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NCAA Basketball: 10 early big winners from 2022 offseason

By Tristan Freeman

CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 11: Armando Bacot #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels plays against the Elon Phoenix at Dean E. Smith Center on December 11, 2021 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 63-80. (Photo by Peyton Williams/UNC/Getty Images)
CHAPEL HILL, NC - DECEMBER 11: Armando Bacot #5 of the North Carolina Tar Heels plays against the Elon Phoenix at Dean E. Smith Center on December 11, 2021 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. North Carolina won 63-80. (Photo by Peyton Williams/UNC/Getty Images) /
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NCAA Basketball Kansas State Wildcats guard Nijel Pack Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports
NCAA Basketball Kansas State Wildcats guard Nijel Pack Scott Sewell-USA TODAY Sports /

Miami Hurricanes

The Gators have been making noise this offseason but the star of the Sunshine State very well is in Miami after the moves they made. The team had a great turnaround season that ended up in the Elite 8, thanks to impact transfer point guard Charlie Moore.

The Hurricanes were able to find his replacement in the portal in Nijel Pack, a 6’0 guard that had a breakout sophomore campaign with 17.4 ppg and 2.2 apg at Kansas State. He was one of the best guards in the portal and Miami, thanks to a $400,000 NIL package, lands him to pair with returning guard Isaiah Wong in the backcourt.

The frontcourt got a similar kind of boost from the portal in Norchad Omier, a 6’7 forward from Arkansas State that averaged 17.9 ppg and 12.2 rpg this past season, good enough to win Sun Belt Player of the Year. It’ll be interesting to see how his size translates statistically to the ACC level but Omier is an upgrade over the recent bigs for the Hurricanes inside.

With plenty of returning talent and four-star freshman AJ Casey coming in, Miami has a good chance to build off the Elite 8 run and make the Big Dance next season.

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