Basketball Bubbles Break, Baseball Sweeps, Football Pro Day

Both the Women’s and Men’s Hurricane basketball teams got off to strong starts in their respective postseason tournaments with first-round wins.

On Sunday, March 22, the LadyCanes’ dream ended at 2:07 p.m. when they fell to the Wisconsin Badgers at the on-campus Watsco Center, 72-65. Ten minutes later, 1,091 miles away at the Enterprise Center in St. Louis, Mo., the Miami men’s team saw their hope expire when they dropped their second-round matchup to the Purdue Boilermakers, 79-69.

The LadyCanes (18-15) opened the WNIT Tournament against Georgia Southern (23-8). Miami never trailed in that contest and was led by Amarachi Kimpson with 19 points. Gal Raviv added 16, Shay Kyle contributed 15 points and 10 rebounds, and Nay Adams finished with 11 points, seven boards, seven assists, and four steals.

Against Wisconsin, the LadyCanes could never recover from a slow start. Miami managed just six points in the first quarter and only 15 in the first half. A 50-point second half got them within three points late, but Wisconsin’s 10-for-11 shooting on second-half 3-pointers kept Miami climbing an uphill battle they could not complete.

The Miami men were a No. 7 seed in the NCAA West Regional and faced the No. 10 seed Missouri Tigers, essentially a home game for Missouri. Neither team was efficient in the first half — the Tigers shot 9 for 29 from the floor, and Miami 10 for 33. The score at halftime was UM 27, MU 26.

With Missouri up 54-52 with 7:50 remaining, Miami went on an 11-0 run led by Malik Reneau and Shelton Henderson, taking a 63-54 lead with 4:28 left en route to an 80-66 victory.

Next up were the No. 2 Purdue Boilermakers. Both teams played a fast-paced first half, and Miami took a 40-38 lead into the break. Purdue maintained hot shooting in the second half, and Miami could not match it. The Canes out-rebounded Purdue 33-25, had the same number of turnovers (12) and assists (17), and more steals (9-8), but fouls sent Missouri to 22 free throws, converting 21. Miami made 8 of 10 free throws but didn’t get enough attempts. Miami shot 1 for 11 on 3-pointers, contributing to their 79-69 loss.

Purdue earned and deserved the win and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen in San Jose, Calif.

Canes Corner looks ahead with cautious optimism. With the transfer portal and NIL payments reshaping college athletics, the future is uncertain. WBB Coach Trisha Cullop had a strong freshman class and three or four veterans likely to return. Men’s Coach Jai Lucas led Miami to a 26-9 record, a 19-win improvement over the previous season (7-24), tying the NCAA D-I record for a single-season turnaround. Miami will lose seniors Reneau, Tre Donaldson, and Ernest Udah Jr., but Canes Corner believes in Coach Lucas and expects another strong, possibly Sweet Sixteen-caliber team next season.

Baseball Notes –

After a torrid 10-0 start, the Canes sit at 18-6 (2-4 ACC). Miami looks to regain momentum following a 4-0 week. A midweek 10-3 win at FIU was followed by a weekend sweep of Creighton, 9-4, 11-1, and 15-5.

This week, Miami hosts FAU midweek before traveling to Clemson for a three-game ACC series Thursday through Sunday. The Canes return home March 31 to face FGCU and host Virginia Tech April 3-5. With basketball season over, Canes Corner will focus on the proud Hurricane baseball program over the next couple of months.

Football Notes –

Miami Pro Day took place Monday, March 23, at the Carol Soffer Indoor Practice Facility. Canes Corner was on hand along with representatives from all 32 NFL teams and over 100 scouts. Fifteen Miami players participated in measurements, drills, tests, and timings.

Nine or ten of the 15 are expected to be selected in the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, April 23-25. DE/LB Rueben Bain Jr. and OT Francis Mauigoa are projected early first-round picks. DE Akheem Mesidor is also expected to go in the first round. DBs Keionte Scott and Jakobe Thomas may go in rounds two or three. OL Anez Cooper could be taken in rounds three to five. OL Markel Bell, LB Wesley Bissainthe, and WR CJ Daniels are also expected to be drafted. QB Carson Beck threw very well at Pro Day and could go before the end of round three.

There’s a strong chance that all participants will either be drafted or sign as UDFAs.