Miami Basketball: Nijel Pack ready to make impact at the point
Now entering the 2023-24 season, the Miami Hurricanes must focus on the future. With the departure of Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller, Nijel Pack will be a leader on a Hurricanes team that aspires to return to the Final Four. Miami played small ball last season, and the 6'0" guard learned that size doesn't always matter.
"I feel like we learned that size doesn't really lead to winning," Pack said at basketball media day. "We're considered to be a smaller team, but we played a lot bigger than we were. I feel that was really key for us because we basically played four, five guards at a time. Guard basketball is really hard to defend, and if we can defend and rebound at a high clip, while playing small, I feel that really makes it tough for mismatches for other teams."
Pack was third on the team in scoring at 13.6 points per game in his first year with Miami. He may have to score more to help Miami reach last year's legendary success from last season, but after shooting 40.3% from three and 44.1% overall, Pack is certainly capable of elevating his game.
Although Miller and Wong departed Norchad Omier and Wooga Poplar returned, and Florida State transfer Matthew Cleveland adds to a roster that has plenty of playmakers. Pack talked about getting back to more of a point guard role at basketball media day:
"Coaches have put the ball in my hand a lot over this summer and put me in different situations. Doing a lot of scrimmage with our guys and put me in situations where I've had to make certain passes and just got me better with constant repetition."
While getting back up to his career-high average of 17.4 points while being a distributor would be tough with all the talent around him, Pack should finish as the first or second-best scorer on the team next season. Throughout his college career, he's transitioned from point guard to shooting guard, but this year, playing the point will be the focus.
"My whole life, I always played point guard," Pack said. When I first got to college at Kansas State, kind of transitioned more from the one to the two a little bit more, and in my second year, I played majority two. It's just two different type of games. Being a point guard and a shooting guard is two different roles, two different mindsets. It's not easy just transitioning back and forth. And then last year, playing the point guard, but also playing the two a little bit more, and now it's more of playing the one again. Just transitioning back into playing a true point guard, having a point guard mindset instead of shooting guard mindset, so I feel that role should transition really well now."
Pack, and Bensley Joseph should finish close to one another as the top assist men this year. This season is a massive opportunity for the senior guard to showcase his skills with abundant talent, including another point guard, Kyshawn George.
"I feel like we got players," Pack said. "I just feel like the guys, especially Kyshawn, is going to really key for us. With his size, being 6'9," his ability to see over defenses, he plays a lot older than what he is, even though he's a freshman. I think he plays like at least a junior. He's going to be really key for us, especially at the point guard role."
Miami opens its season against NJIT on Monday at home. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM.
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