Miami Hurricanes

Miami Hurricanes land 2023 speedy, local receiver in Andy Jean

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The Miami Hurricanes were able to get a commitment on Saturday as 2023 wide receiver Andy Jean committed to the Hurricanes.

Jean is from Northwestern High School. A three-star recruit, Jean is the 53rd overall wide receiver in the 2023 class, and the 71st overall player in the class from the state of Florida per the 247Sports Composite Rankings. However, those initial rankings are a bit deceiving. In terms of a numerical measurement, as Jean is rated as an 88 numerically.

In addition to Miami, he had offers from the likes of Cincinnati, Florida State, and Georgia. However, he chose to call Miami home. Most recently, he was able to get an offer from Michigan on January 27. He was recruited to Miami by wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon

Jean was a very productive wide receiver for Northwestern in 2021. He caught 40 passes for 733 yards and eight touchdowns.

What would he be able to bring to the Miami Hurricanes?

Taking a look at his highlights, I was very impressed by his speed. Jean played very well on the outside, and that was where he was most comfortable. As soon as the ball is snapped, he is able to blow past the defense immediately. He is able to beat defenders with his pure speed and that allows him to be a  downfield threat.

Measuring in at six-foot-one, 175 pounds, Jean is the perfect size for an outside receiver. His combination of speed and athleticism will be able to help Miami immediately. When you look at the types of wide receivers that the Hurricanes have wanted to recruit, he certainly fits the bill.

Miami currently has two commitments in the 2023 class. The class itself ranks 46th overall nationally, and seventh overall in the ACC per the 247Sports Team Rankings. Lamar Seymour is the other commitment.

This is another big commitment for the Miami Hurricanes, and Jean gives them another weapon to add to their offense for the future. Offense is the name of the game in college football, and Jean should certainly add an explosive element to the offense.

 

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Clippers

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The Miami Heat faced the LA Clippers on the front end of a back to back, and the Heat closed it out late as the Clippers fought hard to make a comeback.

Another big shot from PJ Tucker in the corner was truly the dagger, as some Jimmy Butler late free throws put them over the top.

So, here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: Jimmy Butler’s best individual skill on display.

After seeing Jimmy Butler’s hot start on Friday night, it was clear that has left big toe was far from irritated. Flowing into offense nicely, hitting guys on back-cuts constantly, and well, being the defensive anchor in a very favorable defensive scheme. It may sound odd, but he’s better defensively against spread out talent. Big time names are individual fun for Bam Adebayo and PJ Tucker, but Butler’s home is off the ball. Ivica Zubac catches it at the elbow extended early in the first to get the Clippers into offense. Butler edges up slowly on the weak-side, then bursts. Butler always likes to call it timely gambles, but I call it a pure skill and knack that he possesses. Much like he can make unbelievable reads on the offensive end as a passer, his defensive reads bypass it by far.

#2: Duncan Robinson happened again, but mixing in other things.

When you see drop coverage, you see Duncan Robinson. As I’ve said in the past, it’s much easier for him to flow into looks with the task of just eliminating his one on-ball defender on the perimeter. But it puts a defense in an odd spot any time he touches the floor. It only takes one possession where a miscommunication occurs, and there Robinson is in space firing away a triple. Aside from those obvious elements, his reads were incredible early on. And when I say reads, I mean his off-ball ones. Moving with the ball on the attack, watching his defender sink into tagging mode, then flying right down the baseline for an easy layup inside. His cutting was great in this one, and like I said, it just puts that much more stress on a defense on a nightly basis. Crazy what making shots can shift.

#3: Oh, PJ Tucker was active early offensively? What a surprise.

When watching a Heat game this season, it’s impossible not to notice PJ Tucker on both sides of the floor, each and every possession. He’s just so active in that space, that it’s hard to miss his hard lay-out screens, crafty positioning within the perimeter, and volume shot making. The outside shots were there once again early on, but the inside flip shots closely followed. His presence down there was a necessity with the way the Clippers would collapse, and it actually led to a few trips to the line for him, on a night where there was a very friendly whistle on both ends. We can evaluate his impact as a role player under a microscope night in and night out, but the truth is he isn’t playing like a role player. He’s performing like a core piece, and it doesn’t look like it’s stopping anytime soon.

#4: Gabe Vincent decided to join in from one spot on the floor tonight. Just one.

