Meanwhile, At The Basketball School...

University of Miami men’s basketball coach Jim Larrañaga announced the signing of the program’s highest-ranked recruiting class in the modern recruiting era Wednesday.

Jalil Bethea, Isaiah Johnson-Arigu and Austin Swartz have all signed National Letters of Intent to play for the Hurricanes, currently forming the nation’s No. 6 recruiting class according to 247Sports Composite Class Calculator.

“I am excited to welcome Jalil, Isaiah and Austin into the Hurricane basketball family,” Larrañaga said. “Each player exemplifies the exact qualities of what we are looking for in a high school recruit–toughness, competitiveness and athleticism. They are all ready to take the next step in developing their game and my staff and I cannot wait to begin coaching them next fall.”

A consensus five-star player, Bethea is the highest-ranked recruit in program history in the modern recruiting era, checking in at No. 7 nationally according to ESPN, 247Sports and Rivals. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard is the second-ranked shooting guard in the class of 2024 according to 247Sports and ESPN and the No. 1 prospect out of the state of Pennsylvania.

A native of Philadelphia, Bethea averaged 23.2 points per game during his junior season at Archbishop Wood, earning Philadelphia Catholic League Most Valuable Player honors.

Playing for Team Final on the Nike EYBL circuit, Bethea averaged 18.6 points per game and shot 42.6 percent from 3-point range. He helped Team Final to an EYBL regular season No. 1 ranking and the Final Four of the Peach Jam.

“Jalil is a very exciting three-level scorer,” Larrañaga said. “He is a sharpshooter with deep range who can shoot off the bounce and shoot off the catch. He is very passionate about the game and is the ultimate competitor. He is an explosive athlete who can play in transition and above the rim.”

A 6-foot-7, 200-pound forward from Minneapolis, Minn., Johnson-Arigu played for D1 Minnesota on the adidas 3SSB circuit over the summer.

Johnson-Arigu, a four-star recruit according to On3, comes in at No. 93 nationally according to On3 and is the fifth-ranked recruit out of Minnesota per 247Sports and ESPN. He helped Totino-Grace to the MSHSL Class AAA title in 2022-23 and a 24-8 overall record.

The forward chose Miami over offers from Iowa, Arizona State, Nebraska and Butler, among others.

“Isaiah is a very versatile player, capable of playing multiple positions,” Larrañaga said. “He has a high basketball IQ, in combination with being a great athlete. He is an elite two-way player, playing both offense and defense at a very high level.”

Swartz, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound guard from Concord, N.C., joins The U from Cannon School, where he took the team to the CISAA conference championship in 2022-23. A consensus four-star recruit, Swartz averaged 23 points and seven assists per game as a junior.

On3, Rivals and 247Sports all consider Swartz to be a top-50 player in the country, while ESPN ranks him No. 51 overall and the nation’s No. 9 shooting guard.

On the Nike EYBL circuit, Swartz ranked third among all players in scoring, averaging 21.0 points per contest, to go along with 3.4 rebounds per game. The guard scored 25-plus points in seven of his 17 games played on the circuit.

“Austin is the consummate teammate,” Larrañaga said. “He is a talented scorer, terrific shooter, possesses a high basketball IQ and has a tremendous work ethic. He had an outstanding summer on the EYBL circuit with Boo Williams finishing top three in scoring. Austin comes from an excellent high school program, which will ease his transition to college.”

Comments

[orange 'n green in the vein]

First. Names are on the dotted line, feels good.

[MLALUMNI 1970]

Just got home from the store! Cost over $225 and I didn’t buy any meat!! Oh well.
Hoping for a miracle on Saturday, like all of you! Go CANES and kick their asses! Love our Canes!🧡💚🟧🟩
Flying to the warm state of Florida, after Thanksgiving, for the winter and spring!
Maybe the hoops and Larranaga will be our shining stars.🧡💚

[MLALUMNI 1970]

Sorry, I put 2 L’s in Larranaga. I should know better. Such a great coach.

[CGNC]

Nice blog 86!!! Excited for the basketball team and cautious about the football team

GO CANES!

