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| | Tuesday, November 2 | |||||||||||||||
COACH AND PROGRAM
JOHNNY HEMSLEY (6-5, 195 lbs., SR, SG, #31, 17.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.7 tpg, 1.4 spg, 36.0 minutes, .449 FG, .400 3PT, .784 FT, Southern HS/Baltimore, Md.) Before last season, Hamilton said he expected Hemsley to have a big year, but no one could have anticipated the outburst that followed. Hemsley became one of the league's most potent scorers and put up numbers that earned him a first-team All-Big East selection. The big story is that Hemsley can do more. And this year, without James in the lineup, he will have to. The Hurricanes have no other proven scorer, so this season could well be the Johnny Hemsley Show. It's a program Hamilton won't mind watching. "I don't think Johnny has even scratched the surface of his potential," Hamilton said. "We've only seen the tip of the iceberg." The rest of it must be a killer, because Hemsley looked great at times last year. He had 35 points at Georgetown early in the season, 29 in the big win at St. John's, 26 when Miami routed Villanova and 31 in the NCAA Tourney win over Lafayette. Quick off the dribble and lethal from the outside, Hemsley has all the tools necessary to be a 20-plus-point scorer. He rebounds. He plays defense and is a workhorse, as evidenced by his 36 minutes per game last year. After spending the last three seasons in James' shadow, Hemsley is ready for prime-time action. VERNON JENNINGS (6-4, 203 lbs., SR, PG, #30, 5.2 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 5.6 apg, 3.1 tpg, 2.0 spg, 29.9 minutes, .397 FG, .200 3PT, .750 FT, Maine Central Institute/College Park, Ga.) When it comes to Jennings' point guard play, Hamilton is particularly defensive. Even though the senior doesn't fit the standard description of somebody who plays the position, Hamilton finds it hard to argue with his results. "If a guy can lead the Big East in assists, what does he have to do to get some respect?" Hamilton asks. "Vernon Jennings is a player. We want him on the floor for us. He's capable of making good decisions. I think he's a leader." Jennings is indeed a valuable part of the Miami success story. He plays just about every position and does distribute the ball well from the point. He wasn't expected to be the 'Canes regular point man last season, but when newcomers Michael Simmons and Joao Paulo Coelho weren't able to handle sustained work there, Jennings stepped in. About the biggest problem he has is his shooting, which needs plenty of work, particularly from long range. Because of that, teams can lay off Jennings and concentrate on others. This year, that could mean some trouble, because without an offensive complement to Hemsley, the Hurricanes could see their senior star dogged by double teams and junk defenses. Still, Miami is lucky to have Jennings on its side. His savvy, versatility, defense and leadership are invaluable components on any successful team. MARIO BLAND (6-6, 265 lbs., SR, C, #51, 11.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.2 apg, 2.7 tpg, 1.0 spg, 26.7 minutes, .590 FG, .653 FT, Callaway HS/Jackson, Miss.) Bland is a super-sized power forward who has to play the pivot for the Hurricanes. And he does a pretty good job. A deadly scorer from in close who's remarkably mobile for his size, Bland should put up better numbers this year, now that James has moved on. Bland is not going to be a dominant scorer, largely because his offensive game doesn't extend too far beyond the inner reaches of the lane. But he is capable of some big efforts, most notably last year's 19-point eruption in the Big East Tournament against Georgetown and 15 early in the season at UNC Charlotte. Bland is a reliable rebounder and strong positional defender, but don't count on him to block many shots. He doesn't leap out of the building. Bland also commits a lot of fouls, and that cuts down on his playing, a condition he needs to address. This year should be interesting for Bland. If players like Elton Tyler and Dwayne Wimbley don't step up and provide some help at the "four" spot, he'll find himself outnumbered on the boards and facing some overwhelming defensive challenges. He'll also be double-teamed on the low block regularly. If the others do emerge, Bland should continue to be a strong, productive interior player. JOHN SALMONS (6-7, 200 lbs., SO, SF, #45, 5.