Whenever Gabe Vincent is discussed on these post-game pieces, it’s usually me highlighting his defensive expertise with elite ball pressure and half court hounding. But tonight…tonight was different. Vincent absolutely exploded in the third quarter, three after three after three after three. Most of them seemed to come from that right wing without moving, but all jokes aside, this is a guy that has made two total transformation in the span of two years. Straight shooter converted to defensive stopper with point guard duties, while the shot now loops back around for another cycle. There’s great developmental stories in the Miami Heat’s franchise history, but then there’s Vincent. Simple in a class of his own in terms of immediate turn around stories. But as he told me before the season, he altered his jumper for the better.

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#5: Predicting the Miami Heat’s late season rotation is a pointless exercise.

Whenever I address the Heat’s potential rotation late in the season after certain guys play well, something is noticed: it’s constantly fluctuating on opinion. But at this moment in time, it feels like one thing is apparent. As good as Max Strus has been, and can continue to grow the more games he plays, it just seems like he’s not in a simplified rotation if Duncan Robinson is playing this way. We were saying the same thing when Robinson went through his slump, but now that Robinson is moving, it doesn’t look like he’s going back. The way is to clearly lean toward defensive guards, in Vincent and Caleb Martin, who are shooting at an incredible rate at the moment. Kyle Lowry and Victor Oladipo will be back eventually, but for now, these two guys are filling in just fine.

 

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Miami Hurricanes still in pursuit of five-star RB Reuben Owens

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Earlier this week, it was reported that the Miami Hurricanes were making progress in communication with  four-star running back Mark Fletcher. Now, it appears that they are going after some other high-profile running back targets as well.

2023 running back Ruben Owens is being pursued by Miami. Owens is a five-star recruit, and is the second overall running back in the 2023 class per the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He is the third overall player in his class from the state of Texas.

Owens has Hffers from the likes of Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M, and USC. He is one of the most sought-after running backs of this class.

He does have a little bit of history with the Miami Hurricanes. Last year, the program extended him an offer on June 18 via the previous staff. Gary Ferman of Canesport wrote a report on Thursday, indicating that Miami is still high on the running back’s list.

Owens would brings speed to Miami Hurricanes

Measuring in at five-foot-11, 195 pounds, Owens is a speed back in every sense of the word. In watching some of his highlights, it was evident that he could use his speed no matter what situation he was put in. From runs to the outside, to runs inside, it didn’t matter what type of run situation he would be in. He was able to find holes quickly, and then accelerate, leaving defenses far behind.

Owens recorded 2,989 rushing yards and 46 touchdowns on 248 carries for El Campo High School last year. In three years of recorded statistics, he tallied 5,308 yards and 76 touchdowns on 388 carries. Owens was a major piece of the El Campo offense last year.

Right now, all Crystal Balls point to him going to Texas. However, in this wild day and age of recruiting, you can never be certain about a player’s commitment to a school until the player actually takes the field. Kevin Smith wants to land impact playmakers in his running back room. Owens would certainly be a fit.

 

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Breaking Down Inter Miami’s Pre-Season Scrimmage vs Universitario

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Inter Miami has hit the hard reset button.

After an off-season reboot that saw sixteen players leave and eleven (and counting) be brought in, the South Florida club was back in action as they took on Peruvian club Universitario.

Though the roster is not complete, nor are they regular season fit, Phil Neville’s men put on a show in Fort Lauderdale putting four goals past the “U’s” defense. 

The scoring got started in the 19th minute with an own goal by Universitario’s Nelson Cabanillas.

Miami continued to put on the pressure and added to their lead with a fantastic goal by Homegrown defender Ian Fray. Miami ran away with the match by the second half as they added two more goals from wingback Harvey Neville and defender Ethan Hardin.

With their first ‘tune-up’ match out of the way, let’s break down what Inter Miami could tactically look like when the season starts:

New Look Miami

Neville lined Miami up in a 5-2-3, a formation he often used in 2021. However, this iteration of the “back five” looked quite different.

It was less of a flat back five and more a 3-4-3. The wingbacks pushed high and wide and acted as an outlet when Miami wanted to hit Universitario on the counter:

Most of the offensive build-up came through the center backs. McVey specifically, was very active on Miami’s left-hand side. His passing was crisp, solid, and he had several line-breaking through balls that kept Miami’s attack flowing freely.

