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| Adrienne Motley attempts a shot against Notre Dame(Photo Credit: Yahoo) |
Written By: Nathan Skinner
Canes Rising Contributor
While people have been complaining about which corporation will manufacture next year's football jerseys, and the disappointing football program, something special is taking place in Coral Gables. Katie Meier has done it again, she's built another outstanding team which has become the best team on campus. The 'Canes are currently 12-3, leading the ACC, and are coming off of a convincing win over fourth ranked Notre Dame. The scary part about all of this? This team is extremely young, with a plethora of underclassmen taking on huge roles. This may be a program that is ready to make a run and challenge the usual suspects on the national scene.
Coming into the season, it was noted that Adrienne Motley was a budding star who would be the focal point of the Miami offense. Money Mot isn't budding anymore, she's blossomed into a superstar who is amongst the best in the nation. Against one of the best teams in the country, Motley dominated the competition, scoring a game high 32 points on the Irish. From the opening tipoff, she asserted herself as the best player on the floor, and it wasn't particularly close. She's able to score against anyone, at any time, reminiscent of former 'Canes Riquna Williams and Shenise Johnson. While Motley is playing well, she's not the only 'Cane making a huge impact. Freshman guard Laura Quevedo has been a pleasant surprise, averaging six points per game, and becoming a consistent threat from beyond the arc. The young Spaniard has the potential to become a dynamic scorer, much like another European 'Cane, former guard Stefanie Yderstrom. Quevedo isn't alone in exceeding expectations, as Jessica Thomas, and Nigea Greene have become major contributors. Suriya McGuire is still one of the most exciting players in the country, her athleticism is worth the price of admission. With all of these exciting players, the Miami offensive attack is one of the best in the country. The 'Canes are averaging over seventy points per game, which ranks them in the top third nationally.
While this team is exciting offensively, they are outstanding is on the defensive end. Meier's teams are usually good defenders but this team has gone beyond being merely good. The 'Canes are currently among the national leaders in steals with five players garnering over twenty steals and as a result, the 'Canes are among the best at scoring in transition. Jassany Williams has become a shot blocking machine with 32 rejections so far, including a school record nine against Notre Dame. Williams is among the national leaders in blocks, standing 48th nationally. It's become an impossible mission to score against the 'Canes as teams are averaging a paltry 56 points per game, good for 17th in the country. Notre Dame came into their matchup against Miami averaging 85 points per game, they finished the game with 63. Miami is too athletic for most teams remaining on their schedule, and it's safe to say that the 'Canes will continue to smother the opposition.
Looking at the schedule, it's safe to say that Miami should be able to win a majority of their remaining games, with four games standing out as true challenges. Miami travels to Syracuse, Louisville, and Duke, with all three teams being ranked. The 'Canes also have a showdown with a ranked UNC at the BankUnited Center. If the 'Canes can find a way to split these games, that would be an amazing accomplishment, and put the 'Canes in the driver's seat for the ACC regular season title. Katie Meier has once again shown that she is one of the best coaches in the country, and should be in the conversation for postseason honors.
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