Adam Gase’s burner account is nothing short of extraordinary

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Adam Gase, or someone close to him, has been defending the Jets on Twitter.

This certainly goes under the category of something you don’t hear about every day. New York Jets head coach Adam Gase has been in the media recently. In the latest installment of the Adam Gase extravaganza, a report came out Wednesday that he has never cared about the criticism of the fans. His go-to motto is “I’m rich as f—k.”

Now, there is speculation that he has his own Twitter burner account. In what has been circulating around the Internet, the burner account is under the username of @Wyattv18. Gase has a son named Wyatt, who is seven. It is not likely that those are his tweets, but with modern technology anything is possible. I’m willing to bet it is Gase himself or at least someone involved with the organization. This all seems like too elaborate a scheme for any fan to conjure up.

If you look at some of the tweets that have been screenshotted, whoever this is has been vehemently defending Gase from the beginning. The screenshot that we took only showed a retweet from the New York Jets main account. Since we got the picture, the account has nothing on its profile. Apparently, whoever runs the account is finally come onto the fact that it has been discovered.

I am totally not shocked by this at all. This is such a New York Jets move. As the Jets sit at 6-9 and third place in the AFC East, I can’t blame anybody from the New York Jets for having a burner account. They certainly have a right to defend themselves from the criticism. Nevertheless, whoever created it certainly doesn’t realize that this is a bad look.

Such is a day in the Twitterverse. Hopefully, we’ll never have to see the day where Miami Dolphins burner accounts are created. We have already dealt with Adam Gase once. As this season has proved, it would be in the best interest of the Dolphins to never deal with him again

Miami Dolphins: Ryan Fitzpatrick has record-setting day in win

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The Miami Dolphins quarterback had a big day on Sunday.

The Miami Dolphins defeated the Cincinnati Bengals by a 38-35 score in what took five quarters of football to play. One of the major reasons Miami won on Sunday was the play of Ryan Fitzpatrick.

He has the nickname  Fitzmagic for a reason, and he showed why on Sunday. He went 31-of-52 on the day, throwing for 419 yards, four touchdowns, and an interception.

Fitzpatrick steps up right from the get-go

Fitzpatrick started his successful day early on. His pass to Christian Wilkins set the tone early, no matter how it looked. At the five minute mark in the first quarter, he threw a strike to Devante Parker for a seven-yard touchdown. That gave Miami a 14-0 lead.

Fitzpatrick would be silent until near the end of the second quarter. With 2:20 left in the quarter, he threw a pass to Mike Gesicki. Fitzpatrick and the tight end would find a connection twice in this game. A touchdown at the 8:24 mark in the third quarter would give Miami a 28-6 lead. Admittedly, that lead felt extremely safe at the time.

As the Bengals came roaring back, I wondered if Fitzpatrick would be able to keep up his level of play. He managed to do so, hanging in there and moving the ball downfield. The offensive line was a big part of that. Fitzpatrick was only sacked twice for a combined loss of 13 yards on the afternoon. It was great to see that unit be able to give him time in the pocket in order to get the job done.

Fitzpatrick put together a vintage performance

Sunday’s game was Ryan Fitzpatrick at his best. Just on the first drive alone, he got several wide receivers involved. Patrick Laird, Allen Hurns, Albert Wilson, and Christian Wilkins all recorded receptions to begin the game.

The reception by Wilkins was interesting to say the least. For those who didn’t see it, Fitzpatrick passed to Wilkins at the one-yard line where Wilkins was tackled. Wilkins fumbled the ball, got up and raced into the end zone to recover the ball for a touchdown. It wasn’t pretty, but it got the job done.

Any way you slice it, Fitzpatrick was able to get everyone involved on Sunday. This was a great game offensively for him. Whether you are pro-tank or anti-tank, there is no doubt that he makes this offense better. It will be interesting to see what he does against New England next Sunday. That defense will certainly present a formidable challenge.

Waardenburg, McGustly set career highs as Miami dominates Coppin State 91-60

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Sam Waardenburg posted his first career double-double with a 11 rebounds and a career high 15 points as the Miami Hurricanes capped off the non-conference slate of the season with a 91-60 win over Coppin State on Saturday.

