Miami Basketball Returns Home to Face Penn
Jan. 1, 2008
CORAL GABLES, FLA. – The University of Miami men’s basketball team looks to return to its winning ways on Wed., Jan. 2, taking on Penn at home at the BankUnited Center at 8 p.m. In will be the second game of a Hurricane doubleheader, as the Miami women’s team faces Charleston Southern at 4:30 p.m.
Game 14: Miami (12-1) vs. Penn (4-8)
Date: Wed., Jan. 2, 2008 | Time: 8 p.m. | Site: BankUnited Center
TV: None | Radio: 560 WQAM | Internet Video: None
Websites: Miami (www.hurricanesports.com) | Penn (www.pennathletics.com)
Tickets: 1-800-GO-CANES
Probable Miami StartersNo. Name (Pos/Ht/Wt/Cl) Pts Reb Ast33 Jack McClinton (G, 6-1, 185, Jr.) 15.8 2.4 3.123 James Dews (G, 6-3, 203, So.) 11.8 2.5 1.532 Brian Asbury (F, 6-7, 223, Jr.) 9.5 5.5 2.500 Jimmy Graham (F, 6-7, 238, Jr.) 4.9 4.3 1.1^50 Anthony King (C, 6-9, 246, R-Sr.) 9.3 8.4 1.9^
^ blocks per game
Probable Penn StartersNo. Name (Pos/Ht/Wt/Cl) Pts Reb Ast03 Tyler Bernardini (6-6, 205, Fr.) 13.0 2.1 1.104 Aron Cohen (6-2, 180, Jr.) 3.1 1.7 1.821 Brian Gandieri (6-4, 210, Sr.) 13.4 5.7 2.024 Jack Eggleston (6-8, 215, Fr.) 7.1 4.6 1.641 Justin Reilly (6-8, 230, So.) 6.6 2.2 0.6
The Hurricanes look to rebound after their first loss of the season on Saturday, and would surpass their total number of wins from last season with a win versus Penn.
After two weeks ranked among the nation’s top 25 in a pair of polls — including a national ranking of 19 last week — the Hurricanes have fallen out of the top 25 after Saturday’s loss, but remain among the top vote getters in the country. The 12-1 Miami squad is 26th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll with 46 votes and is 27th in the AP Top 25 with 59 votes. It marks the seventh-straight week, of eight total this season, the Hurricanes have received notice in the polls.
Miami is led by Jack McClinton, who scored a season-high 30 points in the effort versus Winthrop, and is averaging 20.2 points, 3.8 assists and 2.8 rebounds over the last five games. He leads the ACC with 2.91 three-pointers per game at a league-high .542 clip. James Dews adds 11.8 points per game, including 2.62 three-pointers per game at a .479 three-point field goal percentage – both second-best in the ACC behind McClinton.
After a five-game scoring slump, fifth-year senior Anthony King is back to his offensive ways after knocking down a season-high 16 points versus Winthrop. It was his seventh double-figure scoring performance of the season, as he finished just shy of a double-double, adding a game-high nine rebounds and a pair of blocks. King is among three Hurricanes averaging between nine and 10 points per game.
The Series
Wednesday marks the eighth meeting between Miami and Penn, with the Hurricanes leading the all-time series, 4-3. Miami — winners of two straight over the Quakers — defeated Penn, 102-69, in their last meeting on Dec. 28, 1988, in the Eastern Airlines Palm Beach Classic.
A Look at Penn
The 4-8 Quakers come off a 60-30 loss at Florida Gulf Coast. In Saturday’s game, Penn scored just six first-half points (1-17 FGs, 0-6 3FGs, 4-4 FTs), setting an NCAA Division I record for fewest first-half points by a team in the shot-clock era. In addition, Penn — who committed 23 turnovers in the first half and 34 in the game — scored the fewest points since its 1966-67 finale (25-16 loss at Princeton). The Quakers had won two straight entering the Florida Gulf Coast game. Miami is the third ACC team Penn will face this season, already falling at home to both Virginia (100-85) and North Carolina (106-71). The Quakers are led by senior Brian Grandieri with a team-high 13.4 points and a team-high 5.7 rebounds per game, while freshman Tyler Bernardini adds 13.0 points an outing.
