Hurricanes Could Have Two Selected in 2023 NBA Draft

The Miami Hurricanes Basketball team is coming off an historic postseason run, the basketball program made their first Final Four appearance in school history during the Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament. That is where they fell to the eventual NCAAB champion, the Connecticut Huskies, 72-59, the closest margin of any final score among all opponents the Huskies faced over the duration of March Madness.

For Miami, it was a tournament run that featured a few of the most remarkable performances from LifeWallet Athletes Jordan Miller and Isaiah Wong, in their collegiate basketball careers. Unfortunately for Hurricane fans, Jordan Miller exhausted all of his collegiate eligibility and Isaiah Wong has since declared for the NBA Draft and signed with an agent, thus ending his collegiate eligibility and any chance of returning to the Hurricanes Basketball team next season.

While Jim Larrañaga is in the process of reloading his team, after landing former five-star recruit and star Florida State forward, Matthew Cleveland, from the Seminoles. Isaiah Wong and Jordan Miller are preparing for the next step of their basketball careers, professional basketball and most prominently the NBA Draft.

Miller and Wong will be competing against over 80 other prospects in front of NBA general managers, executives and scouts for an opportunity to improve their draft stocks at the NBA Draft Combine, which begins today and runs for the next few days in Chicago; ahead of the NBA Draft in New York on June 22nd.

Take a look at where Miller and Wong are currently projected to be selected in the upcoming NBA Draft below.

Jordan Miller | Shooting Guard-Small Forward | 6’7″, 195-pounds

45. Memphis Grizzlies (From Minnesota Timberwolves) – NBADraftRoom.com

“A terrific all-around talent who is a consistent and efficient offensive player. Has good size on the wing.”

51. Brooklyn Nets – NBADraft.net

52. Phoenix Suns – Sportsnaut

53. Minnesota Timberwolves (From New York Knicks) – B/R NBA

Miller helped himself in the NCAA tournament, influencing games with defense while showing enough slashing and passing to diminish some of the concern over his shooting.

53. Minnesota Timberwolves (From New York Knicks) – USA Today

Potential Second-Round Pick – Sports Illustrated

“A late riser due to his performance in the postseason, it’s no guarantee that Miller gets drafted. However, he’s showcased his versatility and seamless fit at the next level well enough to at least get consideration in the pre-draft process.

As a prospect, Miller’s position is interesting. He’s 6-foot-7 and played quite a bit of guard at Miami but might be better served as a wing in the NBA. He’s much better off-ball given he’s not a great self-creator but can absolutely produce points in a secondary role. The swingman is highly effective inside the arc, converting on 62% of his 2-point attempts the past two seasons. He’s a really good slasher that can finish in traffic, through contact, and utilizes his size.

He saw a year-over-year increase in his role, making the most of it and rising to the occasion. Miller showed that he has the vision, feel, and IQ to set other teammates up as a tertiary playmaker. The swing skill is his jumper. It’s encouraging that he improved from deep last season, but it was on fairly low volume, and he tends to pass up open looks from time to time.

Miller is a solid rebounder that has no problem leading the break. Those are traits that should translate well in the NBA as teams look to play fast and push in transition. He’s also an underrated passer, producing nearly three assists per game and notching five contests with at least five assists last season.

Defensively, Miller brings a lot to the table. He’s extremely versatile and can legitimately hold his own against four positions. Outside of centers, he’s proven that he is effective guarding both on the perimeter and in the paint against all other positions. He’s also great within a scheme and is a good team defender. Miller consistently makes the right rotations, in the help when needed, and it’s evident he pays attention to the scouting report on the opposing team.”

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Isaiah Wong | Point Guard-Shooting Guard | 6’4″, 185-pounds

39. Charlotte Hornets – NBADraft.net

57. Washington Wizards (From Boston Celtics) – NBADraftRoom.com

“Isaiah Wong is a high scoring 2-guard who is a bit undersized for the pro game but has a quick first step and the ability to get his own shot. He’s got good handles and can be creative with the ball, beating the defender with hesi’s and crossovers.

He needs to get more consistent with his three-point shot to excel at the next level.

Has improved his strength a lot since his freshman season, which has helped him out a lot on the defensive end and with finishing through contact on the offensive end.

Wong is a natural shooting guard who can run the point a bit as needed. This versatility could be his ticket to making an NBA roster.”

“Wong does a bit of everything on the court and has become a consistent offensive force.”

Second-Round – Sports Illustrated

“Wong truly has the ability to make an impact on both ends. He’s not the biggest guard, but is laterally quick and is extremely disruptive on that end. This led to 1.4 steals per game as a senior, as he navigated passing lanes and defended well on-ball.

He’s also an extremely advanced shot maker, which was on full display in the tournament. While some of the top scorers in the country produce most of their points in rhythm or off the catch, Wong can legitimately create for himself and knock down tough shots. Whether it’s turnaround fadeaways, step back triples, or other NBA-level moves, that upside offensively jumps off the page.

He’s also a good positional rebounder and takes good care of the ball, so it feels like he has a solid floor as an NBA player. Combine that with his ability to make big shots and his chance of being an effective bench spark is easy to see. With that in mind, he needs to get better as a facilitator, which will only take his upside to a new level. Wong is extremely explosive and has shown at times in college that he can be extremely effective defending on the perimeter.

It’s unlikely Wong is a first-round selection, especially given he’s already 22, but as a second rounder he would be a great selection for any team. A former four-star recruit, the 6-foot-4 guard played against a high level of competition at the high school level. This is a huge reason he was able to make an immediate impact at the college level, including multiple 20-point games as a freshman.”

Mid-Second Round – Sporting News

“At 22, what you see is likely what you’re going to get with Wong.

Of course, Wong has plenty of room to adjust to the NBA game, but as far as growth and development, it will likely be in the margins. Wong’s talent is enough to produce at the NBA level, but like with most prospects, it will be largely dependent on fit.

In the right situation, Wong can be a consistent producer from Day 1, and he’ll likely continue to produce at that level throughout the duration of his career.”

“Plays like: Austin Reaves

Wong’s about an inch or two shorter, but as a four-year player that was a bucket in college, Reaves has carved a path similar to what Wong can do at the next level.

Where Wong lacks in size he makes up for in strength and athleticism, but at the core of their strengths and weaknesses, he and Reaves bear a number of similarities, most notably their feel on the offensive end. Reaves’ recent scoring exploits stand as the perfect example of that.

At the NBA level, Reaves has the size of a big point guard and while he can take on playmaking responsibilities in spurts, he is best suited to do his work in transition and playing off of other playmakers.

In an era of positionless basketball, carving a Reaves-like lane can work for Wong, who has proven to be capable of scoring wherever he goes.”

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