University of Miami Men's Basketball Clips 2016-17
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University of Miami Men’s Basketball Clips 2016-17 2011-16 highlights on last 35 pages Larranaga Encourages Strong Fan Support Inside The U “We’re already selling out of all of our (18-4, 6-3). Chris Stock season tickets, it’s the second year in a Jan. 31, 2017 row, but for us to grow and develop the “It’s very important our students turn tradition it’s really about the students out,” Larranaga said. “As I’ve said a The Miami Hurricanes have officially sold and the community staying behind the million times before, this is their team. out their 7,972-seat arena at the Watsco team and keep supporting us so that we They attend as a student to the University Center. can get better and better. I know those of Miami. The University of Miami has guys have great respect for that kind of chosen to be in the toughest basketball However, there have been games, support. They know we did not always conference in America, the ACC, and the particularly in the non-conference have that. You know we didn’t always teams in this league have tremendous schedule and some ACC games like last have that.” student support so it’s really like a week’s contest against Boston College, competition. Students come here for where there has been a number of open Miami has enjoyed success against North Duke, North Carolina, and Florida State. seats. Carolina winning five of the last seven meetings in addition to beating fellow- “We’re asking the students to come and Certainly the open seats have not like in ACC top-tier program Duke four of the cheer for your Miami Hurricanes. This is years past, but yet still room to grow as last seven times. your team and I expect Wednesday night a program. they will.” Miami was a combined 4-33 against The Hurricanes were energized by a North Carolina and Duke prior to going packed crowd for their last home game 9-5 in the last 14 meetings. beating then-ACC leader, ninth-ranked, and perennial college basketball program “When we took over there were three North Carolina in commanding fashion, things people told me we would never 77-62 leading by as many as 22 at one be able to do—we would never be able to point. beat Duke or North Carolina, we’d never be able to win the ACC regular season “It’s really just one game on a Saturday in or tournament, and we’d never really front of a great crowd,” head coach Jim be able to draw great crowds like other Larranaga. “Didn’t you think the crowd schools have,” Larranaga said, “and I was really into it and excited? When the think we’ve done pretty good so far.” crowd is really into it, it does create an energy in the building that players thrive Miami won the ACC regular season and on. That’s why home-court advantage is tournament title in 2013 and have two so important. Sweet 16 appearances in Larranaga’s five years at UM. “I don’t want to tell students who have night class to cut (for Wednesday’s 8 The Hurricanes have also enjoyed plenty p.m. start), but maybe they can come for of success at home in recent years the second half. We would really like to going 15-1 last season and winning 21 see that kind of turnout because this is consecutive home games, one shy of their school. We are their program and I a school record, before it was snapped hope they’ll take great pride in it. If they earlier this month. can energize us to win games like this, then where we are right now as a team Miami (14-6, 4-4) has won 23 of its last and as a program can be elevated to a 24 at home and will look to continue much higher place. its success on Wednesday (8 p.m., ACC Network) against No. 15 Florida State Basketball Buzz: 1/31 Inside The U • Whenever Miami and Florida State play one gives us the best chance to defend and the other Chris Stock another, it is always worth bringing up one of day against North Carolina our man-to-man Jan. 31, 2017 the most impressive individual performances in defense has been our bread and butter since college basketball history when Xavier Rathan- we arrived here, but we do have a 2-3 zone and The Miami Hurricanes are looking for their Mayes scored 30 points in the final 4:38 in an we went to it early in the game when we fell fourth consecutive win over their rivals when 81-77 win by Miami on Feb. 25, 2015 when behind to see if we could slow them down. It did. they square off against No. 15 Florida State on he was a freshman. Rathan-Mayes is a junior It worked. We won. So now we’ve got to look Wednesday (8 p.m., ACC Network). now averaging 10.4 points on a career-best at Florida State. It’s a new opponent, different 45.3-percent shooting. “Rathan-Mayes was so personnel. I’m sure the input our players will “I think this is the best Florida State team we’ve good his freshman year I thought he might go provide us will give us a chance to have good seen in my six years because they are so long, so pro,” Larranaga said. “His sophomore year he game preparation.” athletic, they play unbelievable pressure defense, was even better and I thought for sure he was they have a lot of size, they’re very deep,” head going pro. Now this year he and Bacon combine • North Carolina head coach Roy Williams praised coach Jim Larranaga said. “They play 12 guys and to being one of the really strong backcourt the Miami defensive efforts in the paint as well I think they’ve proven a lot already this season. combinations.” as their ability to score in the paint. “They were They were ranked sixth in the country last week. very active,” Williams said. “They caught the ball, They’re certainly a team that’s competing for the • PG Ja’Quan Newton is coming off a strong turned around, and laid the ball up every time. ACC regular season championship.” game scoring 18 points, seven rebounds, and When we laid it up they spiked it like a volleyball three assists with just two turnovers, which is game. They were active around the rim. They Miami (14-6, 4-4 ACC) beat North Carolina 77-62 the lowest he’s had an ACC game this season. were really, really involved defensively. I would on Saturday for their second straight win. Miami Newton has scored in double figures in 17 of 20 think and hope the 20.7 is the lowest percent I’ve is now 1-5 against kenpom.com top 50 teams. games this season including a career-high 23 ever had a team shoot in my entire life, much less in the win over Boston College last week and this year.” Florida State (18-4, 6-3) was lost back-to-back has made all 13 of his free-throw attempts over games for the first time this season falling at the past two games. “He’s an attack guard,” • Florida State is the second-tallest team in the Georgia Tech and at Syracuse. FSU is 1-3 on the Larranaga said. “He’s always in attack mode. He country (Miami is 27th) and the Seminoles have road. loves to get in the paint and draw fouls and make four players averaging at least one block a game shots. His challenge as a player is to really find led by freshman standout PF Jonathan Isaac at It’s the first of two meetings between the two ways to make his teammates better by making 1.6. “There’s a number of things when you’re schools. Florida State will host Miami on March 4. good passes. He can do it at times. The difficulty playing against shot-blockers—first, if you can is when you go into the forest sometimes it’s get them up in the air with a shot fake they might Miami is ranked 33rd (82nd in offensive adjusted hard to see the trees and that’s what happens to foul you; second, if you get them up in the air and efficiency, 20th in defense) and Florida State is him. He gets in so tight and those big guys are you shoot in miss, the guy he’s supposed to be 23rd (32nd in offense, 27th in defense). challenging him; he might be able to make the guarding should be able to get to the offensive shot, but it’s really hard for him to find the open boards and rebound the miss; or third, you drive “They’re a defensive-minded team,” Larranaga man.” and draw their attention and kick it out for three. said. “In fact the defense is creating so many So our guards have to make those decisions. You opportunities on offense.” • C Rodney Miller (illness) was not available can tell them what to look for, but you can’t tell to play in the win against North Carolina. “He them when the game is going on how to quickly NEWS & NOTES was sick,” Larranaga said. “He had some kind react to a situation.” • SG Bruce Brown is coming off a season-high of abscess in his neck and so he was out all last 30 points in the win against North Carolina and week.