Miami Hurricanes
ACC (25-7, 13-5)
Over the last decade Miami has found themselves in the NIT much more often than the NCAA Tournament. However, Coach Jim Larranga has a lot of talent with this group and they did not disappoint. Besides their difficulties playing away from home, the Hurricanes had a great year and could be a dangerous team during the tournament.
Big Wins: 11/20 vs Utah (90-66), 1/25 Duke (80-69), 2/22 Virginia (64-61)
Bad Losses: 11/27 Northeastern (77-78), 1/16 at Clemson (65-76), 1/30 at NC State (69-85)
Coach: Jim Larranaga
Why They Can Surprise:
What this team does so well is take care of the basketball and attack the basket. Turnovers are rarely a problem with Angel Rodriguez running the show. He dished out 4.5 assists per game and emerged as a decent scoring threat, averaging 11.8 points per game. Ja’Quan Newton was supposed to be the point guard in waiting, but the sophomore did not want to wait. He may not start, but Coach Larranga will play Rodriguez and Newton at the same time. Newton is not much of a shooting threat at this point in his career, but he is really good at attacking the basket and at least getting to the free-throw line. Sheldon McClellan is the team’s top scorer and he too will spend plenty of time at the charity stripe. And unlike a lot of teams, thanks to Newton and McClellan, Miami can actually knock down the freebies on a consistent basis. McClellan is a decent outside shooter and Davon Reed has been relatively consistent, although not particularly prolific, from beyond the arc.
Why They Can Disappoint:
With Tonye Jekiri in the paint, Miami should be a great rebounding team. The seven-footer is averaging 8.2 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.1 blocks during his senior season. He is the interior force for this team and on those occasions when the big guy needs a rest or runs into foul trouble, the Hurricanes are a totally different team. Kamari Murphy is a versatile big man who has helped some on the glass. Ivan Cruz Uceda is a stretch four and will knock down some shots, but he has not been particularly effective on the glass. Freshman Anthony Lawrence is the only other frontcourt option and he has had some solid outings. Miami will need him to be more aggressive on the glass in March though, especially when Jekiri is on the bench.
Probable Starters:
Angel Rodriguez, Senior, Guard, 11.8 ppg, 4.5 apg
Sheldon McClellan, Senior, Guard, 15.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.7 apg
Davon Reed, Junior, Guard, 11.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg1.2 apg
Kamari Murphy, Senior, Forward, 5.4 ppg, 5.9 rpg
Tonye Jekiri, Senior, Center, 8.2 ppg, 9.0 rpg, 1.1 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Anthony Lawrence, Freshman, Forward, 4.2 ppg, 1.9 rpg
Ja’Quan Newton, Sophomore, Guard, 10.9 ppg, 2.5 apg
Ivan Cruz Uceda, Senior, Forward, 5.7 ppg, 2.8 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 75.5 (118th in nation, 6th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 66.1 (47, 5)
Field-Goal Percentage: 47.2 (36, 4)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.5 (119, 6)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.9 (185, 6)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 36.1 (108, 4)
Free-Throw Percentage: 75.0 (22, 3)
Rebound Margin: 2.7 (97, 9)
Assists Per Game: 12.8 (206, 12)
Turnovers Per Game: 10.5 (21, 5)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
2015 NIT First Round win over North Carolina Central
2015 NIT Second Round win over Alabama
2015 NIT Quarterfinal win over Richmond
2015 NIT Semifinal win over Temple
2015 NIT Championship loss to Stanford
2013 NCAA Second Round win over Pacific
2013 NCAA Third Round win over Illinois
2013 NCAA Regional Semifinal loss to Marquette
2012 NIT First Round win over Valparaiso
2012 NIT Second Round loss to Minnesota
2011 NIT Second Round win over Missouri State
2011 NIT Quarterfinal loss to Alabama
2011 NIT First Round win over Florida Atlantic
2009 NIT First Round win over Providence
2009 NIT Second Round loss to Florida
2008 NCAA Round of 64 win over St. Mary's
2008 NCAA Round of 32 loss to Texas
2006 NIT First Round win over Oklahoma State
2006 NIT Second Round win over Creighton
2006 NIT Quarterfinal loss to Michigan
2005 NIT First Round loss to South Carolina
*all team stats through 3/6