Both of the centrebacks that flanked Aime Mabika had the freedom to roam forward and help in attack – take Fray’s goal for example:

Moving on to the midfield, Jean Mota did not disappoint.

The 28-year-old midfielder showed why Inter Miami’s Sporting Director Chris Henderson values him so highly.

The central midfielder looked lively.

He wasn’t afraid to throw himself into tackles and showed that he had a good passing range. Once his fellow Brazilian Gregore makes a return to full fitness, the duo will make an extremely formidable midfield pairing.

Looking at the attacking front trio of Robbie Robinson, Gonzalo Higuain, and Ariel Lassiter, not much has tactically changed since last year.

Wingers are told to get in behind the defense and try to go direct as possible while Higuain drops deep (but not too deep) to add creativity in the midfield.

Neville did say in his post-match conference that they have been “working on several formations.” While the back three is something they used during the friendly, Miami will more than likely use a myriad of tactical setups throughout the season:

Some of the standout players in the match were: Jean Mota, Ian Fray, Christopher McVey, and Edison Azcona.

If this friendly is anything to go by, Inter Miami fans have plenty to get excited about as they head into the 2022 season.

Wha’s Next?

Inter Miami will continue their season preparation this Saturday, January 29th as they take on DC United in a closed-door scrimmage.

Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Knicks

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The Miami Heat took down the New York Knicks at home in comfortable fashion. Pure offensive and defensive control from the tip-off to the final buzzer.

Tyler Herro returned, Jimmy Butler stayed steady, and PJ Tucker and Duncan Robinson provided the needed boost.

So, here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: Duncan Robinson killing the Knicks early in ways we’ve seen, PJ Tucker in ways we haven’t.

The Miami Heat came out absolutely firing to start this game, and it was generated by two people in that span. Duncan Robinson had a very favorable match-up with this Knicks defense, since you ultimately feel much more comfortable with him against that deep drop. The screener just needs to take out one defender, leading to wide open looks immediately, before they begin to blitz out a bit later. PJ Tucker, on the other hand, goes on offensive runs in an unexpected manner, since well, “offensive runs” and PJ Tucker never used to mix. Jimmy Butler did a great job of drawing bodies on drives and finding the corner shooter on the kick-out, which Tucker was the result back-to-back early in the first. Then once unexpected corner gravity occurs, that floater and oddly amazing finishing enters.

#2: Tyler Herro is back…like he never left.

Tyler Herro entered the health and safety protocols about a week ago, but he made his return in this one. But while Robinson exploited things that made sense on paper, Herro went in a different direction. All indicators were that Herro would totally exploit the mid-range pull-up against that drop, but he utilized the other two elements of his game instead early. The three was falling, but more important, his downhill presence was something to note. Initiating contact on pick and roll drives while finishing in traffic is quite the consistent addition for his offensive game at this point. But just overall seeing him control the game in full bench lineups, while handling and creating for himself at an extremely high level, are the most essential parts about this one. When his creation looks like this to score, it changes the offensive trajectory of this team.

#3: Miami’s defensive excellence early on was expected on paper.

Much like I said Robinson had a visible advantage on paper, the Miami Heat’s entire defense had a favorable match-up. After seeing the Knicks immediate reaction when things go down, they completely spam strong side Julius Randle reps for him to try and score or create. But the Heat love that type of play-style since they can speed you up right out the gate. When switching the way they have, the plan was to fully double Randle in that high post upon any insertion, much like they did against LeBron James a few nights ago. And when he begins to make the quick reads, it’s all about rotating on the back-side at a high level, which they did for some time. But minor tweaks had to be made, such as leaving less of a gap between the weak-side corner defender and the corner shooter. And well, those adjustments are what make this defense so scary.

#4: Another night of pure Jimmy Butler all around control.

Jimmy Butler followed up a game where he finished with a triple double in a pure passing clinic, by coming right back around the next game for another display of pure all around control. For one, to touch on a few points from before, he’s the beneficiary for the hard doubles on the high post guy, since frankly, that’s his defensive home. He also had some moments of very nice reads, specifically on drive and kicks, but the story was his scoring. A high scoring night from Butler is great, but a high scoring efficient night from Butler is what takes him up a notch. He was finishing at a high level around the rim, which could go either way at times, and just really utilized a ton of angles to his advantage throughout. Butler may be evaluated under a microscope at times, but man can he control a game like this with plain ease, making the Kyle Lowry return even more intriguing.

