NCAA Tournament 2023: Ranking the starting lineups of each Sweet 16 team
By Joey Loose
3. Miami (5-seed)
Jordan Miller (Senior – Guard)
Miller’s final collegiate season has seen him earn Second Team All-ACC honors; incredible work for someone who starred for three years at George Mason and was certainly underrated. Miller averages 15.0 points and 6.2 rebounds and set career-highs by making 36% of his shots beyond the arc. He’s one of the ACC’s best offensive weapons and just had 19 points in the Hurricanes’ second-round victory over Indiana.
Norchad Omier (Sophomore – Forward)
A major addition for the Hurricanes, Omier was Sun Belt Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year last season before anchoring Miami’s frontcourt this year. A Third Team All-ACC honoree, he averages 13.6 points and 9.8 rebounds and is one of the nation’s most efficient frontcourt weapons. Though he was injured in the ACC Tournament, he’s played well in the Big Dance, with 12 points and 14 rebounds against Drake and a 17-rebound effort against Indiana two days later.
Nijel Pack (Sophomore – Guard)
A star last season at Kansas State, Pack departed for the big NIL deal and has become a major weapon at Miami. He’s averaging 13.4 points per game in this explosive backcourt and has hit just under 40% of his 3-pointers, one season after leading the Big 12 in that category. Pack is a great offensive threat that had 21 points against Drake in the opening round.
Wooga Poplar (Sophomore – Guard)
Calling Poplar the weak link of this starting rotation would be an insult, as his 8.5 points and 3.2 rebounds don’t stand out but are a major step forward as a second-year player. He hits 41% of his 3-pointers, he gets a good amount of steals when he’s on the court, and he’s been in double-figures in four of Miami’s last six games, including 15 points in the Tourney opener against Drake.
Isaiah Wong (Junior – Guard)
Miami’s best weapon, Wong was named ACC Player of the Year after averaging 15.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.4 assists a game this season. He’s one of the ACC’s best scorers, and has been for the last few seasons, and hits 38% of his long-range shots. More importantly, Wong just had 27 points and 8 rebounds in the Hurricane’s second-round win against Indiana, a performance that has this program back in the Sweet Sixteen again.