University of Miami Men's Basketball Clips 2012-13
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University of Miami Men’s Basketball Clips 2012-13 Rising Star: Miami Sophomore Shane Larkin CBS Local - Chicago the next few seasons, there won’t be many Mark Chalifoux people who don’t know who Shane Larkin is. Feb. 12, 2013 If Shane Larkin has been on a sports fan’s ra- dar, it’s mostly because he’s the son of Base- ball Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin. After his breakout game against North Carolina this weekend, it’s time to recognize him as one of college basketball’s rising stars. Miami can be an afterthought in the tradition- rich ACC, but the Hurricanes are a top-10 team this season and the sophomore point guard is one of the chief reasons why. On a nationally- televised game Feb. 9, Larkin dropped 18 points and nine assists on the Tar Heels as Miami smacked UNC 87-61. For the season, he’s averaging 13 points, four rebounds and four assists per game. What’s even more impressive is his long- range accuracy. The sharpshooter has been averaging a blistering 43 percent from behind the arc (he had five against North Carolina). The Hurricanes (18-3) are having one of the best seasons in program history as Miami has reached the program’s highest ranking (No. 8) and seems poised for a run in March. Lar- kin’s defense has also been a boon to the Hur- ricanes, as he averages more than two steals per game and is regarded as one of the best defenders in the conference. While both Larkin and Miami are having banner seasons, don’t expect Larkin to jump ship any time soon. He’s heating up but still hasn’t gen- erated much chatter around NBA scouts just yet. He is a little undersized (5 foot 11-inches) and has trouble finishing around the rim oc- casionally. He will need all four years to con- vince scouts to spend a draft pick on him but it won’t take him that long to become a great college point guard. He may fully make that jump this season and if he keeps Miami near the top of the ACC over Miami Hurricanes move up to No. 3 in AP Top 25 Miami Herald ary. It’s surreal. Our school has never been 0-18 my first year there, and feel like I’m part Michelle Kaufman ranked this high and to be part of it with this of the stepping stones that got UM to this Feb. 12, 2013 group of guys is really special.” point. Beating UM this year was bittersweet for me. I’m really excited for what’s happening Julian Gamble was stopped at a traffic light He is among those who believe UM deserves at Miami and tip my hat to those players and at lunchtime on Monday when he looked down to be ranked ahead of Duke. coaches.” and saw his mother had texted him from North Carolina. “#3! Wow! That’s Crazy!” “If the poll was really legit, we should be Asked whether they should be in the conver- ranked in front of them, but that’s for the me- sation for No. 1, senior forward Kenny Kadji Yes, it is. dia and fans,” Johnson said. said: “I don’t know. I really don’t want to pay attention to that. We’re having too much fun — Take a deep breath, University of Miami bas- Senior guard Durand Scott was taking a nap 10-0 and I just want to keep going. No. 1 right ketball fans. The unfathomable is happening. Monday when he heard his phone vibrate re- now doesn’t mean anything. You want to be peatedly. He knew then that the Canes had No. 1 at the end of the season.” The Hurricanes on Monday were No. 3 in The moved up the rankings. Associated Press poll, behind Indiana and Later Monday, Kadji “tweaked’’ his shoulder Duke. Yes, No. 3. As in, third-best team in the SURREAL IS REAL in practice, according to Larranaga, and his nation. Not only that, they received 17 first- status will be evaluated on Tuesday. place votes. First. Place. Votes. UM. In basket- “I checked, saw we were No. 3. I went to the ball. bathroom and was listening to the radio while NOW A TARGET I brushed my teeth, and a Drake song, Started Miami, 19-3 and 10-0 in the Atlantic Coast Con- From the Bottom, Now We’re Here came on Scott is not worried about his team getting ference, has made a meteoric rise during the and it felt real good. … I really didn’t think we’d distracted by the excitement. past five weeks from unranked to No. 25 to be here. Being at No. 3 is surreal. We’re em- No. 14 to No. 8 to No. 3. bracing it and having fun.” “Coach Larranaga’s going to make sure of that because he’s our leader, and we’re his No UM team ever has been ranked higher. Coach Jim Larranaga insists he doesn’t get students,” he said. caught up in the polls, calls them “popular- The national pollsters clearly have noticed the ity contests” and “beauty contests,” but he The Hurricanes are on the road at Florida Hurricanes’ jaw-dropping stats this season. conceded they help create buzz and attract State on Wednesday night. That was all Lar- UM is the only undefeated team in conference recruits. ranaga was thinking about Monday. play of the six major conferences. The coach got an ovation from Heat fans at “I’m going to be on them very, very hard in The Canes have not lost since Christmas; are AmericanAirlines Arena during Sunday’s practice,” he said. “We can’t afford any slip- riding an 11-game win streak; are the first Heat-Lakers game when they showed him on page. Our offensive rebounding efficiency is team ever to beat Duke and North Carolina by the Jumbotron. 280th in the country, we need to do better more than 25 points in the same season; and because from now on, we’re getting every- their Ratings Percentage Index is No. 1 or No. Said Scott: “I don’t have to wear a UM shirt for body’s best shot. No sneaking up on anybody 2, depending on which computer you choose people to know who I am now.” anymore.” to believe. And Larranaga joked that an eighth-grader Whoever imagined UM basketball would reach called to commit Monday. the point where many fans believe the Hur- ricanes got slighted by being ranked third “We told him it’s a little too early,” he said. behind Duke after beating the Blue Devils by 27 points? Watching it all from Fort Myers is Kevin Nor- ris, the UM point guard from 1994 to 1998 and “I never really thought that Miami could be a now an assistant coach at Florida Gulf Coast top-10 program,” the always-candid senior University, one of three teams that beat the center Reggie Johnson said. “I knew we were Canes this season. a good team, and we’d compete and take down some of the big dogs that are always in the “I’m on Cloud 9 seeing UM reach No. 3 be- top 10, but I didn’t think we’d be here in Febru- cause I have orange and green blood. We were Basketball Buzz: 2/12 Inside The U • Miami has not lost since Dec. 25 against Indi- minutes in his last six games scoring 12 points and Chris Stock ana State, 57-55 in overtime at the Diamond Head grabbing 13 rebounds. “Tonye is coming along real Feb. 12, 2013 Classic in Honolulu. “It was not fun,” Larkin recalls. good,” senior center Reggie Johnson said. “He’s “You know you need to play your best, but coming getting more confidence. At first he was a little The Miami Hurricanes are one of the hottest off a loss to Arizona you are not playing for the hesitant, but right now when he’s in the game he’s teams in the nation and have climbed to No. 3 in championship so it was tough to get up for that rebounding, catching the ball, passing the ball real the latest AP Poll after entering the rankings four game. We didn’t really have the crowd support to well and I’m real proud of him.” Johnson added: weeks ago. get us hyped. There’s no excuses, it wasn’t a good “He’s just young right now. He can make a major game for us. We came out flat and we got punched impact (in the future) with what he can do in this Miami (19-3, 10-0) is the sixth school to ascend in the mouth early.” Larkin added that “the whole program. I came in the same exact way, I little from unranked to the top five in four weeks or less trip was tough” as Trey McKinney-Jones was in nervous and wasn’t expected to get as good as I since 1989-90. It is the highest ranking ever for a the hospital with a temperature of 103 and Reggie got in my career. I think Tonye, if he continues to Miami team. Johnson broke his finger. “After that I think every- work because he has a nice touch and get strong, body just woke up to the fact that we don’t have he can do some damage in this league.” “It’s wonderful for a university to get this kind of Reggie now.