Latest news with #Cullop
Miami Herald
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
UM women's basketball lands Top 10 recruiting class, Springmann joins men's staff
The college basketball season is still five months away, but University of Miami coach Tricia Cullop is already fired up, as ESPN-W rated the Hurricanes' 2025 recruiting class as No. 10 in the nation and the transfers UM landed were also highly coveted. The freshman class includes Camille Williams, rated No. 36 on the list of top recruits, Danielle Osho (54), Natalie Wetzel (80), Meredith Tippner (91) and four-star Emanuella 'Somo' Okolo. Miami also landed a few highly ranked players from the transfer portal. Israeli national team guard Gal Raviv, who transferred to UM from Quinnipiac, was rated No. 9 by 247Sports; and 6-6 center Ra Shayla (Shay) Kyle, who transferred from Florida, was No. 20. ESPN had Kyle ranked No. 13 on its list. 'When we assessed our team last year, it was very apparent to us we needed to get bigger, faster, stronger, and build out more depth,' said Cullop, who is entering her second season at UM. 'I do think we checked all those boxes. We have a lot of talent, and I can't wait to see this group in the same room together.' Raviv was among the nation's top freshmen last season, averaging 17.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists. Hurricanes fans remember her well, as she scored 25 points and had five rebounds against them. Kyle, a 6-6 center who has one year of eligibility remaining, averaged 14.1 points and 8.7 rebounds for the Gators last season with 59.4 percent shooting. The Indiana native spent the first two years of her career at Purdue. Kyle was a five-star recruit and the No. 5 center in the nation in the class of 2020 coming out of Marion High School. She was also a two-time Indiana All-Star and McDonald's All-American game nominee. Cullop coached Kyle's aunt, Tanika Mays, at the University of Toledo. Other transfers joining UM this season include Vittoria Blasigh (USF), Mya Kone (FIU), Jessica Peterson (SMU), and Amarachi Kimpson (UNLV). The 2025-26 roster will have two seniors, three juniors, three sophomores and six freshmen. The two returning players are sophomore Ahnay Adams and redshirt freshman Simone Pelish. Cullop already got a head start on the 2026 class, getting a commitment from Slovenian combo guard Maja Uranker, who scored 15 points per game at the FIBA U18 European Championships and averaged 44 percent shooting from three-point range. Russell Springmann joins UM men's staff UM men's coach Jai Lucas announced the addition of assistant coach Russell Springmann to the Hurricanes' staff. Springmann's career spans 20 years, as he rose from graduate assistant at Florida in 1996 to the head coach at Oral Roberts the past two seasons. 'I've been fortunate to not only play for Russell, but also work alongside him during our time at Texas,' Lucas said. 'He is an exceptional basketball coach and an even better person. His wisdom and 20-plus years of basketball experience will help create the culture we want here at The U.' Springmann has worked with 18 NBA draft picks, including Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge and Tristan Thompson. He was an assistant coach at Texas during Lucas' three years as a Longhorn (2008-11).
Miami Herald
21-02-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
UM women outmatched 82-42 by top-ranked Notre Dame, which has won 19 games in a row
The line of cars waiting to get into the Watsco Center parking lot Thursday night was the first clue that the University of Miami women's basketball game against top-ranked Notre Dame was a big deal. Next clue: A couple dozen WNBA and Unrivaled players and coaches sitting courtside and in a suite. The crowd of 4,614, largest since the season opener, saw first-hand that the Irish are every bit as good as advertised. They scored the first 10 points of the night, led 38-13 at halftime, and cruised to an 82-42 victory, extending their win streak to 19 games. They outscored their opponents by an average of 28 points during that streak. Notre Dame improved to 24-2 overall and 15-0 in the ACC while Miami lost its fifth game in a row to a ranked team. The Hurricanes slipped to 13-13 and 3-12 in the conference and are clinging to the final spot in the ACC Tournament with three games remaining in the regular season. Notre Dame's much heralded guard trio of Hannah Hildago, Olivia Miles and Sonia Citron combined for 51 points. Citron led the way with 19 points and eight rebounds. Hildago had 18 points and Miles contributed 14 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Forward Liatu King, a Pitt transfer, had a big night, as well, with 13 points, 13 rebounds and four assists. 'They share the ball really, really well and all of them can shoot the three,' UM coach Tricia Cullop said of the Irish. 'They've got lineups out there where at least four of the five are shooting threes. They have three of the best guards in the country, but they're unselfish. They're not afraid to make the extra pass to get the best shot.' She said the Canes had trouble keeping up with Notre Dame's pace. 'There were a couple times that we scored and they beat us back up the floor,' Cullop said. 'That should never happen. It's an elite level of focus offensively and skill level. They're a handful.' The Irish get a lot of attention for their high-scoring offense, so their defense often gets overlooked. They held the Hurricanes to 0-for-16 shooting from beyond the arc and 27 percent shooting overall (19 of 71). Miami guard Haley Cavinder, coming off a 27-point performance against Florida State, went 4-of-15 against Notre Dame's stifling defense and managed only eight points. She and her twin sister, Hanna, the UM point guard, had a rough day off the court, as well. Authorities are investigating after a Mercedes, Lamborghini and Range Rover were stolen overnight outside the High Pines home of Miami Hurricane quarterback Carson Beck, who is dating Hanna Cavinder. They were in the home at the time of the theft, which was reported around 6 a.m. The Range Rover, which belonged to Cavinder, was found nearby and Beck's Mercedes has also been recovered. Police are still searching for the Lamborghini. Beck was at the game on Thursday night. Cullop and the Cavinders' teammates said the theft did not affect the team's performance, but they did offer support for Hanna. 'I texted her, called her and talked to her at shootaround, saying, `If you need anything we're here for you,''' Cullop said. 'It was unfortunate it happened, and the timing of it was terrible, but she did her very best to be focused and that's all I can ask. But any of us in that situation, it's going to play on your emotions a little bit. That's just a human reaction.' Forward Cameron Williams added: 'That's very unfortunate, but I don't think it trickled over into the game. We were supportive. We were there for her. We do a good job as a team separating what's going on off the court and on the court.' Williams was the only Hurricane who reached double figures. She put up a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. 'They were really physical with Haley and made it tough for her coming off screens early,' Cullop said. 'But we did have some open shots we didn't hit. It was a combination of hurrying a little bit, trying to force things, instead of taking our time, taking a deep breath and taking an easy shot.' Miami guard Jasmyne Roberts, who went 4-of-16 for nine points, said playing the Irish in person and watching them on film is completely different. 'It's a whole lot different than what you see in film, honestly,' she said. 'We studied them all well. But when you get on the court, they're really talented, and they're very big and strong. Finishing over them was really difficult. Credit to them for their athleticism and team defense all around.' Notre Dame coach Niele Ivey said after the game she was particularly proud of her team's defense. 'We have a resilient team and we're doing something special,' she said. The Hurricanes return to the Watsco Center Sunday at noon for their home finale against Wake Forest. Notre Dame plays at N.C. State.
