This Week in Canes Hoops: 11/13 Edition

Hello everyone. Just like George Costanza after getting a job with the New York Yankees, I’m back baby! The 2023-24 college basketball season is here, and it couldn’t come soon enough for Canes football fans. I will be leading coverage for our Miami Hurricanes Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams for the second season in a row. Excited to do it again. This is the first of a weekly post where I will take a look back at the week prior, preview the week ahead, and add any thoughts I have at the time. I’m so excited to watch Coach L’s squad this year!

The guys crushed NJIT at home to open their season on Monday night. They stayed home and topped UCF on Friday evening by 16 points. The ladies beat Jacksonville at home to open their season. They then took down Fordham at home on Sunday.

Last week:

I recapped Miami’s 101-60 home-opening win vs NJIT. The Canes looked good in their home-opener against an overmatched team. Beyond the analysis in my recap, Nijel Pack’s passing stood out. He had some great looks throughout the game, finishing with 9 assists. Pack was looking for his teammates more than his shot. That is not a bad thing. His shots will come. The fact that he looked comfortable and excelled in that role should have Canes Hoops fans excited. Pack will need to be more of a passer/playmaker this season with Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller no longer there to lead the way. Great start for our guys.

I also recapped Miami’s 88-72 victory over UCF. The Canes had some lapses and let the Knights hang around longer than they should. There were too many turnovers and a few careless plays. Having said all that, Coach L’s squad still won by 16 points. They maintained their cool and scored in bunches late the in the game. I like the way this team plays. They are entertaining. They love playing with each other. I’m looking forward to their two games in the Bahamas this weekend.

The Lady Canes looked solid in their 81-53 debut win against Jacksonville on Thursday morning. They got some great bench production: Lemyah Hylton led the team in scoring with 14, Lazaria Spearman had 13 points and 6 rebounds, and Shayeann Day-Wilson led the team in assists, with 9. Seven players scored at least 6 points. I’m sure Coach Meier was happy with the performance.

On Sunday, the ladies had another balanced effort in their 78-39 win against Fordham. Seven players scored at least 7 points. They shot 55% from the field and 45% from three-point range. Lemyah Hylton led the way in scoring again, with 17 points on 5-8 from three. Jaida Patrick 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 steals. Strong first week for Coach Meier’s squad.

This week:

Coach L’s squad hosts Florida International University on Monday, 11/13 at 7:00 PM EST. The game will be televised on ACC Extra. That will be Miami’s final game before heading to the Bahamas to face the Georgia Bulldogs in the 2023 Bahamas Championship opening round on Saturday, 11/17 at 3:30 PM EST on CBS Sports Network. It is a small tournament: four teams playing over the weekend. Depending on the outcome against Georgia, the Canes will play either the Kansas State Wildcats or the Providence Friars on Sunday, 11/19. The Championship game will air that day at 2:30 PM EST on CBS Sports Network, with the Consolation game preceding it at 12:00 PM EST on CBS Sports Network.

The Lady Canes host the Southern University Jaguars on Friday, 11/17. Southern is 0-3 on the season. Television coverage has not yet been announced.

GO CANES!