[Terrance Sullivan]

Tomorrow Night They raise the Final Four Banner and then take on UCF. Go Canes let's go to 2-0 Daddy. The Lady Canes won their opener today in convincing fashion against Jacksonville. I think their next home game they will raise their Elite Eight Banner Daddy!

[jvcanes]

anybody going to next weeks game

[86Cane]

Thanks to OGV (our resident Basketball expert) for his assessment and commentary and to CGNC for the blog props. #CanesFam

[Terrance Blackwelder]

Nice win over UCF. That was a nice test against a big team. Strong finish after getting tested late by an extremely physical UCF team.

Early season exposes chemistry issues, but our starting 5 look solid. Bensley’s defense was fantastic. Wooga hitting 5-r from 3 was poetry.

We can’t afford to loose Norchad….the young bench guys are going to have to step up by spring….Nwoko has to see playing time.

Can’t figure Casey out….an enigma.

Lots of pieces to figure out…..

[Terrance Sullivan]

Nice Win after The Celebration of Raising The Final Four Banner To The Rafters of the Watsco Center and The Team getting their Rings, to handle business and control the Game from start to finish and finish real strong! As A Canes Fan, this is one of the best values going! An excellent team that plays an entertaining style! Go Canes!

[Terrance Sullivan]

Lady Canes are back in action tomorrow.
Well as far as our Football Team let's see what today's Game brings against that school in Tallahassee! Go Canes!

[CGNC]

Woo hoo great win by the BB team! couldn't watch it but caught the highlights.

TSully and 86, I told my friend at work she was "spouting big facts" when we were talking about a case and told her how I came to know that phrase which led to the story of everyone getting together on the blog and then at games. She thought it was so cool. And you know what? It is.

#CANESPACEFAM

As far as the football team, I am guessing they will play TVD. If they didn't want to start Jacurri against Clemson at home they sure won't start him up there, would they? Dawson needs to get a bit more creative and TVD needs to figure out when they drop 8 in coverage which seems to be the blueprint from the Georgia Tech game.

GO CANES!

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Great job using speed and length to jump all over UCF's advantage in height/weight in the post in the first half, stepped off the gas in the 2nd half a bit but was able to run them down and out of the gym in the closing minutes to safely put this one on the landing deck. Cleveland didn't have a good shooting night but filled up the rest of the stat sheet well which is great to see because he's going to determine how far they go as a 1-3 primary scoring option for them each game. If Poplar's going to shoot this hot coming out of the Final Four 0% outing all season, look out, he's like Wong but taller, bigger and trying to dunk each drive instead of spin to the baseline fade away jumper. FIU's frontcourt is taller but has less mass to establish a low post position via that advantage, so UM should match up better in the playing rotation down low Monday, just have to bring it defensively, and continually as a team, each night because they are going to be taking a best shot from the other side of the floor each time out this season so if they relax, they're ripe to be upset at any point in a world class conference in the sport.

[CGNC]

Emory Williams to start at QB per Inside the U

[MLALUMNI 1970]

Waiting for the football game to start. I hope for the best, but can NEVER prepare myself for a loss against Florida State. I can take the U of Florida, but NEVER FLORIDA STATE! Go Canes. 🟩🟧💚🧡🏝🏖️

[Old Skool]

The big question is how far will the coaches allow Emory to throw the ball down the field

[YooperCane]

Good job, Emory! The O needs to play with lights out and protect Emory! Great Job on the D with this drive!

[Sarasota 'cane]

That was a safety…and pass interference earlier! There’s some serious “home cooking” going on to keep FSU in the title picture.

Go ‘canes!

[YooperCane]

Wow, last week we had a tackle in the end zone for a safety and the refs negated it and now this one?!?! What fuck! It was clearly a safety. Obviously the refs don’t want us to win! Let’s go Canes! This should’ve been tied up with the botched field goal.

[YooperCane]

Let’s go Canes! Score baby, baby score!

[YooperCane]

C’mon D!! Play with lights out! Get the damn stop baby!

[YooperCane]

We should’ve had that fumble! C’mon Canes! Let’s go!! Get this damn game under control!

[YooperCane]

The D needs to be play with lights out!! C’mon D let’s go!!!

[YooperCane]

C’mon O!! Let’s go!! Get this 1st down!!

[86Cane]

Well, it was fun while it lasted.