Waardenburg’s 11 rebounds tied a career high and he set a new high in made field goals and tied his top mark in made 3-pointers, finishing 6-of-8 and 3-of-5, respectively.

“In his first few years, he struggled in November and December and played great after the new year,” Miami coach Jim Larranaga said. “I don’t know what it is. I think it’s heading into the new year and he’s getting there sooner.”

“Last two days I missed some free throws and wasn’t happy with it, so I shot 700 free throws yesterday and it helped me with my shot, holding my follow through,” Waardenburg said. “My teammates are always telling me to shoot the ball, that it makes their job easier, so I had that mindset.”

Kam McGusty posted a career-high 28-point performance on 9-of-11 shooting, including 5-of-7 from the three point line, and 5-of-6 free throws. 

“I think he was very ready to play and very ready to shoot the ball,” Larrañaga said of McGusty. “When you make a three and then the same shot materializes the very next time down the court, well of course you’re going to look for it again and when you make it you feel like ‘Oh I’ve got the hot hand.’ Then you hit another and another. He made [three] in a row and that not only gets him going, but the whole team.”

“It goes back to the team chemistry we have,” McGusty said. “I’m just trying to give it my all and make that off year, this transfer year, worth it.”

The Hurricanes led as much as 40 points and set a season high mark of 91 points and a program record 18 made three point shots. Chris Lykes scored 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting including four three-pointers. DJ Vasiljevic added 21 points on 5-of-15 shooting and 8-for-8 from the free throw line.

“For 35 minutes it was our best offensive and defensive game,” Larranaga said. “The last five wasn’t indicative the way the team played. We took 38 3s which is kind of ridiculous to me, but we made 18 so we got to be pretty happy about that. We defended so well for such a long period of time, giving up only 45 points in the first 35 minutes. Love to see that kind of execution every game.”

The Hurricanes have won four in a row and enter their conference slate with an 8-3 record. They are already in the hole at 0-1 after losing their season opener to Louisville, which was ranked No. 5 at the time and rose to No. 1 at one point.

“We won four in a row but the challenge in the ACC is team we’re going to play now are really a whole lot more talented,” Larranaga said. “They got really good players and they’re more familiar with us; we’re more familiar with them. The challenges are greater. We open the season on the road against Clemson where it’s very tough to play and then we come back home to play Duke, who’s top 5 in the country and we’re already 0-1, having lost to the No. 1 team in the country Louisville back then.”

How Filippos Gkogkos joined Hurricanes basketball

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Miami freshman Filippos Gkogkos entered the court to play the final three minutes of the Hurricanes 91-60 win over Coppin State on Saturday and collected his first two rebounds.

Gkogkos played basketball Romania and won the national title in 2015 before starting high school. He entered the University of Miami for its business school on an academic scholarship. His role is mainly to contribute on the practice squad and help the team prepare for these games.

Each minute he plays feels like a rewarding bonus. The first time he entered the court was on November 16 against Quinnipiac, but it was for less than a minute and he did not record any stats.

Head coach Jim Larrañaga shared the story of how he ended up joining the Hurricanes as a walk-on.

“Fillip walked into my office the first day of school and said he wanted to be on the team,” recalled Larrañaga, to which his response was, “It’s not like a club you join. Do you play basketball?”

“And he walked around my desk, picked up my iPad and immediately went to YouTube videos and showed me his videos. He said, ‘I played basketball in Romania.’ He speaks five languages. He’s brilliant. And I watched the videos and I said, ‘hey you know what, we’re shorthanded. Why don’t you come and try to be a walk-on?’”

After being told what a walk-on does, Gkogkos’ response was to express his desire to get better. Time will tell whether or not the Hurricanes will create a wide enough margin for him to get on the court during ACC play but everyone remembers their first career moments. 

Hurricanes Won’t Lose Independence Bowl…Right?

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The Hurricanes should win the Independence Bowl, right?

You would hope that the Miami Hurricanes would have learned their lesson.

After another long layoff they will close out a disappointing 2019 campaign December 26th, in the Walk-On’s Independence Bowl.

The Hurricanes (6-6) will face the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (9-3) from Conference USA, where they finished with a 6-3 mark.

Louisiana Tech has never beaten the Hurricanes in four previous matchups, could this Miami team be their first conquest?

