Last Season: 18-16, 7-9 ACC
Key Losses: Guillermo Diaz, Robert Hite, Gary Hamilton
Backcourt: Diaz and Hite combined to average 50% of the offense for the Miami Hurricanes out of the backcourt, so Frank Haith has some holes to fill. Anthony Harris returns as the top returning scorer at just under 10 ppg, and will be one of the top scorers for the Hurricanes. Joining Harris will be Denis Clemente who came in as a highly touted recruit last season and showed moments of brilliance. Clemente and Harris will share ball handling responsibilities, and will both likely average over 10 shots per game. Freshman James Dews, a top 100 recruit from Ohio, will get time in the backcourt as well, most likely at the off guard position. On the wing, two sophomores should see some action, as Brian Asbury and Adrian Thomas will get time. Both Asbury and Thomas played sparingly as freshmen, but Asbury is a gifted shooter, while Thomas can slash to the basket.
Frontcourt: Anthony King will return at center, and should anchor a pretty experienced frontcourt. With the loss of Gary Hamilton, Jimmy Graham and Raymond Hicks will finally get the time they deserved last season. Graham is a bruising sophomore, who had problems staying out of foul trouble last season, while Hicks is a nice athlete that needs to develop his interior offensive skills. As with Dews in the backcourt, freshman Dewayne Collins will contribute right away for the Hurricanes. At 6’8” 232 lbs, Collins was ranked as high as #65 by Sporting News among incoming freshmen.
Intangibles: Anthony King has a quiet demeanor, but does well mixing it up as he finished 9th in rebounding and 4th in blocks in the ACC.
Potential Breakout Player: Look for Anthony Harris to see his scoring go up as quickly as his shot attempts will. Harris likes to shoot, and with Diaz and Hite gone, Harris will shoot early and often.
Summary: Frank Haith has a nice recruiting class and some players ready to step up, but lacks the proven leader that the Canes had in Diaz and Hite. Anthony Harris will need to step up as a leader, while he and Clemente will be relied upon to score and create for others. Equally important for the Canes will be Anthony King, who needs to contribute more offensively. The Canes have a number of question marks, which is the reason to expect an inconsistent season.
Top Returning Fantasy Player: Anthony King averaged 8 ppg while averaging 6.4 rpg and 1.4 bpg in conference play.
Coming Next: #10 North Carolina State Wolfpack