But that is it, game, set, match.

[Herbieibis]

Well, until we find a Qb that can actually complete passes, we are stuck in a time warp. IN the second half FSU has no respect for our ability to pass.

[58 Straight]

Well, looky there!

Hold, hold, hold....

[Sarasota 'cane]

I’m listening!

Go ‘canes!

[Herbieibis]

I hear Sonny & Cher singing "And The Beat Goes On".

[Herbieibis]

10 for 30 passing looks like wishbone numbers.

[58 Straight]

Well to be honest, a good effort, better than expected result. Hung tough but couldn't score enough. I will take it.

[Old Skool]

Here's a name you haven't heard in a long while ...
Pat Burrell was named the SF Giants new hitting coach.

[CGNC]

Posted by: Herbieibis | November 11, 2023 at 06:40 PM

Dawson is too busy running up the middle putting Emory in third and long

[CGNC]

Well to be honest, a good effort, better than expected result. Hung tough but couldn't score enough. I will take it.

Posted by: 58 Straight | November 11, 2023 at 07:41 PM

For sure, me too. #17 looked comfortable out there, thought he was a little handcuffed. Thought they should have started him last week in case they needed him this week.

Not sold on Dawson.

[Herbieibis]

Well, missed a FG, third and less than a yd inside the five and of course the QB is in shotgun and FSU almost took the handoff and the safety that wasn't called.

[orange 'n green in the vein]

Great news, all the usual gang of idiots who called for the mid backup to play this game, he got his arm broken so he's done being too below average to cost the team close games against ranked teams for the rest of the year, therefore, enjoy all the cope you get to harvest today, you earned it this month all by yourselves, backup QB fans.

ACC officiating is now completely there to prep for felonious sexual assault U's football team, no mask on anymore for them. One more great reason this terrible conference is about to shatter, just like the the other terrible conferences that have been eaten alive, while they are all in a march to make sure ok football teams ranked #5-12 at the end of the year get to play seeding games to feed the real championship contenders going forward, are ending up one by one. Louisville is licking its chops and if UM has packed it in, and Sauturday showed every sign they have already, it's going to get ugly before the sun goes down.

At least it's basketball season!

[CGNC]

OGV - you think we should have just kept playing TVD? Emory Williams gets respect from me. Sucks that he broke his arm which hopefully will not require surgery. I didn't think it was fair to start him up there without having him start or at least play against UVA and NC State. Not sold on Dawson - too busy calling running plays up the middle. LOL if TVD had started how many picks would we have seen? As it was he came in at the end and padded his INT stat.

[Terrance Sullivan]

OGV just stop with this silliness and your infatuation with Tyler Van Yikes it's embarrassing for as excellent as your Basketball Takes your QB Takes as it relates to Canes Football are as abysmal as Mario Cristofraud Game Day Coaching. If Tyler Van Yikes would have started and played the whole Game FSU would have Trounced Us and TVY would have thrown at least 3 picks and fumbled. Of course you said TVY was better than BK lmfao 🤣

[Terrance Sullivan]

It's Basketball Season Anyways.

[CGNC]

From The Herald:

“I know you guys know I’m hurt, but you got to go win this for me,” Miami running back Don Chaney Jr. said about the message from Williams. “You got to get this first down, got to go move the ball down the field. Go win this.”

Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/college/acc/university-of-miami/article281563678.html#storylink=cpy

[CGNC]

One more from The Herald- Jacolby George

“We feel bad for Emory, he fought the hardest out of all of us,” George said. “He has the most confidence, and if anything went bad, he would pick everybody up. To be that young, you can look up to somebody like that.”

Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/sports/college/acc/university-of-miami/article281563678.html#storylink=cpy

[CGNC]

TSully -"Tyler Van Yikes" had me ROFLMAO! Happy Sunday my friend

[orange 'n green in the vein]

https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/college-football-rankings-grades-georgia-earns-a-while-florida-state-gets-c-in-week-11-report-card/

"C- Florida State struggled mightily against a reeling Miami team that started freshman Emory Williams over Tyler Van Dyke. The Seminoles gave up nine tackles for loss and were just 3 of 12 on third down. Yeah, it was a rivalry game, but it was way too close for comfort."

