Miami Travels To Georgia Tech On Saturday Feb. 4 For An ACC Battle

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Feb. 2, 2006

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI (13-8, 5-3 ACC) at GEORGIA TECH (9-10, 2-6 ACC)

When: February 4, 2006 – 1:30 PM (ET)
Where: Alexander Memorial Coliseum (9,191) – Atlanta, Ga.
TV: WBFS-TV (UPN)
Radio: WQAM (560 AM)
Websites: UM www.hurricanesports.com; GT www.Ramblinwreck.com
Up Next: #18/#17 NC State, Feb. 8 – 7:00 pm at BankUnited Center
Tickets: Call 1-800-GO-CANES

Probable Miami Starters

Probable Georgia Tech Starters

THE MATCHUP:
Georgia Tech enters its game against Miami with a record of 9-10, 2-6 in the ACC, following a heartbreaking, 63-62, road loss against Virginia Tech on Tuesday night. The Yellow Jackets, which lost seven lettermen, including all five starters from last season’s team, have one the youngest teams in the ACC. Georgia Tech has recorded a league leading 78 starts by freshmen and sophomores this season.

Georgia Tech has been led this season by the inside-outside combination of sophomore guard Anthony Morrow and sophomore forward Jeremis Smith.

Morrow is averaging 16.2 points per game while shooting 41.5 percent from three-point range and connecting on 2.68 treys per game. Smith is averaging 13.0 points per game, a team-high 8.8 rebounds, and has posted eight double-doubles this season.

Miami enters the game with a record of 13-8, 5-3 in the ACC, following a 78-69 win over Wake Forest on Tuesday. Miami has been one of the league’s top defensive teams ranking No. 2 in the ACC in scoring defense (62.9 ppg) and third in the league FG percentage defense (.405).

Miami is led by its three guard line-up of senior Robert Hite, junior Guillermo Diaz and junior Anthony Harris. Hite leads the team in scoring at 17.0 points per game. Diaz (16.6 ppg) ranks second scoring while Harris (10.9 ppg) is third.

One of the three guards has led the team, or tied for team-high honors in scoring, in 20 of the Hurricanes’ 21 games this season. Harris missed the first seven games of the season with a fractured bone in his right foot. Since his return against Birmingham-Southern on Dec. 3 the trio has averaged 46.3 points per game, or 67.5 percent (649 of 961) of the team’s scoring.

Hite has been on fire the last two games averaging 28.0 points and 6.5 rebounds, while shooting 18-31 (.581) from the field, 13-21 (.619) from three-point range, and 7-8 (.875) from the line.

THINGS TO KEEP AN EYE ON:

Robert Hite needs 14 points to move into seventh place on UM’s career scoring. Hite enters the game in eighth place with 1,516 points. Dick Hickox (1958-61), Miami’s first All-American, is currently seventh with 1,529.Guillermo Diaz needs 32 points to move into 16th place on UM’s career scoring list. Diaz enters the game with 1,240 points. John Salmons (1998-02) is currently 16th with 1,271.Robert Hite needs five three-point field goals to become just the third player in UM history to record 200 three-point field goals.If Robert Hite scores 20 points against Georgia Tech it will mark the first time in his career he has gone for 20 or more points in three consecutive games. In his last two games Hite has scored 31 (vs. FSU) and 25 (vs. Wake Forest).

ON THE COACHES:

Miami head coach Frank Haith is in his second season with the Hurricanes. His record career record is 29-21 (.580), including a 13-8 mark this season.

Georgia Tech head coach Paul Hewitt is in his sixth season with the Yellow Jackets and ninth season overall. His record at Tech in 105-76 (.580) while his overall record is 171-103 (.624).

THE SERIES:

Miami and Georgia Tech meet for the only time this regular season. The two teams have met five times on the hardwood with the Yellow Jackets leading the all-time series 4-1 including both games last season. Miami’s lone win over Georgia Tech came on January 3, 1953, an 82-60 win in Miami.

SERIES RESULTS:

TV/RADIO:

The Miami vs. Georgia Tech game will be televised live in Miami on WBFS-TV (UPN). Bob Rathbun (play-by-play) and Bobby Cremins (analysis) will call the action.

The game can be heard 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.

MIAMI RECORDS SEASON’S THIRD SELL OUT:

The University of Miami men’s basketball game against defending National Champion North Carolina on February 12 is officially sold out.

The sellout is the third this season and the eighth since Frank Haith took over the head coaching duties prior to last season. Miami’s games versus Florida (Dec. 22) and Clemson (Jan. 18) were also sell outs.

Miami’s average attendance after 11 home games this is up 13 percent over last season. Miami is averaging 3,825 over the first 11 home games compared to 3,382 after 11 games last season. The Hurricanes average attendance in four ACC home games this season is 5,739.

Miami recorded five sellouts in 2004-05 and saw its home attendance average increase by 69 percent overall, including a 95 percent increase in conference games over the 2003-04 season.

MIAMI’S LETHAL WEAPON III:

Miami’s three guard line-up of Guillermo Diaz (18.6 ppg), Robert Hite (17.3 ppg) and Anthony Harris (12.4 ppg) combined to average 48.2 points per game, or 67.5 percent (1398 of 2071) of the teams scoring last season.

Harris missed the first seven games of the season with a fractured bone in his right foot. Since his return against Birmingham-Southern on Dec. 3 the trio has averaged 46.3 points per game, or 67.5 percent (649 of 961) of the team’s scoring.

Combined Scoring (Diaz, Harris, Hite)

A TALE OF TWO HALVES:

Miami’s Guillermo Diaz has stepped up his play in the second half of games this season. Diaz is averaging 9.6 points and is shooting 47.1 percent from the field, including 47.0 percent from three-point range, in the second half of games. His scoring average in the second half of games is nearly three points higher than the first half while his shooting percentages are almost 150 points higher.

Diaz By Half

REACHING THE CENTURY MARK:

Guillermo Diaz scored 21 points against Michigan on November 29, 2005 to become the 28th player in UM history to reach the 1000-point plateau. Rob Hite reached the 1,000-point plateau last season and currently ranks 8th on UM’s career scoring list with 1,516 points. Diaz ranks 17th with 1,240 points.

UM Career Scoring List: