A one-off loss to Kansas in the Elite Eight Sunday would certainly dodge the Miami Hurricanes for a while, but coach Jim Larranaga and his players are comforted to learn that their unexpected deep run in the NCAA Tournament will pay dividends for years to come. should do.
High school recruits and college players now considering relocating are more familiar with Storm's fast-paced, team-oriented brand of basketball and their fun culture.
Images of players laughing and hugging their coaches and post-game locker room dancing are positive marketing tools for a program that competes against traditional college basketball powers for talent.
"I see what we did as a new foundation for our basketball program," said Kam McGusty, one of four sixth-year seniors who would not return next season. “From now on, the new target is to go to the Elite Eight or Final Four to beat the team record of 2022. This is a huge milestone. We are traditionally known as a football school. Hopefully we will start getting more recognition and this will help in recruitment.
"I guarantee you there are more hits on the University of Miami website than ever before," Koch said. "People watch you play and see the excitement and say, 'Oh, I want to know about that university.' This is marketing. This is branding. All of our potential recruits, even transfer students, are watching us play and (thinking), 'Man, do I want to be a part of this.' If one of my coaches approaches, the recruiter says, 'Man, storm! Yu! Yeah, I'm very interested.' That's what exposure does."
The team needs to stock up on new talent, as it is losing at least three of its starts, and maybe four.
Miami lost early McGusty, Charlie Miller and Sam Wardenburg. Backup center Rodney Miller has also used his ability. Daeng Gak, another center grappling with injuries, is completing his fifth year at UM but has one year of eligibility left if he wants to return.
Jordan Miller, a fourth-year junior who is expected to relocate this season, is expected to return and defending third-year sophomore, Isaiah Wong, is a question mark. Wong entered the NBA draft last spring but opted to return to school.
Guard Harlond Beverly missed this season with a back injury and is likely to return. Point guard Bensley Joseph and forward Wuga Poplar contributed as freshmen this season and are expected to play big roles in the form of 6-9 forward Anthony Walker, who will be fourth years his junior next season.
Jakai Robinson was drafted again this season and should be part of the guard rotation.
Larranaga and his staff will scour the transfer portal later this spring to find replacements for those departing. They have had excellent success with transfers in the past. During his tenure, three Sweet 16 runs were held by transfer point guards - Shane Larkin, Angel Rodriguez and Moore.
“These days you have to recruit transfer portals because bringing high school kids alone makes you very, very young,” Larnaga said. "Unless they're one-and-done, you probably won't be able to compete at a high level."
Larnaga is also upbeat about its 2022 recruiting class, which was ranked No. 17 in the country by 247Sports and includes four players ranked 6-6 or higher. This season the Hurricane had a smaller size and increased height would help them defend against the opposing big guys.
The four signatories are Favre Array, AJ Casey, Danilo Jovanovic and Christian Watson.
Aire is 6-10 and is a native of Nigeria who attends Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, MD. It is the 12th ranked center of the country.
Casey, a Chicago native, is a 6-foot-8, 205-pound forward and a unanimous four-star recruit, ranked No. 55 and No. 57 overall according to rivals and ESPN.
Jovanovich, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward from Milwaukee, comes from Whitnall High School, the alma mater of the Miami Heat's Tyler Harrow.
And Watson is the 6-foot-7, 200-pound guard of the Washington DC area who picked U-M over Rutgers, Marquette and Georgetown.
"We have a good foundation with the players returning, and we are back to work in two weeks," Larranaga said.