Men’s basketball Head Coach Frank Haith has been kind enough to agree to answer questions from the readers in every Friday edition of The Hurricane. If you would like to ask him a question, email e.kalis@umiami.edu.
What are some of the specific personal qualities you look for in a recruit beyond just his basketball skills?
I look for the type of kid they are. Character is important to me as well as their commitment to academics, wanting to get a degree. I also look for someone interested in being a part of a team.
Have you been able to keep everybody’s spirits up after two tough losses to two great teams like Duke and UNC?
We have. We have talked about it with our guys. We are obviously disappointed to lose those two games; however, we have stressed that we lost to two great teams that could be cutting down the nets in March. It’s a long season, there’s plenty of games left, and plenty of time to reach our goal of reaching the post season.
When you first saw Guillermo Diaz play after accepting the job, did you think he could have a season like this? What has been the main reason for his emergence in ACC play?
I thought Guillermo was a tremendous talent, a very good athlete. He has now become a very good basketball player. He has worked very hard at understanding the game.
He spends a lot of time watching film and spending time on areas he needs improvement. He has become a more poised and savvy basketball player: for example his assist/turnover ratio compared to last season.
Which player on the team jokes around with you the most? Is there anyone specifically with a great sense of humor?
Guillermo by far is the player that jokes around with me the most. He is very silly with a great sense of humor. The whole team loves him, and he is definitely the jokester.