 

We’ve Been Here Before

Miami has one prior trip to the Independence Bowl in 2014 under Al Golden. That team finished 6-6 during the regular season and entered the game on a three game losing streak.

Sound familiar?

Granted, this current Miami losing streak is only two games but those two should count for more.

The Hurricanes would lose the 2014 game to South Carolina 24-21 despite being the favorite.

This time around the Hurricanes are again the favorite and cannot afford another slow start which has doomed them repeatedly.

Miami was outscored 72-20 in their six losses, five of which were by single digits.

Diaz Must Have Team Prepared

The Hurricanes were dreadful after bye weeks, losing all three of their games after extended hiatus.

Including the FIU debacle.

Lack of preparation defined their season, and they will once again have to gain focus or the results will be similar.

Louisiana Tech averaged 34 points per game this season and should not be taken lightly.

The Bulldogs have an excellent quarterback in J’Mar Smith who threw for 2814 yards with 17 touchdowns against just four interceptions.

Smith shares the wealth as Louisiana Tech has three receivers with at least 500 receiving yards this season.

 

They are succeptable to the pass rush as they allowed 26 sacks (76th in NCAA) and only average 3.8 yards per carry on the ground.

Gregory Rousseau should be primed for a big day, along with Miami’s top-20 run defense.

 

Louisiana Tech has an opportunistic defense which had 15 interceptions, whoever starts at quarterback for Miami must make the easy plays.

The Hurricanes are not good enough to overcome a turnover deficit, we have seen that movie before.

Cam Harris should be a focal point of the running game against a Bulldogs defense that surrenders over 142 rushing yards per game.

Dan Enos has one more opportunity this season to prove he should get another year.

While Manny Diaz has to ensure his team comes out firing on all cylinders and does not overlook Louisiana Tech.

If Miami somehow manages to have another FIU-type performance and lose, the offseason in Coral Gables will be a rocky one.

The Independence Bowl can be seen on ESPN December 26th at 4PMEST.

 

 

Miami Heat’s 2-3 Zone Causing Problems

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The Miami Heat’s 2-3 zone is giving certain teams fits.

Sometimes a simple solution is also the most effective in a complex NBA season.

Whether it be a matchup substitution or a defensive game plan, many times the obvious answer is in plain sight.

The Miami Heat stifled the Philadelphia 76er’s on Wednesday thanks in part to a seldom used zone defense, at least in today’s NBA.

We all know the Heat do things differently, most of the time it works out.

 

Catching professional coaching staffs by surprise is often a challenge, but occasionally an outside-the-box strategy can yield great results.

With a short rotation due to injuries, Miami Heat head coach Erik Speolstra has needed creativity as an ally.

The zone defense is particularly effective against teams that lack elite outside shooting.

Philadelphia fits that bill in the sense of volume, they take the fifth fewest three-point attempts in the league.

They shoot a decent percentage (36.2) but are streaky at that range.

We all know one guy that opposing defenses will gladly allow to launch from beyond the arc.

 

The zone is nothing new to the Heat as they have employed this season, but in live game action on the fly it can be effective.

Philadelphia shot just 12-for-39 (30.8%) from deep and did not attack the zone effectively with Joel Embiid until it was too late.

Miami has the athleticism to defend inside-out and crash the defensive boards, the Heat out-rebounded the 76ers 56-47.

Josh Richardson was just 3-of-10 from three-point range and Tobias Harris 2-of-6.

Philadelphia coach Brett Brown countered late with Furkan Kormaz (2-of-3 from 3pt) but it was not enough.

 

 

Teams will try to replicate the Heat’s formula against Philadelphia and similarly structured teams.

Like Dallas did in their 117-98 blowout to give the 76ers their second straight home loss.

Once again Philadelphia struggled from three-point range, this time converting just 10-of-34 (29.4%) attempts.

Miami has employed the strategy mostly out of necessity, it is not their ideal defense by any stretch.

How long it continues will be dependent on factors such as player availability and matchups.

It also protects players such as Bam Adebayo from foul trouble as there are three players on the baseline to pack it in.

Miami again employed the zone for stretches in their 129-114 win Friday, New York also put up a 10-for-34 mark from deep.

As long as the opponent complies and the bench is short, we may be in the zone for a minute.

