Miami Hurricanes vs. Drake Bulldogs Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 21st 2024

Preview and Prediction

The Miami Hurricanes, who dominated their first three games with a combined 95-point lead, are finally gearing up to face a more formidable opponent.

Miami (3-0) is expected to face a challenge from the Drake Bulldogs (3-0) on Thursday afternoon in the opening round of the Charleston Classic in South Carolina.

Point guard Nijel Pack leads Miami in scoring (14.7) and assists (6.7), while his backcourt partner Jalen Blackmon averages 14.0 points and a team-high 1.7 steals.

However, Hurricanes coach Jim Larranaga admits that the size of his guards - Pack standing at 6-foot and Blackmon at 6-2 - could prove to be a weakness as Miami's schedule gets tougher.

"The challenge for (Blackmon) will be on the defensive end because he plays alongside Nijel," Larranaga said. "Neither of them are big guards. It's something we will have to address as the season progresses."

Miami boasts a standout center in Lynn Kidd, a 6-10, 241-pound transfer from Virginia Tech. He is averaging 14.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and ranks eighth in the nation in field-goal percentage (.783).

The Hurricanes' starting forwards are both experienced players: Matthew Cleveland (11.0 points, 6.0 rebounds) and Brandon Johnson (10.3 points, team-high 8.0 rebounds).

While Miami has been cruising, Drake narrowly won their last game by just two points against Florida Gulf Coast.

Drake has made three of the last four NCAA Tournaments, but their former coach Darian DeVries left for West Virginia, leaving the Bulldogs to replace all five starters from last season's 28-7 team.

New coach Ben McCollum built a Division II powerhouse at Northwest Missouri State, which went 29-5 last season. Four players from that team are now starting for Drake: Isaiah Jackson, Bennett Stirtz, Mitch Mascari, and Daniel Abreu. The fifth starter is Wyoming transfer Cam Manyawu.

The only returning player from last season is forward Nate Ferguson, a sixth-year senior who serves as Drake's sixth man.

Manyawu, who won't turn 19 until New Year's Day, leads Drake in rebounds (6.7). Stirtz is the team's top scorer (18.7), assists leader (5.0), and steals leader (3.0). He also scored a game-high 25 points against Florida Gulf Coast on a night where the Bulldogs were not at their best.

"We have to be able to win even when we're not at our best," McCollum said. "We need to be more prepared for the rest of the season."

PREDICTION

Miami Hurricanes

Drake Bulldogs

Miami Hurricanes vs. Drake Bulldogs Recap NOV 21TH 2024

Bennett Stirtz scored 21 points and dished six assists as Drake defeated Miami 80-69 on Thursday afternoon in the opening round of the Charleston Classic in Charleston, S.C.

It's the first time since a win over Wake Forest in 2017 that Drake has beaten an Atlantic Coast Conference team.

Drake (4-0) got a double-double -- 18 points and 10 rebounds -- from Daniel Abreu. Mitch Mascari added 15 points.

Nijel Pack led Miami (3-1) with 17 points and five assists. Matthew Cleveland and Jalen Blackmon added 12 points each.

Drake led wire to wire, putting on a clinic with screens, pump fakes, hustle, offensive rebounds (14-5 advantage) and charges drawn.

The Bulldogs also had a 36-18 advantage in paint points, and they held Miami to 40.9 percent shooting from the floor. Miami also shot 8-for-21 on 3-pointers (38.1 percent).

Drake's new coach Ben McCollum, who won four national titles at NCAA Division II power at Northwest Missouri State between 2017 and 2022, engineered Thursday's upset.

He did it with four starters he brought over from his former program -- Stirtz, Abreu, Mascari and Isaiah Jackson. The fifth starter is Wyoming transfer Cam Manyawu.

Drake get off to a 7-0 start against the Hurricanes, and the Bulldogs kept rolling for a 36-27 advantage at the break.

The Bulldogs dominated in several areas in the first half, including paint points (22-4); shooting percentage (48.4 percent to 30 percent); and offensive rebounds (7-1).

Stirtz led Drake in the first half with 10 points and four assists. Three of those assists came on alley-oop passes that led to two Nate Ferguson dunks and a layup.

Miami starters Lynn Kidd and Brandon Johnson did not score in the first half as Drake took the Hurricanes out of their normal offense. Miami played 10 players early, looking for answers.

At the start of the second half, Miami put together a 9-2 run, cutting its deficit to 44-40 with 12:52 left. But that was as close as Miami got the rest of the way.