Tru Washington ignites the Miami Hurricanes' offense off the bench, delivering career-high stats and crucial steals, proving a vital spark in their surprising season.
As the Miami Hurricanes men's basketball squad secured a 76–54 victory over the Boston College Eagles on Saturday, junior guard Tru Washington provided a spark off the bench. He finished with a team-high 14 points, including a couple of three-pointers made, three rebounds, three assists, and a new career-high six steals in 26 minutes.
Despite playing as a starter next to senior guard Tre Donaldson for most of the season, Washington has thrived in his new role.
"I thought one of the biggest moments in the game was Tru's spark off the bench," Coach Jai Lucas said on Saturday. "Him in that role [off the bench], that's what he's capable of doing. It's the ability to take us to another level."
Washington is averaging 11.2 points on 44.4 percent shooting, 60 percent from three-point range, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.4 steals in the previous five games off the bench.
A key weakness of the Hurricanes' roster was the lack of bench production. Coach Lucas relied on freshman guard Dante Allen to be a "sixth starter," but the Miami native's offense has been inconsistent throughout the season. The former four-star recruit has shown speed and athleticism, but struggles to produce his own offensively.
Allen has been starting in place of Washington, which allows him to play off his teammates rather than to create. He's averaging 6.2 points on 41.4 percent shooting, 30.8 percent from three-point range, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.4 steals in the previous five games.
Washington started in all but one game last season with the New Mexico Lobos. He's showing a team-first mentality by accepting the new role. Regardless of coming off the bench, the veteran guard is playing big minutes and closing games.
The Hurricanes have surpassed expectations, currently sitting with a 23-6 overall record, 12-4 in ACC play. They will face the SMU Mustangs at the Moody Coliseum on Wednesday, followed by a regular-season finale at the Watsco Center against the 24-ranked Louisville Cardinals on Saturday. Both are Quad 1 opponents, which would benefit the Hurricanes' NCAA Tournament resume.
Washington has played as big a role in the program's turnaround as Donaldson, senior forward Malik Reneau, and senior center Ernest Udeh Jr. He arrived through the transfer portal, same as them.
The Hurricanes' bench production has increased with Washington thriving as a sixth man. It expands the possibilities offensively, despite the lack of consistent three-point shooting.
They're a dark horse in the ACC, but could continue to prove many wrong.
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