Font ResizeFour freshmen and a transfer will try, and coach Frank Haith believes they're enough.
"This is the most talented team we've had," says Haith, beginning his sixth season with the Hurricanes. "We're really excited about the newcomers and what they bring to the table."
Collectively, Haith expects them to compensate for the loss McClinton, the leading 3-point shooter in Atlantic Coast Conference history. Haith says this will be his best defensive team, and it will be more balanced on offense.
"Jack is one of the all-time greats here at UM, but at times the team would get caught up watching Jack play," Haith says. "The ball will be shared more this season, and we'll have more of an equal-opportunity offense with more passing, cutting and motion."
Miami went 19-13 overall and 7-9 in the ACC a year ago with McClinton, who averaged 19.3 points per game. Three overtimes defeats in the league kept the Hurricanes out of the NCAA tournament, and the goal this season is to make the field for only the second time under Haith.
The Hurricanes' new look starts at point guard, where sophomore Malcolm Grant takes over after transferring from Villanova and sitting out last season. The newcomers also include a freshman class Haith grades his best yet.
"They are fitting in real good," says forward
The freshmen are guards Durand Scott, Antoine Allen and Garrius Adams, and 6-9 forward Donnavan Kirk. The Hurricanes lose McClinton's 101 3-pointers last season, but Haith anticipates he'll have a good shooting team, in part because of the freshmen guards.
Scott, a 6-foot-3 New Yorker, might be the best of the group. He led Rice High to the 2009 state title and was MVP of the championship game.
"He's a five-star recruit," Haith says. "He can handle the ball, he can play-make, he gets in the paint. He's going to play a lot. He's an impact player."
Scott will team on the perimeter with Grant. As a freshman at Villanova he scored 22 points to help beat Pittsburgh, and he led a comeback from a 21-point deficit to defeat Louisiana State.
But Grant didn't like being used off the bench by coach Jay Wright.
"I had to move on," Grant says. "He gave me a chance to show the world what I could do in certain games, and now I have a bigger opportunity here to show the world that I can do more than just score. There I was only looked at as a scorer, but now I can show people I'm a pure point guard."
Haith sees Grant that way.
"He has great pace," Haith says. "He's almost an old-school player, like a Tiny Archibald. He's got that in and out, stop and go, and he gets in the paint and can make plays for his teammates."
While McClinton led by example, Grant is more vocal—and showed that even a year ago while redshirting.
"We would have some powwows as a team and Malcolm, even though he was not playing, would be the first guy to step up and talk about what's going on and what he sees," Haith says. "He's never going to be shy about stating his opinion."
Only McClinton and Collins averaged in double figures a year ago, and Haith says four or five players could top 10 points per game this season. Grant's ability to distribute the ball should improve scoring balance.
"He's the first true point guard I've probably every played with," senior guard James Dews says. "So I find myself getting my shots a lot easier. Having a great point guard like that who is able to get to the hole and create and make all the other players around him better is very, very helpful."
Grant and the other newcomers make their debut Nov. 14, when the Hurricanes open the season against North Carolina Central.
