Miami Hurricanes
ACC (27-6, 15-3)
Miami has had a magical season under second year coach Jim Larranaga. Few expected the season the Hurricanes had in 2012-2013 after they lost their second game of the season to Florida Gulf Coast. But the blemishes after that loss were few and far between. Injuries ravaged the Hurricanes last season and the result was a trip to the NIT. The injury bug has not completely gone away, but it has been less of an issue this time around. However, for a team that goes seven deep, they will need to stay healthy throughout March.
Big Wins: 11/28 Michigan State (67-59), 1/10 at North Carolina (68-59), 1/23 Duke (90-63)
Bad Losses: 11/13 at FGCU (51-63), 2/23 at Wake Forest (65-80), 3/6 Georgia Tech (69-71)
Coach: Jim Larranaga (2 seasons at Miami)
Why They Can Surprise:
Even without much of a bench, the Hurricanes have everything they need. The frontcourt boasts 6-11 Kenny Kadji, 6-10 Reggie Johnson and 6-10 Julian Gamble. Kadji is the most prolific scorer of the bunch. He is not afraid to step outside and stretch the defense with his outside shooting skills, but Kadji is also a fine interior scorer. Johnson is a good scorer too, but he is also a beast on the glass. Gamble’s best assets come on the defensive end. Whatever Coach Larranaga needs he can get from Kadji, Johnson and Gamble. The versatility continues on the perimeter where Durand Scott leads the way. The 6-5 senior averages 13.2 points per game and adds 3.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.6 steals. Scott can do it all and is equally dangerous off the ball, where he spends most of his time, or running the point. Trey McKinney Jones is another quality shooter, but is not quite as effective as Scott using his 6-5 frame to get to the basket. Rion Brown is yet another big guard who can light up the scoreboard when given the opportunity. Brown has been relatively inconsistent during his junior campaign, but at the least he can provide plenty of potential scoring from the bench.
Why They Can Disappoint:
Shane Larkin is the lone underclassmen in the regular rotation. Nobody on the team has any NCAA Tournament experience, but Larkin’s experience could become an issue. However, Larkin has played in plenty of big games over the last two years and there have been no signs that he will crack under the pressure. Larkin ended the regular season averaging 14.6 points, 4.4 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 2.0 steals. Even those impressive numbers do not do Larkin justice. He is the leader on both ends of the floor and the more experienced players on the squad have given way. Larkin has given opposing guards nightmares with his speed and shooting ability. If the defender is guarding Larkin too tight, he can use his quickness to drive the lane and either finish or find an open teammate. If the defense collapses back into the paint, Larkin can hit the long ball off of the dribble.
Probable Starters:
Shane Larkin, Sophomore, Guard, 14.6 ppg, 4.4 apg, 2.0 spg
Durand Scott, Senior, Guard, 13.2 ppg, 2.6 apg
Trey McKinney Jones, Senior, Guard, 9.4 ppg, 1.6 apg
Kenny Kadji, Junior, Center, 13.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg
Julian Gamble, Senior, Center, 6.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.8 bpg
Key Roleplayers:
Rion Brown, Junior, Guard, 5.9 ppg, 1.8 rpg
Reggie Johnson, Senior, Center, 7.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 69.0 (135th in nation, 6th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 59.5 (34, 3)
Field-Goal Percentage: 45.8 (57, 5)
Field-Goal Defense: 39.4 (36, 3)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 6.6 (118, 4)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 35.4 (89, 5)
Free-Throw Percentage: 67.1 (246, 8)
Rebound Margin: 2.7 (99, 5)
Assists Per Game: 11.3 (285, 9)
Turnovers Per Game: 0.9 (131, 5)
Last Five Postseason Appearances:
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 3/10
See All Men’s Basketball Postseason Capsules
