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Takeaways From No. 14 Miami Hurricanes Exhibition Win Over No. 24 Vanderbilt
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- Takeaways From No. 14 Miami Hurricanes Exhibition Win Over No. 24 Vanderbilt
(Anthony Aguirre - Roundtable Sports)
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Ahead of Nov. 2's season opener against the No. 1 Florida Gators , the No. 14 Miami Hurricanes took a 109-96 win over the No. 24 Vanderbilt Commodores in an exhibition game at the Watsco Center on Friday night.
The following players didn't participate:
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- Malik Reneau (Lower-Body Injury)
- Marcus Allen (Torn ACL; Out for Season)
- Egor Ryzhov (Illness)
- L.J. Cason (Torn ACL; Out for Season)
It was a promising preview of what's to come for the next four months. Here are three takeaways from the game:
Lights Out Performances
Villanova transfer and sophomore playmaker Acaden Lewis led the Hurricanes to victory with 23 points on 75 percent shooting, two rebounds, 10 assists, and three steals in 31 minutes. He's in a similar situation to Tre Donaldson last season, developing into an all-around point guard. Lewis believes Friday night's outing was the "perfect" step toward balancing both scoring and facilitating.
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"I found others and my buckets as well," he said postgame. "Just picking and choosing spots; I can always get better at that."
The only downside to Lewis' performance is committing seven turnovers. Even the 21-year-old admits it's something that needs to be cleaned up, especially as the Hurricanes' leading ball handler.
There is always value in trial and error.
Freshman forward and multi-time Christopher Columbus State Champion Caleb Gaskins is delivering immediate impact. He was named a starter and capitalized on the opportunity. Gaskins finished with 20 points, three rebounds, two assists, and a steal in 24 minutes.
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The former five-star recruit made four corner three-pointers closest to the Hurricanes' bench.
"I did a lot of things throughout high school," Gaskins said postgame. "I think it's time for me to show that at the collegiate level."
The 18-year-old will likely emerge as an early candidate for Atlantic Coast Conference Rookie of the Year.
Increased Depth
Last season, head coach Jai Lucas ran a tight rotation, as the bench unit wasn't consistent. On Friday, the Hurricanes had three reserves score with at least seven field goal attempts. Brent Bland and Robert Miller III both finished with 10, plus Nick Dorn had eight. DeSean Goode played 14 minutes, but was scoreless. He will likely remain in a consistent rotational role throughout the season.
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The Hurricanes have a plethora of options offensively while maintaining defensive values. Both Bland and Dorn made two three-pointers. They will be factors in providing floor spacing, especially when playing alongside Shelton Henderson.
Different Combinations
After adding eight transfers, two freshmen, and an international signee during the offseason, Lucas took the opportunity to experiment with different lineups. During the game, he had two bigs with Miller III and Somto Cyril playing together. Although neither is regarded as a floor spacer, Lucas believes it will further unlock the offense.
"They play differently," he said. "With Rob, he's a really good passer. We can put him in the middle and in different areas to be able to make those plays."
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Lucas has live-game data for what needs to improve and come up with solutions.
The Hurricanes have slightly over a week to get things right and prepare for an in-state showdown at Tampa (Fla.) with tipoff scheduled at 6:00 p.m. E.T.; televised on ESPN2.
More Miami Hurricanes News:
- " Could No. 1 UM Push No. 4 Notre Dame Out of the College Football Playoffs? "
- " UM Ranked New No. 1 in AP Poll "
- " Miami Hurricanes Men's Basketball Ranked in AP Top 25 Preseason Poll "