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#5: This Heat team’s depth isn’t just when guys go down. It’s a nightly event.

Whenever you watch this Heat team. Whenever you hear people talk about this Heat team. Whenever you look at the roster of this Heat team. There’s a similar theme that always pops out first when looking for adjectives: depth. Guys go down, others step up, and it’s just nothing new since it’s a “next man up” mentality. But that description isn’t as simple as just having back-up plans when guys are out or aren’t performing to their standards. More importantly, this is a team that can hurt you with so many different groups on a night to night basis. What I mean by that is, as we saw tonight, it was Butler-Herro-Robinson-Tucker who led the way offensively. But over this past week, Vincent-Strus-Martin-Adebayo have all had “game-high” moments as well. That’s what makes this group so scary, and as we continue to say, they still aren’t full. Kyle Lowry and Victor Oladipo are still looming in different manners.

 

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Miami Hurricanes land offensive lineman target Logan Sagapolu

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The Miami Hurricanes have landed and often the lineman. Wednesday, it was reported that former Oregon offensive lineman Logan Sagapolu is coming to Miami, joining Alex Mirabal and Mario Cristobal.  This was first reported by Matt Shodell of Canesport.

Last Friday, we reported that Sagapolu was really only focusing on the Hurricanes in terms of his recruitment. Now, it appears to be a done deal. The lineman is a three-star prospect and has a numerical rating of just over 87 per the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

The former Oregon commitment is going to help the Miami Hurricanes tremendously. For one, he is able to finish his blocks very well. He can extend his hands quickly, and that allows him to be prepared for any blocking situation. His physicality allows him to be both an effective run and pass-blocker. That versatility will undoubtedly come in handy, as Miami looks to continue a consistent and strong offense under quarterback Tyler Van Dyke.

What can Sagapolu bring to Miami Hurricanes

Sagapolu fits what the Miami hurricanes have been looking for while recruiting offensive lineman. He brings a physical edge to his game, and that is something that Mirabal wants out of his lineman. The program wants physical lineman, and players who can dominate at the line of scrimmage.

With this commitment, this marks the fifth transfer of the 2022 Miami recruiting class. This is the second transfer in two days, as former UAB edge rusher Antonio Moultrie committed to the program on Monday. Miami already has a strong 2022 recruiting class, and it they have also picked up additions via the transfer portal. This is shaping up to be a very well-rounded class, as the transfer portal has a big hand in modern-day recruiting.

As Mario Cristobal looks to continue building the program, offensive lineman are a priority. Sagapolu certainly fits what the Hurricanes want on their line, and he should be a good fit with Mirabal.

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Miami Hurricanes

Miami Hurricanes: Kevin Smith aiming high in recruiting RB position

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One common trait of this entire Miami Hurricanes coaching staff is that they are solid recruiters. It seems like every member of the coaching staff has really been able to make their presence felt on the recruiting trail. One of those coaches who falls into that category is running backs coach Kevin Smith.

Hired by Miami on January 8, Smith was already able to land former Ole Miss running back Henry Parrish. Parish committed to the Miami Hurricanes on January 16. In two seasons with the Rebels, he ran for 814 yards and five touchdowns. He also caught 28 passes for 232 yards.

Now, it appears that Smith is trying to reshape the running back room once again. As noted by Gaby Urrutia of InsideTheU, Smith made an impression on 2023 four-star running back Mark Fletcher. Fletcher is the seventh overall running back in the 2023 class, and the 26th overall player in his class from the state of Florida per the 247Sports Composite Rankings. Numerically, he is rated a 90.

Fletcher has offers from big-time schools. Alabama and Penn State are in the picture right now for his recruitment. It will be up to Smith to shift the focus more towards Miami.

What would Fletcher bring to Miami Hurricanes?

Fletcher measures in at six-foot-one, 225 pounds. In watching some of his tape, it’s obvious why Miami is high on him. He is extremely fast, and does not hesitate when he sees an open hole. Vision and speed are his two best qualities, and that would definitely give the Miami Hurricanes running game a boost. One of the key traits of a running back is how decisive he is as soon as he gets the football. Fletcher certainly makes quick decisions when he has the ball in his hands.

There has been a line of communication between Smith and Fletcher . It sounds like Fletcher is a priority target for Smith. It will be interesting to see how this plays out, and when Fletcher will make his decision.

