#ThrowdownThursday: Aerial Attack Via Mac

Inbound passes turned into impressive alley oops. We’ve covered them before. Over the course of the season, the play became the Canes’ go-to during lapses of offense. Need a basket? DUNK! In this ACC Tournament game against Virginia Tech, Miami had gone over two minutes without scoring a basket. Head coach Jim Larrañaga capitalized on his team’s superior athleticism.

These inbound lob plays are especially useful because of their flexibility: they are just as effective with different lineups on the court. The same excact play was executed with Tonye Jekiri on the floor, replacing Ivan Cruz Uceda. It all starts with with Ivan’s screen—strong, feet planted. Although his defender shedded toward Sheldon McLellan, Ivan sells that he is picking-and-popping for a three. (All but one Hokie is ball watching, which makes the success of the play even more impressive. They know where it’s going and still can’t do anything about it.)

Mac leaps with force as a natural two-legged jumper, using his arms to sky into the stratosphere. He doesn’t jump up, he pushes the court down:

#Swish:

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