BYU and Miami are both in the process of developing chemistry among their newest players as they get ready to square off Thursday night in the opening round of the ESPN Events Invitational in Kissimmee, Fla.
The ninth-ranked Cougars (4-1) split their past two games against ranked opponents, losing a nail-biter, 86-84, to then-No. 3 UConn on Nov. 15 before crushing then-No. 23 Wisconsin, 98-70, this past Friday.
For the Hurricanes (5-1), it will be another test for a revamped lineup looking to revitalize the program following a disastrous 7-24 campaign last season as well as their second game against a ranked opponent so far. Miami did not win the first ranked game but was fairly competitive in an 82-68 loss to then-No. 10 Florida, the defending national champion, on Nov. 16.
BYU, which is in its second season under coach Kevin Young, has had to shuffle different lineups due to injuries and had to rely on its depth against the Badgers.
Freshman phenom AJ Dybantsa, who is averaging 19.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game, proved his value even when he was not on the court. With Dybantsa in foul trouble, BYU struggled a bit to pull away from Wisconsin but eventually got enough contributions from leading scorer Richie Saunders with 26 points and Robert Wright III, who totaled 10 points and 11 assists.
Saunders is averaging 20.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and is the Cougars’ deep threat, shooting 40% from 3-point range. Dawson Baker has been another key contributor, averaging 8.6 points and shooting 48.1% from the field whether in a starter or reserve role.
“We build chemistry every day,” Young said. “We’re a new team, so I think it’s going to keep growing throughout the season.”
Miami has had its own shooting struggles to open the season but showed some improvement in its 97-41 win over Delaware State Sunday. The Hurricanes shot 10-for-23 from 3, led by Tre Donaldson’s 4-for-4 output from that distance. Malik Reneau (21.5 points per game) and Donaldson (16.8 ppg), Miami’s leading scorers, combined for 45 points, and the sharp shooting complemented what’s been a strong team so far this season in the paint.
First-year Miami coach Jai Lucas said he’s been pleased with the team’s response following the loss to Florida.
“We’ve got three big-time games coming up that will prepare us for conference play,” Lucas said. “Sometimes you can tell them stuff as a coach, and you can give them the answers to the test, but they don’t understand until they go through it. I feel their response from the film and everything has been good. We’ve just had some injuries since Florida that have kept us out of whack in practice so hopefully we get those guys back.”
One of the Hurricanes’ tallest and best frontcourt players, 6-foot-11 center Ernest Udeh Jr., has missed the past two games with a lower-body injury. It’s unclear if he’ll be available against BYU. Miami might also be without guard Tru Washington, who sat out against Delaware State with a similar injury.
BYU has not indicated how long it will be without suspended forward Kennard Davis, who entered a not-guilty plea last week to a class B misdemeanor Driving Under the Influence charge in Provo, Utah.
–Field Level Media