Kevin Smith is looking to reshape the running back room, and he is going to get the best running backs he can in order to get the job done. He is not looking for players who will merely fill the room, but players who will make an impact within it.

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The Miami Heat are Better Suited Now Following the Hardships

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The Miami Heat are the 1st seed in the East at this moment in time. They sit 13 games over .500, Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, Kyle Lowry, and Tyler Herro have only played 11 of the 47 games together this season, and the guys on the lower half of the roster have emerged.

We’ve seen so many times in the past when certain teams get hot in the regular season, but playoff ball is just strictly dependent on the right match-up. So what makes the Heat fall outside of that category?

Well, the simple answer was portrayed to start this piece, since there’s always that element that a fully healthy roster can elevate this group even further, plus the late addition of Victor Oladipo pretty soon.

But the more important answer is that Erik Spoelstra has found some things along the way this season. Things that wouldn’t have been found if guys didn’t go down.

For starters, we’ve seen a gem in Omer Yurtseven emerge, who plugged right into the starting lineup as that expected filler, and performed at a very high level to generate some wins throughout the month of December.

A guy on a two-way contract named Caleb Martin turned into a legitimate rotation player, locking down opposing teams’ best players and scoring the basketball at a rate many didn’t think he could at this level.

A couple of previous two-way projects, in Gabe Vincent and Max Strus, have taken some major steps in their development so far this season as well, due to Strus’ continued elite shooting and trusted skill-set, and Vincent’s improved three-ball, increased court vision, continued defense, and general all-around play.

But that list of developmental players isn’t the main reason that this team is better suited after the previous events. It’s the things Erik Spoelstra was forced into with those specific players.

As mentioned before, Adebayo goes down to begin the month of December with a lengthy time period ahead, but how does this Heat team survive on the defensive end without their anchor?

Well, as Spoelstra has said a million times this season, it’s next man up.

Yurtseven stepping in meant a total shift was coming from the usual switching that occurs in a Miami Heat defensive scheme. And although the switching bothered some observers at times, it led to one of the better defenses in the league for a decent period of time.

With the big man combo of Yurtseven and Dewayne Dedmon, Miami had to blend strictly into a drop coverage team, which at first screams defensive comfortability for other teams to expose. Does Spoelstra have as many tricks in his bag on that end as he once did with Adebayo?

The answer was yes.

We saw him change things rotationally or through match-ups, but the immediate trust to blitz against top tier guards showed the solidity of this team’s back-line rotations and defensive mentality.

So, how did this change put Miami in a better spot moving forward?

Well, Spo has clearly shown that he’s not afraid to shift the defensive coverage from possession to possession, but seeing Miami survive with Yurtseven as a blitzer or off-ball mover, tells me the Adebayo defensive play-book just opened up.

It means that offenses will never get comfortable. Adebayo can drop and blitz, switch and double, or lay back as the free safety in the zone. These conversations are easier to have when Vincent and Martin are hounding guys at the point of attack, but that 7 week hiatus from Adebayo may have changed some perspective on that side of the floor.

And more importantly, that is something I believe Erik Spoelstra has already slipped in his pocket to return to come playoff time.

On the offensive end, many things just simply come down to player production at the right time, since this is a team that has quite the amount of options down the line if one guy isn’t performing up to their standards.

But as much as adjustments have been made on the defensive end all year, double that for their offensive structure.

No Adebayo and Butler is a hard combination to be without when running an offense. Luckily for the Heat, PJ Tucker stepped up in a way that it almost felt like they weren’t even gone, since they utilized him in a very similar fashion. (Which makes absolutely zero sense in theory)

They would line Tucker up on the strong-side wing with his back to the basket, and flow into their heavy movement offense with stagger screens, back-cuts, pin-downs, hand-offs, and more. That usage shot up even more when they’ve been without Kyle Lowry, which hasn’t been for too long aside from this past week.

But figuring out that Tucker can play in these different spots, and expanding his offensive role little by little, can really change things when they get everybody back. For one, staggering lineups is truly unnecessary when looking at the amount of creators they have on the roster, but it also allows them to put guys like Adebayo in more score-friendly spots, Lowry in higher frequency off-ball spaces, and Butler can essentially split “carries” with Tucker in many ways.

Along with finding that Tucker can play within a bigger role, they found some places to insert him into along the way as well. Something I’ve brought up frequently is Miami’s recent offensive base, which I briefly displayed when discussing the role of Tucker previously.

