Bob Donnan-USA Today Sports
According to a number of reports that emerged on Friday morning, Miami (FL) sophomore point guard Shane Larkin has made the decision to forgo his final two seasons in college and declare for the 2013 NBA Draft. Larkin’s decision drops the hammer on the Hurricanes’ expectations for the 2013-14 college basketball season.
Larkin’s decision to go pro is really not all that surprising, especially considering the sophomore’s potential and likeliness to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft. Larkin burst onto the scene this past season, pacing the Hurricanes by averaging a team-high 14.5 points per game. In addition to his scoring numbers, Larkin also averaged 4.6 assists and 3.8 rebounds per game.
With Larkin’s choice to go pro, Miami now faces the daunting task of rebuilding from a year of unprecedented success. The Hurricanes skyrocketed up the rankings this past season, winning both the ACC regular season and tournament championships. Miami earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but were upset in the Sweet 16 round by Marquette.
Now head coach Jim Larranaga faces the monumental task of replacing the team’s top six scorers from a season ago, as Larkin was the only key contributor that was not a member of the senior class. Senior-to-be Rion Brown, who averaged 6.4 points per game in 2012-13, will be the team’s top returning scorer in terms of looking ahead to next season.
The Hurricanes are going to struggle next season, simply based off inexperience. Oh and also throw in the fact that the ACC’s talent level will be through the roof thanks to conference realignment and Miami will be plummeting down the conference standings.
Follow Paul Seaver on Twitter: @PaulSeaverRS
