CORAL GABLES — Hurricanes star forward Norchad Omier is still day-to-day after suffering an ankle injury in Miami’s ACC Tournament loss to Duke last week.
Omier, who practiced on a limited basis Wednesday and Thursday, is working hard to get onto the court for Miami’s NCAA Tournament opener against 12th-seeded Drake (27-7) on Friday night. UM coach Jim Larrañaga said Omier is spending as much as 10 hours a day in the training room, trying to get his ankle healthy enough to play.
But if Omier is not cleared to play, the Hurricanes have options to replace Omier’s 13.6 points and team-leading 9.7 rebounds per game.
“If Norchad doesn’t play, like he did against Duke, the players know that they have to fill in,” Larrañaga said. “The most important apsect of it is rebounding. Norchad’s one of the premier rebounders in the country. So we’ve got to gang rebound. We’ve got to have more guys step up.”
The first choice to fill in for Omier in the frontcourt is fourth-year junior Anthony Walker. The veteran forward has experience on his side, having played in 120 games for Miami. This season, Walker is averaging 2.9 points and 1.3 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game.
“Anthony Walker is a critical player for us,” Larrañaga said. “He’s 6-8 or (6-9), he’s long, he’s athletic. He has experience. He’s in his fourth year, he’s a senior. He has scored over 500 career points, and he can step up and have a big impact on our success in the tournament.”
Against Duke, Walker played 24 minutes, the most he has played in a game this season. He had six points on 2 of 7 shooting, and he had four rebounds.
Miami Hurricanes - The U Report
Weekly
Keep your eye on Hurricanes football, basketball and more throughout the year.
“Being a senior, that’s something you have to do is always be ready for anything that can happen,” Walker said. “I was prepared to come in and play 40 minutes if I had to. So just playing hard every minute I’m out there, trying to help the team as much as possible is a goal of mine and something that I stand for.”
A second potential option is freshman A.J. Casey. The 6-foot-9 forward arrived at Miami before the season as the top-ranked player in the Hurricanes’ four-man 2022 recruiting class, earning a four-star ranking in 247Sports’ composite rankings.
Casey has played limited minutes in his first season in Coral Gables, averaging 6.8 minutes per game in 26 contests. He has notched one point and 1.2 rebounds per game.
“He’s making huge steps,” Walker said. “He’s a great listener. He’s a great learner. He’s always eager to learn more things, and he’s just a great competitor. So he’s good to have on our team. He’s a nice young guy, and he plays like a vet.”
Casey played 15 minutes against Duke, tying his season-high. He had two points and two rebounds.
Despite the praise from his teammate, Casey may not be ready for a heavy workload just yet. Larrañaga said the freshman has improved on defense, but the coaching staff will work in the offseason to improve Casey’s offense and get him to be more consistent on that side of the floor.
“I think Casey has made significant progress, especially at the defensive end of the floor,” Larrañaga said. “I think his defense has really progressed to the point where I think he can be a stopper in the future. Maybe not this year as a freshman, but he’s worked really hard at that aspect of the game.”
English (United States) ·