As the Miami Hurricanes prepare for ACC opponents, Shelton Henderson is heating up.
The Miami Hurricanes men's basketball team has recently found strides offensively after suffering a difficult loss against the BYU Cougars on Thursday night, Nov. 27th. Afterwards, in the previous three games, the team is averaging 80.3 points while shooting 51.5 percent from the field, 43.6 percent from three-point range. They've also improved from the free-throw line during this current stretch, 70.9 percent.
There's been a great response after a couple of growing pains against ranked opponents in neutral environments, which really brought a road crowd feeling, and earned a victory against the Ole Miss Rebels on their actual court.
One of the key contributors to the Hurricanes' recent success has been Shelton Henderson. The four-star recruit started the season going through some ups and downs in terms of offensive production.
Regardless, the 19-year-old has been a consistent starter and recently provided a spark for the Hurricanes, despite Dante Allen and Marcus Allen facing lower-body injuries.
In Tuesday night's game, Dec. 2nd, against the Rebels at Oxford, Mississippi, Henderson finished the game with 18 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and two blocks in 32 minutes. It was the first time he led the Hurricanes in scoring for a game.
He attacked the basket aggressively, to which the Rebels had no answers defensively, while also making the right plays. The Hurricanes won, with a final score of 75-66.
It always takes time for any athlete entering a new level of competition to get accustomed, but once they're comfortable, the production will speak for itself.
Following the victory against the Rebels, the Hurricanes returned home and faced the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. Henderson continued his aggression in attacking the rim, finishing with 12 points, five rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a block in 34 minutes.
The Hurricanes won, with a final score of 88-64.
Having back-to-back double-digit scoring games can provide a big confidence boost for any player, but especially a highly talented freshman.
"I feel like earlier on, I was focused more on offense," Henderson said. "Not really focused on the defensive side. Just honing in on that makes the game easier."
Jai Lucas alluded to him being "one of the best players on the team":
"The biggest thing for Shelton is getting more and more comfortable," he said. "I think Shelton just finally looked to attack."
Even with a roster that consists of Florida natives and strong defenders, the Texas native, who is one of six freshmen, is beginning to scratch the surface of his potential.
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