Dewan Huell is coming to Miami. Playing his high school career at Miami Norland High School (Miami, FL), Huell’s commitment to the Hurricanes came as no surprise. He may be a McDonald’s All American, but there is no denying that Huell has his work cut out for him next year. “I’m just trying to get bigger now, get a college body, and get ready to work,” said the 6’9”, 230lb Power Forward. “I need to be up to par when I work out with UM.” Now, as Huell gets ready to go to battle in the ACC next season, the nation is watching as he tries to lead Miami to their first conference championship since 2013.

 

    Joining Huell at Miami is fellow 5-Star recruit Bruce Brown along with Rodney Miller from Oak Hill Academy and Dejan Vasiljevic from Melbourne, Australia. Huell and Brown are the first five-star recruits for Miami in recent memory, making for a tremendous recruiting class. “I’m excited to start developing. I want to get bigger and stronger since I’ll be playing in the ACC against good competition.” Huell stated.

With starting center Tonye Jekiri graduating, Huell is expected to step in right away and be a force in the paint. That should be no problem as last season, Huell displayed his gifted ability against post defenders, resulting in a McDonald’s All American Game appearance. Despite being honored as an all american, it is Huell’s three state championship titles that he is most proud of saying, “Not a lot of people can say that they’ve done what I’ve done. We lost this year, but my first three years were great.”

 

    Although Huell and Miami Norland were unable to win their fourth consecutive state title, Huell’s senior year was when he excelled most. When Huell first began playing basketball in the seventh grade, his game was unpolished and far from the level it is at now, but through hard work and training, he was able to put the pieces together and surmount anyone in his path. “I just go out and play hard every time. That’s it,” Huell says. “If you can play hard, then everything else will fall into place. You don’t have to worry about it.”

It’s unexpected to see someone who didn’t begin playing basketball until middle school to have such immediate success, but in Huell’s case, it’s no surprise: “I played football before I started playing basketball. After I broke my collarbone in seventh grade, my mom didn’t want me playing anymore.” After football was out of the question, Huell found his niche in basketball.

 

    Soon, after he first got interested in basketball, Huell started to be recruited by some of the top schools in the nation and he soon saw the good and the bad in the process. “It was both fun and stressful. All the visits were great, but the stressful part was knowing who to trust and how to make the right decisions. You have to make the right decision because wherever you go, it’s gonna hold your future.” he said. As Dewan Huell nears the start of his college basketball career, expectations are high as ever.

After a season that saw him burst into the national scene as one of the nation's top prospects, Huell is undoubtedly a player to watch next season in the ACC. As he sums it up best: “Remain focused and enjoy it while it’s there because you only get one shot.”