Florida Panthers: Noel Acciari scoring at rapid rate

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The Florida Panthers beat the Dallas Stars by a 7-4 score on Friday night. One of the major reasons why they won was the play of forward Noel Acciari.  He recorded another had trick on Friday night. In doing so , this marked his second game in a row accomplishing the feat.

Making history for the Florida Panthers

The last time a Florida Panther recorded hat tricks in multiple games, the legendary Pavel Bure accomplished the feat. He did so in a stretch from February 10-14, 2002.

In his last two games, Acciari has tallied six goals and two assists. On Friday night, he did it efficiently. He scored his first goal at the 7:26 mark of the second period. He followed that up with another tally rather quickly at the 7:58 mark. On the last goal, he took care of business himself. With the Dallas Stars on a powerplay, he scored his third goal unassisted on what was a shorthanded tally.

It’s fascinating to see him flourish in Florida. Coming from the Boston area, I got to see him a lot when he played for the Bruins. He always seemed to be able to record the timely goal, and he was a big part of the youth movement for Boston while he was there. Signing a three-year contract worth $5 million, he is proving his worth so far.

He’s not the type of player that is going to consistently record back-to-back hat tricks. He is the type of player that is going to give you a consistent  hard-nosed effort every time he is on the ice. Acciari has certainly provided that for the Panthers to this point. The way I see it, his scoring is just a bonus. Locating the puck and being actively involved in plays have been some of his strengths over the past couple of games. The statistics have showed it.

It will be interesting to see how he performs the rest of the way. If he can continue to play like this in the second half of the season, the Florida Panthers will be even more scary.

 

Attrition may Have Uncovered Potent Lineup for Heat

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A potent lineup for the Heat may have revealed itself.

The Miami Heat have somehow managed to maintain course despite crucial injuries to Justise Winslow and Goran Dragic.

 

Miami has started to show some vulnerability, as evidenced by their first truly bad loss of the year at Memphis.

Jimmy Butler needs a break.

However the team once again found enough gas Wednesday to end Philadelphia’s undefeated run at home.  The common denominators for most Heat lineups lately have been Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo, and Kendrick Nunn.  That trio has been in the top three lineups for Miami in terms of minutes per game, with Duncan Robinson and Meyers Leonard rounding things out.

Switching to Airplane Mode

One intriguing combination has been to bring in Derrick Jones Jr. for Meyers Leonard early and late.  Leonard typically opens each half but has not been utilized much, if at all down the stretch.  Jones, Jr. has been seeing a huge increase in minutes recently due to several factors, including the razor thin rotation Erik Spoelstra has to work with.  That faith has been rewarded as Jones continues to carve out a more significant role.  Over the last seven games, DJJ is averaging nearly 30 minutes per game and is starting to feel it from downtown.  He is 6-for-13 in his last four games and has scored in double figures three times in that span, while his defense has also made a huge impact.

 

The lineup featuring Butler/Jones, Jr./Adebayo/Robinson/Nunn has been used in just three games going into Wednesday.  Yet in that limited sample the numbers have been encouraging and perhaps worth a look.  Rebounding is a legitimate concern without a second traditional big however, time will tell how the scales balance in that aspect.

 

Butler has been all that Heat fans could have hoped for but is exerting a ton out there. He struggled in his latest return to Philadelphia and is logging a Thibodeau-ian amount of minutes lately.  Butler is playing almost 39 minutes per contest in December which is nearly six minutes more than his career average. His 26.3 usage rate this season would be the second highest total of his career if maintained.

While DJJ has been a key cog in the wheel, the emergence of Adebayo is what has held things together.  The reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week has continued to carry the load on both ends.  Adebayo is the anchor, not only on defense but from the high post where his skill set shines.  Bam is averaging 18/11/5  in December and his ability to finish on the pick-and-roll, or run things from the top, has kept defenses off balance.

Kendrick Nunn and Duncan Robinson have been inconsistent but when they are on, they give this group the scoring from the perimeter it needs.  Nunn erupted for 26 points at Philadelphia and has hit half his three-point attempts on this road trip. If he can start making the easy plays and distribute the ball, expect another nice progression from the rookie.  Meanwhile, Robinson has been feast-or-famine, but when he’s eating the whole offense changes.  He has become a comfortable second option on the perimeter when the initial action doesn’t hit, while doing just enough on defense.  Robinson is shooting over 47% from deep this month and is getting almost six minutes more per game.

