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| Ja'Quan Newton(Photo Credit: Getty Images) |
Canes Rising Contributor
Tell me if you've heard this story before: Miami narrowly misses out on NCAA Tournament bid, makes it to the NIT, young players emerge late. This season may have ended in a frustrating loss, but this team is on the verge of something special. The 2014-2015 Miami Hurricanes showed us what they could be by defeating Duke and competing against elite teams like Notre Dame and Louisville, but lacked consistency. The expectations will be raised next season, and for good reason.
Final Grades
Angel Rodriguez
(11.9PPG/2.3RPG/3.9APG)
Growth Opportunities--When someone is given the immense responsibility of the point guard position, it's expected that they will protect the basketball, and make good decisions. Angel Rodriguez struggled to do both, and was a disappointment to say the least. Rodriguez wants to be a scorer, but lacks an efficient jumper. It's slow, and inaccurate, as his awful percentages indicate. He's a volume scorer who takes awful shots at the worst possible times, hardly what any coach would want from his starting point guard. When Rodriguez does drive to the basket, he lacks a floater, and can't finish consistently. Angel is also careless with the ball in late game situations, and is extremely inefficient in the half court.
Season Summary--Angel Rodriguez is the personification of everything that was the 2014 'Canes: wildly inconsistent, and capable of dazzling performances. Rodriguez led Miami to wins over Florida and Duke, but also cost Miami in other big games, due to his inability to play within Jim Larranaga's system. A perfect example of Rodriguez's play would be the closing moments of Miami's visit to Louisville. With the 'Canes down two, with eight seconds remaining, Rodriguez chose to take a contested three, knowing full well he hadn't made many shots all afternoon. He overlooked open options, choosing to take the game into his own hands. Miami fell that day, and that game was another blown opportunity. This team looked significantly better without Rodriguez in the starting lineup, and had their best run of consistent play once Rodriguez was sidelined with a wrist injury. He is slated to return next season, but fans should hope for his role to be reduced. Grade: C+
Manu Lecomte
(7.9 PPG/1.8APG/45.6 3P%)
Growth Opportunities--Manu needs to get stronger, bigger guards consistently overwhelm him, especially in press situations. His ability to finish around the rim could use a little work, his floater still isn't as high percentage as one would like. Defensively, Manu doesn't challenge the opposition using his speed, as his steal numbers could be a bit higher. He still can't consistently create his own shot, and tends to dribble excessively.
Season Summary--At the end of last season, Manu Lecomte looked like the best player on the roster, times have changed. Manu has a role of this team, it's not the role that people thought it would be. He's a good shooter, and a decent ballhandler, but isn't a player who should start frequently. He's the best free throw shooter on the team, shooting 87.7% from the charity stripe. While his progression wasn't as great as expected following last season's closing flurry, he's still a valuable role player, and will most likely be counted on heavily next season. Grade: C
Ja'Quan Newton
(4.0 PPG/1.4 APG/40.0 3P%)
Growth Opportunities--'Quan is fast, but tends to play out of control at times. His decision making is questionable, and he doesn't understand half court concepts. He does tend to dribble himself into bad situations, and struggles in late shot clock situations. While his three point percentage looks good on paper, his jumper isn't anywhere near good, he doesn't take shots outside of fifteen feet for a reason. Like most young players, defensive effort can be a problem at times. The biggest Newton has is at the free throw line. A guard shooting below 70%, especially one that slashes to the rim frequently is a troubling sign.
Season Summary--Don't let the numbers fool you, Newton is the real deal at point guard. He's strong in the body, can finish at the rim, and brings a toughness that can't be taught. He came on strong late in the season, indicating that the light may be ready to turn on. What makes Newton special is his blinding speed, and his ability to get to the rim at will. Newton still has a ways to go, but this is the point guard of the future. Grade: C+
Deandre Burnett
(7.0 PPG/2.0 RPG/29.2 3P%)
Growth Opportunities--For a scorer, 'Dre doesn't shoot as well as one would hope. He's very streaky, and can go on long dry spells. His shot selection can be extremely bad, and his basketball IQ is low in the half court. The biggest problem for the young guard is his defensive effort. He has the quickness and body type to be a good defensive player, but doesn't apply himself the way he should. Decision making when running the point is also a cause for concern.
Season Summary--Deandre "The Microwave" Burnett is a player who provides instant offense, and can really light it up, as evidenced by his outstanding nineteen point performance against Illinois. He did go through an extended period in which he couldn't find his way onto the court, but was an important part of the lineup in the latter part of the regular season, and in the NIT. He does have his flaws, but scorers like Deandre aren't found on trees. He has a big role to play, provided he does what's asked of him. Grade: C+
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