While Miami has greatly raised its basketball profile in the last several seasons — two Sweet 16 appearances in four years certainly helps — the Hurricanes are still lacking a major chip in recruiting: They’re not Duke, North Carolina, Kansas or Kentucky. When those schools come calling, with their history and tradition, the upstart Hurricanes often lose out.
Another factor that hurts Miami: its location. While Miami is a lovely place to live, it’s not the easiest destination for Mom and Dad to fly to for games. Programs closer to the middle of the country can draw players from the basketball hotbeds and inner cities of the East Coast alike. That’s not to say things aren’t getting better; the Hurricanes signed a top-10 class this year for the first time in program history, though it was partly on the strength of a rare South Florida blue-chipper — Miami-based forward Dewan Huell — who elected to stay home.
So while the big-time high school recruits still largely elude Miami, the Hurricanes have had success in landing international players and transfers. With two scholarships still open heading into the 2016-17 season and a well-balanced roster, Hurricanes coaches will be trying to pull from the latter category to address their roster needs.
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