CORAL GABLES, Fla. — After defeating North Florida 89-51 Monday night, No. 17 Miami (2-1) are still preparing themselves for the next benchmark test in the Player Eras Tournament in Las Vegas, starting against TCU.
However, another top team in the country has a similar opponent in the Hurricanes. No. 9 UCLA played the Ospreys in their previous game.
The Bruins have one of the best players on the planet in freshman 17-year-old Nikola Kusturica, who lit up the UNF at home for 29 points, with 26 coming in the first half. Afterward, the Ospreys traveled to play the Hurricanes, losing their second “buy game”. Both teams are good, but how good are the Hurricanes compared to one of the top 10 teams in the country?
UNF Head coach Bobby Kennen gifted insight into how the two teams matched up physically, having played both in back-to-back games.
“I think that, you know, as you think about one of the things about UCLA, I think that maybe a similarity, I think both of these teams fit their coaches,” Kennen said after the loss to Miami. “You know, Coach Cronin has a team out there that fits him, that fits his personality; they’re together, you know, 17. I’m terrible at names, but he’s obviously one of the best players in the world, but if you watch him on the bench, he’s also the best teammate.
“You know, like, he’s incredible, and I think they’ve found a way to kind of be together as a team, and I think Jai has as well….I think, you know, Miami is a little bit bigger; they’re more physical. They’re more physical, particularly to start. Now, UCLA had a guy out, you know, who was a pretty good player, too. But, you know, I think they’ve both done a great job in building teams that fit them, and they can, you know, compete on a national stage and one board, and compete in their leagues.”
It points to how good the Hurricanes can be when everything is clicking compared to a team that is “Final Four-good”, according to Kennen.
However, if you look at the box score of each game, one thing is missing from the Hurricanes’ side that keeps them from the Bruins and from beating No. 1 Florida to start the season: shooting.
The Bruins knocked down 14 threes against the Ospreys on 29 attempts. Miami knocked down five on 27. Shooting is the one thing holding the Hurricanes from being a Final Four-level team, but it’s the excitement Lucas has, knowing that those open, clean shots that didn’t fall against UNF will fall, and that gives him hope.
“I’m excited,” Lucas said. “I’m excited because we’re not even scratching the surface. But what we can be as a team. and, you know, even in the first game, I thought we were right there. And for us, it probably was like a C-minus game.
“You know, and so where we can get to, hopefully, where, you know, those guys are knocking down and if you end up with just say, nine threes, you know, you’re almost 100 points. And it’s field is completely different. Look’s completely different. But for me it’s about the process. I thought we played it right away in the process of the shots we got, were clean, and if we keep doing that, like you said, eventually, they will fall.”
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