Hurricanes Travel To Clemson for Saturday Match-up With Tigers

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Feb. 9, 2005

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI (14-7, 5-5)
at
CLEMSON UNIVERSITY (11-11, 2-8)
When: February 12, 2005 – 12:00 p.m.
Where: Littlejohn Coliseum (10,000) – Clemson, S.C.
TV: WBFS-TV (UPN)
Radio: WQAM (560 AM); XM Satelite Radio (Ch. 180)
Websites: UM (www.hurricanesports.com); CU (www.ClemsonTigers.com)
Up Next: #7/#7 Wake Forest – Feb. 15 at 7:00 p.m. at Convovation Center
Tickets: $15, $25, $30 – Call 305-284-CANE in Dade or 1-800-GO-CANES

ON CLEMSON:
The Clemson Tigers conclude a four-game home stand against Miami on February 12th. The Tigers enter the game with a record of 11-11, 2-8 in the ACC, following a 70-62 loss to Georgia Tech on Tuesday night. Clemson, which has played the ninth hardest schedule according to Collegiate Basketball News, is 8-4 at home this season which includes wins over Ohio State (80-73) and 22nd-ranked Maryland (88-73). Clemson leads the ACC with 42 freshman starts. Cliff Hammonds is second among ACC freshmen in scoring (10.0 ppg), assists (2.9 apg) and steals (1.5 spg). The Tigers have been led this season by senior center Sharron Ford who leads the team in both scoring (14.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.1 rpg). Ford ranks fourth among active ACC players with 680 career rebounds. Clemson’s defense is holding teams to just 66.7 points per game, which ranks fourth in the ACC, and ranks second in the league in steals averaging 10.36 per game. Clemson ranks second in the ACC is offensive rebounding (14.23) behind Miami (15.24).

ON THE COACHES:
Frank Haith was named Miami’s 11th head men’s basketball coach on April 12, 2004. In his 15 seasons as an assistant at the D-I level, he has helped lead teams that have won an NIT Championship, advanced to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen three times, reached one Elite Eight and one Final Four. Haith is 14-7 this season with the Hurricanes. Clemson head coach Oliver Purnell is in his second season with the Tigers and 17th season overall. His record at Clemson is 21-28 (.417) while his overall record is 277-219 (.558). Purnell has been a Division I Conference Coach of the Year in three different conferences earning the honor while at Radford (Big South), Old Dominion (CAA) and Dayton (Atlantic 10).

LAST GAME – MIAMI 75, #22/#24 MARYLAND 73
February 5, 2005
Convocation Center, Coral Gables, Fla.
Will Frisby made a pair of free throws with 0.8 seconds left in overtime to lift the University of Miami to a 75-73 win over No. 22 Maryland at the Convocation Center. Guillermo Diaz scored 27 points to pace the Hurricanes who knocked off a ranked opponent for the third time this season. Frisby finished with 15 points while Rob Hite added 17 points and seven rebounds for Miami. McCray led Maryland with 23 points, including 20 in the second half and overtime. Mike Jones, who scored 14 points, was the only other Maryland player in double figures. Miami won despite shooting a season-low 31.9 percent from the field, and was outrebounded for just the fifth time this season, 51-46. With the score tied 73-73 in overtime, Hite missed a short jumper with 3 seconds to go, but Frisby grabbed the rebound and was fouled by Jones with 0.8 seconds left. Frisby made both free throws, and McCray failed to get a desperation 3-pointer off before the final buzzer.

LAST GAME AGAINST CLEMSON:
MIAMI 69, CLEMSON 65
January 26, 2005
Convocation Center, Coral Gables, Fla.
Robert Hite scored 21 points and Gary Hamilton hit two free throws with five seconds remaining to lead the University of Miami to a 69-65 win over Clemson at the Convocation Center. Hite, who had struggled scoring a total of 12 points in Miami’s previous two games, scored 12 points in the second half, including six over the final 7:45. Down by two points, Clemson had a shot to tie or take the lead with less than 30 seconds left but Olu Babalola and Shawan Robinson misfired on a pair of wild shot attempts and Robinson stepped out of bounds after grabbing his own miss with 5 seconds remaining. Hamilton, a 40 percent free throw shooter, was then fouled on the ensuing inbounds play and hit both shots to seal the victory. Sharrod Ford scored 20 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to lead Clemson. The Deamon Deacons also got 11 points from Cliff Hammonds and 10 from Akin Akingbala. Anthony Harris had 15 points for the Hurricanes, all in the second half, while Guillermo Diaz finished with 12 points and Will Frisby added 11.

A WIN VERSUS CLEMSON WOULD:
-Improve Miami’s record to 15-7 overall and 6-5 in the ACC.
-Surpass Miami’s overall win total from last season.
-Give Miami a season sweep over the Tigers.
-Mark Miami’s third straight win over the Tigers.
-Clinch a winning season for the Hurricanes.

TV/RADIO:
The Miami-Maryland game will be televised in Miami on WBFS-TV (UPN 33). Steve Martin will handle the play-by-play with Mike Gminski adding analysis. The game will be broadcast on the Hurricane Radio Network, WQAM (560 AM). Joe Zagacki “The Voice of the Hurricanes” will call the action with Josh Darrow adding analysis. Brian London will serve as studio host.

