UM women’s basketball season tips off this week. Here’s a preview of 2023-24 team

Katie Meier is a voracious reader. The University of Miami women’s basketball coach was an English Literature major at Duke University, graduated with honors and went on to earn a master’s degree in teaching English.

So, it comes as no surprise that part of the Hurricanes’ preparation for the upcoming season included assigned reading over the summer and a book club during the team trip to Greece. The assigned book was “Toughness: Developing True Strength On and Off the Court”, by ESPN analyst Jay Bilas. Each player focused on one chapter and had to share the lesson with the group.

The Hurricanes are coming off their first Elite Eight run in school history and Meier wants to make sure the toughness that resulted in thrilling wins over Oklahoma State, No. 1 Indiana, and Villanova carries over to the 2023-24 season.

Miami returns just two starters from that team in juniors Ja’Leah Williams and Jasmyne Roberts, who averaged 19 points and 7.3 rebounds in four tournament games. The team lost Destiny Harden, Haley Cavinder and Lola Pendande to graduation.

“We studied the Toughness book from Jay Bilas, which I do probably every five years, and we brought it to Europe with us and we did a chapter every day, ten chapters over ten days,” Meier said. “I was texting Jay the pictures and he was giving me more insight into the chapters.”

Roberts feels the book was useful.

“That’s been (Meier’s) thing every day: toughness, toughness, toughness,” Roberts said.

The other mantra is “one percent better.” Each player pulls a slip of paper (a “toughness tab”) from a jar before every practice with something to get one percent better at, and they discuss after practice.

“It’s about getting one percent better at something, like one percent better at passing, one percent better at shooting, one percent better at communicating,” Roberts said. “Every day after practice, (Meier) asks us `What did you get one percent better at today?’ Our team has really bought into that message. The small wins add up.”

Guard Lemyah Hylton, who transferred from Arizona to UM, agreed.

“One toughness tab will say, `Play so hard it’s hard for coach to take you out,’ or `Pick your teammate up,’ or `Go into the stands to get a rebound.’ I do think that is bleeding into us as a group.”

Meier says the one percent message dates to last season.

“One more three-pointer, maybe we’re in the Final Four, maybe we’re national champs,” she said. “We understand the small margins. We’re not trying to make some big leap. We weren’t last in the league and we’re trying to get to the NCAA Tournament. We’re pretty close. So, it’s marginal gains.

“Last year the journey was just incredible. A journey with a lot of chapters to the book.”

The new chapter begins Thursday at home against Jacksonville (11 a.m.). The Elite Eight banner will be raised to the Watsco Center rafters.

BREAKOUT PLAYERS: Guard Jasmyne Roberts, Forward Lazaria Spearman.

Nobody on the UM team made a bigger statement during the NCAA tournament than Roberts, a 5-10 junior from Jacksonville, and she will be expected to take on a leadership role as a junior this season.

“I told Jas, `Last year you got to play well and be a hero, you were like the whipped cream and the cherry on top of the banana split sundae, you weren’t the scoops of ice cream or the banana,’’’ Meier said. “Now, you have a different job. You have to be the ice cream, the heart and soul, of this team.”

Spearman, a sophomore from Dacula, Georgia, made an impact in the post as a freshman and has expanded her game for this season.

“Lazaria is not just an inside player, she has really been shooting for three and she has a potential to be a real star,” Meier said.

TRANSFERS TO WATCH: Jaida Patrick (from Columbia), Lemyah Hylton (from Arizona)

Patrick, a 5-10 grad student, spent her freshman and sophomore seasons at Duke, and her junior and senior years at Columbia. While playing for Columbia last season, she played against UM in a Thanksgiving Tournament and was struck by how connected the Hurricanes were with Meier. The Ivy league does not allow a fifth year of eligibility, so Patrick chose to transfer to Miami.

Hylton also said she transferred to Miami because of Meier.

“She is the most authentic person, so vulnerable, so genuine with her players,” Hylton said. “It’s unmatchable. When I came on my visit, I was like, `This is the woman I want to play for.’ It makes me more confident when I step on the court knowing she is my coach.”

Meier said all four transfers (Shayeanne Day-Wilson, Ally Stedman are the other two) fit right in.

“You’re going to see them and be like, `Yeah, they’re Miami players’. They are strong, play multiple positions and they play with incredible competitive energy and joy. They landed at the right school. They’re going to get a lot of playing time and be really impactful.”

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP: Jasmyne Roberts, Ja’Leah Williams, Lazaria Spearman, Jaida Patrick, Lashae Dwyer/Shayeann Day-Wilson.

MUST-SEE GAMES: Dec. 16 vs. Baylor in Hall of Fame College Series in San Antonio, Dec. 31 home vs. Louisville, Jan. 11 at Virginia Tech, Jan. 14 at Notre Dame, Jan. 28 home vs. Duke, Feb. 4 at FSU, Feb. 18 at home vs. FSU.