The lineup is shooting 59.6% overall and 52% from deep, while averaging a 3.6 assist-to-turnover ratio.  On the opposite end they are holding opponents to just 40% shooting, including 26.5% from beyond the arc.  Conversely, they are 6.5 points better overall than the opponent so far.  Perhaps that is why they were the “Five on the Floor” to close the game out in Philadelphia.

When Dragic (and Winslow?) return, it will likely shake up the backcourt rotation once again.

For now, we may be seeing this group again when it counts.

Early Signing Period: How did the Hurricanes fare?

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Depending on who you ask, you’ll get differing opinions on the current state of  the Miami Hurricanes recruiting going into the Early Signing Period. Overall, Miami did a relatively good job of keeping the majority of their commits but the Canes were also on the shorter end of the stick of a few recruits on the fence. Altogether, 19 recruits faxed over their national letters of intent to Manny Diaz today. Let’s take a look and evaluate how Miami did by position.

 

Quarterback: B+

 

Signees: Tyler Van Dyke (Suffield Academy, Suffield, CT)

 

 

No drama here as Miami and QBs coach Dan Enos were able to lock in their guy back in April of this year and he never wavered. Tyler Van Dyke is a four-star prospect from Suffield, CT and the 6’4” 212 lb. QB committed after a secret visit to campus with his father. The 209th-ranked overall prospect has excellent size and poise when in the pocket and shows excellent accuracy. It would be no surprise if Van Dyke shows enough talent in practice to compete for a starting job next season. 

 

Running Back: A

 

Signees: Don Chaney (Belen Jesuit, Miami, FL), Jaylan Knighton (Deerfield Beach HS, Deerfield Beach, FL)

 

 

I’m giving the team an A with this coup of backs coming in not only because of the talent level but also because of the talent level considering the current depth on the team. Running backs coach Eric Hickson received Chaney’s commitment in February after only three weeks on the job and is considered a borderline four/five-star prospect throughout every recruiting service. Very well-built at 5’10” and 203 pounds, Chaney is a weight room freak and has the perfect combination of size and speed. On top of that, adding Knighton only makes the cake a little sweeter as Knighton finishes his high school career as the all-time leading rusher in Broward County history. You most likely will not find another school in the entire country that has a better group of running back signees. As of right now, Miami will be five-deep at tailback with Deejay Dallas (assuming he returns), Cam Harris, Lorenzo Lingard, Chaney, and Knighton. 

 

Wide Receiver: B

 

Signees: Michael Redding (IMG Academy, Bradenton, FL), Dazalin Worsham (Hewitt-Trussville, Trussville, AL), Xavier Restrepo (Deerfield Beach HS, Deerfield Beach, FL)

 

 

With Jeff Thomas announcing his decision to enter the draft as well as losing two other receivers to the transfer portal, Miami has some work to do in terms of rebuilding the depth at receiver and it seems like they did just that with this year’s class. Redding is an outstanding athlete at 6’2”, 200 pounds as the four-star prospect runs a 4.5 40 with a 41-inch vertical leap. Wide receivers coach Taylor Stubblefield was able to pry Daz Worsham away from Alabama and as a result, he gets a very productive receiver who graduates from Hewitt-Trussville High as the all-time leading receiver in school history. Restrepo wanted the Miami offer badly and he committed on the spot once he was given the go-ahead. He’s a very sneaky fast guy in the slot and plays with a chip on his shoulder. Would not surprise me if they utilize him in a comparable way to former UM receiver Braxton Berrios. 

 

Tight End: B

 

Signees: Dominic Mammerelli (Naples HS, Naples, FL)

 

 

Mammarelli has been a long-time commit of Miami, even before Manny Diaz took the reigns as head coach. The 13th best tight end in the country measures out at 6’4” and 235 pounds and should be in the mix for playing time next season. 

 

One name to keep an eye out for, whether he makes a decision by Friday (the last day of the Early Signing Period) or waits until February to announce his choice is five-star tight end Darnell Washington. Washington announced on Tuesday that he would not be signing on Wednesday and has been deliberating between Miami, Alabama, Tennessee, and Georgia with the odds swaying towards each of the schools at times. The Canes are pushing hard for 6’7” 261 pound giant from Las Vegas and a lot of credit goes to tight ends coach Stephen Field for keeping them in this race.