THE SERIES:
Miami and Clemson meet for the eighth time overall and for the second time this season. The Tigers lead the all-time series 2-5 although the Hurricanes have won the last two meetings including a 69-65 win earlier this season at the Convocation Center.

TALKING RPI:
As of February 6 the Hurricanes were No. 60 in the RPI rankings according to Collegiate Basketball News. The ACC is currently the nation’s top-rated conference and has seven teams ranked among the top-60 in the RPI.

RPI Team
2 Wake Forest
7 Duke
8 North Carolina
34 Maryland
36 Georgia Tech
49 Virginia
60 MIAMI
73 Clemson
112 Florida State
121 North Carolina State
133 Virginia Tech

PLAYING HIS BEST AGAINST THE BEST:
This season Miami sophomore guard Guillermo Diaz has played his best when facing the best. Miami has faced seven ranked teams this season and in those games Diaz is averaging 24.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.6 steals per game. He is shooting 61-122 (.500) from the field against ranked teams this season including 25-55 (.455) from three-point range. Diaz has scored 20-or-more points in six of the seven games versus ranked opponents.

PLAYING LIKE A FIRST-TEAMER:
Guillermo Diaz has put together a season worthy of first team All-ACC consideration. As of February 8th, Diaz is the only player in the ACC to rank among the league leaders (conference games only) in scoring (2nd), rebounding (22nd), field goal percentage (7th), free throw percentage (15th), three-point field goal percentage (7th) and steals (1st). Here is how Diaz’s numbers in conference games match-up with the some of the league’s top guards.

Player                  Min.	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	FG%	3FG%	FT%Guillermo Diaz, UM	35.7	22.8	5.0	1.5	2.7	.461	.437	.683J.J. Redick, DU	        37.9	24.4	4.0	2.2	1.1	.416	.432	.927Jarrett Jack, GT        36.3	16.2	5.1	4.4	1.9	.427	.421	.881John Gilchrist, MD	33.9	13.0	5.3	5.1	0.8	.388	.407	.796Raymond Felton, NC	31.7	12.9	4.6	5.9	2.2	.465	.429	.857Chris Paul, WF	        34.4	16.2	4.2	7.1	1.9	.478	.476	.794Justin Gray, WF	        30.2	18.8	2.4	1.6	1.1	.460	.405	.833

ROCKING THE CONVO:
The University of Miami has already recorded three sellouts in ACC play this season and announced on Monday, Feb. 7 that the Georgia Tech game on Feb. 26 at the Convocation Center is also a sellout. Through the first six ACC home games this season the Hurricanes are averaging 6,171 fans per game marking a 75% increase in attendance over last season. Last season Miami’s average attendance through six BIG EAST home games was 3,536.

MIAMI’S LETHAL WEAPON III:
Miami’s three guard line-up of Guillermo Diaz (18.8 ppg), Robert Hite (17.6 ppg) and Anthony Harris (12.6 ppg) have combined to average 49.0 points per game, or 66.9 percent (1029 of 1539) of the teams scoring this season.

HITTING THE OFFENSIVE GLASS:
Miami is the top-ranked offensive rebounding team in the ACC averaging 15.24 offensive rebounds per game. The Hurricanes have taken advantage of their second chance opportunities converting their 320 offensive rebounds this season into 339 total points, or 1.06 points per offensive rebound. Miami is averaging 16.1 points per game off offensive rebounds or 22.0 percent of the team’s scoring. Miami has three players that rank among the top-10 in the ACC in offensive rebounding including Anthony King (3rd), William Frisby (4th) and Gary Hamilton (9th). No other ACC school has more than one player ranked among the top-10 in offensive rebounding.

HITE REACHES 1,000:
Rob Hite recorded 17 points against Virginia Tech to become the 27th player in UM history to score 1,000 career points. Hite currently has at 1,028 career points. Miami’s all-time leading scorer is Rick Barry who recorded 2,298 points from 1962-65.

TAKING ADVANTAGE:
This season the Hurricanes have been able to take advantage of opponent turnovers. Miami is averaging 1.03 points per turnover forced (309 points/300 opponent turnovers).

KING MOVES UP BLOCKED SHOT LIST:
Anthony King has already recorded 68 blocked shots this season which ranks fourth on UM’s all-time single-season list. King is on pace to record 91 blocks this season which would set a UM single-season record. King is just the fifth player in school-history to register 65 or more blocks in a season.

Single-Season Blocked Shots:1. Constantin Popa, 1992-93	852. Tito Horford, 1987-88	803. James Jones, 2001-02	        784. Anthony King, 2004-05	685. Tim James, 1998-99	        65

RETURN TO SENDER:
Miami is averaging 5.29 blocks per game this season marking the highest average since the 2001-02 season when UM averaged 5.94 blocks per game. The highest average in school-history is 5.97 which was set during the 1996-97 season.

Top UM Blocked Shot Single-Season Averages:Avg.	Season	Total	Games5.97	1996-97	173	295.94	2001-02	190	325.65	1987-88	175	315.29	2004-05	111	215.27	1998-99	158	305.22	1993-94	141	27