Miami vs Drake: A Quick Preview
Miami is set to play 12th seeded Drake today at 7:25PM ET. Drake was 27-7 on the year and won the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Let’s dive into some keys and notes for the game.
Keys/Notes for Drake
Don’t be overaggressive on closeouts on shooters
Drake’s scorers are very patient on offense and look to take advantage of defenses that are over aggressive. They love using pump fakes to create open shot opportunities. Drake has four guys that shoot over 35% from deep. DJ Wilkins and Tucker DeVries are the two main guys Miami has to key in on. Drake is patient on defense and Miami can’t afford to make mistakes by being over aggressive.
Miami’s Defense
Entering the NCAA Tournament last season Miami was ranked #157 in adjusted defensive efficiency. During the tournament though they were one of the best defensive teams. Entering the Elite 8 game they had best ranked defense in the tournament. Miami had success defending in the tournament last season because of their activity. The Canes have shown flashes of this but have not defended at that level consistently this year.
BREAKING: Miami's Norchad Omier is expected to play today against Drake, source told @Stadium.
Omier suffered a right ankle injury in the ACC tournament. He is averaging 13.6 points and 9.7 boards for the Canes.
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) March 17, 2023
Norchad Omier’s mobility
The health of Norchad Omier is no doubt a huge factor in how this game could go. Omier’s mobility is so valuable to Miami. There is no question there is a noticeable drop off on defense when Norchad isn’t on the floor.
Norchad Omier’s mobility will be huge not just on defense but on offense as well. Drake’s big men like to stay almost exclusively in the paint to prevent easy drives, so Omier’s activity on offense would be huge.
Tucker DeVries vs Jordan Miller
Tucker DeVries is Drake’s best player on offense due to his versatile skill set. Offensively, DeVries is a deadly shooter, good driver and can score in the low post. DeVries is also very good at drawing fouls. Jordan Miller should be the man with the mission of guarding him. Defensively, Miller matches up well due to his wingspan and his ability to disrupt.
Tucker DeVries(@Tucker_DeVries) had a great Tournament for Drake and was a big part of their Tournament victory. Tucker averaged 22 PPG, 5 RPG, and a Steal per game. He was also efficient shooting 53% from the field and 42% from three on 6 attempts a game. pic.twitter.com/f9yliOJlk0
— KJ (@Kjpistons) March 5, 2023
Make open shots
The Canes are 8-1 when Pack makes 4 or more 3s. Nijel Pack was on a roll in ACC play before he got injured. Let’s see if he can get that confidence going again in the tournament.
Wooga has also shown that he can knock down open shots as the season has progressed. Drake loves to clog the paint, so if Miami can knock some threes down it will open things up.
Isaiah Wong
Isaiah Wong was a huge reason why Miami got to the Elite 8 last season. Wong had over 20 points in Miami’s first games in the Tournament last season. Miami needs Wong to be aggressive offensively to win this game.
Drake is undersized but they box out well
Drake plays a 3-guard lineup with all guys being under 6’3. Despite this they have the 3rd lowest OREB% allowed on defense. Norchad and Miller on the offensive glass will be a big factor.
Do not let the seed fool you, the Canes have a tough first round matchup. Miami needs to just find a way to win. March is all about surviving and advancing. GO CANES!