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| Deandre Burnett(1) takes on Illinois(Photo Credit: Sports Illustrated) |
Written By: Nathan Skinner
Canes Rising Contributor
It was the best of times, and the worst of times for Miami basketball. The 'Canes beat a ranked Illinois but was unable to bring the same level of intensity on Saturday, losing to UW-Green Bay. The 'Canes struggled against the Phoenix, but that shouldn't take away from the Tuesday's impressive win.
Player of the Week
Deandre Burnett--Burnett came to Miami with the reputation of a scorer, and has struggled to live up to that. Some of that was due to injury, and some of that was due to Deandre not seeing sufficient playing time. This week, Burnett finally emerged as a scoring threat. Burnett scored 19 versus Illinois, and 21 against UW-Green Bay. He's not a guy who believes in sharing the basketball, but that will come with time. Deandre has to improve his shot selection, he tends to take 2-3 shots per game which are ill advised to say the least. Burnett has to be able to score within the offense for him to be a viable long term option.
Best Individual Performance This Week
Deandre Burnett--Deandre looked like the best player on the floor at times Tuesday. Illinois didn't have an answer for Burnett, who scored 19 points, and snagged 8 rebounds. The Illini couldn't find a player who was capable of staying in front of the young guard. Burnett also was a force on the boards, and was active defensively.
Best Team Performance
Illinois(Tuesday)--Beating a ranked team requires a complete effort, and the 'Canes provided that Tuesday night. The 'Canes overcame big Illini runs and kept finding ways to extend the lead. The game was in hand for a majority of the contest, with some tense moments coming down the stretch.
Worst Team Performance
UW-Green Bay(Saturday)--The Phoenix are a team that should win the Horizon League and make the NCAA tournament, but this performance was inexcusable. Miami looked flat, disinterested and couldn't buy a basket. Angel Rodriguez was awful at times, shooting 13% from the field. The 'Canes took far too many bad shots, and settled for shots early in the shot clock. A turning point was late in the 2nd half, when Sheldon McClellan tried to draw a foul on a shot attempt instead of attempting to make the shot. The foul wasn't called, and the Phoenix scored an easy basket in transition. Defensively, the 'Canes looked nothing like the team that beat Illinois and Florida. Miami failed to rebound, and didn't attempt to stop Keifer Sykes. The only highlight was Davon Reed making his first appearance, and looking good in limited action. Reed brought energy and was a force of the defensive end.
The Week Ahead
Monday vs. Savannah State
Savannah State is one of the worst teams in Division 1, there's no doubt about it. The Tigers scored 26 against Louisville, and have been blown out in many of their games. This game should be over by the under eight timeout in the first half as Savannah State ranks near the bottom at the country in every major statistical category.
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