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.7 tpg, 1.0 spg, 0.8 bpg, 24.3 minutes, .480 FG, .725 FT, Plymouth-Whitemarsh HS/Plymouth Meeting, Pa.) Talk about pleasant surprises. Salmon wasn't expected to be a major contributor during his freshman season, but all he did was play his way into the starting lineup and emerge as perhaps the team's best defender. "John just accepted the challenge of being a guy who was a utility player," Hamilton said. "Whatever we needed, he had to supply. He came in without having a reputation as a good defensive player and ended up being named the most valuable defensive player at our banquet. He's versatile and skilled, and we expect him to come on strong." Salmons isn't going to be a huge scorer, at least not this season, what with Hemsley and Bland around to grab points. He does, however, have the potential to reach double figures down the road. He's proficient from 15 feet and in and has a fairly good outside stroke. Salmons plays terrific defense on the perimeter or inside, and could emerge as the team's top shot-blocker this year. Salmons rebounds well, makes his foul shots and can pass. His future is bright, and his contributions to this year's team should go beyond his "utility" role of 1998-99. ELTON TYLER (6-9, 215 lbs., JR, PF, #25, 3.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 0.5 apg, 1.3 tpg, 0.5 spg, 0.5 bpg, 12.5 minutes, .584 FG, .526 FT, West Roxbury HS/Dorchester, Ma.) Hamilton insists that every job on his team is open until practice starts, so it's not 100 percent certain that Tyler will be the man to step into Tim James' spot. But his play last year would indicate that he'll get the job, unless one of the newcomers supplants him. Tyler is a little thin for the power forward position, but he does finish well around the basket. His rebounding is solid, but hardly spectacular, and he blocks some shots. But Tyler doesn't make too many free throws, and he has yet to exhibit much consistency during his first two years in the program. The starting job may be his early on, but you can bet Hamilton won't be hesitant to pull him from the regular five if either of the frosh makes an immediate impact.KEY RESERVES MICHAEL SIMMONS (6-0, 185 lbs., SO, G, #3, 2.7 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 2.2 apg, 1.6 tpg, 1.0 spg, 14.0 minutes, .355 FG, .269 3PT, .697 FT, Mercersburg Academy, Pa./Rialto, Ca.) Simmons was a much better player by the end of last season than he was at the beginning. In a perfect world, he'll play 20-25 minutes at the point this year, allowing Hamilton to play Hemsley and Jennings together on the wings, with Bland and Salmons inside. Simmons proved himself to be a strong distributor and effective perimeter defender last year. His outside shot was shaky, but he proved able to penetrate well. "I still think Michael is developing, but I like what I saw last year," Hamilton said. "He was a much-improved player by the end of the year." Some expected Simmons to take over the starting point job last season, but Hamilton was wise to bring him along slowly. Jennings' play allowed him to do that. This year, Simmons should take the next step toward becoming a reliable point man, a job he'll no doubt have full-time in 2000-01. DWAYNE WIMBLEY (6-9, 245 lbs., JR, F, #34, 2.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 0.1 apg, 1.0 tpg, 0.5 bpg, 9.6 minutes, .528 FG, .528 FT, St. Thomas Aquinas HS/Fort Lauderdale, Fl.) Wimbley is a solid interior player with a big body who should give the Hurricanes 10-15 minutes per game this year. His size allows him to bang around with the league's better bodies, and his sure touch close to the basket makes him reliable when he does choose to shoot. Wimbley is a capable offensive rebounder, but he needs to become more assertive on the glass. He does have the potential to be a good shot-blocker and would give Bland some much-needed rest this year. JAMES JONES (6-8, 211 lbs., FR, F, #33, 25.2 ppg, 12.4 rpg, 6.0 bpg, Miami American HS/Hialeah, Fl.) Jones comes to the Hurricanes with a great resume and could end up seeing considerable playing time and even starting before the season is over. THE FLORIDA 6A (big school) player of the year and a finalist for the state's "Mr. Basketball" award, Jones led Dade County in scoring and displayed an athletic all-around game that included strong defense on the perimeter and inside. Jones was ranked as high as 10th at his power forward position during the 1998 summer camp circuit. LEROY HURD (6-7, 200 lbs., FR, F, #00, 25.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 6.0 apg, Moss Point HS/Moss Point, Miss.) A first-team All-State selection in Mississippi, Hurd is a big leaper with a polished, versatile offensive game. He can take people off the dribble and finish spectacularly at the rack, or he can shoot the three-pointer. Hurd played all three perimeter positions at Moss Point HS last year, including the point guard spot, and led his school to the district title. He competed for the Tigers' track team in the spring and set the school high-jump record (6-10).OTHER RETURNEES JOAO PAULO COELHO (6-2, 185 lbs., SO, G, #13, 1.0 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.5 tpg, 5.8 minutes, .313 FG, .231 3PT, .778 FT, Figueira da Foz/Portugal) Thanks to his international resume, Coelho was thought to be the front-runner among last year's freshmen for a starting job. Instead, he struggled with the transition to major college ball and was a deep reserve, making only 20 appearances. It's