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| Tonye Jekiri was the lone force inside for the 'Canes(Photo Credit: USA Today) |
Written By: Nathan Skinner
Canes Rising Contributor
Miami entered Monday night desperate for a win, following a shocking loss to Eastern Kentucky. That wasn't in the cards, as Providence dispatched Miami 76-62. While this loss was frustrating and troubling, there were some positives that should provide hope. Miami looked like a different team from the one that quit on Friday night. While the shooting woes continue, Miami looks to be a team slowly emerging from the badlands.
The Good
Angel Rodriguez--Over the course of the last month, Angel hasn't been himself. He's been horrible defensively, unable to make shots, and a terrible decision maker. On Monday, Angel showed some signs of life, especially on the defensive end. Rodriguez was a madman, finishing the game with two steals, and constantly pestering ball handlers. Angel's shooting woes continued, but he found other ways to score. He worked his way into the lane, he got to the free throw line. Rodriguez hasn't performed this well in ages, it may be the performance that breaks the slump.
Tonye Jekiri--Providence has outstanding size, and athleticism, and Tonye stood up to that and played a whale of a game. Jekiri notched a double-double, scoring twelve points, and snagging ten rebounds. Tonye was great at finishing around the rim, and he did an outstanding job of finishing when fouled, evidenced by his converting a couple of "and one" situations. Where he was at his best was in the passing game, as he used his superior height and sight lines to make passes to open shooters. While those shots were rarely converted, this is something that should be a frequent sight. Jekiri is an outstanding passer, and he needs to be utilized as a distributor more often, especially against teams that employ a zone defense.
Effort--During the last three weeks the 'Canes have lacked desire. Miami hasn't been willing to fight for loose balls, crash the boards, or play defense. Tonight, that all changed as Miami fought hard all night. Late in the game, with the outcome decided, Miami found a way to create turnovers and scoring opportunities. If Miami had shown this kind of grit against Eastern Kentucky or UW-Green Bay, those games would have ended differently.
The Bad
Manu Lecomte--Miami has a lot of guards but few proven shooters. Manu Lecomte is the only proven shooter on the roster, and he's struggling. He had another horrible night, failing to connect on any of his field goal attempts. His shots from deep were awful, an obvious sign of a shooter without confidence. Lecomte spent most of the second half on the bench, which may be a long term solution. Davon Reed is making a strong case for additional minutes, which may push the struggling Lecomte out of the starting lineup.
Joe Thomas/Omar Sherman--Coming into the season, it was known that Thomas was merely a big body that couldn't score against major college competition. However, he was expected to provide rebounding assistance and leadership. So far, Thomas has been limited as expected, while also failing to deliver rebounds. Sherman is a freshman doesn't understand his limitations. He cannot make a perimeter shot right now, and he cannot be trusted on the interior, due to his inability to finish at the rim. Ivan Cruz-Uceda will be a welcome addition, because Sherman just isn't athletic enough right now to compete. Uceda will take Sherman's minutes, and that will lead to Miami being able to compete with bigger teams. Tonye Jekiri can't man the paint alone, he needs help. Unfortunately, Sherman is ineligible for a redshirt because it's obvious that he could have used a year of seasoning.
The Ugly
Perimeter Shooting--I've watched basketball for almost twenty years, and I've never seen an entire team shoot this terribly for an extended period. Most times, a team will have some shooters struggle, while others are on. That isn't the case in Miami as the entire team is ice cold from behind the arc. It isn't that Miami is taking ill-advised shots, the 'Canes are taking very good shots, uncontested shots. Miami has to find a way to start making more of these shots, if this season is to get back on track. On Monday, The U shot 18.5% from beyond the arc, which is significantly below their season average. Jim Larranaga's team doesn't have the bigs to manufacture points via a traditional halfcourt offense, so the 'Canes have to be able to shoot from the perimeter and then slash to the rim when teams look to close out on shooters. If Miami can't make shots from the perimeter, the offense will remain stagnant.
Transition Defense--Miami played solid halfcourt defense, but was awful in transition. The 'Canes did an awful job of picking up cutting players, and stopping ball handlers. Allowing teams to take easy, high percentage shots is something that can lead to disaster, especially if your offense is in a prolonged slump. The solution to this problem is communication. Players aren't identifying the ball handler or the cutters. That has to change because Virginia, Louisville and Duke will run through Miami if they are given easy transition buckets.
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