 

Offensive Line: C

 

Signees: Jalen Rivers (Oakleaf HS, Orange Park, FL), Chris Washington (Overton HS, Nashville, TN)

 

 

Miami is getting a very talented left tackle in Jalen Rivers, who has the ideal build and length at 6’6” and 330+ pounds and could very well compete for a starting position in the spring. Washington is considered a project at tackle, also with great size at 6’6”, and honestly, me calling him a project may be just a prediction when you consider that the same was said about Zion Nelson last year. The offensive line unit was probably the worst position group performance-wise this past season and even with Washington and Rivers coming in, there is still much to be desired. It would have been ideal to add more than just two bodies to a unit that is also lacking depth. Miami chasedafter Jacksonville-based guard Kobe Baynes but very late in the process and he opted to honor his commitment to Louisville. It is likely that Miami will re-evaluate their OL board and assess options that are still available as well as rummaging through the transfer portal.

 

Defensive Line: B+

 

Signees: Chantz Williams (Oakleaf HS, Orange Park, FL), Quentin Williams (Mallard Creek HS, Charlotte, NC), Elijah Roberts (Columbus HS, Miami, FL)

 

Unsigned Commits: Willie Moise (Chaminade-Madonna Prep, Hollywood, FL)

 

 

This is such a great haul for Miami at this position as Todd Stroud has plenty to work with next season. This group is headlined by Chantz Williams, who is ranked as the 4th-best weak side defensive end in the country and 77th overall. Williams had an excellent senior season and is considered an athletic freak, who has been clocked in at a 4.56 40 and an 6’8” wingspan at 6’3”. The same can be said about Quentin Williams, who was a great find out of Charlotte and is ranked as the 31st-best weak side defensive end in the country. Quentin had excellent testing numbers at The Opening in Charlotte in January, where was clocked in at a 4.8 40 with a 33.4 inch vertical. The four-star prospect Roberts most recently led his high school to a state championship and is a hometown kid who always preferred to stay home and play in Coral Gables. He’s extremely strong at 6’3”, 267 pounds and it seems like the plan is to move him to the inside at tackle, which is reminiscent of what Miami did with RJ McIntosh. Miami could look to add another DT in the next couple of months.

 

Miami did lose the commitment of Romell Height, who did indeed take a secret visit to Auburn this past weekend and signed with the Tigers as a result.

 

Must note that Willie Moise has been committed to Miami for a long time but due to grades, Moise will wait to sign in February. 

 

Linebacker: B

 

Signees: Corey Flagg (North Shore HS, Houston, TX), Tirek Austin-Cave (Camden HS, Camden, NJ)

 

 

The Canes are preparing for the loss of seniors Shaq Quarterman and Mike Pinckney after this season so it was imperative that linebackers coach Jonathan Patke had to re-up and reload at the position. Manny Diaz may have missed out on a big fish in five-star prospect Justin Flowe (Oregon), but they found a way to hold on to A tackling machine from Houston area , Flagg is ranked as the 38th best inside linebacker in the country according to the 247Sports Composite. Austin-Cave is a lengthy linebacker at 6’1” and plays very physical and knows how to navigate through traffic. Would it have been more ideal for Miami to add a 3rd linebacker? Maybe, and they would’ve had they added the services of Flowe or decided to keep Largo’s AJ Mathis, but luckily their position is more favorable than not with Zach McCloud and Avery Huff redshirting.

 

Cornerback: C

 

Signees: Marcus Clarke (Winter Park HS, Winter Park, FL)

 

 

Miami’s bringing in a speedy cornerback in Clarke from the Orlando area. Clarke should add depth to a unit that will possibly lose Trajan Bandy should he opt for the draft. However, outside of performance, this is a very similar situation compared to the offensive line, where depth could become a problem next season. If you do not include Clarke, the Canes could have as little as four scholarship cornerbacks on the team next season. Look for Miami to add another corner to close out the class.

