Miami Hurricanes
Overall Rank: #31
Conference Rank: #5 ACC
Miami Team Page
Miami has some unfinished business to take care of after falling to Gonzaga in the second round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament. However, this is a different team with Shenise Johnson and Riquna Williams graduating. Coach Katie Meier knows how to get the best out of her team and there is certainly talent on the roster, but this team may not be the same without their top two scorers.
2011-12 Record: 26-6, 14-2
2011-12 Postseason: NCAA
Coach: Katie Meier
Coach Record: 126-95 at Miami, 202-140 overall
Strengths:
The frontcourt will need to pick up some of the scoring slack and the Hurricanes will work through the frontcourt this time around. Morgan Stroman, a 6-1 senior, missed the end of last season which did not help Miami in the postseason, but she is a great scorer and rebounder when healthy. In her 19 games during the 2011-2012 campaign, Stroman averaged 12.9 points and 6.5 rebounds. Stroman is a tough interior player, but she can also step outside and knock down the mid-range jumper with consistency. If Stroman is making shots and getting to free-throw line, Miami has their new go-to-scorer. Shawnice Wilson, a 6-6 center, started a dozen games during her junior campaign, averaging 6.4 points and 5.8 rebounds. Maria Brown will provide quality depth to the frontcourt and the return of Selina Archer, who redshirted last season after coming in off of the bench as a true freshman in 2010-211, gives the Hurricanes even more options. As if that was not enough, incoming freshmen Keyona Hayes and Macy Keen are both top recruits who have the talent to make a big impact right away.
Weaknesses:
The overlooked loss is that of forward Sylvia Bullock. She rarely made headlines since everybody else on the team would do the scoring, but Bullock was a superb shot blocker and Coach Meier will need to find another interior defensive threat. Of course replacing Johnson and Williams will be a tougher task. Johnson led the team with 17.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists and 3.4 steals. There was nothing she could not do and when the Hurricanes were struggling, she could step in and take over the team. Williams was a great complimentary player to Johnson. Williams was the most consistent and prolific shooter on the team and her 16.6 points per game were right there with Johnson. Stefanie Yderstrom is the lone returning starter on the perimeter. Despite the talent on the floor with her, Yderstrom managed to average 10.6 points per game. She is not a dynamic scorer like Williams and spends most of her time beyond the arc. However, with more pressure on her to emerge as the perimeter’s top scorer, Yderstrom should be in for a big year.
Final Projection:
Filling in the pieces around Yderstrom in the backcourt will be tough. Krystal Saunders, a 5-8 junior, is the most experienced option. Her outside shot was terribly inconsistent a year ago, but her experience should get her on the floor. Suriya McGuire and Michelle Woods are both ready for a big bump in production. As freshmen those two were talented enough to crack the regular rotation. With a year of experience, they should be as ready as anybody ever will be to try and help replace Johnson and Williams. The Hurricanes also added talented shooting guard Caprice Dennis. The 5-9 combo guard will have the opportunity to compete with Saunders, McGuire and Woods for minutes and she has the talent to overtake some of them on the backcourt pecking order and even turn into a starter.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
Projected Starting Five:
Krystal Saunders, Junior, Guard, 3.3 points per game
Stefanie Yderstrom, Senior, Guard, 10.6 points per game
Suriya McGuire, Sophomore, Guard, 3.2 points per game
Morgan Stroman, Senior, Forward, 12.9 points per game
Shawnice Wilson, Senior, Center, 6.4 points per game
Madness 2013 WNBA Draft Rankings:
#32 Morgan Stroman
Madness 2012 Women’s Basketball Recruit Rankings:
#42 Caprice Dennis
#43 Macy Keen
#81 Keyona Hayes