As seen above, it leaves Miami with a simple insert pass to a guy like Butler on the wing, four guys clear-out to the weak-side for the action to begin, and chaos quickly follows. A bunch of misdirections are used in the process to try and put the defense in a very awkward position, eventually leading to an open cutter around the basket or a three-point attempt on one of the flares.

This may seem oddly specific and unrelated to the original topic of Miami finding things in the process of being without top players, but I highly doubt we would have seen such a diverse offensive playbook in the event that Adebayo and Butler were healthy for the majority of the season thus far.

And yet, that’s what makes this Heat team much more promising as they move forward, and much different than last season’s team: they’re a diverse group now.

Lastly, we’ve still yet to see one of the main elements to this Heat offense due to the inability to get them at full strength: mid-range play.

As much as they’ve previously been a super high spot-up three-ball team, they’ve been last in frequency within that category for quite some time now. And with three of their four best players having a high talent for the mid-range jumper, while Butler has it at times, that was the theme of this team coming in.

Even when Adebayo went down, many of those things carried over. Herro and Lowry still attacked drop coverages at a high level like they usually do, but the mid-range numbers dropped from 15 a game to 10.5 a game over that span.

Why is that?

Well as much as Spoelstra can emulate everything on this roster, that rolling pull-up threat was just no where to be found on this team. Tucker developed a nice looking floater, but that’s not a mid-range roller that they were missing. Yurtseven and Dedmon don’t have that in their bag, it’s one of Martin’s only offensive deficits, and Markieff Morris may be the only one to obtain it, but he hasn’t played in a very long time.

Now, as Adebayo returns to the lineup, who exits at this very moment?

Lowry and Herro, as Herro entered the protocols and Lowry has been away from the team due to personal reasons, which also could be the much needed time off this season.

So let’s take a look around the roster again, what guards can fill the ball-handler pull-up void without those back-court guys?

Duncan Robinson and Strus definitely aren’t the guys for the job, Butler hasn’t been hugely efficient with that this year, and Vincent has actually done it to a decent degree, but not enough for defenses to worry about it.

The point is that it’s been a constant adjustment period within one of the team’s biggest offensive strengths, but they’ve found a way.

And now if that element isn’t falling, like what happened against Milwaukee in last year’s post-season, alternatives are being found sooner than before.

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Talking about getting whole with top level talent is one thing, but getting the pieces back together to experiment within lineups and sets is another thing.

As I said prior, this Heat team sits atop the East, even though they’ve experienced a never-ending cycle of guys exiting and others returning.

“It’s best case scenario when you’re able to learn in a win,” said Duncan Robinson after the Heat’s win over the Lakers. And that right there is the theme of their season so far.

They’ve been in rough spots, picked up on new players and schemes for the long haul, yet still find themselves in the one seed in the Eastern Conference.

There’s no doubt this Heat team is better suited for a lengthy late-season run following the pick-ups they have made along the way.

 

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Miami Hurricanes

Miami Hurricanes: Four-star WR Hykeem Williams top target for ‘Canes

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It was a busy weekend for the Miami Hurricanes, as campus visitors along with the Battle Miami camp coincided with each other. As we continue to sift through the news of this weekend, one particular receiver has piqued Miami’s interest. 2023 four-star wide receiver Hykeem Williams has an interest in Miami, and the interest is mutual. This news was first reported by Gaby Urrutia of 247Sports.

Williams is the 11th overall wide receiver in the 2023 class, and the 11th overall player in his class from the state of Florida per the 247Sports Composite Rankings. His primary recruiter is wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon.

What could he bring to Miami Hurricanes?

Williams measures in at six-foot-three, 195 pounds. He is a very solid outside wide receiver. He is not tremendously quick out of his break, but that’s not his specialty. Williams makes things happen after the catch. Once he has the football in his hands, he can get away from defenders with ease. In that respect, he is an impact playmaker. He is still a tremendous big-play threat, just not initially out of his break.

The Fort Lauderdale native played for Stranahan High School. He caught 31 passes for 693 yards and six touchdowns. in terms of what Miami is trying to recruit at the wide receiver position, he fits exactly the type of play style they are looking for.

Currently, the 2023 Miami recruiting class ranks 44th nationally and fifth overall in ACC per the 247Sports team rankings. The class only has one commitment at the moment in wide receiver Lamar Seymour.