 

Safety: B+

 

Signees: Keyshawn Washignton (South Dade HS, Homestead, FL), Jalen Harrell (Champagnat Catholic, Hialeah, FL), Brian Balom (Miramar HS, Miramar, FL)

 

 

Miami missed out on getting a third and final commitment from South Dade’s Jaiden Francois, who opted to attend Nebraska after a very strange signing ceremony in which he appeared to step out twice, causing delays. Nevertheless, safeties coach Ephraim Banda deserves a lot of credit for the group of safeties joining the team next year. Headlined by Harrell, the 6’2” 180 lb. long-ranged safety committed to Miami on Black Friday after decommitting from FSU in October. The 22nd-ranked safety country is a great addition to a now loaded safety room. Washington is also highly-regarded as a four-star prospect and played a big role on South Dade’s tenacious defense this past season. Balom is considered a project but the three-star prospect is not afraid to lay the hammer down by any means. 

 

The Canes are still after top safety Avantae Williams who recently decommitted from Oregon and will wait until February to sign. Miami’s chances are really good but they have to fend off Florida for his services. 

 

Overall: B

 

If it weren’t for the holes yet to be filled at offensive line and cornerback, the 17th-ranked class in the country could’ve very well been a B+, even without the possible additions of Darnell Washington and Avantae Williams. When you consider the team’s performance at this point in the season and the plethora of decommitments they’ve had, it is astounding to me that Diaz and his staff were still able to pull off a top-20 class with lots of talent. Miami only added to the depth at defensive end and the competition for playing time at running back next year will be very intense. We would be having a very different conversation if Miami did not lose to FIU and Duke and carried on the momentum that came about after the win at Doak Campbell. 

 

Just a reminder that this class may not be finished yet. Miami only signed 19 players, which means they will have six spots available and with the recent attrition that occurred during the season, the Canes should look to utilize all six. 

Related:

2019 Miami Hurricanes Football: Season of Missed Opportunities

 

Miami Hurricanes senior DJ Vasiljevic has pro potential

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Since Jim Larranaga became the head coach of the University of Miami basketball team in 2011, the Hurricanes have had four players selected in the NBA Draft.

It started with Shane Larkin in 2013 coming off the magical ACC championship season led by Shane Larkin, who was selected by the Dallas Mavericks. The Hurricanes are working on a three year streak with Davon Reed (Suns) in 2017, Lonnie Walker (Spurs) and Bruce Brown (Pistons) in 2018 and even Dewan Hernandez (Raptors) who was drafted despite not playing a game last season due to NCAA violations.

This year, the Hurricanes have an opportunity to make a run back into the NCAA Tournament and get another player drafted. They’ve been led by the trio of Chris Lykes (14.8 PPG) , DJ Vasiljevic (14.5 PPG) and Kam McGusty (13.9 PPG).

Vasiljevic seems to have the most draft potential given his shooting ability. The senior is currently has a three point shooting percentage of 50.8 and his best game so this season was against Alabama A&M where all six of his shots were from the top of the key and he made five them as well as hit 2-of-2 from the free throw line to total 17 points in an 88-74 Miami win.

“Any time you can shoot the ball the way DJ can shoot the ball, you can find a spot for a shooter because the game is so open nowadays,” Alabama A&M head coach Dylan Howard said. “He’s gonna land somewhere, if not the NBA, he’s gonna go overseas and do great things.”

Vasiljevic has spent all four years with the Hurricanes, something that is now a rarity given his talent. He will surely have his jersey retired after notching his 1,000th career point againt Temple. 

“DJ has been with us for four years. I can tell you from the day he arrived he’s one of smartest, hardest working, best shooters, great leader, great competition I’ve been around,” Larranaga said of Vasiljevic. “He is the consummate teammate.” 

Saturday’s home game against Coppin State will cap off the Hurricanes’ out of conference slate of the season. Last year Miami entered conference play 8-4 and their lack of depth doomed them to a 14-18 season. This year, the Hurricanes are 7-3 — which includes a season opening loss to Louisville — with all their horses and have a better outlook going into conference play.

The Hurricanes have road wins over Temple, Central Florida and Illinois but also lost to Connecticut, Florida and Louisville, so the question is which set of results is the more accurate representation of the Hurricanes this season.

If Miami wins on Saturday and goes 9-9 in the ACC, would a 17-12 record be enough. That will be the question of 2020.