy Player to Watch
Dwayne Collins could be a double-double candidate given the departure of Jack McClinton. Collins' field goal percentage has gone up every year of his career, and there's no reason to believe that trend won't continue this year. His rebounding has also increased, and with Collins more likely to be a focal point of the offense, he could be in store for a very nice season.