Pairing Williams with a guy like Seymour could spell very good news for Miami. That would give them to playmakers they could build the class around. If the Hurricanes were able to land this commitment, it would give them two commitments for this class, with much of the recruiting cycle still to go.

 

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Five Takeaways from Heat’s Win Over Lakers

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The Miami Heat came out firing against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday night, but barely squeaked it out in the end.

PJ Tucker came up big down the stretch with big play after big play, but Caleb Martin sealed it with a late steal and finish to close it out.

So, here are some takeaways from this one…

#1: Jimmy Butler bounce back…with bounce passes.

Jimmy Butler has been a hot topic recently after his struggles down the stretch against Atlanta, but like he usually does, he bounced back. Not in the same scoring manner that he always comes back in, but with a complete passing display that gave him 10 assists well before the halftime buzzer even went off. How was he getting guys such good looks? Well, part of it is guys just hitting shots at a high level. But the main element was his overall half-court movement. Stagnant nights lead to rough shooting and rough passing, but when you flow with the off-ball movement shooter, great things happen. That’s what he did throughout that first half, and it’s something to keep in mind with the other big 3 counterparts. It allows Bam Adebayo to be aggressive Bam Adebayo, which he has been, and it leads to Kyle Lowry needing to step up as the off-ball scorer we know he will be come playoff time.

#2: Duncan Robinson playing his game.

When I say Duncan Robinson was playing his game, that doesn’t just mean he was hitting from deep. It’s about the process. As I’ve discussed on every one of these takeaway pieces, Robinson shooting without hesitation is the key. There have been too many occasions where he slightly hesitates in a fashion he hasn’t in past years, and we’re seeing a breakthrough at this point in time. Another point that must be made is that Robinson is 100% a drop killer. It’s something I’ve brought up about Tyler Herro and Kyle Lowry when they face drop coverage with their mid-range pull-up, but Robinson elevates that even further when he’s hot. All it takes is one defender to eliminate for an open three to be found, and that’s what got him going early. And well, many potential playoff match-ups will see a similar look.

#3: Miami playing the “help defense” game all the way.

Usually I take a section of this piece to talk strictly defensive scheme, but something else was noted on that end. For starters, as expected, Erik Spoelstra went immediately to his coveted match-up move with his versatile front-court, placing PJ Tucker on LeBron James so Bam Adebayo can quickly switch onto him with Tucker dropping on Dwight Howard. But as we saw right after, that wasn’t the primary move. The change was that no matter who LeBron had on his back in the high post, that help defender would come swarming. Jimmy Butler kicked that off with constant gambles, and it leads to some swings, some help, and usually a three-point attempt from a below average shooter when looking at that Lakers’ starting lineup. Both Gabe Vincent and Caleb Martin picked right up in Butler’s spot with swarming help, furthering the point that these guys aren’t just on-ball stoppers. They’re complete defensive threats.

#4: Once again, Dewayne Dedmon is the ultimate back-up big for this Heat team.

The funny thing about the Dewayne Dedmon-Omer Yurtseven conversation is that…it’s not a conversation. Like I’ve stated many times, Yurtseven did some outstanding things as the filler on this team, and will continue to evolve and play that role this season, but the back-up big role is Dedmon’s and it isn’t close. The reason for that is the best quality for a back-up big is consistency, and man is that an adjective for Dedmon. Every single night he plays, he gives you the same exact thing. Simple rolling, great hands, exceptional finishing. And well, he extends plays. When playing the role of small bursts, energy and play extension are two of the biggest non-statistical elements. Dedmon has definitely shown that he’ll bring the energy, but fighting down low for fouls is the equivalent of exciting Yurtseven offensive rebounds. And yet, probably a more reliable element in this role specifically.

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#5: Confidence win for Miami.

Talking about confidence wins when the Heat beat a struggling Lakers team may seem odd, but they needed to follow up that rough ending against the Hawks. Not only that, but the ugly offensive showing needed some cleaning up, and it wasn’t about the team aspect. Much like tonight, Robinson, Martin, Vincent, Strus, and others came up big to give Miami a chance. But Butler’s struggles and the lack of Herro and Lowry held them back. Well, tonight, Butler and Adebayo proved yet again they can get up for hyped up games, and don’t need every last piece, just like Herro and Lowry didn’t for big games prior. This Heat team has found ways to win with many different combinations, but the back-end of the rotation has stayed familiar. And it should look familiar as they move into the playoffs as well.

 

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