They played the worse game they've played all year, maybe second worse, but worse home game, and still held on with their QB finishing with two intact arms. But the backup this week was the problem at QB?

No.

[Herbieibis]

To be honest, all our QB's are nothing more than backup caliber. We can't coachem up to be nothing more than back ups.
2 straight years, aside from a couple of games, we couldn't throw a beach ball in the ocean.
It's a joke how bad we are at passing the football, especially with a top 10 offensive line.
Maybe Brown will end up being a Jordan Travis if he stays 6 years. It took Travis 4 years to get his shyt together.
Mario while you are out there recruiting 10 more offensive linemen, remember you need a Qb behind them to make them look good, not some stiff.

[Herbieibis]

Jimbo reportedly out at A&M. 70 something mil buy out.

[VA Cane]

We played poor...but it was winnable....we stayed close...I expected a blowout, TVD football career over at UM....he will transfer somewhere finish out his career and move on. He is not an NFL QB...not even a backup. He has lost his confidence his mojo so to speak. I wish him well but he is not a next level QB.

The team has quit on Mario....had they really gone all out and TVD played like he did at one time, we could have won. Could would should it does not matter....the effort was really not there. The Ville will come in and win fairly easy....it will be cold at BC...bad news for FL players....do not like or play real well in the cold.

This is another forgettable season....20 and counting. We have never been the same after The Fiesta Fiasco....we lost it and have never been back to the mountain. We are standing firmly at the bottom staring at the snow covered peaks where the elites are....but we cannot see them...it is really high up in the stratosphere and the clouds hide the football gods we can only wonder how we have been AWOL for 20 years and counting. I was not sold on MC....I felt though he was a Cane he was a bit soft....Oregon has really gotten much better without him Lanning is a great young coach....they are a good team. We have regressed even further than I thought....I had high but wary hopes with MC.....its a bit early....but someone needs to tune up the plane
check the engine....run it a bit for future use....and see if we have some banner material and paint.....we need to check the inventory just to be safe. Oh and 58, please call a towing company you might know....cause the bus is broken down in the Econo Lodge parking lot in Lloyd just off I 10.....I told them you would see to it that we get it back to Coral Gables.

This is 20 years of hope and disappointment over and over....hope we can get off this endless ride of heartbreak!!!! Go Canes hoops!!!!!

[58 Straight]

Oh and 58, please call a towing company you might know....cause the bus is broken down in the Econo Lodge parking lot in Lloyd just off I 10.....I told them you would see to it that we get it back to Coral Gables.

Posted by: VA Cane | November 12, 2023 at 03:46 PM

Triple A is on the way.

Gonna be an expensive tow.

[Herbieibis]

Look VA, I get it but our defense is no joke, thanks to Guidry. Still need some elite corners on that side and a couple more big DT's. Taylor on the Dee side is like Van Dyke on the OH side. Both have talent but it's not on display but every so often.
Taylor should be a major disrupter inside but he's not.
Golden had a book on how to fix us and Mario has a blue print, what that is yet I haven't quit seen it. I know he can recruit and we do play hard although at the same time we still have stupid penalties.
Dawson, I don't know what to make of him yet. Maybe we don't have the QB he needs on the roster yet and to be truthful we probably don't, all I know is that I'm witnessing the same shyt this year as last year offensively. Our leadsleds play and our speed guys sit. Like I said FSU is good but they ain't their yet. The ACC is weak and aside from Drake Maye, there is not of really good passing Qb's in the league. A few have their moments but for the most part they are average. Travis is pretty good and a few notches below Maye. If we would of had above average QB play yesterday, we win the game but here we sit at 6-4 & looking right at a 6 & 7 finish, if something don't change.

[Terrance Sullivan]

Thanks CGNC Hope you has a wonderful Sunday My friend

[360Cane]

If TA&M can fork out $76.8M to drop their coach, why are we hesitating? What's the conversation like with the AD after a 6-6 season and last in the conference?

Where's the banners or are we just too knumb to the s[]_[]ck at this point? Did we forget how to win after 2 long decades?

[Old Skool]

There's a lot of oil money behind the Aggies.
BTW the team just notched it's first portal entrant: a freshman wide receiver