Miami opened the season with a 77-67 loss to No. 1 Florida. I liked some things, especially from Acaden Lewis and Somto Cyril, but the Canes struggled to finish inside, committed too many fouls, and let their turnovers become Florida points.
Miami cut the deficit to two in the second half but could not get over the hump. I am not going to overreact to one game against this opponent, but there is plenty to work on. These are my four takeaways.
1. Miami matched the physicality, but needs better discipline
Miami started Lewis, Gaskins, Henderson, Reneau, and Cyril, giving the Canes size to match up with Florida. I thought Miami competed physically and didn't look overwhelmed in that part of the matchup.
The Canes grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and finished with a 26=22 advantage in points in the paint. They showed effort around the basket, even with finishing issues.
But Miami committed 27 fouls, and some of them were unnecessary. Reneau fouled out in 23 minutes, while Gaskins, Cyril, and Robert Miller III each finished with four.
You want this team playing physically, but it has to stay composed. Florida missed 15 free throws, finishing 20/35. Miami cannot count on opponents leaving that many points at the line.
2. Henderson and Reneau needed to give Miami more
This was the biggest offensive disappointment. Henderson and Reneau combined for 12 points on 3/19 shooting. Miami needs more from two of its most important players.
Henderson went 2/13, while Reneau finished 1/6. There were missed layups, and both looked uncomfortable at times dealing with Florida’s size and pressure.
Chinyelu deserves credit. He is the best defensive big in the country, and his presence made it hard to get comfortable inside. He finished with 14 rebounds and three blocks. But Miami still needs to finish the opportunities it does create.
The struggles went beyond those two. Miami shot 35% from the field, went 4/17 from three and recorded only six assists. The Canes also missed 18 of 19 shots during a late stretch. It is hard to finish a comeback when the offense goes that cold.
Florida made 11 threes to Miami’s four. Against that shooting gap, Miami needed much better production from its main scorers.
3. Miami’s turnovers became Florida’s points
Miami committed 11 turnovers to Florida’s 12, but the damage from those mistakes was very different.
Florida scored 21 points off Miami’s turnovers. The Canes generated just seven points off Florida’s. That is a 14-point difference in a game Miami lost by 10.
The concern was how costly those possessions became. When Miami was already struggling to score, giving Florida opportunities off mistakes made the job harder.
Miami needs to protect the ball better and do more with the turnovers it forces. Those opportunities matter even more on a night when the half-court offense is struggling.
4. Lewis and Cyril were the bright spots
Lewis gave Miami someone who could score when much of the offense was struggling. He finished with 24 points on 9/20 shooting and helped the Canes get back into the game early in the second half.
There is still room to improve. He went 2-for-8 from three and had four turnovers with one assist. I want to see him keep finding his own opportunities while helping involve the rest of the offense. But his scoring was a clear positive.
Cyril also delivered a strong performance for Miami. He finished with 13 points on 4/5 shooting, seven rebounds, and four offensive boards. His putback dunk cut the deficit to 53-51 before Florida answered with a 7-0 run.
I also liked the improvement at the free-throw line, particularly from Cyril, who went 5/6. Miami finished 21/30 overall. They still have points to pick up there, but Cyril converting those chances was encouraging.
Next up: Wagner
Losing to Florida is frustrating, but I am not going to make a season-long judgment off the opener against the No. 1 team. Miami got within two despite Henderson and Reneau struggling, and Lewis and Cyril gave the Canes something to build on.
That does not erase the issues. The offense needs to flow better, the finishing has to improve, and Miami needs to keep its frustration from becoming fouls.
Next up is Wagner on Friday at 9 p.m. on ACC Network for the home opener. I want to see a response from Henderson and Reneau, better ball movement, and a cleaner performance overall.
Miami opened the season with a 77-67 loss to No. 1 Florida. I liked some things, especially from Acaden Lewis and Somto Cyril, but the Canes struggled to finish inside, committed too many fouls, and let their turnovers become Florida points.
Miami cut the deficit to two in the second half but could not get over the hump. I am not going to overreact to one game against this opponent, but there is plenty to work on. These are my four takeaways.
1. Miami matched the physicality, but needs better discipline
Miami started Lewis, Gaskins, Henderson, Reneau, and Cyril, giving the Canes size to match up with Florida. I thought Miami competed physically and didn't look overwhelmed in that part of the matchup.
The Canes grabbed 13 offensive rebounds and finished with a 26=22 advantage in points in the paint. They showed effort around the basket, even with finishing issues.
But Miami committed 27 fouls, and some of them were unnecessary. Reneau fouled out in 23 minutes, while Gaskins, Cyril, and Robert Miller III each finished with four.
You want this team playing physically, but it has to stay composed. Florida missed 15 free throws, finishing 20/35. Miami cannot count on opponents leaving that many points at the line.
2. Henderson and Reneau needed to give Miami more
This was the biggest offensive disappointment. Henderson and Reneau combined for 12 points on 3/19 shooting. Miami needs more from two of its most important players.
Henderson went 2/13, while Reneau finished 1/6. There were missed layups, and both looked uncomfortable at times dealing with Florida’s size and pressure.
Chinyelu deserves credit. He is the best defensive big in the country, and his presence made it hard to get comfortable inside. He finished with 14 rebounds and three blocks. But Miami still needs to finish the opportunities it does create.
The struggles went beyond those two. Miami shot 35% from the field, went 4/17 from three and recorded only six assists. The Canes also missed 18 of 19 shots during a late stretch. It is hard to finish a comeback when the offense goes that cold.
Florida made 11 threes to Miami’s four. Against that shooting gap, Miami needed much better production from its main scorers.
3. Miami’s turnovers became Florida’s points
Miami committed 11 turnovers to Florida’s 12, but the damage from those mistakes was very different.
Florida scored 21 points off Miami’s turnovers. The Canes generated just seven points off Florida’s. That is a 14-point difference in a game Miami lost by 10.
The concern was how costly those possessions became. When Miami was already struggling to score, giving Florida opportunities off mistakes made the job harder.
Miami needs to protect the ball better and do more with the turnovers it forces. Those opportunities matter even more on a night when the half-court offense is struggling.
4. Lewis and Cyril were the bright spots
Lewis gave Miami someone who could score when much of the offense was struggling. He finished with 24 points on 9/20 shooting and helped the Canes get back into the game early in the second half.
There is still room to improve. He went 2-for-8 from three and had four turnovers with one assist. I want to see him keep finding his own opportunities while helping involve the rest of the offense. But his scoring was a clear positive.
Cyril also delivered a strong performance for Miami. He finished with 13 points on 4/5 shooting, seven rebounds, and four offensive boards. His putback dunk cut the deficit to 53-51 before Florida answered with a 7-0 run.
I also liked the improvement at the free-throw line, particularly from Cyril, who went 5/6. Miami finished 21/30 overall. They still have points to pick up there, but Cyril converting those chances was encouraging.
Next up: Wagner
Losing to Florida is frustrating, but I am not going to make a season-long judgment off the opener against the No. 1 team. Miami got within two despite Henderson and Reneau struggling, and Lewis and Cyril gave the Canes something to build on.
That does not erase the issues. The offense needs to flow better, the finishing has to improve, and Miami needs to keep its frustration from becoming fouls.
Next up is Wagner on Friday at 9 p.m. on ACC Network for the home opener. I want to see a response from Henderson and Reneau, better ball movement, and a cleaner performance overall.