way too early, however, to give up on Coelho. He has good skills, can distribute and runs the team. He must shoot better in order to get more minutes, especially with Simmons' development last year. JERRY SCHLIE (6-6, 200 lbs., JR, F, #11, 13 appearances, .214 FG, .750 FT, Sachem HS/Holbrook, N.Y.) A walk-on who saw action in 13 games last year, Schlie will serve as practice fodder for the new forwards, who will quickly leap-frog him on the team's depth chart.OTHER NEWCOMERS None.STARTERS NOT RETURNING TIM JAMES (6-8, PF, 18.6 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 0.8 apg, 3.1 tpg, 1.3 spg, 31.9 minutes, .477 FG, .293 3PT, .697 FT) If there is one person who can serve as a perfect example of the Hurricanes' progress, it is James, who came to Coral Gables as a highly-touted recruit and actually delivered for four seasons. He left the school as only the fourth All-America in Miami history and shared '99 Big East Player of the Year honors with UConn's Richard Hamilton. To say replacing him will be a challenge is an understatement. James showed he was clearly ready to play at the college game's highest levels from the moment he stepped onto campus. He started immediately and gave Miami much-needed interior respectability during its formative stages. Unlike other forward prospects who had not delivered due to injury or lack of ability, James was an immediate hit. A first-round pick of the Miami Heat, James finished fourth in school history with 1,713 points, was fifth in rebounding with 856 and second in blocked shots with 224. Though there are those who believe James will struggle at the next level, since he may have to switch to the "three" spot (and his shooting and ballhandling need improvement). In college, at least, he was a perfect power forward and gave the Hurricanes four great years.OTHERS NOT RETURNING KEVIN HOUSTON (6-6, G-F, 7.1 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 0.5 apg, 1.8 tpg, 18.4 minutes, .453 FG, .318 3PT, .761 FT) Things were looking pretty good for Houston for a while last season. The junior college transfer earned six starts in his first 18 games and was scoring productively off the bench when he wasn't a regular. But a stress fracture sidelined him for six weeks and, when he returned to action, freshman John Salmons had taken over his position. Houston realized that his future wasn't bright in Coral Gables and transferred to St. Bonaventure, where he'll have one year of eligibility remaining. MIKE BYARS-DAWSON (5-10, G, 3.0 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.5 apg, 1.0 tpg, 11.5 minutes, .364 FG, .167 3PT, .500 FT) Some thought Byars-Dawson would make a run at the starting point guard job, thanks to his solid debut in the 1997-98 season. Although he did earn one start with the regulars and averaged 11.5 minutes per game in his six appearances, Byars-Dawson left the team during the first semester, a casualty of the 'Canes improved depth and talent at the point position. NICK DONOVAN (7-0, C, 0.7 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.3 apg, three appearances) Donovan left the team midway through the first semester last year to return to play professionally in Europe. A native of Great Britain, Donovan provided the Hurricanes with height but little else. He made 11 appearances during his junior year and was headed for a similar cameo role last season when Eurodollars came calling.QUESTIONS Power Forward? James was a fixture at this position for his entire Miami career, and his high level of productivity will be missed. Miami needs somebody to step up immediately, particularly on the backboards and at the defensive end, where James was mighty strong. Outside shooting? With the exception of Hemsley, there isn't a reliable three-point marksman on the team. That's not good, particularly against teams expected to pack around Bland in the post and throw junk defenses at Hemsley. Point guard? Yes, coach, we know that Jennings piled up the assists last year, but he's better suited on the wing. If Simmons matures, then this position is solidified. If not, the Hurricanes will struggle against better teams.ANSWERS Hemsley! A stone scorer who could lead the league this year, Hemsley puts it in from all over the place and has the potential for some huge outbursts. Jennings! A talented, versatile player who did yeoman's work at the point last year, Jennings is a stalwart and a strong team leader. Bland! He may not be a dominant interior player, but Bland is strong, capable and productive inside. Defense! This is a Hurricane trademark. Opponents made a measly 38.4 percent of their field goal attempts last year. Even if James' offensive numbers aren't replaced, the Miami defense will win a lot of games. Depth! The Hurricanes could go 10 deep this year, and that should make Hamilton happy. He likes to win by committee, and this year's roster will afford him the chance to do just that.
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