The Hurricanes men’s basketball team added two major prospects, Dewan Huell and Bruce Brown, in a three-hour span on Wednesday. Huell, a five-star forward, and Brown, a four-star guard, are both rated in the top 30 of the 2016 class by ESPN.
Brown kicked off the program’s historic day by picking Miami over Indiana around 10 a.m. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound guard out of Vermont Academy said on ESPN that he liked Miami because “they run pick-and-rolls. I love pick-and-rolls. They pressure the ball. Also, Angel [Rodriguez] and Sheldon [McClellan] are leaving, so that’s minutes right away.”
ESPN rates Brown as the No. 8 shooting guard in the country. Several scouts say Brown already has the size to defend at the college level and can explode off the bounce when he has the ball. The Hurricanes will need Brown to step in right away as a freshman with Angel Rodriguez and Sheldon McClellan, Miami’s starting backcourt and leading scorers, both graduating after this season.
A little after 1 p.m., the day turned from good to great for the Hurricanes, when Huell announced he was staying home and committing to Miami. Huell, currently playing at Miami Norland High, is a rare five-star player to come out of South Florida and was a priority for the Canes.
The 6-foot-9, 230-pound power forward is rated the No. 21 player overall and No. 5 power forward in ESPN’s 2016 class. Huell chose Miami over South Carolina after early leader Florida State fell out of the running to land the top prospect.
Analysts praise Huell for his lateral quickness and ability to run with ease at his size. He already has a usable jump shot and can defend guards coming off pick-and-rolls, but Huell needs to put on weight and improve his postgame.
Huell and Brown already join four-star recruit Rodney Miller, who committed to Miami in August. Miller is a 6-foot-11, 230-pound center out of Virginia powerhouse Oak Hill Academy. With the additions of Huell and Brown, Miami now has the No. 9 class in the country for 2016, according to ESPN.
Miami currently has two other four-star recruits that committed to the Canes in sophomore guard Ja’Quan Newton and freshman forward Anthony Lawrence Jr. The Hurricanes have not landed a five-star recruit since Durand Scott in 2009.
The Hurricanes are off to a 2-0 start this season and next play Thursday against Mississippi State at 5 p.m. in the first game of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off.