Miller and Wong give Miami Hurricanes first NBA Draft selections since 2019
The Miami Hurricanes basketball team had a couple of NBA Draft hopefuls on Thursday night: Guards Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller. The hope was the Canes would have their first pair of draftees in a single year since Lonnie Walker and Bruce Brown were taken in, respectively, the first and second round in 2018.
The end result of this year’s draft?
Miller was taken in the second round with the 48th pick of the draft by the Los Angeles Clippers.
And then Wong was taken by the Indiana Pacers with the 55th pick of the second round.
For Miami, it’s the first time since Dewan Hernandez in 2019 that the team’s had a draftee.
It’s also worth nothing that both Wong and Miller were key components of Miami’s first-ever Final Four run this season.
Wong is a 6-3, 178-pounder, and he scored 1,866 points in his career with 112 starts over a four-year span.
He burst onto the scene in 2020-21 with 17.1 points per game, then averaged 15.3 points the following year and 16.2 this past season. He has a career 35 percent three-point percentage with 178 makes, but his forte really is creating his own shots and getting to the rim.
Helping him perhaps move up with NBA teams? In the scrimmage portion of the NBA Combine Wong had 16 points and four assists.
Miller took a roundabout route to Miami.
He began his career at George Mason, spending three years there as a starter. He averaged double-digit scoring each year (with a high of 15.8 PPG in 2020-21). He transferred to Miami in 2021 and averaged 10.0 points and 5.9 rebounds, then this past season averaged 15.3 points and 6.2 rebounds.
He was especially strong in the NCAA Tournament, scoring 19 points against Indiana, adding 13 points, six rebound and four assists vs. Houston, talling 27 points on perfect 7-7 shooting (and 13-13 free throws) in the win over Texas and then scoring 11 points with 10 rebounds in the loss to Connecticut that ended the season.
Helping Miller: He was regarded by On3 as the MVP of the NBA Combine scrimmages, with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
So now Miami fans have another reason to watch the NBA next season.
And coach Jim Larranaga hopes to keep pumping out pro talent. He’s already reshaped his roster to help make up for the losses of Miller and Wong, adding 6-7 FSU guard Matthew Cleveland (averaged 13.8 points and 7.4 rebounds) out of the portal. Other new faces are freshmen center Michael Nwoko, guard Kyshawn George and guard/forward Paul Djobet.
Standout big man Norchad Omier (13.1 PPG, 10.0 RPG) and point guard Nijel Pack (13.6 PPG) return, as does starting guard Wooga Poplar (8.4 PPG).
So it should be another exciting season ahead for Miami hoops.
