Cavinder twins and Pack are back. Transfers impress. Here’s the latest on UM basketball

College basketball season is around the corner, official practices began this week and even diehard followers of the University of Miami basketball program will hardly recognize the men’s and women’s teams that line up for the season openers Nov. 4.

The men’s team has 10 new players. Guard Nijel Pack is the only holdover from the 2023 Final Four team.

The women’s team has a new coach for the first time in 20 years after the retirement of Katie Meier. Coach Tricia Cullop joined the Hurricanes from the University of Toledo, and only three players return from last year’s team.

One of the biggest story lines is the return of twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder after a one-year hiatus from basketball. The siblings, well-known for their social media following, retired after UM’s Elite Eight run in 2023 but had a change of heart and came back for a final season.

Cullop calls the Cavinders “the two hardest workers I’ve ever coached.” She praised them for being consummate team players despite having 4.5 million TikTok followers.

When the Cavinders threw out the first pitch at a recent Marlins game, they invited their teammates to join them on the field to say: “Let’s play ball!” When Cullop had the team over her house for a swim party, the Cavinders said: “Coach, we’ve got a deal with a taco place. Can we bring tacos for everyone?’’’

Speaking of food, Cullop turned to cooking as one of several team-building activities to help the group jell during the offseason. The Watsco Center chefs led the players in cooking classes and there was a competition at the end. They made omelets, bowls, pasta, and steak.

“I think it’s good to get people out of their element and do things they’re not used to doing, and maybe our older players will remember what it’s like to be a freshman and our freshmen to be on common ground with our older people,” Cullop said.

Veteran players such as the Cavinders and Jasmyne Roberts have been setting the tone in practice, as have transfers Natalija Marshall (a 6-5 forward/center from Notre Dame) and Cameron Williams (a 6-3 forward from Michigan).

“Fresh off an ACC championship, I saw what what the locker room culture needs to look like to build chemistry off the court for that to translate on the court,” said Marshall, who is a grad student working on her Master’s degree in Sports Administration.

Asked if this team has any similarities with the 2023 Elite Eight team, Cavinder said: “No. We’re a whole different team. I don’t think that’s a bad thing. I think it’s a great thing. We have great post players. I’ve never played with two talented post players like this. Nat (Marshall) and Cam (Williams) are insane, so I’m super fired up by that.”

The Miami men’s team is even more different than its 2023 version.

Coach Jim Larranaga shared a quick rundown of the new roster with reporters on Thursday. Here is what fans need to know:

This team is taller than recent UM teams, so the Canes should be more potent in the paint. Lynn Kidd, a 6-10 Virginia Tech transfer, is “an outstanding low post scorer, left-handed jump hook, right-handed jump hook, good athlete, runs the floor very well,” Larranaga said. Kiree Huie, a 6-9 forward from Idaho State, “is an outstanding leaper who’s got a dynamic left hand around the basket,” the coach said.

Kidd is shooting 75 percent from the field during practice and Huie 70 percent.

Competing for the guard positions are Pack, who struggled with injuries last season, but is healthy and looks sharp, and Stetson transfer Jalen Blackmon who “is a little bit taller than Nijel, but a very similar player, very crafty, good shooter,” Larranaga said.

Brandon Johnson, a 6-8 forward who transferred from East Carolina, has been the most consistent player so far and has the highest assist-to-turnover ratio, the coach said. His basketball IQ is high, and reminiscent of Jordan Miller, who went on to the NBA.

Sophomore guard Paul Djobet has gotten stronger and more confident. Freshman Isaiah Johnson-Arigu has shown great potential. Returning guard Matthew Cleveland is still growing into a leadership role.

Highly touted recruit Jalil Bethea, a 6-5 guard, “will have some real nice highlight dunks,” and can play point or shooting guard. But Larranaga cautioned that outside expectations could put pressure on him and his maturity won’t be tested until he faces adversity.

“If he’s playing well, he’s going to be as happy as can be; but if he’s not playing well, or maybe not playing as much as he was hoping, that will be the challenge for him,” Larranaga said.

As for team chemistry, the coach said it remains to be seen.

“If we have an eight-man rotation and five guys don’t get in, how do they handle that?” Larranaga asked. “Is the first thing that runs through their mind, `I’m transferring, put my name in the portal. This stinks. I shouldn’t have come here”? Or are they saying, `Man, that was a heck of a win, I need to keep working to get into the rotation. Attitude is everything.”