Miami should deliberately close selected early-season men’s basketball games with two bigs, giving Jai Lucas a pressure test for a lineup that could become valuable in conference play.
Patrick Previty of Canes Warning detailed the addition of 6-foot-10 Robert Miller III after two seasons at LSU. Miller averaged 6.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in 19.3 minutes as a sophomore while shooting 65.7% from the field. Those numbers describe an efficient interior player, but they do not answer how Miami should use his size late in games.
The easiest approach would be to treat Miller as a one-for-one center and surround him with four perimeter players. Lucas should spend part of November testing a more ambitious option. Pairing Miller with another rebounder could protect the rim, finish defensive possessions and force opponents to defend Miami through contact.
Closing lineups reveal more than starting lineups because every weakness becomes a target. Opponents will put the slower big in ball screens, crowd the paint on offense and try to create a free-throw liability. Miami needs to see those attacks before ACC opponents bring better scouting and less forgiving talent.
The two-big look would begin with defense. Miller’s shot-blocking production suggests he can protect the basket, allowing his frontcourt partner to show higher against a screen or challenge a driver earlier. If the first defender gets beaten, a second layer remains. The tradeoff is that both players must recover quickly enough to contest a corner shooter.
Rebounding could justify the experiment by itself. Late games often turn on a single possession, and a strong initial defensive stand means little if the opponent retrieves the miss. Two bigs can occupy both sides of the lane and free a guard to secure a long rebound. On offense, one extra chance can prevent a rushed final shot.
Spacing will decide whether the lineup survives. Miami does not need both bigs to become high-volume 3-point shooters. One can operate near the rim while the other screens, flashes to the elbow or moves into a short-roll playmaking area. The guards must cut with purpose so the paint does not become a waiting room for defenders.
Miami’s roster gives Lucas time to choose the best partner and adjust the pairing by matchup. The point of an early trial is not to lock in two names. It is to define the skills the second big must provide next to Miller: lateral mobility, reliable decisions and enough offensive activity to keep the defense honest.
Lucas should manufacture at least a few close-game repetitions even if a November opponent appears vulnerable to a smaller lineup. Coaches learn little about a combination when it appears only during a blowout. A final four-minute stretch with substitutions and timeouts creates the communication stress Miami will face later.
The experiment may show that a conventional four-out group is still the best closer. Finding that answer early would have value. If the pairing holds up, Miami gains a changeup that can own the glass and discourage rim attacks. Two bigs do not have to become the default. They need to become a tested option before the Hurricanes need one possession to save a conference game.
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